Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was an American novelist, dark romantic, and short story writer. "The Blithedale Romance", considered one of Hawthorne's major novels, explores the limitations of human nature set against an experiment in communal living. From mesmerism to illicit love, "The Blithedale Romance" represents one of Hawthorne's best and most sharply etched works, one that Henry James called his "brightest" and "liveliest" novel.