Nathaniel Hawthorne

"Little Masterpieces" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a gathering of short stories penned many years ago which features notable tales like "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment," "The Birthmark," and "Ethan Brand." Hawthorne examines significant ideas, like human flaws, chasing wisdom, and how morals and outcomes connect using detailed and creative writing. The book starts with "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment," introducing a strange doctor who asks four old friends, each marked by past errors, to test a potion that might make them young again, and as these characters, made sad by their troubles, approach the experiment with both excitement and doubt, the story shows the foolishness of trying to get back lost youth and the moral lessons learned from their fun, causing thought about life's briefness and time's control.