Project Gutenberg 2005-11-01 Public domain in the USA. 116 Hawthorne, Nathaniel 1804 1864 A Virtuoso's Collection (From "Mosses from an Old Manse") Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Virtuoso%27s_Collection Reading ease score: 67.4 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. David Widger and Al Haines Updated: 2022-11-09. "A Virtuoso's Collection (From 'Mosses from an Old Manse')" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a reflective narrative that can be classified as a collection of allegorical and philosophical musings, written during the mid-19th century. The book revolves around a visit to an eclectic museum filled with curiosities and rare artifacts, showcasing Hawthorne's contemplation of art, culture, and human experience. It serves as a critique of materialism, exploring deeper meanings behind these collections that symbolize the human condition and the passage of time. The narrative unfolds as the protagonist enters a peculiar museum guided by a mysterious virtuoso. Throughout the exploration, they encounter various artifacts, each coupled with historical and literary allusions, ranging from stuffed animals linked to legends to ancient relics associated with famous figures. The virtuoso presents each item, revealing both their physical austerity and the rich stories behind them. As the protagonist delves deeper, he becomes aware of the soulless demeanor of the virtuoso, ultimately leading to a poignant reflection on the nature of existence. The tale concludes with the introduction of Peter Rugg, a figure representing lost destiny, adding a layer of complexity and lingering questions about the fabric of reality and the essence of what it means to truly live. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en Short stories New England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction PS Text Browsing: Culture/Civilization/Society Browsing: Literature Browsing: Fiction 65162 65170 2024-12-04T09:45:31.089364 2023-10-04T09:14:27.082846 text/html text/html 64943 2022-11-09T06:01:33 text/html 121788 2024-12-04T09:45:37.255252 application/epub+zip 120739 2024-12-04T09:45:34.806257 application/epub+zip 88990 2024-12-04T09:45:33.522256 application/epub+zip 334764 2024-12-04T09:45:38.971278 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 328494 2024-12-04T09:45:36.446267 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 263706 2022-09-05T03:34:11.907265 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 58461 58489 2024-12-04T09:45:30.782262 2023-10-04T09:14:26.891895 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 58112 2022-11-09T06:04:17 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20042 2024-12-04T09:45:39.095221 application/rdf+xml 24638 2024-12-04T09:45:34.061296 image/jpeg 4993 2024-12-04T09:45:33.788244 image/jpeg 23474 2022-11-09T06:04:42 application/octet-stream application/zip 24877 2022-11-09T06:05:03 application/octet-stream application/zip 123186 2024-12-04T09:45:31.098316 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia