The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Karen0823
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Re: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Post by Karen0823 »

This book was mandatory reading in my junior high school. It left a lasting impression on me. I had never read anything like it up to that point in my life.
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Julez
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Post by Julez »

I read this book when I was fourteen and loved it. Hester's strong character spoke out to me. I liked the fact that she was not overcome by shame despite the circumstances. She was free unlike her partner in crime who died slowly each day from guilt.
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Post by Arushi Singh »

This is one of my favourites,
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Post by CaitlinGonya »

I love The Scarlet Letter. Honestly Hester is my hero. Her strength to carry on despite everything, especially in a time when she could have been treated far, far worse....ugh I love this book!!
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ZeroChill
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Post by ZeroChill »

Although it is an old novel, the ideas of it were quite good. I read it a long time ago, didn't like it that much, but I read it again later and my original image of it was improved
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Lizzie44
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Post by Lizzie44 »

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne:This particular book puts out an amazing point, I just feel like it doesn’t give you enough like as much as you want but on the good side it’s a very good book, I would recommend this book to mature readers.
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RebeccasReading
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Post by RebeccasReading »

I had so much trouble getting through this the first time I read this in high school, but loved it when I finished!
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tariq sparrow
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Post by tariq sparrow »

I enjoyed this edition of the Scarlet Letter. I had read the unabridged version probably in high school and thought that this version included everything that the original did. I think the book is about half as long as the original which I think makes the read more enjoyable. Overall, recommend it over the full version.
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Post by GabbiV »

When I first read this book, I was stunned by the transformation of the symbol A throughout the book. I loved how organic the transformation was and how it's human nature for time to shift our perceptions. The book wonderfully demonstrated that collectively, we (humans) would rather not hold grudges, but rather we want to see the best in people and show each other love.

One gripe I do have with the book is the depiction of Pearl as fae and as a fairy child when in reality she was most likely autistic.
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Post by Jackie Holycross »

This book is so rich in themes and symbolism. The first time I read it, I underlined practically the whole thing. I love how it addresses prejudice and judgmentalism. The main character, who is seen as the villain by the town, ends up to be the hero. She rescues herself and aides in the redemption of her true love. It is about being true to yourself in the face of persecution.
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Post by lbhatters »

Sweetirishleo7 wrote: 10 Jan 2014, 21:32 I absolutely love this story!!! It is one of my favorites. I love stories that take place in this era. I love how the Scarlet Letter was meant to be a punishment, and how Hester straightens her back and walks right through town (so to speak) with her head held high. That just wasn't something women did in the 1600's. It just wasn't thought of. She did keep her nose clean, but as I read I just had this feeling of empowerment. I also read this story for the 1st time in high school. This story resonated with me more then my other classmates as i could relate to Hester, sort of. 2 years before reading this, I got pregnant, I was 13, and delivered when I was 14. This was 20 years ago, when it hadn't yet become "cool" for teenage girls to have children. Despite my attempts to hide it, everyone really knew. I suffered a lot of shame and lost many friends. After reading The Scarlet Letter, I thought, "Well, if Hester could do it in the 1700's, so can I.". It really did change my thinking and like I said, I felt such empowerment.
Nathaniel Hawthorne has got to be one of the best authors of all time, not just because of this book. His others are totally amazing and I can't recommend enough to read as many of his works as you can if you like this one. My favorite was The House of Seven Gables . All his books are inundated with symbolism and his style so sophisticated.
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Irene C
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Post by Irene C »

The Scarlet Letter says so much about America. That alone is why I'd recommend it.
History is not a burden on the memory but an illumination of the soul. Lord Acton
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Nique1
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Post by Nique1 »

Scarlet letter is one of my favorite books Hester put his work in this the way he writes how she lost everything but only to gain what’s right and find out who she really was she wasn’t like everyone but to cut it short never judge a book by its cover.
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Sukhjinder
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Post by Sukhjinder »

The Scarlet Letter presents the reality of the modern society that does whatever it can do in the dark, but the same society judge to those people who are victims.
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Post by Tbunde5 »

Considering what is going on in the world today, i think this story is very timely. The sheer hypocrisy of society to paint Hester as a scarlet woman and yet revere the man who put her in that position is so relevant. What’s more, her courage and determination in the face of all the slander is to be admired.
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