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The Scarlet Letter
| Media: | Mass Market Paperback | | Author: | Nathaniel Hawthorne | | Publisher: | Bantam Classics | | Release date: | 01 April, 1965 | | Our price: | $3.95 |
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The Scarlet Letter |
Average rating:  |
 | Perhaps a little outdated | | Although The Scalet Letter is superbly written and there is no denying the greatness of Nathanel Hawthorne, I must admit that the book was, perhaps, a bit on the dry side. Hawthorne, himself having grown up in Puritan Salem, writes from first-hand experience of the unwavereing rigidity and intolerance of Puritan society. Hester Prynne, having committed the unthinkable sin of adultery and conceiving her illegitimate child Pearl, becomes a veritable pariah as she is forced to live on the outskirts of town and wear the ignominious scarlet letter A on her bosom for eternity. In sanctimonious colonial Salem, Hester's impropriety is tantamount to murder in today's society. She, however, should not have to bear the guilt alone. As they say, it takes two to tango. Reverend Dimmesdale, in his absolute cowardice, is just as, if not moreso, guilty than Hester. Furthermore, the biggest coward and hypocrite proves to be none other than her spineless husband, Roger Chillingworth. I must say that the reading was at times a bit laborious, but a good read nonetheless. I must further confess that the movie version with Demi Moore is much more rewarding, although the book should undoubtedly be read first. |
| The Scarlet Letter - |  | Not one of my favorites. . . | | Well, I didn't like this book too much at all. All of the other reviews that I have read say that it's great, it's a classic, a timeless tale! And maybe it is. For me, I found it really hard to get into. There's not much dialogue, or action. The only exciting part comes at the end, with the Reverend Dimmesdale & his confession. Maybe I'll enjoy it when I'm older. I'm only 13 right now, and I don't think I could stand reading it again. My friends know me as a generally fast reader, but this book took me 8 weeks, maybe more, to finish! I found it very boring. I've been reading several books at once, and after a couple pages, I found it too much to keep reading, so I picked up another book that I had previously thought boring, and it seemed like non-stop action! And a lot easier to read, too, than the wording of Nathaniel Hawthorne. However, I will admit that The Scarlet Letter DOES convey a message of guilt, revenge, cowardice & bravery, and the terrible wrong that is sin. For that, I give it 3 stars. I would rate it higher, but, like I said, I found it extremely boring and tiresome. I recommend this book to people who love to read, who don't get too frustrated with tough language, and who have a LOT of time on their hands!:) I'm sure I'll try to read it again someday, but as of now, I need a break from Hawthorne's beautiful, intricate, meaningful, yet difficult words. |
| - The Scarlet Letter | | Great story, tough read | | I just finished The Scarlet Letter in school. Hawthorne does an excellent job of describing every nuance of this story, and that is why at times it is a little hard to follow. But the very heart of the story is one that we all can compare with. Hester Prynne has committed a terrible sin, and bears The Scarlet Letter on her breast. This classic tale begins with Hester on the gallows platform, alone with her baby, Pearl. Throughout the course of thise novel, Hawthorne weaves his way through characters so that you feel you are a part of this story, and by the end you have no doubts in your mind how you feel about each character. This is a book that you will either love or hate, and it really depends on when you read it. Try to take your time through the book the first time you read it, then everything will make much more sense, and you won't throw down the book in disgust. On a side note, you can really skip the introduction chapter entitled "The Custom House" because it has little to do with the rest of the book. |
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