The New Student's Reference Work/Hawthorne, Nathaniel

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE Hawthorne, Nathaniel, a distinguished American novelist, was born at Salem, Mass., July 4, 1804. He was the grandson of Daniel Hawthorne, who was commander of a privateer in the Revolutionary War. His father, like many of the other male members of the family, was a follower of the sea, and died when the son was but four years old. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 1825 with Longfellow. His first novel, Fanshawe, was published anonymously (1828), but proved a failure. The first book to bring fame was a collection of short stories, called Twice-told Tales (1837). In 1850 The Scarlet Letter, the book which made his name most widely known, was given to the public. Quickly upon this followed The House of Seven Gables, The Wonder-Book, The Snow-Image, The Blithedale Romance, Tanglewood Tales and a continuation of The Wonder-Book (1853). He was known as one of the most brilliant contributors to the magazines of his day. In March, 1853, he was appointed consul to Liverpool by President Pierce, and remained until the close of 1857. He then spent a year in Italy, which inspired The Marble Faun (1858), returned to America, and published Our Old Home (1860), sketches of England. He died at Plymouth, N. H., May 19, 1864. Hawthorne is undoubtedly the greatest of American novelists. See Hawthorne by Prof. Geo. E. Woodberry, in the series of American Men of Letters, and Nathaniel Hawthorne by Julian Hawthorne.