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    The Scarlet Letter
    The Scarlet Letter
    The Scarlet Letter
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Scarlet Letter

    Written by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    Narrated by Shelly Frasier

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    It is 1642 in the Puritan town of Boston. Hester Prynne has been found guilty of adultery and has borne an illegitimate child. In lieu of being put to death, she is condemned to wear the scarlet letter A on her dress as a reminder of her shameful act.

    Hester's husband had been lost at sea years earlier and was presumed dead, but he reappears in time to witness Hester's humiliation on the town scaffold. Upon discovering her deed, the vengeful husband becomes obsessed with finding the identity of the man who dishonored his wife. To do so he assumes a false name, pretends to be a physician, and forces Hester to keep his new identity secret. Meanwhile, Hester's lover, the beloved Reverend Dimmesdale, publicly pressures her to name the child's father while secretly praying that she will not. Hester defiantly protects his identity and reputation, even when faced with losing her daughter, Pearl.

    Hailed by Henry James as "the finest piece of imaginative writing yet put forth in the country," Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is a masterful portrayal of humanity's continuing struggle with sin, guilt, and pride.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateAug 4, 2008
    ISBN9781400178551
    Author

    Nathaniel Hawthorne

    Nathaniel Hawthorne was born is Salem, Massachusetts in 1804. His father died when he was four years old. His first novel, Fanshawe, was published anonymously at his own expense in 1828. He later disowned the novel and burned the remaining copies. For the next twenty years he made his living as a writer of tales and children's stories. He assured his reputation with the publication of The Scarlet Letter in 1850 and The House of the Seven Gables the following year. In 1853 he was appointed consul in Liverpool, England, where he lived for four years. He died in 1864.

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    Reviews for The Scarlet Letter

    3.5/5

    172 ratings146 reviews

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    • 3/5
      its a good book, but it is very hard to read
    • 3/5
      I read The Scarlet Letter (as an e-book) because my daughter (high school junior) was reading this in class. All I knew beforehand was that this is a famous classic novel and that the main character's name is Hester Prynne and that she wears a scarlet A indicating she was an adulterer.I guessed almost right away who her baby's father was. I wonder how shocked people back in the day were when they read this revelation (which happens later in the novel), and/or if they guessed as quickly as I did.Some bits were interesting, but too much of this read like sermonizing and went on and on. This is not a classic that struck a chord with me. My daughter feels pretty much the same way as I do.
    • 3/5
      A book that shows the great strength of one woman against the unfair opinions of the populace and the bias of that socity of men verus women.
    • 4/5
      How can one dispute the genius and boldness of Hawthorne's masterpiece in the time it was written or it's endurance throughout history? Still poignant today, and rich in symbolism. However, as I freely admit, tedious to read due to archaic language and overly long descriptions in parts.
    • 5/5
      Loved this book even as I agonized over the fate of our protagonist.
    • 5/5
      Complete story--covers every aspect of human existence which is important to the characters (religion, sex/gender, economy, politics, history, etc) and consequently to the reader. Has many parallels with Henry James' The Turn of the Screw--all of which begins with the 24-chapter structure, obviously modelled on The Odyssey. Stephen Crane also borrowed the structure for The Red Badge of Courage but used it much differently. The poisonous plant symbolism recurs through Hawthorne's work, especially "Rappaccini's Daughter."
    • 5/5
      One of my favorite classics.Colonial times. Woman whose husband is not with her a the time. Ooooops! Now she's pregnant! How did that happen?If you missed this must read in high school, you have to pick it up now. BTW...do not pick up the audio! It's horrible. I didn't like this guys voice before he started acting the parts of the characters. I couldn't even get past the first couple of 'pages' once he started using different voices. Some men just shouldn't try to do womens voices.
    • 5/5
      This was a re-read for me as I read this when I was in high school. I think I enjoyed it even more the second time around. Although a little outdated for today's teenagers, the book is a good look at what it was like living in the 1600's and having to adhere to their moral codes. It is a deeply emotional book with lots of symbolism and does show that bad decisions do have consequences. I do highly recommend the book as it is one story that is very hard to forget.
    • 4/5
      I read this book when I was in first year university, when I was just starting to get into classics.

      I bought this edition because it was really cheap, only $6.00 or so. So if I didn't like it, what did it matter? But I did like it - I absolutely loved it.

      The writing style was a little bit difficult to get into at first, the language is a little bit antiquated but it became easier to read. (I also hadn't read too too many classics at the time, so I was still getting accustomed to the language.)

      But I thought it was a worthwhile read. Hawthorne is a such a beautiful writer - I loved watching the characters' lives unfold, and I loved getting to know Hester. She's a brilliant heroine, a single mother, and there's something unassuming and brave about her. I love reading books about women and female characters and their lives, and this book was no exception.

      Hawthorne is a classic, gothic, romantic American writer, and I really, really liked this book. I thought it would be good, just like any other classic, but I didn't know how much I'd really enjoy it. c:
    • 5/5
      The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne investigates the human condition in a very compelling way.Set in Puritan Boston it explores what happens to the very souls of primarily three individuals when as sin is committed and discovered. It also criticises early Americans for their views on sin and who has committed it.The three individuals at the centre of the story are Hester Prynne, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. At the beginning of the novel it is revealed that married Hester Prynne has committed adultery and as an adulteress she is forced to wear the Scarlet Letter "A" at her bussom. The story then goes on to show how she uses her sin to do good. As the story progresses we find out that her partner in crime is the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale who does not confess to his part in the crime. He is then eaten up from the inside by his guilt. Roger Chillingworth is Hester Prynns estranged much older husband who does not addmit to this to the population in Boston but passes himself off as a doctor who treats Reverened Dimmesdale as he becomes physically ill from his guilt.Hawthorne makes use of extensive symbols and metaphores in the telling of his story. Perhaps the most important of these symbols is the Scarlet letter itself which becomes and outward symbol of Hester's sin but also comes to symbolise her making of herself. As the novel progresses it is remarked that the "A" has now come to symbolise Able as Hester helps around the society in a way other women cannot. In the end the symbol becomes so much a part of her that her own daughter will not come to her if she wears it.I thuroughly enjoyed this book. I found it had a lot to say about how we make ourselves into who we are. I suppose it is the American in me that feels that it is far more important what the sum total of us is rather than one or two outward symbols. It is what we do with those symbols that matters.
    • 1/5
      Scarlet Letter was required reading in high school. We had a test. Not even the fear of a failed test could move me to get past page 40. I preferred to bullshit through the test than finish this awful piece of literature. I couldn't even watch the freaking movie! Please do not judge American Literature by this.
    • 3/5
      It's possible that I don't know as much about literature as I thought I did. Everyone else seems to think that this is a classic of world literature, whereas I just think it's very old, and pretty dull.Hester Prynn is marked by a scarlet letter emblazoned on her chest - though not burnt onto her skin, as I had expected. That would only happen in a Musketeers novel, I suppose. She has committed adultery, and the token she has to wear weighs heavily on her soul. Afterall, this is Puritan America, and adultery is a sin that could have cost her her life.I won't spoil the surprise by telling you who she had had an affair with, but reading the story, I couldn't shake the feeling that the plot was a little weak, that, given the actual circumstances that arise in the course of the novel, something better could have been worked out.However, Hester's daughter, Pearl, is a revelation. Had there been more of this impish little girl, I would have read the book more quickly, and enjoyed it more. Still, it's a classic, and it's another addition to my list of the classics that I've read.
    • 2/5
      This was quite the book. Interesting. The opening thing (The Custom House) and a few of the chapters might seem like quite a bit for a younger person to chew on, but overall, I think most people could appreciate it if they really wanted to.The ending wasn't quite what I expected. I thought it would be intensely dark (especially since something I read about the book seemed to imply that all the protagonists died at the end; but, they don't: just one).It was quite refreshing that the witch lady didn't actually expose the guy, and he did what he did instead. The husband, though, he just seemed defeated pettily. It was weird. But, it worked.Anyway, using notes along with this can be insightful (especially for the aforementioned chapters, and if you miss something important, which could be easy to do in certain spots).
    • 3/5
      I read "The Scarlet Letter". In this book, Hester Prynne has a child with a man that wasn't her husband. There are three main characters, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth, and Hester. Mr. Dimmesdale is haunted by his hidden guilt, and Mr. Chillingworth is Hester's husband from before America. I thought this book was okay. It wasn't my favorite book, but it wasn't the worst book I have read either.
    • 3/5
      I agree with Jackkane, an LJ reviewer here of this book. For modern readers this could well be reduced and tightened up to a short story. I would have begun with two sentences from the introduction "When India was a new region and only Salem knew the way thither...I lay hands on a small package done yp in ancient yelloe parchment....Certain affair of red cloth, letter A" then jumped to Hester with child at the pillory, been more specific about the husband. The scenes in the woods, especially with Pearl using plants to make her own letter, and the wonderful final scene with an entire procession in the market place....I have an edition with an introduction by Kathryn Harrison, excellent notes that place characters and historical places in context, then an appendix with comments by Hawthorne himself ...sadness gave his wife a headache when she read it...and more by Howells and Van Doren.I spent a little over an hour on the book, but first got the synposis and context from a reference book.I question that this should be assigned reading for high school or even college student without a lot of context.
    • 5/5
      This book is about a woman who has just been released from prison after being charged for adultery. She has to wear the letter "A" on her as her punishment so everyone will know. The story carries on to her being pregnant and explaining what happens to her and the baby within the next seven years.Teach how to not pass judge anyone without getting to know them. Not caving into what society wants.High School
    • 4/5
      On Nov 20, 1946, said: "Reading in The Scarlet Letter, which is pretty good." On Nov. 21 I said: "Finished Scarlet Letter." But no other comment! I remember I was reading the book when I saw at the Public Library Eric Savereid's book Not So Wild a Dream, which had just come out. I assumed that the title came from The Scarlet Letter, since that phrase I knew was therein. When I finally read the Savereid book, on Sep 14, 1988, I learned the title did not come from The Scarlet Letter, but from Norman Corwin, who probably did not know the words had been written by Hawthorne long before and put in the mouth of the sinner concerning his feeling for the girl he seduced..
    • 5/5
      The bane of many a high school English class, Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter offers much to the reader who delves into its miasma of guilt, redemption, hypocrisy and zealotry. The plot is famous enough to be simply summarized as unmarried Hester Prynne gives birth to a child, refuses to name the father and is sentenced to wear a scarlet 'A' on her bosom, thus enabling the people of Puritan colonial Boston to ridicule and ostracize her. Hester's husband, long feared lost at sea, returns under the guise of a doctor with the name of Roger Chillingworth. He forgives Hester her adultery but is determined to find out the identity of the father. The father turns out to be the new, young minister, Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale, who between giving eloquent sermons on the nature of sin and redemption, battles the demons of his guilt and his inability to confess publicly to his sin, as was expected of all Puritans at the time.The internal battle between Dimmesdale's conscience and his ego, the descent from medical provider to almost demonic rapscallion of Chillingworth and the steely determination of Hester to raise her daughter in the face of trememdous indifference and outright hostility from the citizenry all combine to produce a story epic in scope, if not in size. The torturous indecisiveness depicted within Dimmesdale can be compared favorably with that experienced by Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment.The book would benefit greatly in its reading if a more mature audience were introduced to it than the average teenager. Most teenagers are unable to consider the consequences of their actions, let alone deal with the turbulent concept of guilt and its burden upon the soul. Through no fault of Hawthorne's do most readers come to loathe the novel. Quite the contrary, the book is exemplary in its treatment of its themes, rarely having been matched. The reader should approach the book with an understanding that secrets, and the keeping of them, have a cost that is often impossible to pay.
    • 4/5
      Ugh. Ok, so I totally read this book in high school. Public high school...after eight years of Catholic. It was kind of an eye-opener. What I remember most is 1) being SO thankful I didn't live in that time period and 2) absolutely horrified at how women were treated.I should re-read it, and see if it's still as shocking to me.
    • 2/5
      I can't say I liked it, but it was an interesting study on sin and guilt and how they work on the psyche. Props where they are due and Nathaniel Hawthorne gets one for that.
    • 2/5
      I came into this book with excitement and high hopes, only to be slightly let down. This book was supposed to be a master piece, however I found it to be dull and a little hard to follow. I did enjoy the plot however I liked how it explained the Puritans view on adultery and how they choose to punish Hester. I think the main reason I did not like this book was because I had to read it for school (no one likes to be forced to do anything), but I also felt like I did not like it because of how everything was just dragged on. I also think part of my let down was because of the fact that so many people through out the world raved about this book, and I just assumed it was going to be great. It had a good plot however it was just hard to follow, well I guess we cant love them all!
    • 4/5
      In this classic tale of adultery, Hawthorne presents sympathetic characters and a story that rings true today. The language, as in most classic novels, can sometimes be hard to understand, but the story should resonate with modern audiences nonetheless.
    • 2/5
      Well, where do I start... I just finished it moments ago and am still a little baffled as to why I wanted to read this book. Granted it is on my Gilmore Girls Book Challenge and Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list but.... I just don't know. I have to say I was mostly bored by this book. I'm normally pretty interested in Puritanical life in the New World but this just didn't catch my fancy. Finally towards the end when the Reverend was finally stepping up I thought it would get good but nooooooooooo. I won't say any more, spoilers and all that, but man oh man am I glad that book is over.
    • 4/5
      Although the book is dated of course, I found it quite impressive. It certainly is worth reading, to get to know a world of which one hardly can believe it ever existed.
    • 3/5
      A good book. Hawthorne knew how to get into people's minds and make them think about things. At some points you feel for Hester, and then at others you just cuss at her (to yourself and hopefully under your breath or you get weird looks in the library) for just being so stupid.A lot of people don't like this book, but I found it oddly interesting. Good, evil, heaven, hell, what's right and what's not is such a slippery slope and can engender so much meaningful dialogue.
    • 4/5
      I first read The Scarlet Letter in high school. I read it again about ten years later. After learning an ancestor's wife, although not the one from whom I descend, likely inspired Hawthorne's story, I became interested in the story again and read it about a dozen years ago. This summer AudioSync offered a free download of the version narrated by Donada Peters. I really enjoyed the listening experience. Although the narrator's voice was British, she did a great job narrating the colonial New England Puritan story featuring a woman forced to wear a scarlet A upon her breast. The father the Rev. Arthur Dimsdale suffered more than she because he failed to publicly confess his sin. The woman's husband, living under the assumed name of Roger Chillingsworth, was the clergyman's doctor and tormentor. The classic story reads differently than modern novels, but never fails to provide material for thought. It continues to be studied in schools because of its ability to be discussed. I enjoyed my revisit to Puritan New England through this audio production.
    • 3/5
      This is from a compendium I have of Hawthorne's works, so I don't know the date. I believe I already read this in school (HS) but I don't remember it being so sluggish. Holy cow!!! Took a lot to get thru this and I slogged away. It is written on a higher reading level than most current books are. Ok but not fantastic. Kinda depressing....
    • 3/5
      As is often the case with novels from this period, Hawthorne prattles on a bit too much for my more modern tastes. A good tale, but each chapter takes too long to tell what it has to say. I prefer Dickens for period classics.
    • 5/5
      This book marks the 8th book read on my Classic's List for the Classic's Reading Challenge. Reading this book for the first time I can honestly attest this popular classic completely lives up to its reputation. An outstanding example of classic literature possessing both lasting value and timeless quality. It's 1642 in Puritan Boston, Hester Prynne is an adultress who becomes pregnant after her husband leaves for sea and thus wears "the scarlet letter" for all to see her shame. Gossiped and scorned within the town she is morally condemned by a community whose ethics and values are paramount and unwavering. When asked to name the father of her child she refuses, thus infuriating those condemning ever more so. The father of Hester's child, Pearl is none other than the town's minister, Arthur Dimmesdale who must now wrestle with his own moral conscience. Committing a sin as well as keeping it secret. While publicly humiliated Hester is required to stand on a scaffold in the town's square as part of her punishment. At this time she spots her husband in the crowd who was believed to be lost at sea. He later visits the prison, wanting to seek revenge on the man, asks Hester who's the father of her child. Once again Hester refuses to name her lover but her husband vows to identify him. Thus ensues the love triangle. Reading this book was an absolute pleasure. Some might fight the language old fashioned and archaic, for me it was soothing and gratifying. I wish everyone would read this book. How I acquired this book: Gift from husband, Mother's Day visit to Moe's Books, Berkeley, CAShelf Life: 8 months
    • 3/5
      I feel like the best way to understand another time and place, one that may be so foreign to us now, is through storytelling, through novels. Instantly I am transported somewhere else to observe a world so far removed from my own. It can be frustrating - a lot of the time I wanted to shake various characters for their small mindedness, but then I had to remind myself that this world is all that they know, like mine is all I know. What is acceptable, or maybe frowned upon but not punished in the same way, today was a crime back then. The Scarlet Letter is a fascinating look into a world where God's word was Law, but what happens when you go against it?