The Scarlet Letter (Classic Collection)

Rating:
Summary: Depth
Review: This isn't your book if your looking for adventure or swordfights or any of that sort

I had to read this for my English class and my first impression was from all the other rumors about it.. "it's boring" and etc. As a result, when I began reading I held that in my mind. However as I kept reading, I discovered Hawthorne's character are so 3 dimensional in their personality and who they really are. Hawthorne does an AMAZING job of describing his characters and giving them life I couldn't help but begin to really love the book

The only problem was when I had to give my presentation on it.. Hawthorne took all my insight..hahaha

Rating:
Summary: Sex, Revenge, and Self-abuse. What more could one ask for?
Review: Although Nathaniel Hawthorne's romantic writing style can be distracting at times, the main story behind The Scarlet Letter is very original and unique. The story focused on the Purital pre-occupation with evil, and the transcendental philosophy of believing in one's self over authority. With many different symbols throughout the book, the entire novel is an allegory symbolizing the moral of being true to one's self. An excellent book for the conformist, because it shows the negative effects of conforming with the rest of society.


Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite books
Review: I read the Scarlet Letter last year for English and found it to be one of the most increadible stories I have ever read. Symbolism abounds in the forms of Pearl and Chillingsworth; even the scenery comes alive to tell this tale of love, atonement, and revenge.

Don't come into this book looking for action, there isn't any. Instead, there are intense mental conflicts between the characters, making for some exciting and powerful scenes. Hawthorne's uses a great deal of description, mostly to create symbols, but also just to allow you to imagine yourself in the time and place: puritan New England, so that you can empathise more with the brilliantly designed characters.

If you aren't familiar with the story of the Scarlet Letter, it describes the punnishment of Hester Prynne, a woman charged with adultry and punished by having a red letter 'A' sewed onto her main article of clothing. She is a marked woman, and therefore raises the daughter from her affair in a house seperate from the rest of her village. Her husband, who was supposedly following Hester to Massachusets from England, but took a long time getting there, arrives to witness her punishment, and decides that he is going to find the man who did this and make him suffer. From there, Hawthorne brings his characters together through scene after powerful scene, until the amazing ending.

The Scarlet Letter is a classic for a reason, and deals with many issues that we still wrestle with today. If you're a fan of symbolic books, don't mind books which lack action, and want a book which will make you think, I recomend the Scarlet Letter to you. If you want the action and not the symbolism, then you probably shouldn't be looking for classic books, especially not this one.