Lords and ladies what a miserable slog. So. Much. Melodrama. The 18th century version of a soap opera.

Yes, the message is there, yes the historical context is an important part of American history. But crabcakes, no wonder kids have a hard time with this one. For all that I criticize Dickens, at least his works are readable. I can barely say that about this. The characters are pretty flat, the end is unsurprising, and the framing device is unbearably dull.

Pearl is the best part to me. The richness of language gets an additional star.

To each their own, but I'll pass on more Hawthorne. ( )

I'm not sure if Hawthorne was trying to be ironic here, but he takes "your sin will find you out" all too literally, and though I understand he's only representing the hypocrisy of the time, I think it shows bad taste to be so obvious about it. I'm not convinced of the realism in this book at all, and I think the morals are misplaced and misconstrued; that's where this book suffers. Are we supposed to convict Hester or sympathize with her, because we seem to be getting mixed signals throughout? I particularly found the whole demon possession thing with Pearl a bit too much to swallow, where everything went all Exorcist (because I guess that's what happens when you're born a bastard). And Dimmesdale and Chillingworth's deaths are just too predictable and so convenient to wrap up the story. There aren't really any characters in this novel you can feel for, for nobody really has any feeling in them. Well, at least that's the way I felt about it. ( )

Nathaniel Hawthorne is an excellent writer. But his unreserved mud-slinging at Christianity is appalling. This work is very revealing of the mindset of his times. But his screwing of Puritan beliefs has set precedent of hate against orthodox Christianity.
I agree with Whittier that his works retain a "weird and subtle beauty", but the reader must enter the story with an acute sense of discernment, if he is to pick out the many lies and subtle half-truths sown into this fictional account of the Puritans. ( )

As a reader who’s trying to explore my reading list, American Literature is one of my shelf. So far I had enjoyed Fitzgerald’s magnum opus, The Great Gatsby, and so I thought it will be fun to explore other period of American Literature, and Hawthorne’s name popped up from the movie Easy A. Then I bought this book, curious about the true fate of Hester Prynne. One thing for sure, this book is nowhere fun because the heavy phrases and all the allegories with its symbolism. But I really enjoy reading this book, drowned in Hawthorne’s thinking and everything.

There’s something strange in reading this book, as if you couldn’t get rid of spooky feelings chasing you pages after pages, specially after you gain new information which was told in the books but it feels like a secret whispered in your ear. As a woman I understand the deep sadness Hester had about her token: the scarlet letter, and the real scarlet letter: Pearl. The desolation and solitude she had to face created by the token in her bosom had been Hester’s reality in old Puritan World. Later on it was discovered by her vengeful ex-husband, Roger Chillingworth, that the young priest, Arthur Dimmesdale, was the father of Pearl. As the story goes by I thought Hester and Dimmesdale would face a painful reconciliation with Hester blaming Dimmesdale for her fate, thus I was in shocked to know they had actually love each other and Chillingworth was the awful man in their POV. I guess I should took it as a cue when Dimmesdale determined Pearl should be with her mother. In their relationship there was something ironic which was if for Hester it was a shame, for Dimmesdale it was a guilt.

I think Hawthorne strongly put his critics to the Puritan World back then. He was a strong Christian, and he didn’t approve Hester’s sin, but he also didn’t think it as some unforgivable sin. He showed that with how the Puritan’s society looked at Hester, it brought more trouble since Pearl and her mother couldn’t join the pray in curch (sermon). Meaning that in Hawthorne’s mind, it is not the job of human to judge other human.

I dislike Dimmesdale more than Roger Chillingworth so after knowing Hester loved Dimmesdale I couldn't see their chemistry and good relationship specially because Dimmesdale didn't get his social punishment, but I understand how was their love. That's why I give this book four stars rating. ( )

What makes a "classic" great?

The immersion into Puritan Massachusetts was at first enjoyable, but that is where my entertainment ended. I understand how a scandal of that time (and even many for today) can monstrously affect someone's life, but goodness... let's get to the point already!

Making school-aged kids read "classics" like this one feeds into their general boredom for literature. ( )