That Hawthorne offers a more profound exploration of Puritan-era America presents a double-edged sword.

On one hand, it is truly captivating to obtain such a vivid and multi-faceted perspective of that period. The detailed descriptions and the way he brings the characters and their world to life make it a fascinating read.

On the other hand, the monotony and the excessive self-examination and soul-scourging that are characteristic of Puritanism can indeed be a real burden. It can make the story feel a bit heavy at times.

Overall, I found the beginning and the ending of this novel to be truly outstanding. They were full of surprises, mystery, and were extremely engaging. They really pulled me in and made me eager to see how the story would unfold.

However, the middle part? It was a bit too much of a Puritanical experience for my personal taste. It felt like it dragged on a little too long with the same themes and ideas being repeated.

Housed on my Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge site.

The way we judge others is indeed the main focus of this remarkable book.

It delves deep into the concept that the true 'Scarlet Letter' is not something external but rather affixed to our very soul.

How often do we pass judgment on others without truly understanding their circumstances?

Causing someone to suffer simply because we are reluctant to tell the truth is, in fact, more shameful than any fault we may perceive in them.

This book challenges us to look within ourselves and question our own motives and biases when it comes to judging others.

It makes us realize that our words and actions can have a profound impact on the lives of those around us.

By being more honest and empathetic, we can avoid inflicting unnecessary pain and perhaps even start to heal the wounds that our judgments have caused.

Overall, this book serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of treating others with kindness, respect, and understanding.

Another Classic off the list.

The reading experience of this classic was not as smooth as expected due to its old style of writing. The archaic language and complex sentence structures presented some challenges, making it a bit difficult to follow at times.

However, despite these obstacles, the concept behind the story was quite interesting. It offered a unique perspective on a particular theme or idea, which kept me engaged throughout.

As I delved deeper into the text, I began to appreciate the nuances and subtleties that the author had incorporated. The characters were well-developed, and their interactions added depth and complexity to the narrative.

Overall, although the old style of writing made it a bit of a struggle, I am glad that I read this classic. It has broadened my literary horizons and given me a better understanding of the evolution of literature.

I look forward to crossing off more classics from my list and continuing to explore the rich world of literature.

Difficult as it is to come to an acceptable idea of existence, it is indeed interesting to study the social evolution of mankind in terms of ethics, values, morals held, or dogmas followed. This exploration helps to gain some coherence when trying to understand the rules of the society we are a part of. More importantly, it allows us to question certain unreasonable dogmas and beliefs while still considering the sensitive nuances that form the very fabric of society. The contemplation that so truly stimulates the mind to question also makes it ponder upon the beliefs we may follow unconsciously simply because our minds are conditioned for them. These beliefs may not hold much significance if viewed objectively but can still influence the options we consider or the decisions we make in life.

A reading of The Scarlet Letter accompanied such contemplation. There was much to think about regarding the beliefs and dogmas that prevailed in a puritan society, the punishment indicted upon Hester, or the revenge sought by Chillingworth. However, what troubled me more was the idea of sacrifice as portrayed, which made the characters seem somehow larger than life and hence alienated. Hester’s devotion to Dimmesdale, the clergyman, was contradicted by her decision to stay back in the same place. In the beginning, it was quite understandable that her presence would be unfortunate for him. Her character, though she is the protagonist, was not as fully explored as those of Chillingworth or the clergyman. We had little idea about how she felt about being adjudged as an adulterous woman or why she decided to stay back in the same place. Although she is presented as an admirably strong woman who walks with her head high and adorns her child in the best possible manner, it is puzzling that she lacks foresight.

What the character of Hester lacked was explored and portrayed at length in her daughter Pearl’s character. She was sensitive, impulsive, and instinctive and seemed to possess more clarity. Dimmesdale’s character is the one that is fully explored, yet to me, it is also the weakest character in the story. As a clergyman dedicated to divine intervention and religion, he is pretentious. His decision to stay silent and let Hester bear the punishment, even if for the purpose of remaining true to his position and not ruining people’s faith while tormenting himself, is incongruous with the very ideals he seems to be advocating or protecting. And though we witness a hint of malevolence in him towards the end, when he feels tempted by the prospect of going far away with Hester, he is redeemed in the end by his confession, by his acceptance of Hester and Pearl, and by taking up the scarlet letter himself.

I couldn’t understand the author’s intention here though. Did he just attempt to portray a true event or did he mock the hypocrisy of a so-called puritan society?

Either way, the work did succeed in making the mind deliberate upon human nature and upon the extent to which societal beliefs impact the choices made by an individual. It makes us think deeply about the complex web of emotions, actions, and consequences that shape our lives and the lives of those around us.

Nathaniel Hawthorne is a renowned figure in the history of American literature. Alongside Herman Melville (who deeply admired him and dedicated Moby Dick to him) and Edgar Allan Poe, he is considered one of the initiators of 19th-century American literature. We could also add Washington Irving, Henry Longfellow, and later Ambrose Bierce to this group of literary pioneers.

Hawthorne was a prolific writer. He left us two great novels, this one and The House of the Seven Gables, as well as a large number of short stories, some of which are truly remarkable and wonderful, included in Twice-Told Tales and Mosses from an Old Manse.

I had this book on my shelf unread for a long time (years, to be exact). As I am catching up on a large number of unread novels, I decided to start with this one by Hawthorne. I must recognize the author's mastery in presenting us with a story that surely raised criticisms in the era when it was published. It should be noted that Hawthorne was born in Salem and his great-grandfather, Hathorne (without the w), was part of the Puritan inquisitors responsible for "hunting" and condemning dozens of women for witchcraft.

The Scarlet Letter is a novel that leaves us with a profound reflection on morality, punishment, customs, and the prevailing hypocrisy in the Puritan society of New England in the early 19th century. Hester Prynne stands out as one of those great heroines we can find in literature.

She endures degradation, contempt, and condemnation for seven years and is forced to wear the stigma of the red letter A pinned to her chest as punishment for conceiving her daughter Pearl through adultery. That scarlet letter will take root and pierce her heart like daggers. But she will not go through this condemnation alone. From the moment she is exposed on the scaffold upon leaving prison, she will embark on this hard and sacrificial life with her little "elf-child", who will be her moral support and the main reason to move forward over the years.

The wonderful thing about Hester Prynne is that she always keeps her head held high, stoic, never revealing who the father of that child is, for which she is obliged to wear the embroidered scarlet A on her clothes. And it is based on this that the whole story revolves.

It is difficult to delve deeper into the development of the story without the risk of spoiling it, as there are not many characters who parade through the pages of the book. So, I will respect the reader who is interested in reading the novel.

I liked it, although it has a somewhat intricate way of narrating the events at times. They say that reading it in English is even more convoluted. I am a great admirer of Hawthorne and he is one of my favorite authors. His "darkness", as Melville would say, is what attracts me the most. When it comes to short stories, they have this certain darkness that paradoxically gives them a particular shine and makes them powerfully attract my attention and excite me to read them.

I highly recommend reading his Twice-Told Tales, among which Wakefield stands out, with strong existential connotations in which we can perceive characteristics that Franz Kafka would later develop in his stories.

The Scarlet Letter is a book that every reader of classics should add to their readings. The way Hawthorne tells us the story makes us wonder to what extent sometimes what is moral or correct can have a negative impact on a society and on people if these values are applied incorrectly.

This novel is a model of beauty and elegance in style, with rich descriptive language. However, it still leaves an unfavorable impression. The theme may not be contemporary in the developed world, but it is still relevant in patriarchal societies - the persecution and ostracism of a woman who dares to give birth not from her husband, as well as the theme of the man's non-participation in the fate of the woman and her child abandoned to the judgment of society, the theme of social hypocrisy, and the theme of revenge, cannot but worry. And yet...

In my opinion, the images of Hester and, especially, her daughter Pearl are drawn with an excessive sentimentality and artificial idealization characteristic of romanticism, which immediately repels the sympathetic gaze. Although it must be noted that the position of the mother, who challenges the hypocritical Puritan society and refuses to bring her beloved to public punishment, is surprising and cannot but arouse compassion. The young pastor provides no support to either his beloved or their joint child, leaving Hester to take care of their sustenance in a deeply hostile society. The author says that he experienced a feeling of repentance and hints that the disease that exhausted him is a direct consequence of his repentance. But all this is in silence, in deep secrecy from the whole world. Only after seven years does he dare to publicly admit his guilt and share the guilt with Hester, after which he immediately dies.

The canons of romanticism require idyllic pictures, and there are plenty of them here. Squirrels, doves, foxes, and even a wolf behave like pets with Pearl. She collects flowers, launches boats made of bark, and the author does not tire of comparing her now to an elf, now to a nymph-like baby, a tiny dryad. Also, in accordance with the romantic tradition, there is a classic villain in the novel - Hester's husband, Chillingworth, which also creates a contrast, depriving the narrative of shades.

When reading the novel, a comparison with "The Crime of Padre Amaro" by Eça de Queirós immediately comes to mind. In both novels, the priests do not want to bear responsibility for their fornication, at least in the first seven years in "The Scarlet Letter". But the novel by the Portuguese author seems more honest to me. Because guilt, just like love or participation in the fate of people who have suffered losses from his actions, either exists or does not exist. How can a person repent for seven years, love, and at the same time not feel the need to somehow help the people who have suffered from his fornication? This is not repentance and not love, this is hypocrisy.

Hester bravely resists the aggressive chauvinism. Hawthorne assesses Dimmesdale's behavior, characterizing him as a weak, cowardly person. Thus, he criticizes Puritan morality, but, as a contradiction, the work itself is literally permeated with this very Puritan morality.

The novel is saturated with symbols, from the very scarlet letter, symbolizing the sin of the fallen woman, both as a direct symbol and as a symbol of freedom inaccessible to other women, and the passionate love, the rose bush near the prison, as a symbol of hope, to light and shadow, as a struggle between good and evil or a contrast between spiritual stagnation and rebirth or freedom and restrictions imposed by religion.

It’s truly fascinating to peruse other Goodreads reviews regarding this particular work.

Some readers, unfortunately, dismiss this book simply because it isn’t written in especially modern English or due to its long sentences. Come on, guys, have some self-respect! The claim that the topic is outdated seems rather like wishful thinking to me.

The story is likely well-known. Around 1640, Hester, the young wife of an older man, relocates from Europe to a Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony. Her husband had planned to follow shortly after, but he is detained for several years. Meanwhile, the young married woman falls in love with a minister and has his daughter. Although Hester doesn’t reveal the name of Pearl’s father (thus sparing him public disgrace), she is ostracized as an adulteress and sentenced to wear the letter “A” in red on her chest.

The most remarkable aspect of this novel, first published in 1850 (about 200 years after the narrated time), is Hawthorne’s psychological realism and how he employs it to explore the consequences of moral concepts such as sin and guilt. Hester is a single mother who must contend with a town that looks down on her, and the minister is tormented by the knowledge that the word he preaches and his own actions are contradictory – he knows he is a hypocrite. It’s true that Hawthorne has a penchant for using a plethora of words, but he does so to evoke intricate psychological profiles of his characters.

These psychological portrayals remain extremely contemporary. While the exact same scenario will not occur in today’s New England, the mechanisms that drive the characters’ emotions and reactions have merely changed their guise. There are still powerful forces in our societies that operate on what they perceive or declare as moral grounds and use this reasoning to pressure and shame others. There are still many who choose conformity over responsibility. Hawthorne is a voice in this dialogue, daring to ask the question of what price the individual and society as a whole are paying for this.

Today, it doesn’t seem as if the religious right in America is going away anytime soon, public shaming is experiencing a renaissance on the internet, and misogyny is also very much alive. Hawthorne’s characters exhibit deeply human emotions that are comparable to what we might feel today. I didn’t have to read this in school, but I don’t believe the criticism surrounding its inclusion in the classroom is warranted. Part of learning how to interpret literature is to engage with different historical contexts and unusual language. I had to read works like The Oedipus Cycle and Götz von Berlichingen. Not only is The Scarlet Letter a breeze in comparison, but I would never have been able to understand more complex books if no one had taught me how to unlock a challenging text. Don’t keep those kids ignorant by only presenting them with the most literal material that aligns with what’s happening right before their eyes.

Oh well, this was partly a review of reviews, but you all knew what this book was about anyway, and I can assure you that it’s still a worthwhile read! :-)

Dramatic and marvelously depressing!

This simple description holds a world of emotions and experiences within it.

Drama often brings with it intense moments of conflict, excitement, and change. It can be a powerful force that grabs our attention and keeps us on the edge of our seats.

However, when combined with a sense of depression, it creates a unique and complex atmosphere.

The marvelously depressing aspect might refer to the ability of the drama to touch on deep and profound themes that resonate with our own feelings of sadness, loss, or hopelessness.

It could be a story that explores the human condition in all its flaws and imperfections, leaving us with a sense of melancholy and a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Whether it's a play, a movie, a novel, or a real-life situation, the combination of drama and depression can have a profound impact on our emotions and our lives.

It can make us cry, make us think, and make us appreciate the beauty and the tragedy that exists within the human experience.

The original article seems a bit unclear. However, here is an expanded version:

It could've been an email.

An email that was never sent, perhaps.

Maybe it was filled with important thoughts, ideas, or even just a simple message.

But for some reason, it remained in the drafts folder, unread and unnoticed.

It could've made a difference, had it been delivered.

It might have sparked a conversation, led to a new opportunity, or simply brought a smile to someone's face.

But now, it just sits there, a silent reminder of what could have been.

We often wonder about those missed chances, those unspoken words.

Maybe this email is one of them.

It could've been the start of something great.

But unfortunately, we'll never know.

Okay, so shoot me. I have never read this before. Well, I attempted a couple of times, both in high school and college. However, the opening part, the introduction about the custom-house, was always so unbelievably boring that I could never get past it.

This time, though, I managed to get past it. And now all I have to say is: Why the fuck is that custom-house thing there in the beginning?? (Although the part where he finds the letter is nice.)

It seems rather odd to have such a dull and seemingly unimportant section at the start of what could potentially be an interesting story. I mean, really, who cares about the custom-house? It just doesn't seem to add anything significant to the overall narrative.

Maybe there's some hidden meaning or purpose that I'm not seeing, but as of right now, it just feels like a waste of time. I hope that as I continue reading, things will start to make more sense and this initial confusion will be cleared up. Otherwise, I might just end up giving up on this book altogether.

The best advice anyone can get regarding The Scarlet Letter is to bypass the entire introductory section about the Chapter House, unless one desires a degree in English.

I have a deep affection for this book; in fact, I teach it. However, I encourage my students to skip that introduction.

Doing so will prevent them from developing a hatred for the book.

Once that part is skipped, what awaits is a remarkable book concerning the nature and definition of sin.

Is it the outward sin, like Hester's, that is worse? Or is it the sin that remains hidden?

The book delves into these questions and challenges the reader to explore them as well.

For example, I have witnessed excellent debates about the extent to which Hester can be considered a "tramp". (Well, my students didn't use that exact word, but I don't think the term they employed is appropriate for a review.)

Hawthorne skillfully utilizes symbolism, and as a consequence, there is always something new to discover when reading this book.

It continuously engages the reader's mind and invites them to reflect on profound themes.

The story of The Scarlet Letter is a timeless exploration of human nature and morality that continues to resonate with readers today.

The writing took a while to get used to. It wasn't something that came easily at first.

The story itself, however, had its merits. It was engaging and had the potential to be really good.

One aspect that could be improved upon was its modernity. It felt a bit outdated in some ways, and I wished it could have incorporated more contemporary elements.

Another point of criticism was the excessive description. There was just far too much of it, which sometimes made the reading experience a bit cumbersome.

Despite these drawbacks, I still found the story interesting enough to keep reading. With a few tweaks and adjustments, it could have been a truly great piece of work.

I look forward to seeing how the author develops their writing skills in the future and whether they can address these issues to create even more captivating stories.