The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne

272 pages • first pub 1850 (editions)

fiction classics historical literary dark reflective slow-paced

Description

Hester Prynne emerges from prison holding an infant daughter born out of wedlock and finds herself an outcast in a judgmental community ruled by its unbending Puritanism. To mark her infamy she is forced to wear 'the scarlet letter' A -- a badge o...

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Community Reviews Summary of 39,240 reviews

Moods

dark 59%
reflective 57%
challenging 41%
emotional 37%
sad 35%
mysterious 25%
tense 24%
hopeful 4%
informative 4%
inspiring 4%
adventurous 2%

Pace

slow 71%
medium 23%
fast 4%

Plot- or character-driven?

Character: 63% | A mix: 26% | Plot: 9%

Strong character development?

Yes: 57% | It's complicated: 25% | No: 16%

Loveable characters?

No: 44% | It's complicated: 35% | Yes: 18% | N/A: 1%

Diverse cast of characters?

No: 84% | It's complicated: 7% | Yes: 5% | N/A: 3%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 90% | It's complicated: 6% | No: 2%

Average rating

3.15

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Content Warnings

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