The Marble Faun

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 - 1864)

The Marble Faun is Hawthorne's most unusual romance. Writing on the eve of the American Civil War, Hawthorne set his story in a fantastical Italy. The romance mixes elements of a fable, pastoral, Gothic novel, and travel guide. In the spring of 1858, Hawthorne was inspired to write his romance when he saw the Faun of Praxiteles in a Roman sculpture gallery. The theme, characteristic of Hawthorne, is guilt and the Fall of Man. The four main characters are Miriam, a beautiful painter who is compared to Eve, Beatrice Cenci, Lady Macbeth, Judith, and Cleopatra, and is being pursued by a mysterious, threatening Model; Hilda, an innocent copyist who is compared to the Virgin Mary; Kenyon, a sculptor, who represents rationalist humanism; and Donatello, the Count of Monti Beni, who is compared to Adam, resembles the Faun of Praxiteles, and is probably only half human. (Summary by Wikipedia)

Genre(s): Fantastic Fiction, General Fiction, Gothic Fiction

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 01 - Chapter I: MIRIAM, HILDA, KENYON, DONATELLO grayeul
00:12:04
Play 02 02 - Chapter II: THE FAUN grayeul
00:13:57
Play 03 03 - Chapter III: SUBTERRANEAN REMINISCENCES grayeul
00:13:41
Play 04 04 - Chapter IV: THE SPECTRE OF THE CATACOMB Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:20:40
Play 05 05 - Chapter V: MIRIAM'S STUDIO Amy Gramour
00:25:49
Play 06 06 - Chapter VI: THE VIRGIN'S SHRINE Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:24:08
Play 07 07 - Chapter VII: BEATRICE Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:18:18
Play 08 08 - Chapter VIII: THE SUBURBAN VILLA Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:16:17
Play 09 09 - Chapter IX: THE FAUN AND NYMPH Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:19:06
Play 10 10 - Chapter X: THE SYLVAN DANCE Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:16:13
Play 11 11 - Chapter XI: FRAGMENTARY SENTENCES Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:17:00
Play 12 12 - Chapter XII: A STROLL ON THE PINCIAN Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:33:07
Play 13 13 - Chapter XIII: A SCULPTOR'S STUDIO Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:22:19
Play 14 14 - Chapter XIV: CLEOPATRA Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:18:26
Play 15 15 - Chapter XV: AN AESTHETIC COMPANY Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:24:18
Play 16 16 - Chapter XVI: A MOONLIGHT RAMBLE Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:24:23
Play 17 17 - Chapter XVII: MIRIAM'S TROUBLE Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:17:59
Play 18 18 - Chapter XVIII: ON THE EDGE OF A PRECIPICE Terry Goodyer
00:18:06
Play 19 19 - Chapter XIX: THE FAUN'S TRANSFORMATION Terry Goodyer
00:09:20
Play 20 20 - Chapter XX: THE BURIAL CHANT Terry Goodyer
00:13:46
Play 21 21 - Chapter XXI: THE DEAD CAPUCHIN Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:18:53
Play 22 22 - Chapter XXII: THE MEDICI GARDENS LizMourant
00:14:46
Play 23 23 - Chapter XXIII: MIRIAM AND HILDA LizMourant
00:27:48
Play 24 24 - Chapter XXIV: THE TOWER AMONG THE APENNINES LizMourant
00:18:34
Play 25 25 - Chapter XXV: SUNSHINE LizMourant
00:28:09
Play 26 26 - Chapter XXVI: THE PEDIGREE OF MONTE BENI Amy Gramour
00:22:39
Play 27 27 - Chapter XXVII: MYTHS Amy Gramour
00:18:12
Play 28 28 - Chapter XXVIII: THE OWL TOWER Amy Gramour
00:14:18
Play 29 29 - Chapter XXIX: ON THE BATTLEMENTS Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:23:38
Play 30 30 - Chapter XXX: DONATELLO'S BUST Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:15:42
Play 31 31 - Chapter XXXI: THE MARBLE SALOON Amy Gramour
00:19:52
Play 32 32 - Chapter XXXII: SCENES BY THE WAY Amy Gramour
00:23:24
Play 33 33 - Chapter XXXIII: PICTURED WINDOWS Amy Gramour
00:16:23
Play 34 34 - Chapter XXXIV: MARKET-DAY IN PERUGIA Amy Gramour
00:12:37
Play 35 35 - Chapter XXXV: THE BRONZE PONTIFF'S BENEDICTION Amy Gramour
00:16:14
Play 36 36 - Chapter XXXVI: HILDA'S TOWER Amy Gramour
00:14:50
Play 37 37 - Chapter XXXVII: THE EMPTINESS OF PICTURE GALLERIES Tim Ferreira
00:18:21
Play 38 38 - Chapter XXXVIII: ALTARS AND INCENSE Tim Ferreira
00:16:39
Play 39 39 - Chapter XXXIX: THE WORLD'S CATHEDRAL Tim Ferreira
00:14:39
Play 40 40 - Chapter XL: HILDA AND A FRIEND Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:24:05
Play 41 41 - Chapter XLI: SNOWDROPS AND MAIDENLY DELIGHTS Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:19:50
Play 42 42 - Chapter XLII: REMINISCENCES OF MIRIAM Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:18:39
Play 43 43 - Chapter XLIII: THE EXTINCTION OF A LAMP Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:20:50
Play 44 44 - Chapter XLIV: THE DESERTED SHRINE Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:22:37
Play 45 45 - Chapter XLV: THE FLIGHT OF HILDA'S DOVES Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:20:22
Play 46 46 - Chapter XLVI: A WALK ON THE CAMPAGNA Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:17:33
Play 47 47 - Chapter XLVII: THE PEASANT AND CONTADINA Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:22:24
Play 48 48 - Chapter XLVIII: A SCENE IN THE CORSO Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:19:09
Play 49 49 - Chapter XLIX: A FROLIC OF THE CARNIVAL Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:24:02
Play 50 50 - Chapter L: MIRIAM, HILDA, KENYON, DONATELLO Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
00:28:51