Throughout his richly varied literary career, Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) wrote compelling short stories whose appeal has proven evergreen. Indeed his first important publication, long before the arrival of "The Scarlet Letter," was an 1837 collection of stories, "Twice-Told Tales," which brought the New England writer immediate fame and high praise from no less a storyteller than Edgar Allan Poe. Another collection, "Mosses from an Old Manse," followed in 1846 and brought Hawthorne further success. The present volume contains six stories reprinted from those two collections, as well as another superb selection, "My Kinsman, Major Molineux." In addition to the latter tale and the title story, this edition includes "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment," "The Birthmark," "Rappaccini's Daughter," "Roger Malvin's Burial" and "The Artist of the Beautiful." Here are tales rich in atmosphere and suspense, with plots centering on subjects as diverse as witchcraft, revenge, the power of guilt, and a passion for the beautiful all in the distinctive voice of one of America's most admired writers."