I have just finished reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne...oh my word. I LOVED IT! First off, I am a huge lover of classic novels. The language, the rich story lines...I can't help myself! I was first reading Revolutionary Road...I've been stuck at page 100 for weeks, I find it very dull, so instead of just trying to get through that I took a break and picked up The Scarlet Letter. I bought the book last summer but I never actually took the time to read it. I am so glad I have. Here is the book description (amazon puts it into better words than I do, plus I'll probably give the wrong information away if I try).
The Scarlet Letter is a dark tale of love, crime, and revenge set in colonial New England. It revolves around a single, forbidden act of passion that forever alters the lives of three members of a small Puritan community: Hester Prynne, an ardent and fierce woman who bears the punishment of her sin in humble silence; the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, a respected public figure who is inwardly tormented by long-hidden guilt; and the malevolent Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s husband—a man who seethes with an Ahab-like lust for vengeance.
The book was really short, only 175 pages, I read it in 2 days. The book is full of symbolism, themes that are still valid today, strong distinct characters, and well...I thought it was just plain beautiful. Dealing with Good vs. evil, secret love, the burden of hiding your sins, dealing with having your sins on display, and dealing with a strict Puritan society made this a very intriguing novel. Once you delve deeper into the meaning of the book, and really truly think about it, this book was extremely well written, and there is just so much more going on than what meets the eye. I can see why it is one of the most famous American classics.
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