Rating: 
Summary: Be careful here
Review: I'm not giving The Scarlet Letter 3 stars because I think it is a mediocre book; I'm giving the book 3 stars because it is NOT FOR EVERYBODY. This is not a Jon Krakauer book that you can pick up and be gripped cover to cover. It is, however, masterfully written. Characterization is very deep and relevant, and symbolism is huge. One major flaw in this novel's symbolism is that its elements are not as relevant to society as they used to be. However, there exists no better primer on the lessons of guilt, sin, repression, and repentance than The Scarlet Letter. By the way, I'm a high school student who was forced to read this, and let me say this to all the other such people who bashed this book for being boring: Please recognize this as a work of LITERATURE and not as a basis of comparison for RL Stine books. The reason for the 3 stars is because this is not the type of book I reccommend you buy for an airplane trip or anything of the like. This book is masterfully intricate, artistically complex, and worthy of more than just a passing glance over the words on the page...
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Listen to Your Friends
Review: I am a high school English teacher. Like you, I HATED this book in high school. I was not looking forward to teaching it. But I fell in love with it. You need to envelope yourself in a book like this, you need to be able to cut through the florid descriptions and see a love triangle where each is tormented. Think about the history of America and our impromptu rituals of forgiveness. Think about sin and desire which has no legitimate outlet. If you have a teacher who can help you make these connections, you are quite lucky. If not, Cliff's notes won't help. It's too simple a story. You need to look in your own heart.
Rating:
Summary: Scarlet Letter, more like Scarlet Whateva!
Review: This book is off the hook, the bad hook that is. I comprehend that it is a grand piece of historical literature but if it was a tad more interesting than it might just grab my attention. More adultery might work too. In conclusion, if you are forced to read this book like i was, its ok. yo peace off the hizzle fo shizzle my nizzle
Rating:
Summary: Bland
Review: This book was mediocre. I think Hawthorne is a good writer, but sometimes his works are too Romantic for me. There are defiantly worse classics that I have read, but the Scarlet Letter is not among the best. The symbolism in this book is quite good, I must say. Hawthorne manages to achieve subtlety without not getting his point across. Although I thought the things his characters stand for are overwrought, he does a good job of presenting the story as an allegory. It's easy to get frustrated with Hawthorne's characters, however, (especially the Reverend Dimmesdale, whose pithy whining gets boring half-way through), and sometimes the heavy moral overtones can be a chore to wade through. The ending is not particularly brilliant and Hawthorne's characters are, for the most part, not well-rounded (although this serves a purpose). In the end, my favorite character was Chillingworth, even though he is 'evil', because at least he brings some variety to the story. One gets awfully sick of hearing endless descriptions of Hester's bravery and Dimmesdale's moral plights, so that any diversion, be it twisted or not, is welcome.
Rating:
Summary: NOT AS GOOD AS OTHER BOOKS
Review: This book is not as good as some other books, but it is much better than some books. That is why I gave it three stars and not no stars or five stars. Democracy prevails. Buy me a drink. Now, take off your clothers. Yes, just like that. I think we are beginning to understand each other...
Rating: 
Summary: The Poignant Romantic Classic Is An Audio Treasure
Review: For those who enjoy audio books, and there are many of us (especially working mothers who are always on the go- taking our children to school, or a playdate, or commuting to our yoga or aerobics classes), this is an impressive buy. The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, whose books explore the themes of guilt, is a striking romantic tragedy set in Puritan New England. The characters are well developed, each tinged with deep human emotion and conflict. The societal beliefs and superstitions of the people at the time provide Gothic elements. Again, one can make the argument that this is not only classic American literature, but Gothic romance. The Scarlet Letter revolves around Hester Prynne, a beautiful young early colonial woman who has recently ben married. Her husband has not yet arrived to the states from England (for some reason or other) and there is even rumors that he is dead. She loves the pastor of the community, Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale and Hester make love, committing the "sin" of adultery. When their relations are discovered through Hester's pregnancy with his child, the Puritan society they are part of are in an uproar. They immediately brand her as a sinner, an adultress and imprison her (she even gives birth in prison). As a reminder of her hell-bound deed, the elders sew a scarlet letter A (adultery) on her gown. She becomes a recluse, where she raises her daughter, Pearl, away from the people who have shunned them. Dimmesdale, is by far, the most troubled character. He is thoroughly immersed in guilt, and he must bear the hypocrisy of his crime. As a pastor, it is his duty to enligthen the people spiritually. He hides his sin, but punishes himself with physical torture each night, branding his own letter "A" with hot wax. The villain of the novel is not the Devil (who, contrary to the references made to the Devil, witches, etc) but the villainous Chillingworth, Hester Prynne's husband. Chillingworth returns from England to discover that his wife has become an outcast for her adultery. Full of raging jealousy and the desire to extract revenge upon the transgressor, he makes it his sole mission to torture Dimmesdale and plunge him further into dark despair with guilt. He feigns a friendship with Dimmesdale, but he makes it possible to mentally punish him and to inflict him with emotional pain. This is the real sin, here, the violation of the human heart. Through Chillingworth's constant torture of Dimmesdale, in addition to what seems like heavenly signs of condemnation (a comet passes in the sky leaving the letter A), Dimmesdale becomes so full of pain and guilt, that he dies in Hester's arms, announcing that he has committed the sin of adultery with her. The classic tale is read well and the cover is very striking. This can also make a nice gift.
Rating:
Summary: An Inside Look into the Depth of the Human Soul
Review: I read this book as an assignment for my American Literature class. Outside of school, I would never read in this genre, but for not being my style, it was actually very interesting. The reading moves slowly, more because of the lack of dialogue and action, and the long spiels of description and analytical discussion, than difficult wording. It offers a deep insight into how the human mind can so torture the body if the soul is afflicted, and how bottled-up sin and lust for revenge can destroy a person. If you're interested in what makes the human mind tick, then I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book
Review: This book will enrage you, and help you understand the characters more then you ever thought possible. This book can be examined in many different lights to make it enjoyable to almost every type of reader. This book was a class assignment for me, but nevertheless I enjoyed reading it. As classics go, this is definitely one you shouldn't pass up.
Rating:
Summary: Don't be turned off by its huge reputation as great
Review: literature. Classics, great literature and beautiful stories don't always stay in print over the long haul. I approach these monoliths with caution and no little fear of being knocked down by prose too thick to spoon up. The Scarlet Letter is a relevant, beautiful work that has every right to stand in the grand American canon of great literature. The ending is also hella funny. Very North American! Hawthorne displayed a great wave of wit when he penned this vintage hypocracy-exposer.
Rating:
Summary: The Scarlet Letter is a really good piece of Literature
Review: I thought that The Scarlet letter was a great piece of Literature and was a brave step for Hawthorne to take in this book during the time he wrote it. I would definatly recommend this to other readers.
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