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袛胁邪写褑邪褌褜 写薪械泄 褋 袛卸褍谢懈邪薪芯屑 懈 袟邪泄褔懈泻芯屑
袧邪 褑械谢褘褏 写胁邪写褑邪褌褜 写薪械泄 芯褌械褑 芯褋褌邪械褌褋褟 芯写懈薪 薪邪 芯写懈薪 褋 锌褟褌懈谢械褌薪懈屑 褋褘薪芯屑 ... 袨褌械褑 - 蟹薪邪屑械薪懈褌褘泄 邪屑械褉懈泻邪薪褋泻懈泄 锌懈褋邪褌械谢褜 袧邪褌邪薪懈褝谢褜 袚芯褌芯褉薪, 褋褘薪 - 袛卸褍谢懈邪薪 - 胁锌芯褋谢械写褋褌胁懈懈 褌芯卸械 锌懈褋邪褌械谢褜 懈 邪胁褌芯褉 斜懈芯谐褉邪褎懈褔械褋泻芯泄 泻薪懈谐懈 "袧邪褌邪薪懈褝谢褜 袚芯褌芯褉薪 懈 械谐芯 卸械薪邪". 袩芯 锌褉懈蟹薪邪薪懈褞 袛卸褍谢懈邪薪邪, 褝褌懈 谢械褌薪懈械 写薪懈 1851 谐芯写邪 写谢褟 芯褌褑邪 斜褘谢懈 "胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯, 薪械谢械谐泻芯泄 褉邪斜芯褌芯泄", 薪芯 写谢褟 薪械谐芯 褋邪屑芯谐芯 - 写薪褟屑懈 "褋邪屑芯谐芯 斜械蟹屑褟褌械卸薪芯谐芯 褋褔邪褋褌褜褟".
袙 懈褞谢褜褋泻褍褞 卸邪褉褍 锌懈褋邪褌械谢褜, 泻邪泻 锌褉邪胁懈谢芯, 薪械 褉邪斜芯褌邪谢, 锌褉懈褋邪卸懈胁邪褟褋褜 泻 锌懈褋褜屑械薪薪芯屑褍 褋褌芯谢褍 谢懈褕褜 写谢褟 蟹邪锌懈褋械泄 胁 写薪械胁薪懈泻械, 锌芯褝褌芯屑褍 褍 薪械谐芯 褏胁邪褌邪谢芯 褋懈谢 薪械 褌芯谢褜泻芯 褋 褍褌褉邪 写芯 胁械褔械褉邪 胁芯蟹懈褌褜褋褟 褋 褉械斜褢薪泻芯屑, 薪芯 懈 胁械褋褌懈 锌芯写褉芯斜薪褘泄 芯褌褔褢褌 写谢褟 卸械薪褘 芯斜芯 胁褋褢屑, 褔褌芯 褋 薪懈屑懈 锌褉芯懈褋褏芯写懈谢芯. 袙 褉械蟹褍谢褜褌邪褌械 "胁芯蟹薪懈泻谢邪" 屑邪谢械薪褜泻邪褟 蟹邪斜邪胁薪邪褟 锌芯胁械褋褌褜, 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪薪邪褟 "薪邪褋褌芯谢褜泻芯 褌芯褔薪芯 懈 褔械褋褌薪芯, 褔褌芯 胁褋褟泻懈泄, 泻芯屑褍 写芯胁械谢芯褋褜 薪邪写芯谢谐芯 芯褋褌邪褌褜褋褟 褋 褉械斜褢薪泻芯屑 芯写懈薪 薪懈 芯写懈薪, 薪械 屑芯卸械褌 褝褌芯谐芯 薪械 芯褑械薪懈褌褜".
袙锌械褉胁褘械 芯褌写械谢褜薪芯泄 泻薪懈谐芯泄 "20 写薪械泄 褋 袛卸褍谢懈邪薪芯屑 懈 袟邪泄褔懈泻芯屑" 懈蟹写邪谢 胁 2003 谐芯写褍 懈蟹胁械褋褌薪褘泄 邪屑械褉懈泻邪薪褋泻懈泄 锌懈褋邪褌械谢褜 袩芯谢 袨褋褌械褉, 锌褉械写胁邪褉懈胁 泻薪懈谐褍 胁褋褌褍锌懈褌械谢褜薪芯泄 褋褌邪褌褜褢泄 懈 胁褘褋芯泻芯 芯褑械薪懈胁 "锌褉械谢械褋褌褜 泻芯褉芯褌泻芯谐芯 谢械褌薪械谐芯 写薪械胁薪懈泻邪 袚芯褌芯褉薪邪", 泻芯褌芯褉褘泄 "褌懈褏芯, 褋泻褉芯屑薪芯, 泻邪泻 胁褋械谐写邪 褋锌芯泻芯泄薪芯... 褋褍屑械谢 褋写械谢邪褌褜 胁 薪褢屑 褌芯, 芯 褔褢屑 屑械褔褌邪械褌 泻邪卸写褘泄 胁蟹褉芯褋谢褘泄 褔械谢芯胁械泻: 薪邪胁褋械谐写邪 蟹邪锌械褔邪褌谢械谢 褋褘薪邪 褉械斜褢薪泻芯屑".
袙 懈褞谢褜褋泻褍褞 卸邪褉褍 锌懈褋邪褌械谢褜, 泻邪泻 锌褉邪胁懈谢芯, 薪械 褉邪斜芯褌邪谢, 锌褉懈褋邪卸懈胁邪褟褋褜 泻 锌懈褋褜屑械薪薪芯屑褍 褋褌芯谢褍 谢懈褕褜 写谢褟 蟹邪锌懈褋械泄 胁 写薪械胁薪懈泻械, 锌芯褝褌芯屑褍 褍 薪械谐芯 褏胁邪褌邪谢芯 褋懈谢 薪械 褌芯谢褜泻芯 褋 褍褌褉邪 写芯 胁械褔械褉邪 胁芯蟹懈褌褜褋褟 褋 褉械斜褢薪泻芯屑, 薪芯 懈 胁械褋褌懈 锌芯写褉芯斜薪褘泄 芯褌褔褢褌 写谢褟 卸械薪褘 芯斜芯 胁褋褢屑, 褔褌芯 褋 薪懈屑懈 锌褉芯懈褋褏芯写懈谢芯. 袙 褉械蟹褍谢褜褌邪褌械 "胁芯蟹薪懈泻谢邪" 屑邪谢械薪褜泻邪褟 蟹邪斜邪胁薪邪褟 锌芯胁械褋褌褜, 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪薪邪褟 "薪邪褋褌芯谢褜泻芯 褌芯褔薪芯 懈 褔械褋褌薪芯, 褔褌芯 胁褋褟泻懈泄, 泻芯屑褍 写芯胁械谢芯褋褜 薪邪写芯谢谐芯 芯褋褌邪褌褜褋褟 褋 褉械斜褢薪泻芯屑 芯写懈薪 薪懈 芯写懈薪, 薪械 屑芯卸械褌 褝褌芯谐芯 薪械 芯褑械薪懈褌褜".
袙锌械褉胁褘械 芯褌写械谢褜薪芯泄 泻薪懈谐芯泄 "20 写薪械泄 褋 袛卸褍谢懈邪薪芯屑 懈 袟邪泄褔懈泻芯屑" 懈蟹写邪谢 胁 2003 谐芯写褍 懈蟹胁械褋褌薪褘泄 邪屑械褉懈泻邪薪褋泻懈泄 锌懈褋邪褌械谢褜 袩芯谢 袨褋褌械褉, 锌褉械写胁邪褉懈胁 泻薪懈谐褍 胁褋褌褍锌懈褌械谢褜薪芯泄 褋褌邪褌褜褢泄 懈 胁褘褋芯泻芯 芯褑械薪懈胁 "锌褉械谢械褋褌褜 泻芯褉芯褌泻芯谐芯 谢械褌薪械谐芯 写薪械胁薪懈泻邪 袚芯褌芯褉薪邪", 泻芯褌芯褉褘泄 "褌懈褏芯, 褋泻褉芯屑薪芯, 泻邪泻 胁褋械谐写邪 褋锌芯泻芯泄薪芯... 褋褍屑械谢 褋写械谢邪褌褜 胁 薪褢屑 褌芯, 芯 褔褢屑 屑械褔褌邪械褌 泻邪卸写褘泄 胁蟹褉芯褋谢褘泄 褔械谢芯胁械泻: 薪邪胁褋械谐写邪 蟹邪锌械褔邪褌谢械谢 褋褘薪邪 褉械斜褢薪泻芯屑".
123 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1851
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368 people want to read
About the author
Nathaniel Hawthorne
4,798听books3,387听followersNathaniel Hawthorne was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. He is seen as a key figure in the development of American literature for his tales of the nation's colonial history.
Shortly after graduating from Bowdoin College, Hathorne changed his name to Hawthorne. Hawthorne anonymously published his first work, a novel titled Fanshawe, in 1828. In 1837, he published Twice-Told Tales and became engaged to painter and illustrator Sophia Peabody the next year. He worked at a Custom House and joined a Transcendentalist Utopian community, before marrying Peabody in 1842. The couple moved to The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, later moving to Salem, the Berkshires, then to The Wayside in Concord. The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, followed by a succession of other novels. A political appointment took Hawthorne and family to Europe before returning to The Wayside in 1860. Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, leaving behind his wife and their three children.
Much of Hawthorne's writing centers around New England and many feature moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His work is considered part of the Romantic movement and includes novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend, the United States President Franklin Pierce.
Shortly after graduating from Bowdoin College, Hathorne changed his name to Hawthorne. Hawthorne anonymously published his first work, a novel titled Fanshawe, in 1828. In 1837, he published Twice-Told Tales and became engaged to painter and illustrator Sophia Peabody the next year. He worked at a Custom House and joined a Transcendentalist Utopian community, before marrying Peabody in 1842. The couple moved to The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, later moving to Salem, the Berkshires, then to The Wayside in Concord. The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, followed by a succession of other novels. A political appointment took Hawthorne and family to Europe before returning to The Wayside in 1860. Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, leaving behind his wife and their three children.
Much of Hawthorne's writing centers around New England and many feature moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His work is considered part of the Romantic movement and includes novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend, the United States President Franklin Pierce.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
February 13, 2025
Audiobook: Paul Auster
The old boy is now riding on his rocking-horse, and talking to me as fast as his tongue can go. Mercy on me, was ever man before so bepelted with a child's talk as I am! It is his desire of sympathy that lies at the bottom of the great heap of his babblement. He wants to enrich all his enjoyments by steeping them in the heart of some friend. I do not think him in danger of living so solitary a life as much of mine has been.
No ver茫o de 1851, o escritor Nathaniel Hawthorne passou 20 dias sozinho com o seu filho e o coelhinho de estima莽茫o, enquanto a mulher foi de viagem com as duas filhas. Foi um deleite e uma surpresa ver um homem no s茅culo XIX a dar banho ao pequeno Julian, a pentear-lhe os carac贸is, a resolver acidentes nocturnos e a dar-lhe as refei莽玫es, basicamente vegetarianas, pondo de facto a um canto muitos homens do s茅culo XXI. Identifiquei-me tamb茅m bastante com ele na exaspera莽茫o e cansa莽o de ter a seu cuidado uma crian莽a infatig谩vel nas perguntas e nas brincadeiras. Encantador!
I have before now experienced that the best way to get a vivid impression and feeling of a landscape is to sit down before it and read, or become otherwise absorbed in thought; for then, when your eyes happen to be attracted to the landscape, you seem to catch Nature at unawares, and see her before she has time to change her aspect. The effect lasts but for a single instant, and passes away almost as soon as you are conscious of it.
The old boy is now riding on his rocking-horse, and talking to me as fast as his tongue can go. Mercy on me, was ever man before so bepelted with a child's talk as I am! It is his desire of sympathy that lies at the bottom of the great heap of his babblement. He wants to enrich all his enjoyments by steeping them in the heart of some friend. I do not think him in danger of living so solitary a life as much of mine has been.
No ver茫o de 1851, o escritor Nathaniel Hawthorne passou 20 dias sozinho com o seu filho e o coelhinho de estima莽茫o, enquanto a mulher foi de viagem com as duas filhas. Foi um deleite e uma surpresa ver um homem no s茅culo XIX a dar banho ao pequeno Julian, a pentear-lhe os carac贸is, a resolver acidentes nocturnos e a dar-lhe as refei莽玫es, basicamente vegetarianas, pondo de facto a um canto muitos homens do s茅culo XXI. Identifiquei-me tamb茅m bastante com ele na exaspera莽茫o e cansa莽o de ter a seu cuidado uma crian莽a infatig谩vel nas perguntas e nas brincadeiras. Encantador!
I have before now experienced that the best way to get a vivid impression and feeling of a landscape is to sit down before it and read, or become otherwise absorbed in thought; for then, when your eyes happen to be attracted to the landscape, you seem to catch Nature at unawares, and see her before she has time to change her aspect. The effect lasts but for a single instant, and passes away almost as soon as you are conscious of it.
May 6, 2010
I am in love with Nathaniel Hawthorne.
January 28, 2025
Molto gradevole e divertente questo romanzo breve di Hawthorne che ci offre un ritratto sincero e commovente del suo rapporto con Julian. L鈥檃utore si trova a trascorrere tre settimane da solo con il figlio Julian, di cinque anni. Va da s茅 che per un autore come lui, solitamente introverso e concentrato sulla scrittura, il trovarsi improvvisamente a dover gestire le esigenze e la vivacit脿 di un bambino piccolo, non 猫 semplice. Ma all鈥檌niziale difficolt脿 di comunicazione subentra il trovare un linguaggio comune e la scoperta della bellezza dei piccoli gesti quotidiani. Julian, con la sua infinita curiosit脿 e la sua fervida immaginazione, invita il padre a riscoprire la meraviglia del mondo e a guardare le cose da una prospettiva diversa. Questo, oltre al ruolo della paternit脿 e dei legami familiari, 猫 il messaggio pi霉 bello.
April 3, 2025
Nell'estate del 1851, rimasto solo con il figlio di cinque anni, Hawthorne si ritrova di fronte a un infaticabile produttore di parole e di domande. Schivo, introverso, non 猫 abituato alle piccole incombenze che accompagnano la vita di un bambino: vestirlo, nutrirlo, distrarlo sempre rispondendo alle sue incessanti domande. Il risultato 猫 un modello, ironico e autoironico, del modo di intendersi di un padre e un figlio, un resoconto di un rapporto dove l'unico adulto che appare 猫 Herman Melville che fa visita all'amico per parlare del possibile e dell'impossibile. Come osserva Paul Auster nel suo saggio introduttivo, Hawthorne 猫 riuscito a compiere quel che ogni genitore sogna: far vivere il proprio figlio per sempre.
June 18, 2024
Extremely charming. Hawthorne really comes alive in the looser, less fussy sentences of the notebooks. The picture of his five-year-old son here--irritating, vulnerable, delightful--demonstrates he could write real children after all (and therefore something else is going on with Pearl in The Scarlet Letter). Loved the careful descriptions of summer in the Berkshires, NH pining for his wife (did not know he was so uxorious), the Melville cameos, the glimpses into the life of a famous writer in the 19th c (letters from autograph seekers, a stranger at the door who wants to talk books). And maybe above all, the texture of daily life and childhood in that world. Feel free to skip Auster's introduction, which is light on insight and padded with long quotes from the main text--clearly trying to plump the page count enough to justify selling this thing in the first place.
February 10, 2022
I listened to the audiobook, which contained three additional stories. The highlight for me was that the introduction, written by Paul Auster, was also read by him, as was the main story in the collection. Auster is great in general but also has a wonderful voice as a reader. The stories themselves were good--not great or bad but fairly average for the genre.
September 16, 2018
This little book was recommended to me by a literary agent I met at the Writers Digest Conference I attended in New York City in August 2018. Nathaniel Hawthorne is remembered for his classics The Scarlett Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. What a treat to learn of this memoir of three weeks Hawthorne spent caring for his 5-year old son Julian at their home in Western Massachusetts, while his wife Sophia, and daughters Una and Rose, were away visiting relatives near Boston. Whatever work and writing Hawthorne may have imagined continuing in their absence were interrupted by tree-climbing, bed-wetting, flinging stones into the nearby lake. The result is this little-known work that was buried in Hawthorne's American Notebooks until being extracted and published on its own 150 years after the author wrote this 50-page diary. As he noted, "it is impossible to write, read, think, or even to sleep (in the daytime) so constant are his appeals to me in one way or another." Of particular interest to me are their encounters with Herman Melville, a neighbor at the time, and someone to whom I am distantly related. Today, most of us try to capture the memories of childrens' youth through photos snapped on our phones. What a gift that Hawthorne's son lives on through the written word. This brief narrative brought constant smiles to my face, particularly because his experiences mirror my own, and those of anyone who has spent significant time around, raised, or helped to raise young children.
December 10, 2012
This is the book I had in my choir bag for reading on my Sunday walks when I stopped for a cuppa. It proves that even the scribblings in a notebook of day to day life, if done by a brilliant writer, can be brilliant -- and makes me more determined to burn my journals so that future generations are not subjected to my day-to-day writing dregs.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's writings of his sojourn with his young son, Julian, when Mrs Hawthorne and the two girls were away for a bit. Includes his wonderful observations of his lively son, life in the country, interactions with his neighbor, Herman Melville, and a wonderful intro by Paul Auster.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's writings of his sojourn with his young son, Julian, when Mrs Hawthorne and the two girls were away for a bit. Includes his wonderful observations of his lively son, life in the country, interactions with his neighbor, Herman Melville, and a wonderful intro by Paul Auster.
November 13, 2022
This was a surprisingly delightful little morsel. Pinnacle of what 'slice of life' can be in the hands of a talented writer. Warm and affectionate and real. Referring to the five year old as "the old gentleman" was exactly as funny as he clearly found it (extremely funny).
I think my Papa would have liked this book.
I think my Papa would have liked this book.
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March 20, 2020Quanto avrei desiderato conoscere Nathaniel.
Essere la quacchera che gli fa visita, nella casa rossa a Lenox -Massachusetts- per esprimergli, in modo garbato, tutto il suo apprezzamento.
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January 10, 2021Pure comedy gold from one of the grimmest writers of all time.
October 5, 2023
Un diario de casi 20 d铆as de paternidad, bastante sincero y que plasma la rutina de cuidar a un ni帽o, con pocas frases rescatables pues toda la imaginaci贸n corre por parte del hijo (solo mostrada en algunas dosis) y lo repetitivo y aburrido del lado del adulto, lo que es bastante aproximado a la realidad. Llevar un diario en sentido literal, es decir, escribiendo toooodos los d铆as aunque no suceda nada digno de destacar, tiene esos bemoles. A los que cuidamos peques nos puede servir como motivaci贸n para encontrar la belleza de los d铆as comunes. Lindo pr贸logo de Paul Auster que incluso comentando este texto no es mon贸tono.
September 7, 2023
隆Qu茅 libro tan hermoso!
La introducci贸n es muy acertada y contiene un an谩lisis de los textos como muy sentido y reflexivo (es la mitad del libro y bueno, es Paul Auster). Luego, el diario se hace muy ligero de leer y seguir. Definitivamente Hawthorne era un tipo muy adelantado a su 茅poca, sus reflexiones son a la vez reales y en extremo consideradas con la infancia. Precioso diario.
La introducci贸n es muy acertada y contiene un an谩lisis de los textos como muy sentido y reflexivo (es la mitad del libro y bueno, es Paul Auster). Luego, el diario se hace muy ligero de leer y seguir. Definitivamente Hawthorne era un tipo muy adelantado a su 茅poca, sus reflexiones son a la vez reales y en extremo consideradas con la infancia. Precioso diario.
November 2, 2024
鈥淢ercy on me, was ever man before so be-pelted with a child鈥檚 talk as I am! It is his desire of sympathy that lies at the bottom of the great heap of his babblement. He wants to enrich all his enjoyments by steeping them in the heart of some friend. I do not think him in danger of living so solitary a life as much of mine has been.鈥�
February 15, 2022
Simpatica, dolce e divertente! Una lettura piacevole
August 15, 2021
Cute, quaint little book. Actually it's a chunk out of Hawthorne's "American Notebooks" I want to buy one day if I can ever find it in its entirety and not abridged. Cute little kid. Hard to believe he ended up in jail. (Google "Julian Hawthorne.") Baby Rose ended up being a nun and they're trying to make her a saint. Interesting family. Wife Sophia is one of the Peabody sisters from Salem, MA. Hawthorne is one of the Concord authors I study. Though I'm interested mainly in the Transcendentalists, he lived among them and was a friend to them - them being Thoreau, Emerson, and the Alcotts. I've read much of his fiction - long ago - but I don't read much fiction really and am interested in his non-fiction writings. He kept notebooks. Have never seen any journals for sale. Spent some time in Italy, so there are Italian notebooks as well. This little book/notebook excerpt is about 3 weeks he spent with his 5-year-old son Julian while his wife and young daughters were away visiting relatives. It's interesting the meds he gave his son when ill, the scant dinners and suppers they had. Being a well-known author at that time you'd expect better meals than bread and berries lol. He had a woman cooking for him, so... Not sure who planned the meals. The best meal they had was macaroni, but they had it with rice, bread, and squash. Not much variety. Nathaniel truly loved his wife, pined for her to return, and was worried when she was late. Back then there were no phones or e-mails. An interesting glimpse into 19th century family life and what things were like with children then.
December 7, 2016
According to the introduction written by Paul Auster, this brief piece was written between July 28 and August 16 of 1851 when Hawthorne was 47 years old. While his wife went to visit her parents, taking the couple鈥檚 two daughters with her, Hawthorne remained at home with 5-year-old son Julian, the cook, and a pet rabbit. By writing this account of what happened in his wife鈥檚 absence, Hawthorne 鈥渆mbarked on something that no writer had ever attempted before him: a meticulous, blow-by-blow account of a man taking care of a young child by himself,鈥� as Auster notes. Hawthorne did not write the piece for publication, but for the eyes of his wife alone. It eventually appeared in Hawthorne鈥檚 seven volume American Notebooks.
This is Hawthorne鈥檚 most personal piece of writing, in which he captures the essence of the father/son relationship in its early years. Hawthorne hides none of his irritation with this 鈥渇risky little monster鈥� and his endless chatter and questions, his constant demands for attention. He does not sugarcoat the drudgery of dealing with wet beds, stomachaches, and outbreaks of willful opposition to parental authority, but he captures the joy and spontaneity of their time together, too. As Auster says, 鈥淗e managed to accomplish what every parent dreams of doing: to keep his child alive forever.鈥� Reading this book gave me a glimpse of Hawthorne the man that none of his other writing ever did.
This is Hawthorne鈥檚 most personal piece of writing, in which he captures the essence of the father/son relationship in its early years. Hawthorne hides none of his irritation with this 鈥渇risky little monster鈥� and his endless chatter and questions, his constant demands for attention. He does not sugarcoat the drudgery of dealing with wet beds, stomachaches, and outbreaks of willful opposition to parental authority, but he captures the joy and spontaneity of their time together, too. As Auster says, 鈥淗e managed to accomplish what every parent dreams of doing: to keep his child alive forever.鈥� Reading this book gave me a glimpse of Hawthorne the man that none of his other writing ever did.
May 31, 2019
A rather delightful diary excerpt from Nathaniel Hawthorne about 20 days his wife and daughters spent away, leaving Papa in charge of 5 year old Julian. Papa鈥檚 descriptions of his days spent with a high energy young boy who never stops talking is totally relate able. Young Julian also misses his mother, wets the bed, gets sick, and never ever stops asking questions. We鈥檝e all been there, so I found it to be very amusing.
July 17, 2021
Absolutely adorable. Hawthorne is "stuck" taking care of his eldest child, Julian, while his wife and other two children go on a trip. Referring to Julian as "the old gentleman," they eat together, fetch milk together, and go for long walks. There's also the troublesome bunny, who Hawthorne loves but questions its need in their lives.
June 16, 2008
This book bored me to tears. This was basically a journal of a father (Nathaniel Hawthorne) watching his son Julian for 20 days while his wife is gone. It was fun to hear the point of veiw from a dad while being with his young son, but it was boring.
January 1, 2024
This book is a Nathaniel Hawthorne deep cut. It's his journals from three weeks on his own with his five-year-old son Julian in 1851.
I read it this summer while home with my 5-year-old son. His takes on child rearing and parenting, boredom and fun are shockingly fresh.
I read it this summer while home with my 5-year-old son. His takes on child rearing and parenting, boredom and fun are shockingly fresh.
December 22, 2015
A cute little book to read about being a dad alone with a young boy. Nice intro by Paul Auster that went on a little too long.
December 19, 2019
This was a delightful book, small, but capturing perfectly the 20 days Nathaniel Hawthorne spent caring for his 5-year old son, Julian, while his wife and daughters were away. It was not meant to be published, and Hawthorne wrote this little diary for some purpose, though probably for the benefit of his wife, Sophia, on her return. After Hawthorne's death, Sophia refused to publish these pages of her husband's notebooks because she believed he "would never have wished such an intimate domestic history to be made public."
The way Hawthorne writes of his and Julian's activities is both humorous and beautiful; he has a delightful way of telling of their adventures in a simple but clever way. As a parent myself, I could relate to many of his observations and annoyances, especially this one: "It is impossible to write, read, think, or even to sleep [in the daytime] so constant are his appeals to me in one way or another; still he is such a genial and good-humored little man that there is certainly an enjoyment intermixed with all the annoyance."
Also, "Either I have less patience to-day than ordinary, or the little man makes larger demands upon it; but it really does seem as if he had baited me with more questions, references, observations, than mortal father ought to be expected to endure."
I also appreciate the fact that Herman Melville is mentioned in these pages, and is a part of their adventures on occasion.
The introduction by Paul Auster is also notable, and is just as interesting as the writings of Hawthorne this little book contains. He adds background information on persons and events which is helpful to put some of the things Hawthorne mentions in context.
The way Hawthorne writes of his and Julian's activities is both humorous and beautiful; he has a delightful way of telling of their adventures in a simple but clever way. As a parent myself, I could relate to many of his observations and annoyances, especially this one: "It is impossible to write, read, think, or even to sleep [in the daytime] so constant are his appeals to me in one way or another; still he is such a genial and good-humored little man that there is certainly an enjoyment intermixed with all the annoyance."
Also, "Either I have less patience to-day than ordinary, or the little man makes larger demands upon it; but it really does seem as if he had baited me with more questions, references, observations, than mortal father ought to be expected to endure."
I also appreciate the fact that Herman Melville is mentioned in these pages, and is a part of their adventures on occasion.
The introduction by Paul Auster is also notable, and is just as interesting as the writings of Hawthorne this little book contains. He adds background information on persons and events which is helpful to put some of the things Hawthorne mentions in context.
April 15, 2021
This is a lovely little book which is essentially an excerpt from Hawthorne's eight volume AMERICAN NOTES. Hawthorne, a native of Salem, MA, lived briefly in western Massachusetts with his wife and three children. Shortly after the birth of her third baby, Mrs. Hawthorne set out with her two daughters for three weeks to visit her mother near Boston, leaving Nathanial to take care of his 5 year old son Julian by himself. Nathaniel, that introverted, somber, often infuriated genius of American literature, had a son with a completely different personality than his own. Julian was a happy chatterbox, filled with curiosity, endless questions, and constantly in motion. There were daily early morning trips to get the milk supply, walks to the nearby lake, hiking trips through the thickets, and friendly visits at the post office and with the likes of a young Herman Melville. There were occasional tears and stomach aches. Hawthorne observed his son's behavior carefully, loved him dearly, admitted their differences, and said after just one day alone with him that "This may be too much of a good thing". I don't think it was. It was surprising and heartfelt to read the notes of this often solitary man about his adventure in single parenting, where he recorded his frustrations as well as his joys and his love for his family. The two were both anxious to see Sophia return, but their experience together looked to be valuable and well remembered. There is a forty page introduction by Paul Auster which offers valuable insight and context, and Hawthorne himself includes in his Notes Thoreau-like descriptions of the early morning weather: the hills, the clouds, the light.
June 15, 2021
Mi 猫 venuta un'improvvisa fissa con Hawthorne e prima di buttarmi sulla Lettera scarlatta (che non ho mai letto, che vergogna) ho deciso di passare da questo libriccino autobiografico, uno stralcio delle memorie dell'autore, in cui sono raccontati in forma diaristica i venti giorni dell'estate del 1851 in cui Hawthorne 猫 rimasto a casa a badare al figlioletto Julian, di cinque anni, mentre la moglie con la figlia maggiore e quella appena nata si recava in visita dai parenti a Boston.
Praticamente 猫 una sequela immutata di giornate tutte uguali in cui il nostro si sveglia, osserva il tempo (e ha sempre da ridire), sveglia il figlio, vanno a prendere il latte, fanno un giro in paese a ritirare o spedire la posta, o al lago, o entrambi, raccolgono il ribes (e quanto ribes! probabilmente questo 猫 il libro che detiene il record del mondo di presenza di ribes), pranzano, cenano e vanno a letto tra le sette e le nove.
In mezzo non succede nient'altro. Cio猫, nient'altro... a parte ad esempio un paio di visite di Melville (che stimava cos矛 tanto Hawthorne che gli ha dedicato Moby Dick).
Per貌 ecco non posso dire che non sia noioso, solo che 猫 anche molto piacevole, perch茅 猫 scritto con una sincerit脿 insolita. Il bambino 猫 descritto come un vero bambino, non come un piccolo genio o un angelo, ma come un marmocchietto con un intelletto giustamente ancora poco sviluppato, spesso ipereccitato e incapace di tacere, ma anche molto buffo e dolce.
Praticamente 猫 una sequela immutata di giornate tutte uguali in cui il nostro si sveglia, osserva il tempo (e ha sempre da ridire), sveglia il figlio, vanno a prendere il latte, fanno un giro in paese a ritirare o spedire la posta, o al lago, o entrambi, raccolgono il ribes (e quanto ribes! probabilmente questo 猫 il libro che detiene il record del mondo di presenza di ribes), pranzano, cenano e vanno a letto tra le sette e le nove.
In mezzo non succede nient'altro. Cio猫, nient'altro... a parte ad esempio un paio di visite di Melville (che stimava cos矛 tanto Hawthorne che gli ha dedicato Moby Dick).
Per貌 ecco non posso dire che non sia noioso, solo che 猫 anche molto piacevole, perch茅 猫 scritto con una sincerit脿 insolita. Il bambino 猫 descritto come un vero bambino, non come un piccolo genio o un angelo, ma come un marmocchietto con un intelletto giustamente ancora poco sviluppato, spesso ipereccitato e incapace di tacere, ma anche molto buffo e dolce.
May 29, 2017
Vint dies amb el meu fill Julian i un conillet 茅s un dels llibres m茅s bonics, delicats i tendres que he llegit mai. 脡s un diari escrit per Nathaniel Hawthorne durant els vint dies que la seva dona va estar fora, visitant els seus pares. Hawthorne es queda sol a casa (una casa vermella i petita a Massachussets) amb el seu fill Julian i un conillet que anomenen Peu-dret. Tot i que al principi no les t茅 totes, Hawthorne t茅 cura d鈥檈n Julian i escriu la rutina que segueixen durant aquestes tres setmanes perqu猫 la seva dona la pugui llegir quan torni.
脡s estiu, i pare i fill fan cada dia el mateix; anar a buscar llet, pescar al llac i acostar-se al poble per recollir el correu. El seu dia a dia 茅s tranquil, nom茅s destorbat en un parell d鈥檕casions per visitants (com en Herman Melville, amic 铆ntim de la fam铆lia) o per tr脿ngols menors (com un mal de panxa). L鈥檈stil, a difer猫ncia d鈥檃ltres de les obres de Hawthorne, 茅s molt senzill. Sona buc貌lic i nost脿lgic i ple d鈥檃fecte pel seu fill, un xerraire de categoria a qui no aconsegueix rinxolar b茅 els cabells.
脡s estiu, i pare i fill fan cada dia el mateix; anar a buscar llet, pescar al llac i acostar-se al poble per recollir el correu. El seu dia a dia 茅s tranquil, nom茅s destorbat en un parell d鈥檕casions per visitants (com en Herman Melville, amic 铆ntim de la fam铆lia) o per tr脿ngols menors (com un mal de panxa). L鈥檈stil, a difer猫ncia d鈥檃ltres de les obres de Hawthorne, 茅s molt senzill. Sona buc貌lic i nost脿lgic i ple d鈥檃fecte pel seu fill, un xerraire de categoria a qui no aconsegueix rinxolar b茅 els cabells.
April 19, 2025
Hawthorne's womenfolk had to travel to another city, leaving him to look after his 5-year-old son Julian for three week all by himself. He bonds with his son and documents everything they'd been doing: taking walks, skipping stones, mock-fighting, picking fruits/grains, hanging out with Herman Melville, and so on.
Hawthorne does a good job describing the enchanting behaviour of their pet bunny, including all the little verbal and physical mannerisms which characterize children. He doesn't miss an opportunity to slip in his usual dark rumor. For example speaking of the bunny, he mentions how the latter is too much to deal with, stating "I am strongly tempted of the Evil One to murder him privately," but admits at another time that "[o]ne finds himself getting rather attached to this gentle little beast, especially when he shows confidence, and makes himself at home."
One week later he catches a cold and begins to feel cranky.
I don't know what their financial situation and dietary habits were like, but the meals described are rather pathetic.
- Went to bed without any supper鈥攈aving nothing to eat but half-baked, sour bread.
- After dinner (roast lamb for me, and boiled rice for Julian) we walked down to the lake.
- At two o'clock the whole family had dinner: Julian an end of bread, myself a custard pie.
- It was less than an hour, I think, after dinner, when he began to tease for something to eat; although he dined abundantly on rice and string beans. I allowed him a slice of bread in the middle of the afternoon, and an hour afterwards he began to bellow at the full stretch of his lungs for more, and beat me terribly because I refused it.
- There was nothing whatever for Julian, except the gingerbread; for the bread which encased the sandwiches was buttered, and moreover had mustard on it. So I had to make the little man acquainted, for the first time in his life, with gingerbread; and he seemed to be greatly pleased until he had eaten a considerable quantity鈥攚hen he began to discover that it was not quite the thing to make a meal of. However, his hunger was satisfied and no harm done; besides that, there were a few nuts and raisins at the bottom of the basket, whereof he ate and was contented.
- For dinner, I gave him bread and water, and a small remnant of corn-starch pudding; and I myself ate a piece of cake and a cucumber.
To this day, you'll find that most men do a decent job raising families but suddenly become inept once their wives are absent from the kitchen.
He babbles continually, throughout all these various doings, and often says odd things, which I either forget, or cannot possibly grasp them so as to write them down. Among other things, during the current gathering, he speculated about rainbows, and asked why they were not called sun-bows, or sun-rain-bows ; and said that he supposed their bowstrings were made of cobwebs; which was the reason why they could not be seen.
Hawthorne does a good job describing the enchanting behaviour of their pet bunny, including all the little verbal and physical mannerisms which characterize children. He doesn't miss an opportunity to slip in his usual dark rumor. For example speaking of the bunny, he mentions how the latter is too much to deal with, stating "I am strongly tempted of the Evil One to murder him privately," but admits at another time that "[o]ne finds himself getting rather attached to this gentle little beast, especially when he shows confidence, and makes himself at home."
One week later he catches a cold and begins to feel cranky.
He continues to pester me with his inquisitions. For instance, just now, while he is whittling with my jack-knife: "Father, if you had bought all the jack-knives at the shop, what would you do for another, when you broke them all?" "I would go somewhere else," say I. But there is no suppressing him! "If you had bought all the jack-knives in the world, what would you do?" And here my patience gives way, and I entreat him not to trouble me with any more foolish questions. I really think it would do him good to spank him, apropos of this habit.
I don't know what their financial situation and dietary habits were like, but the meals described are rather pathetic.
- Went to bed without any supper鈥攈aving nothing to eat but half-baked, sour bread.
- After dinner (roast lamb for me, and boiled rice for Julian) we walked down to the lake.
- At two o'clock the whole family had dinner: Julian an end of bread, myself a custard pie.
- It was less than an hour, I think, after dinner, when he began to tease for something to eat; although he dined abundantly on rice and string beans. I allowed him a slice of bread in the middle of the afternoon, and an hour afterwards he began to bellow at the full stretch of his lungs for more, and beat me terribly because I refused it.
- There was nothing whatever for Julian, except the gingerbread; for the bread which encased the sandwiches was buttered, and moreover had mustard on it. So I had to make the little man acquainted, for the first time in his life, with gingerbread; and he seemed to be greatly pleased until he had eaten a considerable quantity鈥攚hen he began to discover that it was not quite the thing to make a meal of. However, his hunger was satisfied and no harm done; besides that, there were a few nuts and raisins at the bottom of the basket, whereof he ate and was contented.
- For dinner, I gave him bread and water, and a small remnant of corn-starch pudding; and I myself ate a piece of cake and a cucumber.
To this day, you'll find that most men do a decent job raising families but suddenly become inept once their wives are absent from the kitchen.
November 4, 2023
Es un libro muy breve que se lee en un rato. Si bien no tiene un formato epistolar, se le asemeja bastante porque es un diario que lleva Hawthorne durante 20 d铆as que pasa con su hijo de entonces 5 a帽os y su conejito en la casa de Lenox, Massachussetts, con su esposa Sophie como destinataria. El pr贸logo de Zambra es poco pretencioso y por eso mismo, me ha encantado. Tiene destellos de brillantez y enorme frescura como cuando menciona que el "ni帽o tiene en alta estima su gran sabidur铆a y se cree incomparablemente m谩s listo y experimentado que su padre", o cuando describe la enorme alegr铆a que siente su hijo a trav茅s del juego. Sin embargo, resulta un poco mon贸tono y supongo esto no deber铆a ser una cr铆tica porque la crianza tiene esta cuota de monoton铆a no confesa la mayor parte de las veces. Sin embargo, en literatura, pienso que el texto se sostiene justamente porque tiene menos de 100 p谩ginas.
January 2, 2019
Hoe bijzonder het is dat een vader in 1850 drie weken alleen op zijn vijfjarige zoontje past, wordt niet duidelijk. De juichende introductie van Paul Auster - bijna net zo lang als de tekst van Hawthorne - gaat vooral over de stijl en het werk van Hawthorne. Uit de tekst van de schrijver lijkt het erop dat het hem hetzelfde afgaat als een vader het nu zou doen. Misschien doet hij het wel beter. Hawthorne is zeer geduldig, ook al wordt hij soms horendol van de alsmaar doorbabbelende Julian. Dagelijks halen vader en zoon verse melk, lopen ze naar het postkantoor, vallen ze de distels onderweg aan en spelen/rusten ze bij het meer.
Een bezoekje van Herman Melville en een reisje met hem naar de Shaker-gemeenschap vormen de twee grote avonturen in de drie weken. Dat Hawthorne volgens Auster pathologisch verlegen zou zijn geweest wordt uit deze tekst niet duidelijk. Ook blijft vaag welke taken de huishoudster/kok nu op zich nam. Maar zelfs zonder deze informatie is het dunne boekje prachtig geschreven, herkenbaar en een mooi afgerond geheel.
Een bezoekje van Herman Melville en een reisje met hem naar de Shaker-gemeenschap vormen de twee grote avonturen in de drie weken. Dat Hawthorne volgens Auster pathologisch verlegen zou zijn geweest wordt uit deze tekst niet duidelijk. Ook blijft vaag welke taken de huishoudster/kok nu op zich nam. Maar zelfs zonder deze informatie is het dunne boekje prachtig geschreven, herkenbaar en een mooi afgerond geheel.
October 6, 2023
Absolutely delightful. Julian, the little man, the old gentleman, has much more energy than Papa. And he chatters nonstop, giving Phoebe's (nickname of Sophia Hawthorne) husband Nat plenty to write about in this journal of his brief experience of being a single father. Mrs. Peters doesn't do a lot of visible work, mainly laundry and making bread, it seems.
This slim little treasure book includes a long introduction. I don't recommend that you skip it, though!
This slim little treasure book includes a long introduction. I don't recommend that you skip it, though!
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