A review by chalkletters
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

inspiring reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Books like The Scarlet Letter make me wish I’d started writing reviews earlier; I’ve read it before, in 2013, but have almost no memory of my impressions of it, beyond a sense that I enjoyed the metafictional opening. I rated it two out of five stars, but that tells me nothing about what I thought of the story or the characters. As they say, the best time to start reviewing books is ten years ago, the second best time is now, so all I can do is try to capture my 2023 reaction so that, should I read The Scarlet Letter again in 2033, at least I’ll have something to look back on!

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s prose is trickier for a modern reader than Jane Austen or Elizabeth Gaskell, but not quite as impenetrable as Rob Roy. Some plot points are heavily implied, without being outright stated, and are later referenced as if the reader is supposed to have been absolutely sure of them, which can be a little unsettling. The Scarlet Letter at least actually implies the important plot points, so in that regard its easier to follow than Madame Bovary or Tess of the D’urbervilles, where they’re left off the page entirely.

Even putting aside the metafictional introductory aside about working in the Post Office, The Scarlet Letter gets off to quite a slow start. The opening image of Hester emerging from jail and standing on the scaffold is impactful, but it’s followed by quite a long time where her feelings aren’t really explored and nothing much happens. The focus on Mr Dimmesdale is more effective, but even then it’s not obvious what the story is building towards.

Fortunately, The Scarlet Letter really starts to shine towards the end. As soon as she’s given a little agency, Hester becomes a very powerful character in how she responds to her situation and society. It’s a pity there wasn’t more of that, but what there was is worth reading the book for. Unlike some other literary heroines, Hester isn’t condemned by the narrative voice, which is sympathetic to her even at her most ‘sinful’ moments.

I hope that, looking back on this book, I’ll remember Hester more from my second read than I did from my first!
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