Great American Short Stories
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Like many of America's greatest cultural exports, the modern short story grew out of necessity rather than a luxury. At the turn of the 19th Century, the United States was a burgeoning country with pathfinders and adventure-seekers pushing their way into the west in search of new opportunities. With so much of the American population constantly on the move from one town to the next, the serialized novel was not a viable form of literature as it was across Europe.
The new literary form soon grew popular; and more and more writers started writing in this wonderfully entertaining form. This collection comprises the best and the most popular short stories from the land.
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Born in 1804, Nathaniel Hawthorne is known for his historical tales and novels about American colonial society. After publishing The Scarlet Letter in 1850, its status as an instant bestseller allowed him to earn a living as a novelist. Full of dark romanticism, psychological complexity, symbolism, and cautionary tales, his work is still popular today. He has earned a place in history as one of the most distinguished American writers of the nineteenth century.
More by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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