orang3_w0rld21 's review for:

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
2.75
challenging informative tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Behind the redundant writing and characters, there reveals an issue with Puritanism, where sin is far more of a better punishment than forgiveness. Religion, in this book, keeps the people in line and scared. It also reveals the hypocrisy in them. I did find it interesting that the thoughts of witchcraft and nature gives Hester and Pearl freedom, while Puritanism keeps them in sin.  Despite this, the book felt a bit boring. The writing was a bit repetitive with the themes of sin, shame, and punishment. This might be how actual Puritan's felt, but the writing wasn't it for me. The characters lacked personality; their role felt one sided and I wanted to be apart of their struggle. 

That said, it's worth reading for its historical significance, but it’s not the most engaging or dynamic novel. A decent read if you're into classics, but don’t expect it to be a page-turner.