The House of the Seven Gables

American Gothic at its finest

“Shall we never never get rid of this Past? ... It lies upon the Present like a giant's dead body.” ― Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of the Seven Gables In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables, a haunted house plays a central role in a family's quest to escape the past. This classic novel explores themes of guilt, retribution and atonement as well as the moral and emotional experience of magic in 19th century American society.