Twice-told tales

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

"Twice-Told Tales" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a short story collection published in two volumes in 1837 and 1842. These previously anonymous magazine stories were gathered at a friend's urging, their title drawn from Shakespeare's "King John." The collection launched Hawthorne's literary reputation, earning praise from contemporaries like Longfellow, who called it a work of genius, and Poe, who admired its purity while critiquing its allegory. The stories explore American themes with distinctive style, helping establish a uniquely American literature.