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darkdiamond8989's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It was interesting and good. Apparently it’s a historical fiction (the original novel: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne) and has some references to the Christian Bible and beliefs/religion according to the author’s notes.
You could probably find similarities with both adaptations (the novel and manga) with the movie “Easy A” since it’s a comedy movie about the classic novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
The manga’s ending and Mockingjay (Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins and the Hunger Games movies) are a little similar in that their scenarios have a little bit in common. With Katniss being the Mockingjay and ending up in isolation in the third book and film; whereas, Hester is in isolation and wore a scarlet letter ‘A’ on her chest .
You could probably find similarities with both adaptations (the novel and manga) with the movie “Easy A” since it’s a comedy movie about the classic novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
zapkode's review against another edition
5.0
{My thoughts} – Graphic novels have become a big thing in my house as of lately. My daughter is the one that had started. She loves anime and started buying and reading the manga it is based off of. With that said, I really need to get my hands on a copy of all of the Manga Classics for her!
This book is a prime classic that most readers know about, although they may not have read it. I remember it being discussed in the Pretty Little Liars Series by Sara Shepard when I was reading it. The story goes along the lines of a woman named Hester that commits a terrible sin, that results in pregnancy. Because she commits the sin she is forced to wear a Scarlett A that depicts the sin she’d committed. As the story progresses her husband finds out about what happened and seeks vengeance on the man that had taken part in the sin with his wife.
This story is remarkably depicted within the pages of this novel. The illustrations help to show the reader the raw emotion that the author is trying to convey. I have not had the pleasure of reading the original book, I realize I am saying that a lot with these reviews, but after reading this, I really do want to read th original!
If your a fan of graphic novels and manga and are wanting to read the classics: I highly recommend you read this series. It’s incredible!
This book is a prime classic that most readers know about, although they may not have read it. I remember it being discussed in the Pretty Little Liars Series by Sara Shepard when I was reading it. The story goes along the lines of a woman named Hester that commits a terrible sin, that results in pregnancy. Because she commits the sin she is forced to wear a Scarlett A that depicts the sin she’d committed. As the story progresses her husband finds out about what happened and seeks vengeance on the man that had taken part in the sin with his wife.
This story is remarkably depicted within the pages of this novel. The illustrations help to show the reader the raw emotion that the author is trying to convey. I have not had the pleasure of reading the original book, I realize I am saying that a lot with these reviews, but after reading this, I really do want to read th original!
If your a fan of graphic novels and manga and are wanting to read the classics: I highly recommend you read this series. It’s incredible!
eggjen's review against another edition
3.0
this is one of those classics that I loathed in high school and never actually finished so I thought it would be a good book to try in manga format. I think any effort to simplify Nathaniel Hawthorne is a good thing and definitely enjoyed this more than the original. the artwork is well done and you definitely get a good understanding of the story. it feels like the important details and the heart of the story are all intact.
as for the actual story, it will probably never be a favorite of mine but I can understand its importance and even why it would be a good book to discuss in school.
I was provided with an arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
as for the actual story, it will probably never be a favorite of mine but I can understand its importance and even why it would be a good book to discuss in school.
I was provided with an arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
labunnywtf's review against another edition
5.0
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
Full disclosure: I hated reading Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. I read it in '08, while recovering from surgery. Such a tiny book, and it took me so so so long to get through it. The language was the problem. The story was fantastic and interesting, but I wanted to slit my throat rather than keep going with it. And truth be told, understanding it was a near impossibility. It's stopped me from attempting to read most of the classics, in fact.
So, when I saw that a manga was created of the story, I promptly requested it. I want to understand the story. I want to know more about this character of Hester Prynne, I want to UNDERSTAND.
This book is so beautiful. The illustrations alone are gorgeous, and catch your eye and hold it. I adore that the entire thing is in black and white, save for the scarlet "A". It's stark, and makes you acknowledge it's there.
And while the language is the same, it's edited and put together so beautifully that it's almost impossible not to understand what's happening. I say almost because I am me, after all, and I am dense. But I think I actually understood it this time. I feel confident I did. I think.
I cannot recommend this enough. I want to own it, so I can look at these gorgeous pages whenever I want. And I want to read many more Manga-fied versions of the classics I'm afraid to read.
Full disclosure: I hated reading Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. I read it in '08, while recovering from surgery. Such a tiny book, and it took me so so so long to get through it. The language was the problem. The story was fantastic and interesting, but I wanted to slit my throat rather than keep going with it. And truth be told, understanding it was a near impossibility. It's stopped me from attempting to read most of the classics, in fact.
So, when I saw that a manga was created of the story, I promptly requested it. I want to understand the story. I want to know more about this character of Hester Prynne, I want to UNDERSTAND.
This book is so beautiful. The illustrations alone are gorgeous, and catch your eye and hold it. I adore that the entire thing is in black and white, save for the scarlet "A". It's stark, and makes you acknowledge it's there.
And while the language is the same, it's edited and put together so beautifully that it's almost impossible not to understand what's happening. I say almost because I am me, after all, and I am dense. But I think I actually understood it this time. I feel confident I did. I think.
I cannot recommend this enough. I want to own it, so I can look at these gorgeous pages whenever I want. And I want to read many more Manga-fied versions of the classics I'm afraid to read.
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
'Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter' continues to prove my theory that English teachers should tremble in fear that students will find these books.
It's the classic story told manga style. Unlike the previous two I've reviewed, I'm less familiar with this book. Hester Prynne lives in a Puritan community and is forced to wear an A for the adulterous sin which resulted in a daughter named Pearl. No matter how much Hester is harangued and harassed by her community, she refuses to give up the name of the man she sinned with. She also refuses to move away, and shows the kind of compassion to the people around her that they refuse to show. Her husband, feared lost at sea, makes an appearance and is determined to out the man who is as guilty as Hester. We learn who that is, and perhaps it's a bit too obvious in the manga version.
At a little over 300 pages, there is a lot of ground and years covered. Most stunning is the gorgeous art by SunNeko Lee. Even though the book is black and white, the illustrations are pretty stunning. The embroidery that Hester does and some of the outdoor scenes of woods and seashore and particular favorites. It seems to be a well told version of the story, and I enjoyed the chance to read it.
I was given a review copy of this manga by Diamond Book Distributors, Udon Entertainment, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this very fine manga.
It's the classic story told manga style. Unlike the previous two I've reviewed, I'm less familiar with this book. Hester Prynne lives in a Puritan community and is forced to wear an A for the adulterous sin which resulted in a daughter named Pearl. No matter how much Hester is harangued and harassed by her community, she refuses to give up the name of the man she sinned with. She also refuses to move away, and shows the kind of compassion to the people around her that they refuse to show. Her husband, feared lost at sea, makes an appearance and is determined to out the man who is as guilty as Hester. We learn who that is, and perhaps it's a bit too obvious in the manga version.
At a little over 300 pages, there is a lot of ground and years covered. Most stunning is the gorgeous art by SunNeko Lee. Even though the book is black and white, the illustrations are pretty stunning. The embroidery that Hester does and some of the outdoor scenes of woods and seashore and particular favorites. It seems to be a well told version of the story, and I enjoyed the chance to read it.
I was given a review copy of this manga by Diamond Book Distributors, Udon Entertainment, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this very fine manga.
knittyreader's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy through Netglley in return for an honest review, which can be found on my blog (http://www.eccentriclady.nl)
nekomeith's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely amazing! A truly tragic look into the lives led by puritans in old America.
lostinagoodbook's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an un-biased review.
I’m a fan of manga, but I’m very selective as to which manga I collect. I LOVE Fruits Basket and have the whole set, it’s one of my treasures! I also really love Victorian Romance Emma. Of course, manga goes hand in hand with anime, and I have my favorites there as well. However, although I’m familiar with both manga and anime, I’ve never read a manga adaptation of a novel.
I wasn’t sure how I’d like this manga. I’m not overly fond of The Scarlet Letter. I do recognize the quality of the original material, and that it holds an important place in the Literary Canon, but I find the book hard to love. The writing is dense and the language is difficult. While the story itself is compelling, it’s hard to get it down.
This manga version distills the main points of the story and makes it much more palatable, without watering down the themes. As I mentioned, I started the book sure that I wouldn’t like it, but 24 pages in I was hooked.
The artwork is excellent. The characterizations are really good, I particularly liked Hester. She was lovely and bold, and true to descriptions from the book. The expressions were well drawn, her feelings of fear, defiance and tenderness were all well depicted. She is courageous, loving, repentant, but never pitiable. Her strength shines in the way she is depicted through the artwork. The artist also did a good job of depicting the tension in the story line.
The adaptation of the story line was very well done. I can imagine it would be difficult to condense so much material. There were some excellent little articles at the end of the book where the author talks about how she did just that. I like the little touches added to story and artwork that helped to communicate some of the finer details in the story line. Her hard work shows in the depth of the finished book.
Altogether an excellent adaptation. I will be glad to hand this to my two children when the time comes for them to study the book in school. It’s a good way to ease them into the story in an entertaining way. I recommend it to everyone!
I’m a fan of manga, but I’m very selective as to which manga I collect. I LOVE Fruits Basket and have the whole set, it’s one of my treasures! I also really love Victorian Romance Emma. Of course, manga goes hand in hand with anime, and I have my favorites there as well. However, although I’m familiar with both manga and anime, I’ve never read a manga adaptation of a novel.
I wasn’t sure how I’d like this manga. I’m not overly fond of The Scarlet Letter. I do recognize the quality of the original material, and that it holds an important place in the Literary Canon, but I find the book hard to love. The writing is dense and the language is difficult. While the story itself is compelling, it’s hard to get it down.
This manga version distills the main points of the story and makes it much more palatable, without watering down the themes. As I mentioned, I started the book sure that I wouldn’t like it, but 24 pages in I was hooked.
The artwork is excellent. The characterizations are really good, I particularly liked Hester. She was lovely and bold, and true to descriptions from the book. The expressions were well drawn, her feelings of fear, defiance and tenderness were all well depicted. She is courageous, loving, repentant, but never pitiable. Her strength shines in the way she is depicted through the artwork. The artist also did a good job of depicting the tension in the story line.
The adaptation of the story line was very well done. I can imagine it would be difficult to condense so much material. There were some excellent little articles at the end of the book where the author talks about how she did just that. I like the little touches added to story and artwork that helped to communicate some of the finer details in the story line. Her hard work shows in the depth of the finished book.
Altogether an excellent adaptation. I will be glad to hand this to my two children when the time comes for them to study the book in school. It’s a good way to ease them into the story in an entertaining way. I recommend it to everyone!
whitneymouse's review against another edition
4.0
**Thank you to Netgalley and UDON Entertainment for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my rating**
I read The Scarlet Letter in high school and really enjoyed it. It's one of those classics that I think sometimes gets overlooked, but it was interesting to me as a teenager. It's still a great read in my mid-20s.
This book didn't need as much condensing as Les Miserables did, but it was still done very well. The book begins and ends with a narrator (who has many resemblances to Hawthorne himself) "finding" the Scarlet Letter, prompting him to look into Hester's story and eventually write it and publish it. This part is kept in the manga, which adds to the faithfulness of the adaptation but perhaps didn't need to be included in the manga. It has little to no bearing on the story other than he later feels bad about how women were treated during the time period in which The Scarlet Letter is set.
I found the art style to, again, be very aesthetically pleasing for the most part. I enjoyed the art in this volume more than I did the art in Les Miserables, but it, too, suffers from some odd choices. I'm sure they were made in an attempt to emphasize some of the supernatural elements Hawthorne's original tale was meant to provoke in the reader, but Chillingworth has panels that remind me of Dragon Ball Z. He looks like he's going Super Saiyan. Pearl, too, has some panels where she evokes magical girls, kind of like a Puella Magi Madoka Magica vibe. Especially on the back cover, where she's shown holding Hester's A badge in a very "magical girl"-esque pose. These seemed at odds with the setting, especially. Other than that, I thought the artwork was very fitting and well drawn.
Overall, this is a pretty faithful adaptation of The Scarlet Letter. It would be especially helpful to offer students who are looking to compare it to the original book or for struggling readers or ESL students who may appreciate having the graphic novel version instead of paragraphs of text. I would recommend it to anyone who loves graphic novels and classics. Well done!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I read The Scarlet Letter in high school and really enjoyed it. It's one of those classics that I think sometimes gets overlooked, but it was interesting to me as a teenager. It's still a great read in my mid-20s.
This book didn't need as much condensing as Les Miserables did, but it was still done very well. The book begins and ends with a narrator (who has many resemblances to Hawthorne himself) "finding" the Scarlet Letter, prompting him to look into Hester's story and eventually write it and publish it. This part is kept in the manga, which adds to the faithfulness of the adaptation but perhaps didn't need to be included in the manga. It has little to no bearing on the story other than he later feels bad about how women were treated during the time period in which The Scarlet Letter is set.
I found the art style to, again, be very aesthetically pleasing for the most part. I enjoyed the art in this volume more than I did the art in Les Miserables, but it, too, suffers from some odd choices. I'm sure they were made in an attempt to emphasize some of the supernatural elements Hawthorne's original tale was meant to provoke in the reader, but Chillingworth has panels that remind me of Dragon Ball Z. He looks like he's going Super Saiyan. Pearl, too, has some panels where she evokes magical girls, kind of like a Puella Magi Madoka Magica vibe. Especially on the back cover, where she's shown holding Hester's A badge in a very "magical girl"-esque pose. These seemed at odds with the setting, especially. Other than that, I thought the artwork was very fitting and well drawn.
Overall, this is a pretty faithful adaptation of The Scarlet Letter. It would be especially helpful to offer students who are looking to compare it to the original book or for struggling readers or ESL students who may appreciate having the graphic novel version instead of paragraphs of text. I would recommend it to anyone who loves graphic novels and classics. Well done!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
fireth's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve tried reading the original novel but cannot get through the first couple pages. With this adaptation, I managed to finish it in one sitting. I’m sure that it’s a summarised version of it. The manga adaptation is very well done, easy to follow. I especially like how Pearl is drawn; like an ethereal elf but at the same time a young three year old who is too curious for her own good.
Will definitely recommend this to anyone who is interested in reading classics but doesn’t have the patience with the original.
Will definitely recommend this to anyone who is interested in reading classics but doesn’t have the patience with the original.