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annaonthepage's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Writing style a bit stuffy for me. Interesting indictment of the hypocritical misogyny thriving in the social and legal punitive system of the time. Quite emotionally intelligent and well observed, explores different avenues of the impact on everyone involved in the 'crime' of infidelity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
maxthefish's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I don't really remember reading this but wanted to note it for a challenge. It didn't give a super big impact, but at least now I understand what Taylor Swift was referencing when she referred to "a scarlet letter" in that one song
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
gandalf_a's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Pregnancy, and Colonisation
Minor: Racism and Classism
elizabethfaustina's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Grief, and Pregnancy
hjb_128's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, and Pregnancy
music_girl93's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Grief, and Pregnancy
gaypoetree's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 stars: I liked it better than expected and would read it again!
Who decides what is wrong, and for whom? What is the “right” way to approach guilt? What are the consequences of accountability, and lack thereof? Can (and should) one take “accountability” for a wrong that wasn’t even all that wrong? These are the questions that most compelled The Scarlet Letter for me.
I’ve read some people talk about this book in terms of the relationship between the supposed sinners; to me, that may be the least important part. The narrative begins after the affair is concluded because, for Hawthorne, scandal is the least interesting part of the story; what he really cares about is interested parties cope afterward. I think that perspective is what makes this book worth reading over 200 years later. The scale of Hester Prynne’s sin seems even more minute now than it did in 1850. If anything, I think that helps the experience. In an age where everything is online forever, a metaphorical scarlet letter can get pinned to anyone at any time; the question of how harsh a treatment such a person might deserve, as well as how to go about living with it, is an important one to consider.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racism, and Colonisation
Minor: Pregnancy
teatunesandtales's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Finally finished. While the chapters were short, the book as a whole was a slow crawl. Hawthorne's excessive use of details created lengthy paragraphs that was easy to get lost in the story, and not in a good way. And I've never been more ready to finish the book, and never read the word "ignominy" again.
Puritanicalism is not for the faint of heart. If you can't be perfect, you won't make it in their world.
I loved Pearl's wild heart and imagination. It was a bright spot to the book.
Long love Hester Prynne's legacy.
Puritanicalism is not for the faint of heart. If you can't be perfect, you won't make it in their world.
I loved Pearl's wild heart and imagination. It was a bright spot to the book.
Long love Hester Prynne's legacy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Gaslighting
Minor: Pregnancy
sat0rii's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Although it's technically competent and thematically marvelous, even Robert Jordan's most copious tangents don't come close to Nathaniel Hawthorne's mind-numbing detours. And unlike James Joyce, he's not even funny or whimsical about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infidelity
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I purchased a special edition of this book and wanted to give it a reread.
"The Scarlet Letter" is an American classic that follows Hester Prynne in mid-seventeenth century Boston. Hester has a child out of wedlock and is forced by her Puritan town to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her chest for the rest of her days. No one knows who the father is, and Hester is tight lipped and refuses to give the town more reason to gossip.
I have long said that this is one of my favorite classics, but I have not read it in quite a few years. I was very happy to see that this story held up, and I enjoyed it as much today as I did over ten years ago when I read it in high school. Additionally, I think this story has some timely themes that we as a society need to reflect upon given the political climate of America today.
This is a classic that is very approachable to read. The writing is not pretentious or dense (in my opinion), and the story is just scandalous enough to keep the reader's attention. The novel itself is also not exceptionally long.
I will definitely continue to reread this in the future.
"The Scarlet Letter" is an American classic that follows Hester Prynne in mid-seventeenth century Boston. Hester has a child out of wedlock and is forced by her Puritan town to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her chest for the rest of her days. No one knows who the father is, and Hester is tight lipped and refuses to give the town more reason to gossip.
I have long said that this is one of my favorite classics, but I have not read it in quite a few years. I was very happy to see that this story held up, and I enjoyed it as much today as I did over ten years ago when I read it in high school. Additionally, I think this story has some timely themes that we as a society need to reflect upon given the political climate of America today.
This is a classic that is very approachable to read. The writing is not pretentious or dense (in my opinion), and the story is just scandalous enough to keep the reader's attention. The novel itself is also not exceptionally long.
I will definitely continue to reread this in the future.
Content Warnings
Minor: Pregnancy