{"product_id":"hawthorne-nathaniel-the-house-of-the-seven-gables-9789390027200","title":"The House of the Seven Gables","description":"\u003cbr\u003eThe novel is set in the mid-19th century, but flashbacks to the history of the house, which was built in the late 17th century, are set in other periods. The house of the title is a gloomy New England mansion, haunted since its construction by fraudulent dealings, accusations of witchcraft, and sudden death. The current resident, the dignified but desperately poor Hepzibah Pyncheon, opens a shop in a side room to support her brother Clifford, who has completed a thirty-year sentence for murder. She refuses all assistance from her wealthy but unpleasant cousin, Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon. A distant relative, the lively and pretty young Phoebe arrives and quickly becomes invaluable, charming customers and rousing Clifford from depression. A delicate romance grows between Phoebe and the mysterious attic lodger Holgrave, who is writing a history of the Pyncheon family. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe house was built on ground wrongfully seized from its rightful owner, Matthew Maule, by Colonel Pyncheon, the founder of the Massachusetts branch of the family. Maule was accused of practicing witchcraft and was executed. According to legend, at his death Maule laid a curse upon the Pyncheon family. During the housewarming festivities, Colonel Pyncheon was found dead in his armchair; whether he actually died from the curse or from a congenital disease is unclear. His portrait remains in the house as a symbol of its dark past and the weight of the curse upon the spirit of its inhabitants. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003ePhoebe arranges to it her country home, but plans to return soon. Clifford, depressed by his isolation from humanity and his lost youth spent in prison, stands at a large arched window above the stairs and has a sudden urge to jump. The departure of Phoebe, the focus of his attention, leaves him bed-ridden. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eJudge Pyncheon arrives at the house hoping to find information about land in Maine, rumored to belong to the family.","brand":"Prince Classics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53886189142358,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0925\/5829\/5382\/files\/product_image_9789390027200_1.jpg?v=1781865648","url":"https:\/\/www.momoxbooks.com\/products\/hawthorne-nathaniel-the-house-of-the-seven-gables-9789390027200","provider":"momoxbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}