FREEThe Great Stone Face, and Other Tales of the White Mountains
by Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864
"The Great Stone Face, and Other Tales of the White Mountains" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a collection of fictional tales likely written in the late 19th century. This work revolves around themes of nature's majesty and human aspirations, with a focus on the iconic Great Stone Face in New Hampshire, which serves as a symbol of nobility and virtue. The collection explores various characters shaped by their surroundings and their quests for greatness, with the main character, Ernest, representing hope and the longing for a moral ideal linked to the Great Stone Face. At the start of the book, the opening story introduces a mother and her young son, Ernest, who are captivated by the Great Stone Face, a rock formation that resembles a human visage. As they discuss an old prophecy that foretells the emergence of a noble man bearing a likeness to the Great Stone Face, Ernest's admiration grows. The story then follows Ernest as he grows up with the visage as a guiding presence, infusing his life with noble ideals. As rumors swirl about various wealthy or powerful figures returning to the valley, each claiming connections to the prophecy, Ernest remains steadfast in his hope that the true great man will appear. However, as he observes the characters aspiring to fulfill this prophecy, including the greedy merchant Gathergold, he grapples with the realization that true greatness may take forms that are unrecognized by others, challenging the expectations and beliefs of those around him. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Automated conservative edition review 2026-10-20T07:02:05.607Z (historical-original-en-v2), Philippines scope. English historical author Hawthorne, Nathaniel, died 1864; original-language author allowlist, matching sole EPUB/catalog creator, no credited contributors, no extra artwork, no flagged editorial/translation/copyright cues in isolated text. US public-domain source label and retained Gutenberg license; EPUB CRC passed. This is rule-based screening, not a worldwide rights opinion or a claim of manual review. Source: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1916; Philippine term reference https://www.ipophil.gov.ph/copyright/. EPUB SHA256 137640dd1302d7b3e8158b9569547e826acd11c0e67867603b1851b71b3b0dc4; RDF SHA256 3510825a95e905af68f90625abf54706293680a3ea3dd74947df472061f3884e.
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