lorrakon 's review for:

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

3.0

challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter may be a revered classic, but I found it underwhelming—its sluggish pacing, dense prose, and heavy-handed moralizing make for a tedious read. Hester Prynne’s defiance against Puritan hypocrisy is compelling, yet the narrative is bogged down by relentless religious allegory and a meandering plot. Characters like Dimmesdale and Chillingworth read more as symbols than fully realized individuals. What could have been a gripping drama instead unfolds as a drawn-out morality tale, leaving me wondering why this novel remains a staple in school curricula when it feels so dated.