A review by sandybereading
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

this was a great story exploring themes of sin, purity (& how this is often viewed differently for men & women, with women being punished for things men get away with frequently), & religious tolerance, inspiring a lot of reflection on these topics. coming into this story with the knowledge of the puritans that i had really made this a more enjoyable read. unfortunately the book didn’t get 5 stars from me just because the plot moved kind of slow & the writing was super confusing/dense that i had to reread some chapters sometimes. other than that: love an 1850s slay!