The Scarlet Letter (Cliffs Complete)

Rating:
Summary: Strong love...weak will...
Review: For those people who like Cliffs Notes explanations,
but find reading the original text difficult, this
excellent idea for a duo-volume by the same Cliffs
publishers is the ideal answer.
For this volume contains both the text, in fine
readable type, along with explanatory notes in the
wide margins to the right of the text. The volume
also contains excellent photos and drawings to
complement the text.
The names, terms, or words which need further
explanation are printed in the text in darker type,
and then the explanation is found to the right of
the text in the light blue margins. Example from
the text: "The brilliancy might have befitted
ALLADIN'S PALACE [in the text it is dark bold
type, not capitalized] rather than the mansion of
a grave old Puritan ruler." Margin note: Aladdin's
palace: A boy in THE ARABIAN NIGHTS , Aladdin,
discovers a magical lamp and ring that bring him
everything he wishes for."
There are also excellent Commentaries at the end
of each chapter. There is an especially good one
at the end of "The Custom House" intro to the
novel - that commentary includes sections titled:
"Hawthorne's philosophy of writing"; "Hawthorne's
role as surveyor"; "Hawthorne's Puritan heritage";
The origins of this novel"; and "The mirror of
imagination."...