When I was a college student, I used to write papers for hire, nearly all for freshman English classes. It didn't hurt that I was sometimes the grader also, having been hired by two professors to read papers for them. Strictly cash transactions on both sides, except for one teacher who paid me with a copy of the complete works of Blake. At any rate, I recall one of my best customers was a fellow who paid extra if I could write papers that would earn him a "C", or certainly no better than a "B". He told me that he needed to pass the class, but that, on the basis of his in-class performances, the teacher would never believe that he could write an "A"-worthy paper. Also, he didn't want to be singled out, lest the teacher decide to engage him in conversation about his paper. I clearly remember working up a C paper on The Scarlet Letter and then promptly losing all of my earnings in a poker game to the same guy who had bought the paper. ( )

Ok, one of my favorite books for a while. I have to admit I've never gotten through any of Hawthorne's novels. But I love his short stories. I admit, they're probably overwritten and overdramatic. Still, I love them all the same. Great collection. ( )