Biblioteche dell'Alto Adige

Abstract: Il titolo di questa piccola antologia, Moltitudine, solitudine, è firmato da Baudelaire ed è tratto da Le folle, un poemetto in prosa del 1861 ispirato dall'Uomo della folla di Poe. Wakefield, l'Uomo della folla e Bartleby sono personaggi assimilabili allo spettro evocato da Baudelaire, o quanto meno sono uomini inseguiti da creature dell'oscuro. I tre racconti sono esemplari della grandezza di tre fra i massimi scrittori dell'epoca e tuttavia marcano anche una sorta di anomalia, una tappa singolare nell'arco delle rispettive parabole creative. Mentre "uno spettro si aggira per l'Europa", lo spettro, l'incubo che si aggira invece sulle pagine dei romanzi e dei racconti scritti in quei decenni non è più la creatura d'oltretomba che infesta castelli aviti e dimore isolate nella brughiera: l'armamentario gotico che ha sostenuto la letteratura fantastica dalla fine del Settecento fino alla metà del secolo seguente sbiadisce per lasciare spazio a nuove paure, insinuate tra i muri sporchi degli slum, nei fumi delle fabbriche, nel coagularsi incessante di genti, merci e denaro lungo le vie metropolitane. Sono spettri inurbati, creature pallide di stenti e con i nervi a pezzi, macilente o dignitose ma sempre sull'orlo della disfatta; fanno da specchio ai timori e terrori più occulti dei concittadini tra i quali si aggirano, anche in pieno giorno.

Abstract: There can be, if I forbode aright, no power, short of the Divine mercy, no disclose, whether by uttered words, or by type or emblem, the secrets that may be buried in the human hearth.

Abstract: Il capolavoro di Hawthorne è la storia di un tremendo castigo inflitto a una donna splendida e fiera dallo spietato codice morale dell'America puritana, in flagrante contraddizione con un'altra legge di cui non si stenta a riconoscere la superiorità: quella del cuore.

Abstract: NUOVE TRADUZIONINove grandi capolavori in un unico eBook:- Francis Scott Fitzgerald, "Tenera è la notte"- Nathaniel Hawthorne, "La lettera scarlatta"- Henry James, "Ritratto di signora"- Jack London, "Il vagabondo delle stelle"- HP Lovecraft, "Il profeta dell'incubo"- Herman Melville, "Benito Cereno"- Edgar Allan Poe, "Le avventure di Gordon Pym"- Henry David Thoreau, "Walden"- Mark Twain, "Le avventure di Tom Sawyer" Le buone letture non ti bastano mai, vuoi avere sempre sottomano i libri del tuo autore preferito e non ti spaventano le pagine di un Classico neanche a migliaia? Scopri il catalogo ZoomBox: cofanetti digitali dei tuoi libri preferiti a un prezzo vantaggioso. Solo digitali, solo convenienti, solo di qualità.

Abstract: The House of the Seven Gables is a Gothic novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, first published in 1851. The novel is set in a gloomy New England mansion with a mysterious and dark past. It explores themes of guilt, retribution, and atonement, intertwined with a family curse that haunts the Pyncheon family.Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) was an American novelist and short story writer, best known for his works that explore themes of sin, guilt, and morality, often set against the backdrop of Puritan New England. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, his early experiences in this historically rich and often dark town greatly influenced his writing, especially its focus on ancestral guilt and the moral complexity of human nature.

Abstract: "Sia benedetta la virtuosa colonia del Massachusetts, dove l'ingiustizia viene esposta alla luce del sole!"Pubblicato nel 1850, La lettera scarlatta è uno dei più importanti romanzi nordamericani dell'Ottocento. Nelle intenzioni dell'autore esso doveva rappresentare al meglio lo spirito puritano dell'epoca coloniale americana. Nella società puritana la libertà dell'individuo coincideva con il bene della comunità, che doveva essere purificata da ogni elemento estraneo, considerato al soldo di Satana. Per questa ragione le autorità imponevano stili di vita improntati a un inflessibile rigore morale. E chi infrangeva gravemente le regole poteva incorrere persino nella pena di morte. Nel libro una giovane sposa, amante del pastore Arthur Dimmesdale, manifesta fisicamente i segni della sua relazione extraconiugale con il predicatore. Nulla riesce a farla confessare, nemmeno le minacce, e per questo viene schivata da tutti, e infine condannata a portare sul petto una fiammante lettera A, che la additi allo sguardo pubblico come un'adultera. Intorno a questa vicenda si dipana il progressivo insinuarsi nei personaggi di un tormentato lavorio psichico, che li spingerà, in taluni casi, sull'orlo della pazzia. Il libro è stato fonte di ispirazione per numerose trasposizioni cinematografiche. 

Abstract: Dans une de nos villes de la Nouvelle-Angleterre, au bord d'une ruelle étroite, une maison de bois aux teintes rouillées ; — elle a sept pignons élancés qui font face à différents points de l'horizon ; — au centre une massive cheminée groupant plusieurs tuyaux accotés l'un à l'autre. La rue s'appelle Pyncheon-street ; la maison est l'antique Pynchcon-House, et ce grand ormeau dont le tronc puissant se dresse devant la porte est connu de tous les gamins de la ville sous le nom de l'orme-Pyncheon. Quand je traverse par hasard la ville en question, il m'arrive souvent de descendre Pyncheon-street pour passer à l'ombre de ces deux monuments archéologiques, le grand orme et la maison battue des vents. Elle a pour moi comme une physionomie humaine ; j'y retrouve en quelque sorte la trace d'une longue vie et des vicissitudes qu'elle a dû subir. Bien racontées, elles nous offriraient un récit qui ne manquerait, à coup sûr, ni d'intérêt ni d'enseignements, et dont l'unité, qui plus est, pourrait sembler le résultat d'une préconception d'artiste. Mais quel in-folio, que d'in-douze ne réclamerait-il pas ?

Abstract: First published in 1846 in the present form, famous English story writer Nathaniel Hawthorne's book 'Mosses from an Old Manse, and Other Stories' is a collection of fictional short stories.The collection includes several previously-published short stories, and was named in honor of The Old Manse where Hawthorne and his wife lived for the first three years of their marriage. The first edition was published in 1846.Hawthorne seems to have been paid $75 for the publication.Many of the tales collected in Mosses from an Old Manse are allegories and, typical of Hawthorne, focus on the negative side of human nature. Hawthorne's friend Herman Melville noted this aspect in his review "Hawthorne and His Mosses":This black conceit pervades him through and through. You may be witched by his sunlight,—transported by the bright gildings in the skies he builds over you; but there is the blackness of darkness beyond; and even his bright gildings but fringe and play upon the edges of thunder-clouds.William Henry Channing noted in his review of the collection, in The Harbinger, its author "had been baptized in the deep waters of Tragedy", and his work was dark with only brief moments of "serene brightness" which was never brighter than "dusky twilight".After the book's first publication, Hawthorne sent copies to critics including Margaret Fuller, Rufus Wilmot Griswold, Edgar Allan Poe, and Henry Theodore Tuckerman. Poe responded with a lengthy review in which he praised Hawthorne's writing but faulted him for associating with New England journals, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the Transcendentalists. He wrote, "Let him mend his pen, get a bottle of visible ink, come out from the Old Manse, cut Mr. Alcott, hang (if possible) the editor of 'The Dial,' and throw out of the window to the pigs all his odd numbers of the North American Review. A young Walt Whitman wrote that Hawthorne was underpaid, and it was unfair that his book competed with imported European books. He asked, "Shall real American genius shiver with neglect while the public runs after this foreign trash?" Generally, most contemporary critics praised the collection and considered it better than Hawthorne's earlier collection, Twice-Told Tales.Regarding the second edition, published in 1854, Hawthorne wrote to publisher James Thomas Fields that he no longer understood the messages he was sending in these stories. He shared, "I remember that I always had a meaning—or, at least, thought I had", and noted, "Upon my honor, I am not quite sure that I entirely comprehend my own meaning in some of these blasted allegories... I am a good deal changed since those times; and to tell you the truth, my past self is not very much to my taste, as I see in this book." (from Wikipedia)

Abstract: Not a great while ago, passing through the gate of dreams, I visited that region of the earth in which lies the famous city of Destruction. It interested me much to learn that, by the public spirit of some of the inhabitants, a railroad has recently been established between this populous and flourishing town, and the Celestial City. Having a little time upon my hands, I resolved to gratify a liberal curiosity to make a trip thither. Accordingly, one fine morning, after paying my bill at the hotel, and directing the porter to stow my luggage behind a coach, I took my seat in the vehicle and set out for the Station-house. It was my good fortune to enjoy the company of a gentleman—one Mr. Smooth-it-away—who, though he had never actually visited the Celestial City, yet seemed as well acquainted with its laws, customs, policy, and statistics, as with those of the city of Destruction, of which he was a native townsman. Being, moreover, a director of the railroad corporation, and one of its largest stockholders, he had it in his power to give me all desirable information respecting that praiseworthy enterprise. 

Abstract: "A pure hand needs no glove to cover it."Hester Prynne is condemned to wear the scarlet embroidered letter A on her breast, as punishment for her adultery. She resists all attempts of the 17th Century Boston clergy to make her reveal the name of her child's father. Her husband, an old physician who had remained in Europe, arrives in America to see her on the pillory. Assuming the name of Roger Chillingworth, he seeks revenge …So begins the chain of events in the story often referred to as 'The First Great American Novel.' A stark tale of adultery, guilt, and social repression in Puritan New England, The Scarlet Letter is a foundational work of American literature. Nathaniel Hawthorne's exploration of the dichotomy between the public and private self, internal passion and external convention, gives us the unforgettable Hester Prynne, who discovers strength in the face of ostracism and emerges as a heroine ahead of her time. As Kathryn Harrison points out, Hester is "the herald of the modern heroine."*Includes image gallery.

Abstract: "La lettera scarlatta", pubblicato nel 1850, è un classico della letteratura statunitense scritto da Nathaniel Hawthorne. Ambientato nel New England puritano nel XVII secolo, il romanzo racconta la storia di Hester Prynne che, dopo aver commesso adulterio, ha una figlia di cui si rifiuta di rivelare il padre, lottando per crearsi una nuova vita di pentimento e dignità. Nell'insieme, Hawthorne esplora i temi della grazia, della legalità e della colpa.

Abstract: Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist, dark romantic, and short story writer.

Abstract: È il 1642 a Boston. L'ambiente sociale è caratterizzato da severità morale a sfondo religioso tipica dell'epoca. Hester ha dato alla luceuna bambina, Pearl, nonostante il marito sia assente da anni dalla città, e per questa ragione ha affrontato un processo per adulterio e, come punizione, viene esposta alla pubblica umiliazione su di un patibolo vestendo sul petto una lettera A scarlatta (che sta per "Adultera"). L'autore indugia sui discorsi delle comari, alcune delle quali vorrebbero che Hester venisse uccisa, in quanto la pena per l'adulterio sarebbe la morte. Hester non vuole rivelare chi sia il padre della bambina, anche se le viene domandato più e più volte.

Abstract: Much of Hawthorne's writing centers on New England, many works featuring moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, Dark romanticism. His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity. His published works include novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend Franklin Pierce.

Abstract: The Scarlet Letter: A Romance, an 1850 novel, is a work of historical fiction written by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is considered his "masterwork". Set in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony, during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. As she struggles to raise her rambunctious daughter, Pearl, on her own, the father of her child is revealed and is shown to be experiencing severe guilt. Through the scorn and judgment of the citizens and Roger Chillingworth (Hester's husband), the two decide to remain together. Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt.

Abstract: È il 1642 a Boston. L'ambiente sociale è caratterizzato da severità morale a sfondo religioso tipica dell'epoca. Hester ha dato alla luceuna bambina, Pearl, nonostante il marito sia assente da anni dalla città, e per questa ragione ha affrontato un processo per adulterio e, come punizione, viene esposta alla pubblica umiliazione su di un patibolo vestendo sul petto una lettera A scarlatta (che sta per "Adultera"). L'autore indugia sui discorsi delle comari, alcune delle quali vorrebbero che Hester venisse uccisa, in quanto la pena per l'adulterio sarebbe la morte. Hester non vuole rivelare chi sia il padre della bambina, anche se le viene domandato più e più volte.Il caso vuole che il marito di Hester (che in città nessuno conosce) faccia ritorno dopo una lunga prigionia a opera dei pellirossa, proprio nel giorno in cui la moglie è esposta sul patibolo. Siccome Hester non vuole rivelare neppure al marito il nome dell'uomo con cui ha commesso adulterio, suo marito assume il nome di Roger Chillingworth, e prende a esercitare l'attività di medico in città, forte dei suoi studi in Inghilterra, ma anche delle cognizioni di medicina indiana che ha appreso durante la prigionia; in tale modo, sotto falsa identità, egli spera di riuscire a identificare il padre di Pearl.

Abstract: Set in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony, during the years 1642 to 1649, The scarlet letter tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. As she tries to raise her rambunctious daughter, Pearl, on her own, the father of her child is revealed and is shown to be experiencing severe guilt. Through the scorn and judgment of the citizens and Roger Chillingworth - Hester's husband -, the two decide to remain together. Throughout the book, Nathaniel Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt. Henry James once said of this novel, "It is beautiful, admirable, extraordinary; it has in the highest degree that merit which I have spoken of as the mark of Hawthorne's best things—an indefinable purity and lightness of conception...One can often return to it; it supports familiarity and has the inexhaustible charm and mystery of great works of art.Complete edition with an interactive table of contents.

Abstract: The Scarlet Letter, is an American novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and is generally considered to be his magnum opus. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who gives birth after committing adultery, refuses to name the father, and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne explores questions of grace, legalism, sin and guilt. 

Abstract: In the latter part of the last century there lived a man of science, an eminent proficient in every branch of natural philosophy, who not long before our story opens had made experience of a spiritual affinity more attractive than any chemical one. He had left his laboratory to the care of an assistant, cleared his fine countenance from the furnace smoke, washed the stain of acids from his fingers, and persuaded a beautiful woman to become his wife. In those days when the comparatively recent discovery of electricity and other kindred mysteries of Nature seemed to open paths into the region of miracle, it was not unusual for the love of science to rival the love of woman in its depth and absorbing energy. The higher intellect, the imagination, the spirit, and even the heart might all find their congenial aliment in pursuits which, as some of their ardent votaries believed, would ascend from one step of powerful intelligence to another, until the philosopher should lay his hand on the secret of creative force and perhaps make new worlds for himself. We know not whether Aylmer possessed this degree of faith in man's ultimate control over Nature. He had devoted himself, however, too unreservedly to scientific studies ever to be weaned from them by any second passion. His love for his young wife might prove the stronger of the two; but it could only be by intertwining itself with his love of science, and uniting the strength of the latter to his own.Such a union accordingly took place, and was attended with truly remarkable consequences and a deeply impressive moral. One day, very soon after their marriage, Aylmer sat gazing at his wife with a trouble in his countenance that grew stronger until he spoke."Georgiana," said he, "has it never occurred to you that the mark upon your cheek might be removed?"

Abstract: The Scarlet Letter caused quite a stir when it first appeared in February, 1850. The initial printing of 2,500 volumes sold out within ten days. It was one of the first mass-produced books in America and was widely read and discussed to an extent not much experienced in the young country up until that time. The Scarlet Letter – Original February 1850 Uncensored Version is the first incarnation of the book, before Hawthorne added a preface to a second edition of The Scarlet Letter which was published a month later.The story tells of Hester Prynne, condemned to wear the red letter A on her breast, as punishment for adultery – and because she resists all attempts of the Boston clergy to make her reveal the name of her child's father. Prynne's husband, an old physician who had remained in Europe, arrives in America to see her on the pillory. Assuming the name of Roger Chillingworth, he decides to seek revenge.Henry James once said of The Scarlet Letter, "It is beautiful, admirable, extraordinary; it has in the highest degree that merit which I have spoken of as the mark of Hawthorne's best things—an indefinable purity and lightness of conception...One can often return to it; it supports familiarity and has the inexhaustible charm and mystery of great works of art."