The Blithdale Romance

A really difficult book to finish. I listened to this one on my ipod.  Maybe because I have finished all of the older books on the list, it was pretty excruciating finishing The Blithdale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  Besides having little attachment to any of the story's characters, the story itself is truly a bore.  I would say that this was the worst book I have read/listened to since I started this process.  Coverdale, the narrator for the majority of the book, leaves the city on a trek to Blithdale Farm, a utopian community, presumably led by Zenobia, the Veiled Lady.  Upon his arrival he engages with others in the community.  He witnesses Hollinsworth, the other male lead in the book, and the frail Priscilla, who we learn later is a half-sister to Zenobia. Coverdale gets ill while at the farm and is helped to recovery by the three.  He later becomes disenchanted with Hollinsworth based on ideological differences.  It then appears that Zenobia and Hollingsworth become an item.  Major shift in story – Zenobia becomes the narrator, ok… and the reader is confused if her story of the veiled lady is truth or fiction.  No worry, back  to Coverdale as narrator. Hawthorne, a man ahead of his time, has the characters discussing woman’s rights, which leads to Coverdale’s disagreement on the issue, and hastily leaves the farm.    Later in the book Coverdale comes in contact with the “Veiled Lady” through a show and learns that the veiled lady is not Zenobia, but Priscilla.  He actually learns the story of the two being half-sisters through a newly introduced character, Fauntleroy.  Confused, don’t be.   The madness ends after Zenobia drowns herself in the river after she confronts Hollingsworth for being in love with Priscilla.  Her funeral brings all of the characters together.  Coverdale is left reflecting on his life and noting his love for Priscilla.  Is that it?  I’ll leave you to fill in the rest.  Hawthorne’s over use of language, very wordy dialogue and description put me to sleep and lost as to what was really happening, was there anything much happening?  My hope, I never want to visit that utopian society with that group of uninteresting dreamers.  Pass on this one, you aren’t missing anything at all.  I know you die hard English Lit majors will disagree heartily.  As a part time reader, this was one waste of time!