Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author's brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted 'Top Tens' across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?

The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.

Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.

Among the canon of American talents few can stand as tall or are as revered as Nathaniel Hawthorne, a true master of prose and purpose. These stories merely confirm that Hawthorne was a literary phenomenon.

01 - The Top 10 - Nathaniel Hawthorne - An Introduction

02 - The Devil In Manuscript by Nathaniel Hawthorne

03 - The Artist of the Beautiful by Nathaniel Hawthorne

04 - The Shaker Bridal by Nathaniel Hawthorne

05 - Rappaccini's Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

06 - The Wedding Knell By Nathaniel Hawthorne

07 - The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne

08 - Roger Malvin's Burial by Nathaniel Hawthorne

09 - Doctor Heidegger's Experiment by Nathaniel Hawthorne

10 - David Swan By Nathaniel Hawthorne

11 - Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne