Family Drama, Gothic Fiction, Literary Fiction
Pyncheon family's treacheries and troubles are the main subject of this book, so we think we're justified in calling The House of the Seven Gables a family drama. It's also Gothic fiction because it makes use of weird, unexpected, and supernatural settings. Gothic novels are filled with dark houses, haunted rooms, and family secrets, which sounds like The House of the Seven Gables to us. Last but not least, Hawthorne concentrates his writing on long descriptive passages rather than page-turning excitement. This book definitely isn't a thriller; it's a piece of literary fiction, which means that it's more about language and characterization than about plot.