Colonel Pyncheon does well from denouncing Old Matthew. He founds a New England dynasty and builds a remarkable mansion - but on its opening day he is found dead, slaked in his own blood.
Generations pass; by 1840 the dynasty is nearly spent. Half-witted Clifford and his sister Hepzibah live in the dust and decay of the Seven Gables, where Hepzibah is reduced to running a one-cent shop. In their eyes the Pyncheons are still noble, still cursed - but the curse is no longer tangible - and the arrival of young Phoebe Pyncheon may reveal its true nature.
The most comprehensive paperback edition available, with introduction, notes, text summary and chronology of Hawthorne's life and times.
