The Scarlet Letter

[Nostalgia]

We're reading that right now in my American Literature class. I have to admit that it's a pretty hard book to interpret. If any of you have read it already, what do you think of it?

[Takuya]

Just from skimming the first two or three paragraphs, it seems like an English/Sweeney Todd-based world, but very wordy; to the point of not being easy to be enthusiastic about. I've read a few passages in a Literature book in my english class. Seems depressing.

[Garth]

It's not the worst novel ever, but it's not fantastic, either.

[Nostalgia]

Originally Posted by Takuya

Just from skimming the first two or three paragraphs, it seems like an English/Sweeney Todd-based world, but very wordy; to the point of not being easy to be enthusiastic about. I've read a few passages in a Literature book in my english class. Seems depressing.

It actually is depressing in a sense. It's based on Puritan society (I'm guessing around the early 18th century). The story so far is intriguing, but the only reason I have any kind of grasp of it is because my teacher is always basically explaining the material to us. It's extremely difficult for me to find out what's the deal with whatever chapter I'm reading.

[Takuya]

Originally Posted by Vic Viper

It's extremely difficult for me to find out what's the deal with whatever chapter I'm reading.

With this kind of writing (or any/all writing, I think), there two things going on: real action and reflection. Reflection is what the narrator thinks or makes out of the events and action. Real action is what really happens and moves the story forward, and includes dialogue. You just need to put them together and infer.
- This is how I view it.

[BunnyCupCakes]

I read that book last year.
While the story-line is interesting, the writing style of it....is so frustrating. Nothing can't be said bluntly in that book. You need probably 3 paragraphs do describe one stupid object/conflict going on lol.

Not my cup of tea.

[Masquerade]

I was quite disappointed with this book. They portrayed Roger as the antagonist almost, when it was he who was wrong. She cheated on him. It's not his fault that he was stuck in England and held against his will, she's just horny.

[Vasquez]

Originally Posted by Takuya

With this kind of writing (or any/all writing, I think), there two things going on: real action and reflection. Reflection is what the narrator thinks or makes out of the events and action. Real action is what really happens and moves the story forward, and includes dialogue. You just need to put them together and infer.
- This is how I view it.

Yep its Romanticism.

[Oz.]

I read this book over the summer in my 19th Century American Writers class. It was not my favorite book. I recommend sparknotes and pinkmonkey to help you get through that one.

[Pelafina]

Contrary to most people, I don't hate everything about The Scarlet Letter. I actually enjoyed the writing style, and just hated the plot. It was exceedingly dry and predictable, but there were a few paragraphs where the diction just astounded me.

[var1ables]

Well for me their are only two choices: great book or GREATEST book.

She cheated on him. It's not his fault that he was stuck in England and held against his will, she's just horny.

Then you missed the point of the book completely.

[Enchanted Rose]

^Brilliant post there xDDD I feel compelled to rep you.

It's a very long time since I read this novel, but my favourite thing about this book is how visually striking it was. I think Hester's entrance has to go down as one of the most vivid, yet painful, in all literature. Also, the image of the scarlet letter itself, Pearl, the product of Hester's infidelity and the scaffold are painted so strongly throughout the novel.

Yes, it was fairly predictable, but I think plot was secondary to the discussion of perceptions and reactions to sin and adultery. Perhaps this is a more feminine reaction, but I thought the character of Hester was admirable, confronting and even embracing her 'sinful' behaviour, and reconfiguring it to her own identity.

I also liked the slightly gothic touch as it internalised the shame that Hester and Dimmesdale felt, showing that our sense of morality should be dictated from within ourselves, our own conscience, rather than from what society thinks.

[Zesty]

I liked how the Scarlet Letter's representation changed throughout the book. It was a great story and I loved most of the characters. It was fairly easy to guess who the father was, I mean it's always the religious man and, on a serious note, he was hinted more than once.
The thing I didn't like was Hawthorne taking an entire page to saying something that could have easily been summed up in three or four sentences which just as much detail.

[Angel]

I hate this book with a passion.

We have to write journals on each chapter. It's torturing enough to go through a page, let alone a chapter.

[Zesty]

Originally Posted by Angelus

I hate this book with a passion.

We have to write journals on each chapter. It's torturing enough to go through a page, let alone a chapter.

I sparknoted the entire thing for the test...prefect score lol. Then i went back and read it and realized why I sparknoted in the first place.