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I was fored to read it too

The Scarlet Letter is a good but long and discriptive book. I wouldn't tell anybody to read it unless they classic books or a Hawthorne fan. This book and also The House of The Seven Gables are based on the one unlying rule of Hawthorne description. His books wouldn't be so long if he would have just gotton to the plot. Now don't get me wrong the plot to this book was good but the movie is even better. If you have to read it just deal with it. All I know is that is didn't hold my attenion very long and I fell asleep a couple of times.

a tragedy

This is a tragedy in two ways. Everyone dies at the end, and if you have to or choose to read this you will experience a tragedy.I can compare this book to a lobster.People say lobsters are a delecacy and you have to get through a shell to get to the meat.This book is a "classic" and you have dissect each and every sentence to get a general understanding.Avoid this book at all costs, if you have to read it in school then you are better off faking a concusion!

too had to read

I find the old english wording too hard to understand and too hard to read...haven't got into it too far yet but it is taking me forever to get here

Simply the worse book ever.

I had to read this book for my high school English class. I hated every bit of it actually I never finished it. This book does not belong on the list of classic must reads. As a college student now I thought I would give the book a second chance just as something to read for my own personal joy of reading. This is still to this day the WORSE book I have ever read in my life!! How could anyone actually like this back enough to rate it 3 star much less 5. This should be rated in negative stars.

No Active Table of Contents

My rating is only for the electronic formatting of this book. I really feel like I don't have any right to complain since the book was free but -you get what you pay for.The book starts with an introduction to the story which goes on for 18% of the book file. The actual text of the book doesn't start until location 604-10. Unfortunately the only way to find this is to page through from the beginning. It would have been nice to have a table of contents or at least a bookmaark for the start of the actual book.

Should not be a requirement in high school

To me this book would turn a young person, like my self away from the key and enjoyment of reading . Being a book with extensive mistakes in it, it is very difficult to read unless you are to inerpret it every paragraph or should I say sentence. I't maybe a classic, but I feel that the word "classic" comes from just being old........................................................................................................p.s the only reason I put a star was because I had to, to express my opinion on he novel.

It was like a bad dream, but I couldn't wake up

This book is like a bad soap. No action. No drama. Very predictable. It is about a woman who cheated on her husband with another man. The baby dad is the preacher. Why the couple couldn't have gotten a divorce is beyond me. And the writing is horrible. Maybe Webster would have fun with this book but not a high schooler being forced to read it. Reading this is like a punch in the testicles.. it HURT!!! This book is hell on earth. Don't read it. By the way, I had to give it one star.

Landscape book

I guess I should have read the last review or even the fact that the description says Landscape. I didn't think it was necessary, it's just a book right?I guess it's supposed to be easier to read in bed. I just thought it would be cool to have the Scarlet Letter be a red book.If you buy this book you will be holding the book like a wall calendar and reading in two columns; first the two columns on the top page and then two columns on the bottom. This just seems really irritating to me.

THE SIMPLE CONCEPT OF SIN, TABOO

THIS BOOK IS A GREAT CLASSIC THAT EXPLOITS THE IDEA THAT A PREACHER WOULD DO THE UNTHINKABLE AND MAKE A WOMAN PREGNANT WHO HE WAS NOT MARRIED TO. THE SPIRIT IS WILLING BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK. I LIKE THE CANDID REALITY OF THIS BOOK THAT DID NOT WHITE-WASH EVERYTHING COMPLETELY AND THE STORY STILL MAKES SENSE IN THE MODERN WORLD, THIS STILL HAPPENS EVEN TO THIS DAY. HOWEVER, THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR IS THE WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT NOT TO DO.

Excellent gift

My 12 year daughter was delighted to receive the Scarlet Letter. She has enjoyed reading it through out X-mas vacation. I had forgotten how good literature can be an excellent gift.

Great classic for the price

For a first time reading of this classic I recommend this. If you love it you may want a nicer version for the bookshelf. This is a nice quality book though. The printing isn't too small, and neither is the book. It fits right in my paperback bookshelf perfectly with others just like it.And as for the story, I could go on many pages. Just do a few searches for reviews, it's a classic that will outlive all of us and has a lot to say about human beings and our culture, past and future.One of the best Classics, great one to get started on or to read over and over again.

Missing Custom House

My daughter needed this book for school and specifically needed an edition with the custom house. We "looked inside this book" on line and it shows that it includes the custom house. When the book arrived, it did not include the custom house. Very disappointed as we took the time to check and she needed this for class.

Incredibly engrossing

I absolutely loved this book, it was so engrossing, could not put it down. Hawthorne has wonderful descriptions, it is a fascinating time in history and he brings it alive. A flawless book.

Characterization in The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter is overloaded with many superfluous words that requires the reader to sift through them all to get to the actual story. However, the strong characters are revealed through their actions more than through Hawthorne's descriptions. The story takes place in 17th Century Boston and Puritanical Law is heavily enforced. A young woman, Hester, has been imprisoned for getting pregnant while committing adultery. Now that the baby is 3 months old, they have her stand in the center of town with so she can be shamed by the whole town. Her husband just happens to come to town as she stands on the scaffold and thus the story continues in a dark spiral of hidden friendships, revenge, immense guilt, and sin. This story is a historical fiction told 200 years later and is full of symbolism and the ironies of human nature and society. The ending was rather abrupt as if Hawthorne was on a writing deadline and got tired of his own story.

the illiteracy of our generation

Frankly, in reading the negative reviews it is clear to me that there is a growing body of illiterates among us. It seems too, that the more a book makes one think the more negaive review it receives from some readers.I do agree that this particular Kindle edition is cumbersome to navigate due to the format but it is still an exceptional book and very worth reading. Not only is the character developmet quite thorough and enjoyable but it gives us a glimpse of the society in which it was written. What I always find fascinating is that this, like most other classics, is about human nature, power and the consequences of actions. So in the end these themes are enduring and feed our desire to look into the hearts and souls of others- to be voyeurs-which is what makes a classic a classic.

The Scarlet Letter e-Book

Great book, had seen the movie but the book is much more. It will hold your attention and is an easy read too.Even better, the e-book was free on Amazon!

I just don't get it.

I am an avid reader. I have read many so called "classics". This book is just plain boring! Yawn.... I really tried to get into it. I couldn't finish it. I just kept falling asleep. This book contains some seriously long sentences. Some readers have said to just skip the first chapter or so. I couldn't do that. It just seems wrong. If you are going to read a book you should try and read it all. I am sorry to say "I have not read the Scarlet Letter." Sorry Hawthorne.... I really, really tried.

favorite classic

loved it in high school, love it as an adult...Great book and very informative.Book is written well with ability to keep the reader interested in the book and all it has too offer.Characters and other plot.

Childish Novel

It is a travesty that this novel is even classified with the classics. This is by far one of the most boring and pointless novels in existance. The plot dribbles on about sin and adultry with few arguments. The contrasting of light and dark, with shadows, light and color is overdone and quite childish. Any third grade student can classify purity as light and sin as darkness. More over, there is over a hundred pages of belaboring the point, with no real conclusion. At the end of the novel, all I had was a headache, and I had fallen asleep more than a dozen times.

Jeff the Scorned

I hated this story. It was long. It was preachy. It was boring. Unless you're interested in catching up on battles with Puritanism, avoid this book.

Ugh.

I read this book for AP English and had to do a blue-book assignment of it. The word "ugh" summarizes my experience.This book was written in the 19th century, and that's where it belongs. It wouldn't be nearly as bad if someone were to modernize the language used in the book, but reading through "dost thou" after "dost thou" isn't any fun.However, I highly recommend reading Richard Armour's take on SL in his book "The Classics Reclassified".

This book was dumb

I know that saying the book is dumb nullifies all the hard work put into it, but I just did not like it. Sure the main idea and a well written summary makes the book as a whole good, it doesn't help the actual context one bit which was very hard to follow and comprehend.

Avg. Rating too high

I've bought this book, underlined every hint of symbolism, found all evidence of romanticism, followed every quote involving thematic oppositions, and noted every example of Pearl's rebellious nature and social alienation, but I cannot find one positive aspect of this novel that makes any of my hard work feel rewarding. The only way this novel could give me a warm feeling is if I place it in a furnace.

Received a different book

I ordered a specific ISBN No. and received a different tiny book of the same with different appearence and a different ISBN No.The picture seen online is not the one that I received.

Oh my...

This novel is absolutely awful. Although it has received over 500 reviews I feel it is my duty to help bring the average star level to where it belongs, at zero. Where to begin... perhaps with the run on sentences, the failure to create significant rising action, the flat two dimensional characters... This novel is full of things which not only bore the reader, but frustrate them as well.The fatal flaw in this piece of literature is its inability to stay relevant. Post-modern society does not really care about, "Baby daddies," and the revelation which is made at the end, and beginning, of this novel is reproduced daily on morning television a la Maury. Unfortunately, Nathaniel Hawthorn you are the father of this literary disaster.

Far too little crime and fist fights

So I heard about this from a friend at Comi-Con. He did not know much about it, but heard some people talking about it in the food court. I thought it sounded awesome, like Read or Die meets a cross between The Green Lantern and The Crimson Crusader. So I order what I thought was the graphic novel, turns out it is more "novel" and less "graphic". It was nothing like I expected, and unless shame is a super power (which is unlikely) Hester is just some puritan lady before radioactive spiders even existed!Seriously, I don't think "BANG!" "POW!" or "ZORT!" show up anywhere in the book! I almost gave this one star, but Roger Chillingworth is an awesome super villain name. His physiognomy is dead on as well, like in all comics, it let's us know he is the clear bad guy and we should not relate to him at all. Since the bad guy at least fits what I expect this gets 2 stars.

Get to the point already

Too long. Re-read this and remembered how much Hawthorne's style irritates me. There is an interesting story within but he takes WAY too long to tell it.

Slow moving predictable story

The story is a very simple one but the action, so to speak, doesn't really happen until the final third of the book. It was a battle to get through the dry middle!Unfortunately the story is also exceptionally easy to guessand the turns of the story are not surprising in the least.On the plus side, the book gives a good glimpse at life in Puritan early American communities and their moral strucutres.

Good book if you look into it.

The Scarlet Letter is not a dull book if you get into it. It is true that it's language can be hard to read and understand at times, but that does not make it uninteresting. The main story, may not be considered exciting, but the novel is full of literary elements that make it a good book. Several faults are pointed to in this "perfect" Puritain town in which the story takes place. The book uses good elements like foreshadowing, foil characters, and a lot symbolism. A main point of the book is Hester's admiting her guilt as compared to her "lover's" hiding his guilt. I'm not going to tell you who she had the affair with, but it will be soon figuared out when you see the signs of his scarlet letter. The book may not be as exciting as some, but don't let this keep you from reading it, because it really is good.

Great!!!!!READ ME READ ME READ ME!!!

Call me a sucker for classics, well I am. This novel brings forth issues that are still with us today. Yes, the book was written over 100 years ago, but it deals with Single mothers in a two-parent society and how the outsiders to the situation (townspeople) deal with Hestor Prynne and her daughter, Pearl. Even today we seem to look down upon single mothers as nothings, even though they are doing the best they can to raise their child(ren) and to survive themselves. Nathaniel Hawthorne seems to be writing about not only the early settlers, but also about HIS time and OUR time all in the same book. I give it five stars because of it's beautiful discription of the trials and tribulations of single-parenthood.

Horrific forced reading

I will never understand why they force this book on school children, I'm sure there are many other "classic" stories that could be included in the curriculum.

I read to pages of this novel and I had to stop!

I have yet to actually complete this novel. It is so dog-gone hard to understand. On top of this, I have an essay that is due: TOMORROW! Is there no relief?!

I don't get it.

I was assigned this book when I was a sophomore in high school (22 years ago). I couldn't get through it; the Cliff Notes version help me pass the test. I found it turgid and laborious reading.I graduated in the top 10% of my high school class. I have a master's degree. Despite my academic success, I don't understand why this book is a classic. I don't understand why Hester didn't just pack up Pearl and her stuff, move to another town and tell everyone she was a widow. That would have saved everyone alot of grief, especially young readers like me.

I hate this book.

This is the worst book I have ever read. The attempts at symbolism are bogged down with unnecessary detail and the language is over the top even for the time period. I hurled it across the room at one point in agitation and disgust.

its as if I were reading the book itself.

I got the auido book cuz I didn't have time to read the book for my english report and exam. I listen to it for one week and did a great book report and did great on the final exam. I did better listen than reading.

Way too boring for me

My son was forced to read this book for his high school english class. I consider this cruel and unusual punishment. I believe there are some consitutional laws that prevent schools from giving kids this big slop of boring inside about 300 pages. Its the reason why kids these days hate reading, because before they have time to read anything exciting and interesting they have to read stuff like the Scarlet Letter. The only reason Nathaniel Hawthorne is a classic is because he wrote fancy and he is dead. In fact Hawthorne never wrote an interesting word in his life. Its like he went out of his way to bore people to death. Now I know there wasn't much around to inspire good stories back than but I didn't think it was this bad. He drags on a plot that shouldn't of lasted more than 30 pages into a whole freakin novel! Pure insanity that kids are forced to read terrible bore fests like Hawthorne.

Great plot, horrible writing!!!!!!!!

I believe that the plot of "The Scarlet Letter" could have been wonderful & something I would love to read, because the events are all such interesting ideas. I just think that Mr. Hawthorne made them boring through his writing style. Sometimes it just dragged on forever & I really think more of the book consisted of descriptions than dialogue---I couldn't enjoy a book like that. I think if this was written by a different author, with mainly the same plot, it could be wonderful. But this, was terribly boring!!!!!!!!

get it away

I usually have nothing to say but good things about book I read! But this book, it does have it's interesting points but I just don't get into it. I rather would burn myself at the stake that read the remaining chapter I have to finish for my English Class. What did I have to do to deserve this? I stood there reading the book with my book in one hand and dictionary in the other, I ended up reading Chapter 9 about 10 times because the information wasn't getting to me. And the way the author addresses the reader, I want to scream. I'm sure in the 1850's this was a wonderful book because of the message it stated back then, but more than 100 years afterwards, people seem to lose interest. And the fact that they make HS students read this book is just plain homicide. STOP THE ASSIGNING OF THIS BOOK! DON'T PUT YOUR STUDENTS THROUGH TORTURE!

Overrated Pretentious Trash

This novel is widely regarded as overrated. The plot is not that interesting, the writing style is torturous,the plot twists are predictable. It's a typical example of pre-20th century bad writing. Not to say that any book from that era is crap, but this book certainly is.

The Scarlet Letter

One ofthe greatest novels in all of literature, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, tells of a life vastly different from those that we live today. Rejecting the present permissive lifestyle to which we were accustomed, the reader is entrenched in the gloom and doom of Puritan society. It is an exposure to a law that tells what to wear, how to think, and whom to love. The Scarlet Letter is a story of law versus human nature, hypocrisy, and of undeniable passions.Enlightening and refreshing, the reader is taken on an adventure and fully understands the risks of living passionately, beyond the limits that society sets. A novel that can be enjoyed by all ages, The Scarlet Letter is a masterpiece of its time.

A classic novel with a contemporary message

Hawthorne's masterpiece is beautifully written and skillfully constructed. It's message is subtle, yet pervasive: that people we punish as "sinners" are often far more noble than their punishers. Judge not, lest ye be judged. Best (or worst) of all, the story is still wonderfully applicable to contemporary life. Perhaps President Clinton ought to wear a big scarlet letter 'A' on his chest for the rest of his term.

Each read is like peeling layers of a rose

What greater journey than to delve into the human heart? Every emotion one can nurture there is here, bared and examined.Hester, at once forthright and complex, serves as our guide, as she wanders the lambrynth of her own private neart.That we can fall, sin, disappoint and still find redemption in confession make the message of The Scarlet Letter a most comforting tract for out day.

A better read as an adult -- not a great choice for teenagers...

Well-paced, surprisingly easy to follow despite the language used. I hadn't read it in 30 years, and found it to be much more palatable as an adult than it was when I was a teenager. There must be a lesson in there somewhere..."

Don't pay for this on the Kindle

Unless you have the correct size font, you will have a difficult time reading this book on the Kindle. It is not set up to have the text wrap correctly and therefore has a full line of text, the next line has a single word, then another full line and so on.

Strong Woman

200-300 worddI really liked this book because of Hester. She was a protagonist who refused to obey by socety's rules. She is a role model for women who wish to be free. Sure, she made a mistake. But, don't we all? Adultery is not right, but we learn from mistakes.I really liked to read about the time period because it was so different from our own. It is hard to believe that Hawthorne was only a writer for his time period.

Slow, Overwritten Drama

It started with a great plot...until he actually wrote it. It was overwritten (it takes pages before something happens) and the protagonists were hard to like. Boring, sappy novel written as if he trying to imitate Victorian prose. There are a couple twists, but the main characters are such morons, it underscores the little action that does happen.

Great Story ... Bad writing

So sue me ... I just don't like Nathanial Hawthorne. I think the plot is brilliant, but I find his method of telling the story annoying. I'm afraid this isn't an assertion I can back up with a lot of concrete examples, it's just that his writing gives me a vague feeling of malaise. I find this true of his short stories as well, so I never bothered with the other novels. But you'll have to read The Scarlet Letter for school anyway, so borrow it from the library.

Wonderful, wonderful

Thank you, Erika Vause, for your positive review! I absolutely love this book! I had heard of this novel, but never considered reading it because the plot simply did not interest me. Then we read it in our academic English class (10th graders) and I was absolutely astonished!! Not only by the magnificence of the book--its themes of guilt and redemption are powerful and heart wrenching--but by the ignorance of some of my peers. It was obvious that their dislike sprung from the fact that they did not understand it! Please, please--read this book! You will not be sorry! I promise.

Awful

I'll admit right up front that I am stupid. I would rather enjoy a book instead of try to find my way through the maze of confusing, endless prose that Hawthorne uses. I found myself empathizing more with Chillingworth than Dimmesdale. A book should NOT have to be dissected and disscussed to be understood!!! It should clearly portray its thematic structure without having to resort to a smokescreen of vague symbols and the word "Classic" stamped all over it to force people to appreciate it. Yes, it was heavily thematic and full of symbolism; and it was "meaty" (whatever that is), "deep", and "powerful"; but it was dry, slow, and boring. Even someone as myself, who generally enjoys the classics, will fall asleep (as I did everytime I tried to read this book). Do NOT try to speed-read this. This book has no place in a high-school English course; it needs a span of several years to muddle and plod thru, and then try to unravle.

So boring

I am an English teacher and getting through the book was tough. Only Nathaniel Hawthorne can make sex sound boring.

The okay book

Hawthornes The Scarlet letter is an okay book. It has an okay plot and okay characters, but the book is not one for teens of the 90's. I had to read this book for my English teacher and to tell the truth if it were not graded I would not have read it. The teens of today do not want to read about the ancient customs of puritan society. If it had been about the scandalous affairs of Hester and Rev. Dimmsdale it would still be a best seller. I think this book should be only read voluntarily. If you are thinking of reading it you may need to reconsider.

I HATE THIS BOOK

I'm sure I would be able to understand the vivid descriptions and symbolism in this book much better, if Hawthorne were not writing in some sort of moon man language. I don't know about the production of narcotics in the 1800's, but I honestly think that Hawthorne wasn't on a natural high if you know what I'm saying.

Don't READ THIS BOOK!!

THIS BOOK SUX! Who cares about Pearl anyways! Someone shoot me in the head before i die of boredom!!!

If your looking to fall asleep than this is perfect 4 you !

Well, im 15 years old and my english teacher assigned this book for the class. I read only 6 of the chapters and then gave up . Maybe if it was somewhat interesting I would read it - but it has nothing to do with modern life.And to assign such a book at this time in a teens life is just pointless. Like I really care about what happenes to Hester. I've failed all the quizzes that my teacher gave us and most kids from the class did the same. Its one of those books where you read 4 pages and all of a sudden you realized that you were thinking about what you wearing today. Then i have to read the pages all over again. The book is extremely boring !! - I do not recommend it!

slowly falling asleep

The book is boring if you try to read it without a good look at the movie first but it gets easier to understand once youre in class failing every single test your teacher gives you on it! Then she decides to explain what's going on to you later. It was boring and I fell asleep everytime I went to read it.

one of the worst books I've ever read

typically, I will force myself to read even the worst books (for class, for "fun", because I think I should), but when I read this book for a [...] English course, I quickly realized it was one of the worst books ever (not to be taken lightly, seriously), certainly not worthy of a classic, boring, endless details that no one cares about... blah blah blah. Terrible. I was bored. It might have been too difficult for a 9th grader, but I wouldn't read it now either.on the other hand, my brother loved it.

I only gave it a star because I had to.

This was the worst book I ever read. I was lost and confused and that was only in the first sentence. You would think that classic had to have some level of goodness, but this book was the worst piece of filth I had ever read in my entire life. It's no wonder that Hawthorn locked himself in his mothers attic, he was mentally ill before he ever wrote the book. If you are a high school student,like I am, you know the hell that I had to go through and I am guessing you never want to put yourself through it again. And to you who have no read this book, don't. You have not, or never will commit enough sin to be put in to the type of hell that this book offers the reader. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. Oh, and by the way who decided that this was a classic romantic book, there is nothing romantic about this novel, nor anything good. If you are in the mood for a good romance shoot for Nora Roberts or Sandra Brown, they can actually write!

paralyzing fear

The pain brought on by this archaicly verbose peice of literary kindling is so great that, while reading, I was greatly tempted to gouge out my eyes to prevent any future encounters with Mr. Hawthorne's "work". Please, for the love of all things sacred USE CLIFFNOTES!!! It will save you from years of therapy. I am scarred for live. My soul will be tormented after death and i will be forced to walk the earth in search for reconciliation.

A sin to humanity

No, I'm not talking about Hester's crime. I'm talking about this STUPID BOOK! If only Hawthorne had kept his job in the customs house (see prologue), this abomination would never have been spawned from the cess-ridden depths of Hawthorne's twisted thinking organ. (You can figure THAT out on your own). This book is untolerably boring (the only proven cure of insomnia - if you don't mind the side effects) and the descriptions are ridiculously entangling. In the words of Mr. Hawthorne himself, this book is "ignominiously" dull. PRESERVE YOUR SANITY! NEVER READ THIS! NEVER!I sleep now...

forced to read the most horrible book ever

where to bloody begin.... ah.. in my junior year i and everyone else in class was forced to read the book and watch the horrible origanal slow and boring movie. after we got done with it almost everyone in the whole dang room yelled out that it suck, right at the same time. both this and the great gatsby sucked. but i dd surprisngly enjoyed the great gatsby movie towards the end of it

This book is a wast of good paper

Oh man, where do i begin with this one? First of all, I want to say that a 1 star rating is flattering this novel beyond all means. The Scarlett Letter is one of the most boring pieces of junk that I have ever been assigned to read. I realize that there is a ton of symbolism in this novel, but if you can't stay awake to find it, what's the point? Also, it really helps when Hawthorne decides to use 15 letter words in each and every sentence. Only person that I would recommend this novel to is an insomnia patient. This one ranks right up there with A Tale Of Two Cities (another "Classic").

scarlet letter

this novel is of course set in england in the eighteeth centuryher a young woman jailed for crimes she commted outside themarriage was branded with a scarlett letter over her bossom.this was tipical of the ear and time.

Looooooooooooooooong.

If you can read and readily understand old-english, you *may* be able to enjoy this novel.I found it painfully long and didn't even care to finish it, which is unheard of for me!

Unable to Review

Unfortunately, I have to say that I am very very disappointed with this order. I ordered this book on Sept 2 for my daughter to read and write a report about for school. (Report is due Oct 25) and to date, October 9, I have NOT RECEIVED it yet. When I contacted the vendor to report last week, I basically received a "sorry for your luck, but once it leaves our hands, we really don't care" type of response. Totally not impressed.

Painful

This was one of the most boring books i've ever read. Unfortunately i did not give up on Hawthorne after reading this novel, that was a mistake. I'd pass on this one if i were you, if you must read this for school I highly suggest getting a summary online.

Incredibly confusing; have a dictionary on hand!

This is probably the most confusing and worst book I have ever read! The author uses incredibly large words and you constantly have to use a dictionary or else you most likely won't know hat you are reading. From my point of view as a high school (with mostly A's and good at English) student I would not recommend this book to any other high school age students. The author needs to get to the point and not drag on for pages about things that are not important at all. Long setences also makes the book drag on. If I didn't have to read this book for a book report I would have put it down after the first page or two and usually I finish every book that I start. This book had me in tears because it was so difficult. I had to ask my English teacher to explain this to me. Read this book at your own risk, but i do not reccommend it to anyone.

Save Yourself

I agree 100% that Hawthorne was a brillaint writer. But this book was horrible. A simple phrase of action (Hester walking down the street) would be 4 pages of reflection. I read alot and am a huge fan of John Steinbeck, J.D Salinger, Mark Twian. I hated this book. It was took long and nearly impossible to read. If you have to read it for school, good luck. Otherwise, avoid this. There are much better classics than this.

Ick.

Three words to describe my feelings of this book...I HATE IT.Hawthorne's writings are dull, dry, and other words that mean bad that start with D. The character's a boring.

confusing, but good

Being in high school, it took a little bit to understand it, but after a while, I was able to get the basic point of the story. If you know you'll have to read this for school in the future, read it ahead of time. That way, you won't be reading on a deadline, which makes it worse. Read it at your own pace and you will understand it more. Also, the second time through, when you have to read it, you will see many things that you missed, and the story will be much more meaningful to you. (You'll do better on tests and quizzes, too.) Even if you're not required to read it, check it out-it's not called a classic for nothing!

SAD

this book represents a time in the past of our country in which we should be ashamed. not only was this a time of "witchcraft" and witchunts, but the society was willing to ostracize a human being for adultery. as if it weren't punishment enough for hester to have to wear the "a" on her chest, everyone stared at her peculiarly and did not accept her into normal society. i think this is overly harsh, yet this whole book reflects the time in which it took place very well. i would recommend it.

The Next Best Thing to a Sleeping Pill!

This book literally put me to sleep. I could wake up at 2 in the morning and find the book in my lap, and then have to stress over finishing the assigned reading for my English class. I mean, some of the sentences are about 15 lines long, and the plot, if there is a plot, is incredibly slow. If the author would just tell it like it is, and not drag it out for pages, the book would be only about a third of the length that it is. Boring, boring, BORING!

great!

I've never heard of this author before so reading this was a bit of a gamble with me but I liked the sound of it. Well, I'm glad I took the risk. I was sucked into the characters lives and anxious to discover thier outcomes and fates. The plotline fell into place so well and wonderfully. Despite the fact that it wasn't full of suspense it was still SUCH a page turner. I loved the way the book was written, each line meant something and each line was meant to be there and each new page was like a new poem.It made me concentrate too. It's not the kind of book you can read half asleep before bed time, this book required my full attention.

Beautifully Done

The story of hester is by itself a master piece worthy of its highly commended status, however the annotated version really helps the reader understand the historical references and many archaic words.

Not What it is Made Out to be...

It shocks me that the Scarlet Letter is the most taught book in the nation. It may have much symbolism and so on, but it is a convoluted mess. The author is completely detached from his audience, and for some bizarre reason, he feels he has to explain every little thing that happens in great detail. It is also irrelevant to our modern times. In our days people need to be reading things like Huxley, Orwell, Fitzgerald, Bradbury, Hemmingway, Steinbeck, Salinger, and many other great 20th century writers. This book is only relevant to those interested in the time period which it discusses.

hate this new format

I didnt realize when I ordered it that the type was turned side ways. I bought this as a gift, but not sure I will give it.I guess someone might like the format, but I dont.

Wonderful

Once you get past the language barrier, this book is an amazing read. To see the tragedies that some women went through at one point in history is a great thing, and to remind us never to let history repeat itself.

Need a dictionary!

The Scarlet Letter is an interesting book. While reading the book I was filled with many feelings about it. I enjoyed some chapters, but loathed the ones describing the characters. I felt as if Hawthorne could have told the story more efficiently if he had described each character as they came onto the scene. The book made me feel inferior and uneducated. I made so many trips to get the dictionary that my legs got tired. I enjoyed the general story-line, but I could have left the adjectives behind. Pearl was my favorite character because she had a priceless intuition that helped me read the book. I would have been lost without Pearl's hints. I would not have read this book if not required to by my English teacher. Attack it if you dare!!

An Excellent Portait of Puritan New England

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" is a vivid (and accurate) portayal of life in Puritan New England. The prejudices, superstitions and institutions of the society are expressed so well that contemporary readers, who have little knowledge of New England's history, are able to feel the oppression and religious pressures that were common in that society. Indeed, this work is comparable (if not superior) to Arthur Miller's Crucible.

Leave this one to the bibliophiles

Yes, I am a 17 yr old high school kid. But I can tell good books from the bad ones. "The Scarlet Letter" is a "classical" tale of 2 lovers. To be concise, this novel is too wordy to be enjoyable. People can say it's a classic romantic novel, it has good character developments, it has good themes and ironies, blah blah blah. I, like most people, don't judge a book by checking out its trap metaphors; all in all leave this book to a "Doctor of Puritanical Philosophy". If youre looking for a more entertaining classic, read "Huck Finn" by Twain.

Yes, I was another victim who had to read this for school

Ok, when I first started this book I thought it was the dumbest thing and I could not belive this was a classic! (I still can't) After a few chapters I thought it was a little better and thats why I gave it two stars. Also, it is one of the better books that I had to read for school. I still feel that it was a little boring and hard to follow but with the class discussions I understood it a lot more. I still wouldn't reccommend this book to anyone

a book value

The classic book that is read by virtually every high school student in America ; and at a bargian price

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Not interesting at all

I was supposed to read this for English class,and had some interest because I`ve heard people and my teacher say that this was an American classic and was very good.But once I heard some of my friends who started to read it and say it was difficult and boring,I got the book on audio to assist me.I only got to chapter 3 and I was trying to guess how many pages were left to the end.Its uniteresting and difficult because the story wanders with absolutly no direction.I highly recomend getting Cliff Notes(which I got and are very easy to understand compared to the book) and possibly the movie(It might not be the same to the book, but having the visual aid of Demi Moore certainly helps the mind focus better).

This book is incredibly boring!

This is one of the all-time most boring books. I do not recommend reading it at all. The introduction is incredibly long, and incredibly boring. Also, it doesn't really have the sort of plot that would make it a book you can't put down. I personally fell asleep four different times reading this book. I had much higher expectations for this book. If you are looking for a classic to read, I would recommend The Count Of Monte Cristo, not this book.

Both forward and backward in its ideas

First of all: those who found the book to be dull, such as me, listen to it on tape (it's abbreviated yet still dangerous = boring to listen to while driving, as I found out). Indeed, Hawthorne introduces some advanced ideas for the times, such as writing about a single mother, as well as musings about women's rights. His obsession with Victorian themes, such as the deification of children, fixation on bodily sins, as well as overdramatization and simplification of the plot equals predictability and annoyance to the reader. While this book could probably be considered "a classic," such as Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina," both are better classified as carefully crafted literary exercises rather than engaging stories.

I am going to bring Hawthorne back from the grave to hit him

Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this the worst book i've ever read, I consider myself open to all fine lterature but I absolutely hate this book. But the writing is superb!

Not Worth Reading

Yes the writing is poetic...but the book says the same thing over and over. I didn't feel like I learned anything from reading this book, the characters are rather flat and the symbols are far too obvious and there is too many of them. It's like Hawrthorne had a contest with himself to see how many symbols he could cram in.

Power to women

I read this book when I was 16 and I totally fell in love with it. I love the power it hands over to women. Hawthorne does a great job in illustrating the kind of prejudice society extends to women for actions that can be equally distributed to men but even more so he shows the determination of a woman to overcome whatever adversities may be present with renewed pride and dignity.

it was very slow.

Hawthorne was a excellent writer for the 19th century, however, this book is very slow and often has no dialog for over a chapter. The descriptions get very long, boring and tedious. As you read this book your mind starts to wander and you can't remember what happened for chapters at a time. The only was I was able to get through it was by reading Cliffs Notes then the book.

It wasn't good

I starting reading this book with great enthusiasm for my 11th grade English GT class's summer homework. I read and read, and I just started hearing names of people who, didn't make sense. I could never figure out who Reverend whatever is, or that other guy they talk about, I just went a long skimming the book, not able to feel any plot whatesoever! I was completely bored with this book. I didn't need a dictionary whatsoever either, but I will probably need Cliff Notes, so I could understand what the story is about, if anyone can help, please do.

ugh

Why do books such as this keep being required reading in high schools? Havent there been any authors in more recent time that would provide students more relevancy? Obviously this appeals to those who are truly literature lovers--and that's fantastic. But for most kids, give them something they'll enjoy reading and maybe they'll learn to love literature more. Books like this just antagonize and demoralize those who are not naturally literature lovers.

A classic...but one of the worst books, ever.

At some point in your life you may have to read this snooze fest, and I pity the day you are required to read it. Hawthorne takes days to make a point, any statement at all, starting from the unbearable introduction "The custom house" through the last page. There is no action, no humor, no joy, only the character study of the puritan society, and a "brave" woman. Do yourself a favor and get the cliffnotes or use Antistudy.com. Anyone who truly believes this is a good is either a pseudo-intellectual, or they enjoy the same style of Melville, or anything written by Hawthorne. I would give this no stars if possible.

How Can Sex and Sin Be So Boring?

Throughout this entire book, one part of my brain was in a state of wonder, trying to imagine how anyone could make a book about scandal, sin, adultery, public shame and cowardice so dull. To finish the book was a test of will, and was accomplished because I hate to leave things undone.There are many fine, engaging, interesting novels, both of our age and of Hawthorne's. I can't imagine why one would want to slog through this one.

unfinishable

A classic? Hardly. In it's time this book may have ruffled feathers but these days it's a struggle to get through. Hawthorne's writing style is dreary and dreadful; if captivating readers was his aim, he failed miserably.

American classic my ...

This completely predictable novel seems more like a beginner's attempt of writing a book rather than an American classic. The author treats the readers as if they completely lack a brain by stating the understood and by completely beating concepts to death (note the reference).

Hawthorne's Masterpiece

Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter is a tale of secret love, adultery, and sadness. Every person should read this timeless American novel at some point in their life. The strength of Hester Prynne is unusual for novels composed during the time this was published, and is therefore a revolutionary literary work. My only complaint is the length of "The Custom House," however horrible this sounds, I would just skip it, it does not add to the plot of the novel anyway.

Useful for AP Lit

I read Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter for my Advanced English 11 class. This is not a book I would normally have picked up and read, but I am glad that I read it.The Scarlet Letter deals with themes of love, society's oppression, secrets, a character finding herself, as well as numerous other classic literature themes. I found the book itself to be challenging to read, but I liked the story. Hawthorne explores when feelings and passion conflict with religion, which was fascinating to consider from a religious perspective.Although I did not enjoy the book much at the time I had to read it, it proved to be quite useful when I took the AP Literature and Composition Test this year. When I had to choose one book to frantically review the day before the test, this is the book I chose. Sure enough, this is the book I used for the AP test as a reference.This is an essential book for anyone taking AP Literature.

Timeless Classic

I enjoyed this book a lot, once I got past the slow parts. Hester Prynne is found pregnant out of wedlock. Since she won't reveal the identity of the father, she is forced to wear the Scarlet Letter "A" on her chest for the rest of her life. She gives birth to a girl and she changes her life around, so at the end of the book, people refer to her as "Angel" instead of "Adulterer."This is a timeless tale because the situation could easily happen in any time period. When we do something wrong, the way we live our lives afterwards is the determining factor of our moral character. One event does not define us. It's our entire lives that should be taken into account. I think that is Nathaniel Hawthorne's point. Redemption is possible for anyone, regardless of their sin. Also, the father who remained unknown to the society but not the reader, suffers enormously because he doesn't confess. This is a good point. When we hide our sins, the only person it ultimately hurts, is us.

One of the Greatest Books Ever Written

The Scarlet Letter is an excellent book. Hawthorne spends so much time discussing the characters' thoughts and motives that by the end of the book, you can understand why the people act the way they do. It makes them seem almost real. He relates nature to what the character's are experiencing that makes the story even more powerful. In one place he told of a rose bush that grew by the prison so it seemed Nature was saying that even though other people had abandoned them, someone could always count on the nature's love. It's very beautifully written. The story of adultery and jealous spouses happens in our own day which makes The Scarlet Letter relate to the reader. It's just a great book all over, and I feel that it's one of the best ever written.

Does not have true plumeria scent

I used to live in Hawaii. Plumerias were abundant, both growing and leis. I was excited to have that scent again in a lotion. The lotion itself is your average body lotion consistency. However, there is NO way that this is a true plumeria scent. I would not order their other "Plumeria" products (which are more expensive)based on this lotion.