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Title: The Scarlet Letter (Everyman's Library) by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Christopher W. Bigsby ISBN: 0-460-87183-8 Publisher: Everymans Library Pub. Date: December, 1992 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.5 (307 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent Read
Comment: I enjoyed reading The Scarlet Letter. I was not forced into by a Literature teacher; I picked it up on my own because I heard it was a great American classic; and, indeed, I have to agree. It is truly timeless. It has been almost five years since I have read this book and I can remember the scenes and words so vividly. Hawthorne's dizzying imagery provides an adventure into the life of a Puritan woman, Hester Prynne, that one does not soon forget.
Hester, practically abandoned by her husband is left to take care of herself in a lonely new world. She is flesh and bone with desires and passions like any other human being. Hester commits adultery and is found out by a cruel, judging community. She must wear a Scarlet A on the front of her dress; A for Adultery. Hester refuses to give the name of her lover Dimmesdale so he goes free and untouched by the damning society, but must face the tortures of his own conscience.
Hester is humiliated and must suffer the consequences for her actions but she is not a broken woman. She stands, brave.
Dimmesdale comes through in the end and admits his role in the dangerous game. Hawthorne takes the readers on a spinning ride to get to this point. Read it and know the exact ending for yourself. I recommend it; highly.
Rating: 4
Summary: 'tis what on thou breast Dimmesdale?
Comment: Nathaniel Hawthorne's mid-19th century novel reflects the strict Puritan Enviornment two-hundred years prior to the release of the book. What can be a tedious read at times is ultimately a redeeming piece of literature exposing the hypocrisy of the "godly" Puritan Communities.
Much of the novel gives us inductive information forcing the reader to either ignore or figure out much of the background of the story for themselves. Regardless, Hester Prynne, the Protagonist, is portrayed as a strong women who has a extra-marital affair with an unknown man of the Boston Community. While raising her eerie bastard child, "Pearl", Hester refuses to compromise or openly break down for her crime. There are numerous plot twists, including a perverted love-triangle, that gives this novel it's romantic characteristics.
Although there was probably hundreds of novels written during this time period that are stylistically superior to Hawthorne's masterpiece. This work has remained a mainstay as required reading because of its radical notions that women are equal and sometimes stronger than men emotionally, and deserve respect for the works they perform for society. It's a dark novel with many redeeming qualities, if you can get over the lofty-archaic English this should be an interesting read.
Rating: 5
Summary: A wonderful classic story!
Comment: Nathaniel Hawthorne's prose in "The Scarlet Letter" is slightly complex at first but his description of Boston and of the people during the Puritan era is vivid and strong. I disagree with an earlier reviewer that the book was boring. The description of the characters and of the situations they were undergoing was helpful. It made the story much stronger. The last three or four chapters were surprisingly suspenseful. It is a fantastic read.
Moreover, "The Scarlet Letter" is a classic example of why social oppression is such a terrible thing. Thanks to the oppression of those times a child grew up without her father and a man died without ever having a real relationship with his daughter. One can't help but to think about the type of oppression (ie. sexual) that goes on today. This novel is a stark reminder of why oppression of any kind is really not worth it. When oppression exists in society, good people are always bound to suffer and all because of rigid, inhumane, socially conservative beliefs. Within its own context (Puritan era), the novel delves into this topic in a very powerful way. I highly recommend it because its subject matter still applies today.
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Title: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald ISBN: 0684801523 Publisher: Scribner Pub. Date: 01 June, 1995 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Penguin Classics) by Mark Twain, Guy Cardwell, John Seelye ISBN: 0142437174 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: January, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.00 |
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Title: Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter (Cliffs Notes) by Cliffs Notes, Susan Van Kirk ISBN: 076458605X Publisher: Cliffs Notes Pub. Date: 22 May, 2000 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Catcher in the Rye Mass Market - Paperback by J.D. Salinger ISBN: 0316769487 Publisher: Little Brown & Company Pub. Date: 01 May, 1991 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: The Grapes of Wrath: John Steinbeck Centennial Edition (1902-2002) by John Steinbeck ISBN: 0142000663 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 03 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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