This collection of previously published short stories (hence the title) appeared in two volumes, in 1837 and 1842. Edgar Allan Poe, reviewing the collection, praised Hawthorne's style, which he termed "purity itself," and called the author "one of the few men of indisputable genius to whom our country has as yet given birth." It includes "The Minister's Black Veil," "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment," and "The Ambitious Guest."