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Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel HawthorneFiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1850

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Book Brief

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Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Scarlet Letter

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1850
Book Details
Pages

272

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Boston, Massachusetts • 1640s

Publication Year

1850

Audience

YA

Recommended Reading Age

15-18 years

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Super Short Summary

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne is publicly shamed for adultery in 17th-century Salem, Massachusetts, and must wear a red letter "A" on her chest. She raises her daughter Pearl while her estranged husband, now known as Roger Chillingworth, secretly seeks revenge on Arthur Dimmesdale, the town minister and Pearl's father, leading to a climactic revelation. The book addresses themes of sin, guilt, and redemption.

Melancholic

Mysterious

Dark

Contemplative

Reviews & Readership

3.9

885,722 ratings

49%

Loved it

31%

Mixed feelings

19%

Not a fan

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is praised for its profound exploration of sin, guilt, and redemption, with rich symbolism and complex characters, particularly Hester Prynne. However, some find the prose dense and the pacing slow. The novel remains significant in American literature for its moral depth and historical context.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Scarlet Letter?

A reader who enjoys The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne likely appreciates classic literature with themes of sin, guilt, and redemption. They might also enjoy the psychological depth found in Moby-Dick by Herman Melville or the exploration of morality in Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

3.9

885,722 ratings

49%

Loved it

31%

Mixed feelings

19%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

272

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Boston, Massachusetts • 1640s

Publication Year

1850

Audience

YA

Recommended Reading Age

15-18 years

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