I have to do a research paper on two books (have to be american lit), and create a thesis statement. one book i particularly love and can talk all about is A scarlet letter. Is there any books that are in a good comparisons to this one? help ya girl out

This is the twenty-third story in our Short Story Sunday series where we read short stories from the Public Domain. This week's short story is Dr. Heidegger's Experiment - Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Dr. Heidegger's Experiment - Nathaniel Hawthorne

That very singular man, old Dr. Heidegger, once invited four venerable friends to meet him in his study. There were three white-bearded gentlemen, Mr. Medbourne, Colonel Killigrew, and Mr. Gascoigne, and a withered gentlewoman, whose name was the Widow Wycherly. They were all melancholy old creatures, who had been unfortunate in life, and whose greatest misfortune it was that they were not long ago in their graves. Mr. Medbourne, in the vigor of his age, had been a prosperous merchant, but had lost his all by a frantic speculation, and was now little better than a mendicant. Colonel Killigrew had wasted his best years, and his health and substance, in the pursuit of sinful pleasures, which had given birth to a brood of pains, such as the gout, and divers other torments of soul and body. Mr. Gascoigne was a ruined politician, a man of evil fame, or at least had been so, till time had buried him from the knowledge of the present generation, and made him obscure instead of infamous. As for the Widow Wycherly, tradition tells us that she was a great beauty in her day; but, for a long while past, she had lived in deep seclusion, on account of certain scandalous stories, which had prejudiced the gentry of the town against her. It is a circumstance worth mentioning, that each of these three old gentlemen, Mr. Medbourne, Colonel Killigrew, and Mr. Gascoigne, were early lovers of the Widow Wycherly, and had once been on the point of cutting each other's throats for her sake. And, before proceeding further, I will merely hint, that Dr. Heidegger and all his four guests were sometimes thought to be a little beside themselves; as is not unfrequently the case with old people, when worried either by present troubles or woful recollections.

"My dear old friends," said Dr. Heidegger, motioning them to be seated, "I am desirous of your assistance in one of those little experiments with which I amuse myself here in my study."

If all stories were true, Dr. Heidegger's study must have been a very curious place. It was a dim, old-fashioned chamber, festooned with cobwebs and besprinkled with antique dust. Around the walls stood several oaken bookcases, the lower shelves of which were filled with rows of gigantic folios and

Editing instead of reposting, a couple of people have asked my opinion. Sorry! I was tired, I shouldn’t have posted without going into it myself lol.

I was inspired to ask because not a single one of his books was on the top 100 list. Wasn’t too surprising, there are LOTS of books widely considered to be better than any of Hawthornes. But it did make me wonder, was is really just a case of other books being better than his? Or did people not like him for some reason?

Hawthorne is one of my favorite authors. Top 3 easily. I tend to his prefer less popular stories, though.. everyone will talk about The Scarlet Letter, which I love, but I prefer The Blithedale Romance. Short story wise, Earths Holocaust is my favorite, which is one I never see people talking about.

I’m curious what people’s thoughts are on him and his works!

This has been plaguing me for a number of years now. I checked out a horror story compilation book several times in elementary school. All that I can remember about it is that it contained The Birthmark and a story having something to do with ice skating. From what I can recall, the cover had two kids on it, they were shadowy but with red eyes that were reflective. If anyone has any idea what this might have been or can point me in the direction of a list of books that contain The Birthmark I would be so grateful.