Doctor Grimshawe's Secret — a Romance: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
Doctor Grimshawe's Secret — a Romance: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.

Doctor Grimshawe's Secret — a Romance is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Hawthorne, Nathaniel (1804–1864).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"Doctor Grimshawe's Secret — a Romance" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story revolves around a mysterious figure named Doctor Grimshawe, an elderly man with a somewhat grim demeanor, who lives in a house adjacent to a graveyard. He is the guardian of two children: a lively boy named Ned and a sweet girl named Elsie. Their unusual living situation, paired with the Doctor’s eccentricity and the presence of a formidable, almost mythical spider, sets the stage for a narrative that delves into themes of family, identity, and the supernatural. At the start of the novel, readers are introduced to the unsettling atmosphere of Doctor Grimshawe's home, which is cluttered with dust and cobwebs, and overlooks a graveyard where the children often play. This juxtaposition of life and death creates a rich backdrop for the story. The Doctor himself is described as both a healer and an outsider, whose practice combines unconventional methods and ambiguous ethics. We witness his interactions with the children, particularly how he handles their inquiries about their origins, which reveals layers of depth in both his character and their relationship. The opening portion deftly sets up a narrative filled with mystery, hinting at deeper secrets within Doctor Grimshawe’s past and the enchanting, yet haunting world that surrounds the children.
Book and edition facts
- Title: Doctor Grimshawe's Secret — a Romance
- Author credits: Hawthorne, Nathaniel (1804–1864)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: American Literature
- Category: Novels
- Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.


