"Browne's Folly" / (From: "The Doliver Romance and Other Pieces: Tales and Sketches")

Name: "Browne's Folly" / (From: "The Doliver Romance and Other Pieces: Tales and Sketches")
Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne

A writer describes a conspicuous hill near Salem, its whale‑back ridge, a green lane and a shrunken brook, and the broad views of sea and surrounding farms from the summit. He recounts the vanished pleasure house that once crowned the ridge, the earthquake damage that made it untenable, its later dismantling and conversion into separate dwellings, and a childhood tale of a forbidden closet that yielded ancestral portraits. The account dwells on overgrown cellar hollows and barberry bushes, imagines the mansion's former splendour, and offers the site as a prompt for local storytellers.

By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer, born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. He is best known for his exploration of moral complexity and the human condition, often set against the backdrop of New England's Puritan heritage. His notable works include "The Scarlet Letter," which delves into themes of sin and redemption, and "The House of the Seven Gables," a tale of guilt and retribution. Hawthorne's writing is characterized by its rich symbolism and psychological depth, making significant contributions to American literature. His stories often reflect his fascination with the darker aspects of human nature and the consequences of isolation.