The Scarlet Letter

Book, 1850

Premise - After giving birth to an illegitimate child, Hester Pyrne is sentenced to wear a large, blood-red, embroidered "A" across her chest, branding her as a life-long adulterer. Meanwhile, the father of the child, a young minister, lives with his sin in secret.

Review - Could this possibly be the most painful book I have ever had to read? When I first read the opening paragraph in 10th grade English, I thought it was absolutely beautiful writing, and I still do. In fact, I still enjoy that entire first chapter. I have read it multiple times. And then, inevitably, I ALWAYS stop. So many times have I tried to finish this book, gotten 2-3 chapters in, and failed! Just once in my life I wanted to finish it. Well, I finally did it, and it was a horrendous experience.

The concept of the scarlet letter is so intriguing, that it lives on in our popular culture today (Easy A?) But beyond the premise, I find it impossible to sustain any interest in the plot or characters. The first chapter, outlining Hester's predicament, is classic. The second, introducing the secretive men in her life, is also interesting. The third chapter about her daughter Pearl is readable. Beyond that, I felt myself physically forcing my eyes to stay open. The only possible merit of this book was that it helped me study some vocabulary words ("ignominious" and "venerable" were probably the two most common words used in this novel). (4/100)

Quote - "A throng of bearded men, in sad–coloured garments and grey steeple–crowned hats, inter–mixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes...." - or else to say, the opening passage, from which everything seemingly goes downhill.

If you liked this book, I'd recommend Jane Eyre!

Written by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Signet Classics Edition