The Nathaniel Hawthorne Audio Collection
Written and read by Paul Aster
Stories read by James Naughton

     "Young Goodman Brown," "House of Seven Gables," "The Scarlet Letter"--these stories are just three of the most well-known, classic pieces of American literature. What do they have in common? Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote them. In this 5 CD set, Paul Aster talks about this talented author's family, friends, and way of life.

     From his writings about his three children--Dora, Julian, and Una--to his close-knit friendships with his wife Sophia and Young Herman Melville, Aster has included the most remarkable information, facts, and excerpts in this set. This audio is an endless fountain of knowledge about one of the greatest authors to grace the pages of American history.

     There are also three stories of Hawthorne's included in the 4th and 5th CDs of the set. "Young Goodman Brown," "The Minister's Black Veil," and "Rappacini's Daughter" bring home the feeling that the listener will have after listening to the true-life story of the amazing and very poignant Nathaniel Hawthorne.

     I love how this audio book is set up. It begins with an introduction to what is included in the set, then moves to the most important aspect of what makes any great writer great in the first place: his family. From the many stories he wrote for, and sometimes with his children, to the pages and pages of writings about them and his wife, Aster has made sure to show every aspect of the man known for his shy, sometimes introverted lifestyle that contrasted with the deep emotionally-driven stories of morality, love, honor, and betrayal that cascaded from of his ink pen like a waterfall of prolific ambrosia. I highly recommend this audio for anyone who has a deep appreciation for literature that, like mine, borders on the obsessive.