REVIEW: The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
My rating: 3.5/5
Premise: In Nathaniel Hawthorne's dark novel, The Scarlet Letter, a single sinful act ruins the lives of three people. None more so than Hester Prynne, a young, beautiful, and dignified woman, who conceived a child out of wedlock and receives the public punishment of having to always wear a scarlet "A" on her clothing.
[⚠️CW: 'slut-shaming']
I admit, I'd only heard of it thanks to the film Easy A, but I was really intrigued to read it! I loved the concept and the themes of the book. I found it hard to get into the writing style (not helped that I read it straight after reading a kids book!) so at times the language, the heavy themes and the reflective nature of the novel felt slow. I found it really interesting though, the themes of how women are treated, of guilt, of shame, they were all explored well, reflecting the psyche of the main characters. I loved the strength of Hester, enduring her punishment but not betraying the father of her child - a very strong female character. A thought provoking yet heavy book. I'd recommend reading another classic beforehand to help get into the style and language so you can enjoy the book more.