The Blithedale Romance

The Blithedale Romance is the story of four principal characters who work with -- and sometimes against -- each other on Blithedale, a communal farm antecedent to those that sprang up later in the 1960s, and similar to one on which Hawthorne himself lived in 1841. These communes arose out of the pressures on society and the individual brought by the Industrial Revolution. Some were organized around religious philosophies, some were secular. Among the secularists, the Transcendental movement mentioned in the novel espoused the idea that the individual's intuition, rather than religious dogma, was the true path to spiritual enlightenment. Our four characters, like so many who fled to these communes, struggle to free mankind from bondage as they struggle with the unaccustomed day-to-day tasks of farm life. But they are plagued by a mystery that follows them from the world, and ultimately leads to tragedy. (Summary by Christine Dufour) (8 hr 48 min)

Chapters

00 - Preface	5:41	Read by Jacquerie
01- Old Moodie	8:43	Read by Jacquerie
02 - Blithedale	11:02	Read by Jacquerie
03 - A Knot of Dreamers	19:06	Read by Jacquerie
04 - The Supper-Table	18:04	Read by Jacquerie
05 - Until Bedtime	15:03	Read by Jacquerie
06 - Coverdale's Sick-Chamber	22:09	Read by Jacquerie
07 - The Convalescent	19:08	Read by Jacquerie
08 - A Modern Arcadia	25:42	Read by Jacquerie
09 - Hollingsworth, Zenobia, Priscilla	27:48	Read by Jacquerie
10 - A Visitor From Town	15:43	Read by Jacquerie
11 - The Wood-Path	19:09	Read by Jacquerie
12 - Coverdale's Hermitage	16:12	Read by Jacquerie
13 - Zenobia's Legend	24:33	Read by Jacquerie
14 - Eliot's Pulpit	24:57	Read by Jacquerie
15 - A Crisis	18:29	Read by Jacquerie
16 - Leave-Takings	17:12	Read by Jacquerie
17 - The Hotel	17:03	Read by Jacquerie
18 - The Boarding-House	14:14	Read by Jacquerie
19 - Zenobia's Drawing-Room	17:50	Read by Jacquerie
20 - They Vanish	11:20	Read by Jacquerie
21 - An Old Acquaintance	16:29	Read by Jacquerie
22 - Fauntleroy	26:48	Read by Jacquerie
23 - A Village Hall	22:41	Read by Jacquerie
24 - The Masqueraders	19:39	Read by Jacquerie
25 - The Three Together	18:28	Read by Jacquerie
26 - Zenobia and Coverdale	15:07	Read by Jacquerie
27 - Midnight	18:23	Read by Jacquerie
28 - Blithedale Pasture	14:48	Read by Jacquerie
29 - Miles Coverdale's Confession	6:56	Read by Jacquerie

Reviews

Classic Hawthorne: Mysterious Plot; Great Characterizations

(4.5 stars)

Keith & Kristine Armour

Absorbing mystery involving a romantic triangle, plus the narrator, who's the odd man out. Story holds your interest to the final page, but the narrator is more than a little self-absorbed, which can be a bit tedious at times. Also there are no heroes and no real winners in this one - the main characters are all either deeply flawed or outright evil. That together with Hawthorne's narrator's endorsement of early feminist principles gives this novel a remarkably "modern" feel. Reader's audio presentation was very well presented.

(3 stars)

Scott in Sandy Eggo

It’s very well read, however the overall story may not merit the attention the author gets for whatever insight the story might offer. Perhaps it is this listener’s inability to appreciate Hawthorn’s writing and superstitions. Thank Ms. Dufour for your reading. I have listened to all your books and left this one for the end. Please continue to find more novels to read to this appreciative audience.

A FAILED COMUNE DESTROYS ALL

(4 stars)

Avid Listener

Hawthorne fans will enjoy this somewhat jaded view of a failed ccommune. The first few chapters give interesting anecdotes of commmunal life, while the remmainder of tho book deals with a tragedy. Very well read..

A bit dull

(2.5 stars)

Gabby Wright

The book was a bit dull, and made more so by the reader. I'd have stopped listening if there hadn't been an element of mystery to the story that intrigued me enough to stick with it.

A work of genius

(5 stars)

shane miller

A gem of world literature. Thanks to the fine reader.