The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne

There’s nothing like sinking your teeth into a good classic.  The only other Hawthorne I’ve read is The Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables.  This one is not likely to be on a high school English required reading list, but is still worth some time.  The setting is a utopian community, but that played a lesser role in the story than I had expected.  Woman’s place in the world was the theme that really jumped out at me.  I was also reminded of Thomas Hardy’s Return of the Native, particularly in the character of Zenobia.  Perhaps Hardy borrowed some ideas from Hawthorne . . . no, not possible!  My husband is a huge devote of Hardy, and would be horror-stricken that I could even insinuate such a thing.  I was impressed with the narrator Coverdale, who is always observing, sometimes a catalyst, but never participating fully in life.  He is well-portrayed.  The novel is rich in themes and symbolism, but a little lacking in clarity of plot and structure, I thought.  For example, how did these characters find their way to the Blithedale community?  What exactly is supposed to make this farm community different from any other farm?  How is it “an experiment”?  Other than that they all sit down to eat dinner together at the same table, regardless of social stature, I could detect no other utopian details.  Obviously Hawthorne was not concerned with such details, preferring to focus on his themes, but a little explanation would have been enjoyable.