Book Log

The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne - 3/1/24

Not a Wattpad published  book

Hailed by Henry James as "the finest piece of imaginative writing yet put forth in the country," Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter reaches to our nation's historical and moral roots for the material of great tragedy. Set in an early New England colony, the novel shows the terrible impact a single, passionate act has on the lives of three members of the community: the defiant Hester Prynne; he fiery, tortured Reverend Dimmesdale; and the obsessed, vengeful Chillingworth.

With The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne became the first American novelist to forge from our Puritan heritage a universal classic, a masterful exploration of humanity's unending struggle with sin, guilt, and pride.

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Don't ask me how this book came to be in my grasp, or why I went through with reading it... can't say I made my way through willingly. It's certainly an interesting story when you consider the time period it was written in and the material it discusses, and it is an imaginative concept, I'll give that to Hawthorne.

However, I must say, it shares the trend of a lot of American romantic writers of the time-- while the story has a message, there isn't really a ton that happens inside of it. Is there an immense amount of thought and meaning put behind every word? Sure, but if you're looking for a standard drama, this certainly isn't it.

I don't have a taste for older literature, but I'm sure a book like this would appeal to a certain group of people. Heck, I know someone who says this is their favorite book of all time. I'm not really into the old romantic writers, but if you are-- maybe give The Scarlet Letter a try.

I'd rate this novel 2/5 stars. I just really don't enjoy the language of the time it comes from, the storyline never really spoke to me, and it was just all around a major bore for me. There is something to say about keeping American history alive, though. For what it's worth, this book was a big staple in its time, and presented the idea of standing up for what you think is right. Oh, maybe I can give the book a third star for that.