Review: Scarlet Letter

Well, it is about time that I write this review, I had the book finished but needed to think about it for a bit. I read the THE SCARLET LETTER, by Nathaniel Hawthorn on my Kindle. As I mentioned before I loved the introduction, because I felt that we were getting a glimpse into the author's process of writing. After reading the  book I discussed it with my husband who said it was required reading when he was nine. Maybe, nine year old children today can understand what happened in the opening of chapter 1 but I doubt it. How many nine year old children can grasp the concept of a baby in a woman's arms constitutes adultery? I do not believe in banning books, but I think maybe just a little older to tackle the concepts that start this book out. My husband said that when he read it, that he had trouble with this idea.

We have the lovely Hester put up in front of the town, infant in arms, fancy scarlet A, which Hester made herself, and the father of the baby hiding behind his position. Her crime having relations with a man when it is believed that the man who sent to her America has drowned at sea, it has been 2 years since she has seen her not very lovable husband. Then while she is on display, who should she see but her husband who has been living with the local tribe, saunter in and recognize her. This was a very effective scene. What suspense it must have held when this book was first written in 1850. Think of the scandal it must have caused. MADAME BOVARY was written in 1856, so maybe SCARLET LETTER, opened t, the door to non-puritanical thinking in books, that women actually had sexual thoughts.

But back to Hester and her daughter Pearl, the minister and her husband. The book progresses through years and we see Pearl who is a handful grow up. The people in the village do not know who the father is, but you do. The town loves the father and thinks the little girl is a demon, elf, or witch. We do have a cult in town, with the Mayor's daughter as a member. So it seems that witchcraft does not get you stoned, dunked or killed in Hawthorn's book. The husband who tells Hester not to reveal who he is, makes him seem a little slimy. He is also compared to the devil, because of his relationship with minister and the ministers decline. See the minister is always the hero with the town, no matter what he does.

So many wonderful concepts and ideas in this book. I remembered reading the book when I got to the end, but I do not think I enjoyed it when I read it before, maybe I was too young to get the nuances of the book. Wonderful read, can't wait to read MADAME BOVARY.