Title: The Scarlet Letter
Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
Pages: 272
Finished: October 25, 2018
First Sentence: A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments, and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes.
Alternatively: It is a little remarkable, that--though disinclined to talk overmuch of myself and my affairs at the fireside, and to my personal friends--an autibiographical impulse should twice in my life have taken possession of me, in addressing the public.
Alternatively: It is a little remarkable, that--though disinclined to talk overmuch of myself and my affairs at the fireside, and to my personal friends--an autibiographical impulse should twice in my life have taken possession of me, in addressing the public.
Summary: Hester Prynne, a young woman in the end of the 17th century, is punished for committing adultery by wearing a scarlet letter A. Meanwhile, her actual husband comes back and promises to find out who committed this crime with her.
Thoughts: Wow... this one was tough. First and foremost, Hawthorne starts the story with a 40+ page introduction about the Custom House. It's (I think) primarily fiction even though the man worked at a Custom House. Full disclosure, after taking a week to get four pages into this, I gave up and moved on to the first real chapter. I got through the book with a mix of reading, sparknotes, and listening to the audio book and reading the book at the same time. In fact, that last method was the way I eventually did get through the introduction.
I liked the book, but it was rough. In particular, I liked how Hester Prynne decided, "Well fine, if I have to wear this letter, I'm going to make it the most beautiful letter ever and screw you all." I liked how she stuck to her convictions even if I didn't agree with her. Everything that happened to her was super unfair, but she was authentically herself. I liked how she managed to move past the letter to become the town advice woman at the end. Basically, I really liked Hester.
Not a huge fan of the doctor, but we weren't supposed to be a fan of him. I found Dimmesdale rather obnoxious and weak as well.
I'm also very grateful to shmoop.com for their chapter summaries and analysis. I'm very out of practice, and without the site, I don't think I'd have made it through.
I liked the book, but it was rough. In particular, I liked how Hester Prynne decided, "Well fine, if I have to wear this letter, I'm going to make it the most beautiful letter ever and screw you all." I liked how she stuck to her convictions even if I didn't agree with her. Everything that happened to her was super unfair, but she was authentically herself. I liked how she managed to move past the letter to become the town advice woman at the end. Basically, I really liked Hester.
Not a huge fan of the doctor, but we weren't supposed to be a fan of him. I found Dimmesdale rather obnoxious and weak as well.
I'm also very grateful to shmoop.com for their chapter summaries and analysis. I'm very out of practice, and without the site, I don't think I'd have made it through.
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