Nathaniel Hawthorne 
The Marble Faun (Annotated) 

• This edition includes the following editor’s introduction: Nathaniel Hawthorne and Dark Romanticism

First published in 1860, “The Marble Faun” (also known as “
The Marble Faun: Or, The Romance of Monte Beni” or by the British title “
Transformation”) was the last of the four major romances by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. “The Marble Faun”, written on the eve of the American Civil War, is set in a fantastical Italy and mixes elements of a fable, pastoral, gothic novel, and travel guide. It is Hawthorne’s most unusual romance, and possibly one of the strangest major works of American fiction.



“The Marble Faun” tells the story of a group of young friends who live in Rome. Miriam, Hilda, and Kenyon are American artists who have come to the Italian capital to study and practice their art. They have befriended a passionate, joyful young Italian man whom they nickname “Donatello” and who they believe resembles an ancient statue of a faun (a mythical creature combining human and animal qualities)…



The book features picturesque descriptions of historic art and architecture in Rome as a backdrop to a tale of mystery, murder, and romance.