A terrific collection of Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories. My favorite stories within this compilation were: The Birthmark, The Maypole of Merry Mount, and The Snow Image. The afterword mentions the fact that these stories were inspired by Hawthorne's own interest in fairy lore.All and all, a worthwhile read. ( )

Wonderful anthology in Hawthorne's easy to read style that deals with moral issues and the surreal.

Hawthorne's allegorical satire on the sad state of those who profess Christ, but are not willing to suffer for His name's sake, presupposes a knowledge of John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress". Even the names of his characters are reminiscent of Bunyan's characters. It is an worthwhile read, but, sadly, all too true, even today. ( )