Twice-Told Tales is a two-volume collection of thirty-nine Hawthorne works, consisting of short works of art, allegories, and narrative essays. The greatest gift a reader receives when reading all these stories, including sometimes too superficial vignettes and too obvious allegories, is a close acquaintance with young Hawthorne: thoughtful, reflective, with a deep interest in colonial and revolutionary history, given solitary walks and meditations.