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You are here: Home / Beautiful Mind / The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

November 27, 2014 By Travis 16 Comments

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne on southeastbymidwest.com #TheScarletLetter #BookClub #Literary #Books #BookReview

Book Information

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Publisher: Ticknor, Reed & Fields

Publication Date: 1850

Genre: Romantic, Historical, Classic

Purchase: Amazon

Review & Synopsis

I love a good story. During my life, I’ve spent countless hours watching film and television and even more playing video games in order to experience tales of mystery, suspense, whimsy, fantasy, horror, adventure, and even romance. However, it is one of my biggest regrets that I have never dedicated the same kind of time to the written word.

When I made the choice to correct this oversight, I sought the advice of my wife, whom is much more well-read than I could ever be. Her suggestion? I should start with her personal favorite book: The Scarlet Letter.

Now, I had attempted to read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “classic” once before during my high school years. Unfortunately, I could never get past the beginning, finding it dreadfully boring. Instead, to complete the assignment, I did what every child of the 90’s did: I read the Cliff’s Notes. So, when Cassie made her suggestion, the conversation went much like this…

Me: The Scarlet Letter?! But it’s booooorrrriiinnnggg!!!
Cassie: You never got past the beginning did you? Wait until Hawthorne finishes describing the prison. I promise you’ll love it.
Me: Yeah… Whatever… This is going to be a repeat of high school. There is no way I’m going to enjoy this.

You can probably guess what happened. As with most topics of discussion in a marriage, the husband was wrong and the wife was right. When I allowed myself to become engrossed in this masterpiece of sin, forgiveness, revenge, and a love that transcends all possible restrictions, I discovered what I had been missing all of these years. The Scarlet Letter is an incredible, well written story that is as relevant today as it was when it was originally published over 160 years ago.

The Scarlet Letter tells us the story of Hester Prynne, a married woman in 1600’s era Boston. When Hester conceives a child with a man other than her husband (despite the fact he has not been seen in years and is presumed dead), she is put to public shame and is forced wear a scarlet-colored “A” (for adultery) for the remainder of her days. Although Hester refuses to name her “co-conspirator”, a sinister physician with a connection to the young woman’s past has taken upon himself to discover the guilty party and bring him to ruin.

The first thing that struck me was how mature The Scarlet Letter was. In recent years, we have come to associate the term “mature” with filling a book/movie/game with as much language, violence, and sex/nudity as possible. Instead, Hawthorne’s novel treats us like grown adults, focusing on the aftermath and the emotions following the affair rather than the act itself. By skipping the kind of graphic descriptions we are more accustomed to, we are able to properly admire Hester’s strength, recoil in disgust at the holier-than-thou attitude of her Puritan neighbors, and be chilled (all puns intended) by the evil of Roger Chillingworth. In other words, Hawthorne respects his readers enough to get to the meat of the issue rather than go for cheap titillation.

While the maturity of the book was surprising (especially if you ever saw the film adaptation starring Demi Moore), it  was the open criticism of fundamentalist religion that makes The Scarlet Letter so powerful. While still very much a romance and (possibly described as) a thriller, this “great American novel” directly points the finger of judgement at those who would put others to public shame for their sins without considering the ramifications of such treatment. Measures meant to lead Hester to regret and repentance instead caused her to become resentful and cold. Some may argue that Hawthorne is openly criticizing religion as a whole, but I see The Scarlet Letter as more of a plea for forgiveness and tolerance from the practitioners of religion rather than overt condemnation and disdain.

If The Scarlet Letter has a weakness it is in how descriptive Hawthorne is. Unafraid to wax poetic, Hawthorne spends entire paragraphs and pages describing the most mundane item or action in excruciating detail. While this love of adjectives is somewhat charming, readers will find themselves more than once wishing Hawthorne would just move along. However, the frustration never became so great that I wanted to put the book down (outside the initial description of the prison).

The Scarlet Letter was once one of my biggest literary regrets; a favorite of my wife’s that I was never able to discuss with her because of my unwillingness to give it the chance that it deserved. Now, I consider it not only one of my biggest “triumphs” but one of the best books I have ever read. Containing incredible characters, descriptive (if at times frustrating) prose, and a still relevant message within its pages, The Scarlet Letter is a work that deserves to be enjoyed once in everyone’s life. If you’ve never taken the time to read this wonderful work before, do so now.

My Rating

4.5 out of 5

About the Author

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne author photo on southeastbymidwest.com #TheScarletLetter #BookClub #Literary #Books #BookReview

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. He is seen as a key figure in the development of American literature for his tales of the nation’s colonial history.

About Travis

Travis is a reformed gamer who is trading his unhealthy obsession with digital entertainment in for much healthier ones; namely reading, Doctor Who, and following Seattle Sounders FC and Chelsea FC in their respective soccer leagues. In his spare time, he is also Cassie's husband.

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Comments

  1. Rebecca says

    November 29, 2014 at 12:48 am

    I have so many favorite books that my husband knows nothing about and would never get through. He’s the opposite of a reader (though if he were here, he’d say “I read all day!”) Whatever. Anyway, I’ve never read this book but now I’m dying to read it!!! How did I miss this? It wasn’t required reading for us, that’s for sure!

    Reply
  2. Vashti (Veepeejay) says

    November 29, 2014 at 1:24 am

    I’ve actually never read the Scarlette Letter but I’ve seen the Movie Adaptation and I enjoyed. I need to pick up the book. Thanks for sharing your review

    Reply
  3. Nancy says

    November 29, 2014 at 1:28 am

    Looks like you enjoyed the book at the end. Glad you kept it up 🙂

    Reply
  4. Liz Mays says

    November 29, 2014 at 10:43 pm

    I remember reading it and studying it in high school and liking it then. However, I feel just like you, if I went back and reread it now, I’d appreciate it to a new degree. I’ll have to do it as well.

    Reply
  5. courtney says

    November 29, 2014 at 10:55 pm

    Omg this is such a great book! Wow!!! Takes me back to high school hehehe 😉

    Reply
  6. Eileen says

    November 29, 2014 at 11:17 pm

    I’ve never read this book, but I’ve always wanted to. I might consider picking it up again!

    Reply
  7. estherjulee says

    November 30, 2014 at 12:38 am

    haha i totally read the cliff’s notes too! i have such a hard time reading classics just because they feel like homework to me!

    Reply
  8. Donella Crigger says

    November 30, 2014 at 1:21 am

    Read it and loved it in high school. One book that I tried to read in high school and simply could not finish was War and Peace. Perhaps I should pick it up and try again.

    Reply
  9. Shannon Gosney says

    November 30, 2014 at 1:37 am

    I always wanted to read the Scarlett Letter. It’s still on my list of things to do.

    Reply
  10. Hezzi-D says

    November 30, 2014 at 8:29 am

    This was one of my favorite books in high school. The characters were well developed and the storyline was really good.

    Reply
  11. Trisha says

    November 30, 2014 at 3:55 pm

    Such a great, classic book. The first time I read it was in my 9th grade English class. I’ve re-read quite a few times since then!

    Reply
  12. Aisha Kristine Chong says

    November 30, 2014 at 11:07 pm

    Don’t we all? This really seems like a good read to have!

    Reply
  13. Krystal's Kitsch says

    November 30, 2014 at 11:16 pm

    I read this in high school. I wonder if I would still like it as an adult.

    Reply
  14. Delia @ Happy Blogger Plaza says

    December 1, 2014 at 9:08 am

    Now isn’t it great sometimes to keep at something though it may seem boring or uncomfortable at the beginning? Glad you did with this book!

    Reply
  15. Chrissy Mazzocchi says

    December 2, 2014 at 7:32 pm

    This looks like an amazing book, one I will definetly be checking out! Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  16. clojo9372 says

    March 12, 2016 at 10:31 pm

    I’ve seen the movie years ago but I’ve never read the book. Your review has inspired me to do so. Very well written. Thank you. 🙂

    Reply

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