Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was an American novelist, dark romantic, and short story writer. This volume of rearranged myths in which Hawthorne uses unexpected points of view to deftly twist the themes of classic folktales. From the unrepentent Gingerbread Man and his tirades against overprotective parents, meddlesome neighbors, and untrustworthy foxes, to the giant's wife who simply wants Jack out of the picture so that she and her mate may continue collaborating on poetry, these ironic tales introduce complex, emotional topics within a familiar context.