The Birthmark (A Dark Tale of Love & Obsession)
Enriched edition. Including Author's BiographyBy Nathaniel Hawthorne
Length6h 5m
About this audiobook
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Birthmark (A Dark Tale of Love & Obsession),' readers are confronted with a haunting story that explores the destructive forces of perfectionism and obsession. Set in the 18th century Puritan society, the novella delves into the life of the brilliant scientist Aylmer and his deep-seated desire to remove the single flaw on his wife's otherwise flawless face. Through vivid imagery and symbolic motifs, Hawthorne creates a dark and atmospheric tale that challenges societal norms and underscores the dangers of pursuing unattainable ideals of beauty and perfection. The allegorical nature of the narrative invites readers to reflect on timeless themes of love, mortality, and the limits of human ambition. A must-read for those interested in Gothic literature and psychological exploration, 'The Birthmark' showcases Hawthorne's mastery of prose and his astute understanding of human nature.
In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience:
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.9 (20.8K)
Includes Goodreads, StoryGraph, Amazon, LibraryThing
GenreGeneral Fiction, Horror
Length6 hrs 5 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 6, 2017
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5Author Biography
Show all chaptersShow less
6The Birthmark (A Dark Tale of Love & Obsession) (pt. 1)
7The Birthmark (A Dark Tale of Love & Obsession) (pt. 2)
8Analysis
9Reflection
10Memorable Quotes
Life and Genius of Nathaniel Hawthorne: Letters, Diaries, Reminiscences and Extensive BiographiesNathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Julian Hawthorne, F. P. Stearns, G. P. Lathrop139h 37m$1.99 · $0.00
The Scarlet Letter & A Scarlet Stigma: A Novel and Adapted Play (Illustrated Edition)Nathaniel Hawthorne, James Edgar Smith15h 40m$1.99 · $0.00
Rappaccini's Daughter (Gothic Classic) (Annotated)Nathaniel Hawthorne7h 5m3.9 (8.1K)$2 · $0.00
Collected Poems of Nathaniel Hawthorne (Annotated)Nathaniel Hawthorne7h 4m$2 · $0.00
The House of the Seven Gables (Annotated)Nathaniel Hawthorne17h 23m3.9 (2.6K)$2 · $0.00
Die Blumen des Bösen (Kommentiert)Nathaniel Hawthorne, Franz Blei11h 49m3.1 (28)$1 · $0.00
The Complete Novels (All 8 Unabridged Hawthorne Novels and Romances) (Annotated)Nathaniel Hawthorne70h 42m4.4 (126)$2 · $0.00
Die besten Gruselgeschichten (Kommentiert)Nathaniel Hawthorne26h 8m$1 · $0.00
Amerikanische Kurzgeschichten - Die Besten Erzählungen von Poe, Mark Twain, Herman Melville, O. Henry, Washington Irving und anderen (Kommentiert)Nathaniel Hawthorne, Washington Irving, Edgar Allan Poe, Bret Harte, Mark Twain, O. Henry, Ambrose Bierce, Herman Melville19h 49m$1.50 · $0.00
Collected Poetry of Nathaniel Hawthorne (Annotated)Nathaniel Hawthorne6h 54m$2 · $0.00
The Dolliver RomanceNathaniel Hawthorne1h 50m3.9 (18)$2 · $0.00
Sketches and StudiesNathaniel Hawthorne5h 58m$2 · $0.00
The Toll Gatherer's Day (From "Twice Told Tales")Nathaniel Hawthorne1h 30m3.6 (16)$2 · $0.00
Old News (From: "The Snow Image and Other Twice-Told Tales")Nathaniel Hawthorne1h 4m$2 · $0.00
A Select PartyNathaniel Hawthorne1h 49m3.4 (37)$2 · $0.00
The Threefold Destiny (From "Twice Told Tales")Nathaniel Hawthorne1h 36m3.5 (38)$2 · $0.00
Rappaccini's Daughter (Unabridged)Nathaniel Hawthorne6h 37m4.0 (8.1K)$1 · $0.00
A Rill from the Town PumpNathaniel Hawthorne1h 30m3.3 (39)$2 · $0.00
The Three Golden Apples (From: "A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys")Nathaniel Hawthorne1h 1m3.4 (29)$2 · $0.00
Fire Worship (From "Mosses from an Old Manse")Nathaniel Hawthorne1h 30m3.6 (26)$2 · $0.00
Ethic IIAshley Antoinette9h 1m4.7 (8K)$20
RiversnowTess Thompson8h 11m4.7 (1.3K)$20
Supreme ClienteleAshley & JaQuavis8h 58m4.7 (3.4K)$20
Body Refinement in a Beast Tamer’s World, Book 1Seth Ring14h 7m4.7 (1.3K)$27
Desperate MeasuresBrenda Jackson8h 59m4.7 (669)$28 · $0.00
Searching For ThanksgivingS.E. Smith4h 24m4.8 (395)$20
Naughty 4Brenda Hampton7h 30m4.7 (726)$17
The Dance with Me TrilogyShelley Shepard Gray21h 44m4.7 (1.2K)$35
The DopemanJaQuavis Coleman5h 25m4.7 (3.8K)$20
BAEJahquel J.5h 22m4.7 (3.1K)$20
Dark RisingJeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews13h 47m4.7 (1.3K)$27
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.6 (4.6K)$29 · $0.00
Grand Opening 2Carl Weber9h 16m4.7 (2.4K)$20
Sons of Valor II: Violence of ActionBrian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson12h 34m4.6 (3.6K)$23
Malevolent MagicMildred Abbott7h 13m4.7 (1.2K)$17
Bikes, Toys, and Hot BoyzGenesis Woods, Shantaé13h 9m4.7 (722)$23
This Side of Paradise - The Original 1920 Edition (Annotated)F. Scott Fitzgerald11h 30m4.6 (1.6K)$2 · $0.00
War LordBernard Cornwell13h 21m4.6 (33.1K)$33 · $0.00
Ghetto BastardK’wan7h 37m4.6 (2.9K)$20
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m4.6 (9.3K)$18 · $0.00
A Long Way from OrdinaryAnn Charles, Sam Lucky9h 13m4.6 (1K)$20
Warrior’s FateWalt Browning10h 37m4.5 (1.6K)$20
The Picture of Dorian Gray: The Uncensored 13 Chapter Version + The Revised 20 Chapter Version (Annotated)Oscar Wilde16h 12m4.5 (2.8K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Skull of the WorldKate Forsyth10h 28m4.5 (3.8K)$20
Reign Of AngelsBen Reeder8h 54m4.6 (189)$20
THE CTHULHU MYTHOS TALES (Annotated)H. P. Lovecraft22h 46m4.5 (16.9K)$2 · $0.00
We’re AliveKc Wayland5h 10m4.5 (4.3K)$15
The Undead PoolKim Harrison16h 13m4.4 (34.6K)$33 · $0.00
Glacier's EdgeR. A. Salvatore13h 44m4.5 (3.4K)$33 · $0.00
Haint BlueStephanie Alexander11h 55m4.5 (675)$23
The King in Yellow (Annotated)Robert W. Chambers8h 53m4.6 (122)$1.99 · $0.00
Good OmensNeil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett12h 33m4.4 (1.1M)$33 · $0.00
Dark of NightJonathan Maberry, Rachael Lavin4h 59m4.4 (3.8K)$20 · $0.00
The Renegade HunterLynsay Sands10h 7m4.4 (17.3K)$29 · $0.00
The Fall of the House of CabalJonathan L. Howard14h 54m4.4 (4.1K)$23
Lost GodsBrom14h 50m4.4 (18.5K)$33 · $0.00
The AccusedJana DeLeon6h 32m4.4 (3.9K)$12 · $0.00
Corpus HermeticumHermes Trismegistus3h 43m4.4 (8.6K)$7 · $0.00
LambChristopher Moore15h 22m4.3 (211.3K)$33 · $0.00
CARMILLA (Gothic Classic) (Annotated)Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu4h 2m4.4 (1K)$1.99 · $0.00
You may also like
THE THEORY OF THE LEISURE CLASS: An Economic Study of American Institutions and a Social Critique of Conspicuous Consumption (Annotated)Thorstein Veblen12h 58m4.4 (1K)$1.99 · $0.00
Farnsworth’s Classical English StyleWard Farnsworth5h 34m4.4 (312)$17
Darwin’s House of CardsTom Bethell8h 57m4.3 (341)$20 · $0.00
UtilitarianismJohn Stuart Mill2h 53m3.9 (29K)$1.20 · $0.00
The Collected Works of Wallace D. Wattles (10 Books in One Edition)Wallace D. Wattles17h 18m4.6 (186)$2 · $0.00
Sign Language Among North American Indians (Annotated)Garrick Mallery14h 32m4.2 (174)$1.99 · $0.00
Ultimate Customer ServiceMade for Success8h 9m4.2 (46)$20
The New HustleEmma Isaacs5h 1m3.7 (297)$15 · $0.00
The DNA of Business for Network MarketingEric Golden2h 58m3.9 (69)$20
Business & Economics Collection: Thorstein Veblen Edition (30+ Works in One Volume)Thorstein Veblen91h 26m4.5 (11)$2 · $0.00
Going Broke, Updated EditionStuart Vyse13h 10m3.9 (65)$23 · $0.00
Sell to Anyone!Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy3h 13m4.2 (20)$20
A Book of PrefacesH. L. Mencken7h 33m3.8 (67)$2 · $0.00
Public Speaking SuperstarMade for Success7h 25m3.6 (72)$30
CEO Communication SkillsMade for Success8h 59m3.8 (28)$20
Why Women BuyDawn Jones3h 54m3.5 (62)$20
The Collected Works of Dale CarnegieDale Carnegie59h 32m$1.99 · $0.00
How to Attract Success & Fortune: 30 Books from the Masters of Self-masteryP. T. Barnum, Benjamin Franklin, Wallace D. Wattles, William Walker Atkinson, Orison Swett Marden, James Allen, Russell Conwell, Henry Harrison Brown, Thorstein Veblen, Émile Coué, Kahlil Gibran, Marcus Aurelius, Niccolò Machiavelli, Lao Tzu104h 59m$1.99 · $0.00
Profits, Prophets, Coaches, and KingsJared Diamond9h 59m$29 · $0.00
Build your empireVitor Mendonça Prado3h 46m$12 · $0.00