Unregistered
05-24-2005, 06:07 PM
I think this book was a complete waste of my time and energy. I know it's an American classic, but according to Mark Twain, that just means that it is 'praised and never read." This must be the case, because it highly praised in literary circles, but I see very little value in it. You have probably figured out that I was forced to read it for a class, and I sympathize with anyone else who has gone through that ordeal. Granted, I personally have no problem understanding Shakespeare, but I had absolutely no trouble understanding the language, but the formal language doesn't fit the style of novel it is. Hawthorne got most of his writing style from 18th century European Romantics, while he was a 19th century American Gothic. Some of the symbolism is kind of cool, but overall, the book just drags on with little purpose. For the most part, The Scarlet Letter was a moralistic venting ground for Hawthorne to berate his Puritan ancestors. Find something better to read!