_id
int64 0
4
| text
stringlengths 96
1.01k
|
---|---|
3 | Scarlet Letter I found that this book was full of text that is not exactly for the typical high school reader. It is mostly out of date, so most people don't understand unless they are fairly good readers.As for the story. I believe that is was beautifully put together. I think that it is great how Hester (the main character) uses her sin as a way to show that she has strong character. The way it is portrayed is remarkable. I believe that if you are an american literature fan, this is a must-read. The reason for the 4-stars instead of five, most of the vocabulary takes more than basic skill to comprehend. |
3 | THE SIMPLE CONCEPT OF SIN, TABOO THIS BOOK IS A GREAT CLASSIC THAT EXPLOITS THE IDEA THAT A PREACHER WOULD DO THE UNTHINKABLE AND MAKE A WOMAN PREGNANT WHO HE WAS NOT MARRIED TO. THE SPIRIT IS WILLING BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK. I LIKE THE CANDID REALITY OF THIS BOOK THAT DID NOT WHITE-WASH EVERYTHING COMPLETELY AND THE STORY STILL MAKES SENSE IN THE MODERN WORLD, THIS STILL HAPPENS EVEN TO THIS DAY. HOWEVER, THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR IS THE WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT NOT TO DO. |
2 | It was ok. This book is very interesting! Unfortunately it's hard to understand. The version I read was Barnes and Noble Classics 2003, with notes by Nancy Stade. It's about how people deal with sin. What would you do if you were involved with adultery? Hester Prynne had to wear a scarlet A on her clothes as a mark of shame to "purify" her. Arthur Dimmesdale hid his secret for seven years, which tormented him with guilt. Roger Chillingsworth lived a bitter and revengeful life after the incident. I would recommend this book for people who can understand old English. It is a story with a good moral. It talks about confessing sin, the consequences of sin, and forgiving others. - Daniel W. |
1 | Missing Custom House My daughter needed this book for school and specifically needed an edition with the custom house. We "looked inside this book" on line and it shows that it includes the custom house. When the book arrived, it did not include the custom house. Very disappointed as we took the time to check and she needed this for class. |
4 | The Scarlet Letter It is a very well written book. A little slow to get into, but once there it moved very well and was a pleasure to read. |
3 | Good quality, not as good in comparison to others. I bought this for my junior year in high school (11th grade), with the intention to take notes & highlight in the book. Our class was simply asked to buy one copy of The Scarlet Letter, and version would do. A book is a book, and I have two very minor complaints about mine.1) This (as with many Dover Thrift Edition books, apparently) is a "Green Edition" book. What this means for me is that the pages are ultra thin, and whenever I use pen or highlighter ink it seeps through the pages, making the back much less legible.2) This book lacks footnotes. Not a requirement, but considering that most available versions of this book have helpful footnotes, those would have been nice.Not large faults of the books, just simple ones that caught my eye. |
4 | No wonder it‘s a classic. A great read that could easily be translated into modern situations. The way Hawthorne explains thing and his use of sybolism adds so much more to the story. |
1 | Characterization in The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter is overloaded with many superfluous words that requires the reader to sift through them all to get to the actual story. However, the strong characters are revealed through their actions more than through Hawthorne's descriptions. The story takes place in 17th Century Boston and Puritanical Law is heavily enforced. A young woman, Hester, has been imprisoned for getting pregnant while committing adultery. Now that the baby is 3 months old, they have her stand in the center of town with so she can be shamed by the whole town. Her husband just happens to come to town as she stands on the scaffold and thus the story continues in a dark spiral of hidden friendships, revenge, immense guilt, and sin. This story is a historical fiction told 200 years later and is full of symbolism and the ironies of human nature and society. The ending was rather abrupt as if Hawthorne was on a writing deadline and got tired of his own story. |
3 | Book Review I am sure this is a book we were required to read in high school because I know the story well, but did not remember all the details. There was much more use of narrative than dialog and I had a hard time with that at first, but I can say I did enjoy the book. |
4 | Detailed, Beautiful, Tragic, & Engaging Hawthhone's "The Scarlet Letter" is literature at it's finest. The attention to detail for both settings, and especially the thoughs of the characters will chain you to this book. Sin, regret, guilt, self-punishment, and revenge are all detailed in relation to an extramarital affair resulting in a pregnancy. The symbolism is beautiful, the plot tragic, the characters engaging. The "Scarlet Letter" is a true masterpiece. |
1 | I just don't get it. I am an avid reader. I have read many so called "classics". This book is just plain boring! Yawn.... I really tried to get into it. I couldn't finish it. I just kept falling asleep. This book contains some seriously long sentences. Some readers have said to just skip the first chapter or so. I couldn't do that. It just seems wrong. If you are going to read a book you should try and read it all. I am sorry to say "I have not read the Scarlet Letter." Sorry Hawthorne.... I really, really tried. |
2 | Wordy Nathaniel It was fun reading after not reading for 50 years, but Hawthorne certainly could have told the story without so much embellishment! It was interesting to compare the social mores of that time and the tremendous changes that have occurred since then. |
3 | I read it as a young girl qnd loved it, but reread was different. I loved this book when I was about twelve. It was so tragic and really held me. However, on my reread I found I didn't like the characters as much. I guess I lost a believe that social pressure could make people hide and internalize something as common as a child born out of wedlock. So this book is still a good read, but I think in my more mature adult self I just didn't care for the plot as much. |
2 | Interesting. I had to read this for 10th grade English and it was very interesting. Very boring but interesting and a decent work of literature. |
2 | nice book i'm glad they have these books online for free. i can read these anytime and it's very nice that i can read these on my kindle fire hd. |
4 | great thing I had to read this for school and since it was on my kindle I could just search a word to find the quote I needed. great book! Hawthorn's syntax is just so lengthy!! |
4 | Best Tale of Scandal and Deceptjon I was required to read this book for English class, and it's my favorite book we've read all year :) full of juicy drama, scandal, and humor, the book is more like an entertaining Spanish soap than a boring classic novel some find it to be. If you look at the boon with the right eyes, you can enjoy it :)) |
2 | A difficult read. On first glance, such a slim volume would seem to be something you could read quickly. Not so! The turgid and heavy prose is over-ornamented and complicated by ye olde New England Puritan syntax.I suspect that even when it was written Hawthornes prose was never accessible, and in the modern context it is so far from spoken english that reading it is like wading through treacle. It is sweet, cloying and ultimately sickening.The underlying story is simple, a universal enough theme to span the ages, and could easily be rewritten well into the modern context.It is never easy to be harsh with a book that is listed as a "classic" but in this case I feel I must be truthful about it. This is not an easy nor an enjoyable read. It is hard work. To be oxymoronic I suppose it is the heaviest light read and the fattest slim book I have encountered.Read it at your peril! |
0 | Ugh. I read this book for AP English and had to do a blue-book assignment of it. The word "ugh" summarizes my experience.This book was written in the 19th century, and that's where it belongs. It wouldn't be nearly as bad if someone were to modernize the language used in the book, but reading through "dost thou" after "dost thou" isn't any fun.However, I highly recommend reading Richard Armour's take on SL in his book "The Classics Reclassified". |
0 | Avg. Rating too high I've bought this book, underlined every hint of symbolism, found all evidence of romanticism, followed every quote involving thematic oppositions, and noted every example of Pearl's rebellious nature and social alienation, but I cannot find one positive aspect of this novel that makes any of my hard work feel rewarding. The only way this novel could give me a warm feeling is if I place it in a furnace. |
0 | Received a different book I ordered a specific ISBN No. and received a different tiny book of the same with different appearence and a different ISBN No.The picture seen online is not the one that I received. |
0 | Oh my... This novel is absolutely awful. Although it has received over 500 reviews I feel it is my duty to help bring the average star level to where it belongs, at zero. Where to begin... perhaps with the run on sentences, the failure to create significant rising action, the flat two dimensional characters... This novel is full of things which not only bore the reader, but frustrate them as well.The fatal flaw in this piece of literature is its inability to stay relevant. Post-modern society does not really care about, "Baby daddies," and the revelation which is made at the end, and beginning, of this novel is reproduced daily on morning television a la Maury. Unfortunately, Nathaniel Hawthorn you are the father of this literary disaster. |
1 | Far too little crime and fist fights So I heard about this from a friend at Comi-Con. He did not know much about it, but heard some people talking about it in the food court. I thought it sounded awesome, like Read or Die meets a cross between The Green Lantern and The Crimson Crusader. So I order what I thought was the graphic novel, turns out it is more "novel" and less "graphic". It was nothing like I expected, and unless shame is a super power (which is unlikely) Hester is just some puritan lady before radioactive spiders even existed!Seriously, I don't think "BANG!" "POW!" or "ZORT!" show up anywhere in the book! I almost gave this one star, but Roger Chillingworth is an awesome super villain name. His physiognomy is dead on as well, like in all comics, it let's us know he is the clear bad guy and we should not relate to him at all. Since the bad guy at least fits what I expect this gets 2 stars. |
1 | Get to the point already Too long. Re-read this and remembered how much Hawthorne's style irritates me. There is an interesting story within but he takes WAY too long to tell it. |
1 | Slow moving predictable story The story is a very simple one but the action, so to speak, doesn't really happen until the final third of the book. It was a battle to get through the dry middle!Unfortunately the story is also exceptionally easy to guessand the turns of the story are not surprising in the least.On the plus side, the book gives a good glimpse at life in Puritan early American communities and their moral strucutres. |
2 | One of my least favorite english reads. Like most people I was forced to read this novel in my English class. While I did enjoy it eventually it does have a very slow beginning. It has a good plot though and is a great way to understand the period in which Hawthorne wrote.In my opinion this novel has one major flaw; metaphors. Yes most novels employ literary elements yet Hawthorne goes over board. He will give you a metaphor, give you another metaphor the same thing in case you didn't understand the first one; he will then flat out explain what the metaphor was. After a few chapters of this it gets very tedious and continues on through the book. The metaphors are not difficult to understand, yet he will often give long drawn out metaphors that may take over a page. |
2 | hated the daughter the daughter was a brat. as abusive as the puritans were they really dropped the ball when it came to her. seriously, what ever happen to " better to beat the child then let them be damned by the devil"?. the story itself has some interesting ideas. such as if the "A" came from the inside out or the outside in. ultimately, because of the way you choose to answer that question, and who you apply that answer to , does make it a classic. over all, even with its interesting ideas, i didn't find it a very good read. |
2 | The Scarlet Letter Review by Tazmania I think that the book was ok. The only thing that I didn't like about it was the fact that there wasn't enough talking amoung the characters in the book. Even though I couldn't understand some of the words in the book, I recommend this book to people who like a good, challenging book. |
3 | Definitely A Must Read I thought this book was an excellent piece of writing. The symbolism surrounding such objects as the "A" itself, the blacken weeds, and the sign in the sky make the story deep, and leave much of it open for interpretation. Hawthorne's use of details was also very good. His descriptions added so much to the plot and setting, but mostly to the symbolism of the book. I think the book is definitely a "must read." |
2 | Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter This book was very boring. Only at the end was I somewhat interested in who the father was and what Roger Chillingworth would do. The language was a tad difficult to understand, but after watching the movie (not the one with Demi Moore), it helped a lot. It is full of metaphors. |
0 | I read to pages of this novel and I had to stop! I have yet to actually complete this novel. It is so dog-gone hard to understand. On top of this, I have an essay that is due: TOMORROW! Is there no relief?! |
0 | I don't get it. I was assigned this book when I was a sophomore in high school (22 years ago). I couldn't get through it; the Cliff Notes version help me pass the test. I found it turgid and laborious reading.I graduated in the top 10% of my high school class. I have a master's degree. Despite my academic success, I don't understand why this book is a classic. I don't understand why Hester didn't just pack up Pearl and her stuff, move to another town and tell everyone she was a widow. That would have saved everyone alot of grief, especially young readers like me. |
0 | I hate this book. This is the worst book I have ever read. The attempts at symbolism are bogged down with unnecessary detail and the language is over the top even for the time period. I hurled it across the room at one point in agitation and disgust. |
2 | Scarlet Letter, more like Scarlet Whateva! This book is off the hook, the bad hook that is. I comprehend that it is a grand piece of historical literature but if it was a tad more interesting than it might just grab my attention. More adultery might work too. In conclusion, if you are forced to read this book like i was, its ok. yo peace off the hizzle fo shizzle my nizzle |
0 | get it away I usually have nothing to say but good things about book I read! But this book, it does have it's interesting points but I just don't get into it. I rather would burn myself at the stake that read the remaining chapter I have to finish for my English Class. What did I have to do to deserve this? I stood there reading the book with my book in one hand and dictionary in the other, I ended up reading Chapter 9 about 10 times because the information wasn't getting to me. And the way the author addresses the reader, I want to scream. I'm sure in the 1850's this was a wonderful book because of the message it stated back then, but more than 100 years afterwards, people seem to lose interest. And the fact that they make HS students read this book is just plain homicide. STOP THE ASSIGNING OF THIS BOOK! DON'T PUT YOUR STUDENTS THROUGH TORTURE! |
1 | Overrated Pretentious Trash This novel is widely regarded as overrated. The plot is not that interesting, the writing style is torturous,the plot twists are predictable. It's a typical example of pre-20th century bad writing. Not to say that any book from that era is crap, but this book certainly is. |
2 | The Scarlet Letter In all honesty, this book was really hard to understand. Then again, I've never really been a big fan of the classics. But I got bored way too easily, and I honestly thought the last thirty or forty pages were the best part. |
2 | The Scarlet Letter In answer to your first question, yes I was forced to read this book by my Literature teacher.The Scarlet Letter, in its whole, is a metaphor for the urges we experience everyday, and the consequences for indulging ourselves.While this book may be listed as Historical Fiction, I believe it is a Romance. It has elements of both, but its just interesting enough not to be Historical Fiction (Boring being the the most important criterian.)The Scarlet Letter is a Romance because of, simply, urge. Adultery is the word (contrary to popular belief, it is not Grease.)Personally, I thought the Scarlet Letter was mediocre. A book written 150 years ago isn't fared to do well in a modern-day English class (most of my class didn't like it). I think, that when it was written, it was a good book. If my mindset were set some odd century and a half ago, I probably would have appreciated it more. |
3 | The Scarlet Letter One ofthe greatest novels in all of literature, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, tells of a life vastly different from those that we live today. Rejecting the present permissive lifestyle to which we were accustomed, the reader is entrenched in the gloom and doom of Puritan society. It is an exposure to a law that tells what to wear, how to think, and whom to love. The Scarlet Letter is a story of law versus human nature, hypocrisy, and of undeniable passions.Enlightening and refreshing, the reader is taken on an adventure and fully understands the risks of living passionately, beyond the limits that society sets. A novel that can be enjoyed by all ages, The Scarlet Letter is a masterpiece of its time. |
2 | a rewarding, yet dragging book. The scarlet letter is a book which skips around alot. Based in MASS. it is about adultury and how it affects everyone around who ever commited it. Hester Prynne falls in love with the reverand dimmesdale and end up having a daughter, pearl. The one problem is that Hester is married. She feels that it is ok to love dimmesdale due to her husbands rumored death. Soon her husband returns, very much alive, yet hidding the fact of being hesters husband. Hester is forced to wear a scarlet letter A, A standing for adultry, on her clothes for the rest of her life. This book was good, yet at times you get lost and there is much unneeded text in there. If the author was to take out much of the unnessecary text, then this book would be great.. nice story line. |
4 | Be true "The Scarlet Letter", by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a book about how keeping secrets can ruin a person. A very realistic view of how a society can treat others. Even though many of the towns people were no more innocent than Hester in many ways, they looked on her as one of the worse sinners in town, unable to be touched by the rest of society. |
3 | The "Scarlet" Letter Much to my amazement, this book has been placed on banned lists in several states. It's an excellent study of the devastation caused by guilt. Although the story does allude frequently to adultery, there are no graphic details that would make it unsuitable for use in a high school classroom. Both the illnesses caused by guilt and the good health of those who overcome it are made clear. |
2 | I expected a better one! I thought this book would be much better. Even thought it is a classic book, It was just fine for me. |
3 | A better read as an adult -- not a great choice for teenagers... Well-paced, surprisingly easy to follow despite the language used. I hadn't read it in 30 years, and found it to be much more palatable as an adult than it was when I was a teenager. There must be a lesson in there somewhere..." |
0 | Don't pay for this on the Kindle Unless you have the correct size font, you will have a difficult time reading this book on the Kindle. It is not set up to have the text wrap correctly and therefore has a full line of text, the next line has a single word, then another full line and so on. |
1 | Slow, Overwritten Drama It started with a great plot...until he actually wrote it. It was overwritten (it takes pages before something happens) and the protagonists were hard to like. Boring, sappy novel written as if he trying to imitate Victorian prose. There are a couple twists, but the main characters are such morons, it underscores the little action that does happen. |
1 | Great Story ... Bad writing So sue me ... I just don't like Nathanial Hawthorne. I think the plot is brilliant, but I find his method of telling the story annoying. I'm afraid this isn't an assertion I can back up with a lot of concrete examples, it's just that his writing gives me a vague feeling of malaise. I find this true of his short stories as well, so I never bothered with the other novels. But you'll have to read The Scarlet Letter for school anyway, so borrow it from the library. |
0 | Awful I'll admit right up front that I am stupid. I would rather enjoy a book instead of try to find my way through the maze of confusing, endless prose that Hawthorne uses. I found myself empathizing more with Chillingworth than Dimmesdale. A book should NOT have to be dissected and disscussed to be understood!!! It should clearly portray its thematic structure without having to resort to a smokescreen of vague symbols and the word "Classic" stamped all over it to force people to appreciate it. Yes, it was heavily thematic and full of symbolism; and it was "meaty" (whatever that is), "deep", and "powerful"; but it was dry, slow, and boring. Even someone as myself, who generally enjoys the classics, will fall asleep (as I did everytime I tried to read this book). Do NOT try to speed-read this. This book has no place in a high-school English course; it needs a span of several years to muddle and plod thru, and then try to unravle. |
2 | The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter.Good story, but long-winded. I found the book difficult to read as the plot was tediously developed in my opinion. The long introduction did not excite me. |
1 | So boring I am an English teacher and getting through the book was tough. Only Nathaniel Hawthorne can make sex sound boring. |
1 | The okay book Hawthornes The Scarlet letter is an okay book. It has an okay plot and okay characters, but the book is not one for teens of the 90's. I had to read this book for my English teacher and to tell the truth if it were not graded I would not have read it. The teens of today do not want to read about the ancient customs of puritan society. If it had been about the scandalous affairs of Hester and Rev. Dimmsdale it would still be a best seller. I think this book should be only read voluntarily. If you are thinking of reading it you may need to reconsider. |
0 | I HATE THIS BOOK I'm sure I would be able to understand the vivid descriptions and symbolism in this book much better, if Hawthorne were not writing in some sort of moon man language. I don't know about the production of narcotics in the 1800's, but I honestly think that Hawthorne wasn't on a natural high if you know what I'm saying. |
0 | Don't READ THIS BOOK!! THIS BOOK SUX! Who cares about Pearl anyways! Someone shoot me in the head before i die of boredom!!! |
0 | slowly falling asleep The book is boring if you try to read it without a good look at the movie first but it gets easier to understand once youre in class failing every single test your teacher gives you on it! Then she decides to explain what's going on to you later. It was boring and I fell asleep everytime I went to read it. |
0 | one of the worst books I've ever read typically, I will force myself to read even the worst books (for class, for "fun", because I think I should), but when I read this book for a [...] English course, I quickly realized it was one of the worst books ever (not to be taken lightly, seriously), certainly not worthy of a classic, boring, endless details that no one cares about... blah blah blah. Terrible. I was bored. It might have been too difficult for a 9th grader, but I wouldn't read it now either.on the other hand, my brother loved it. |
0 | I only gave it a star because I had to. This was the worst book I ever read. I was lost and confused and that was only in the first sentence. You would think that classic had to have some level of goodness, but this book was the worst piece of filth I had ever read in my entire life. It's no wonder that Hawthorn locked himself in his mothers attic, he was mentally ill before he ever wrote the book. If you are a high school student,like I am, you know the hell that I had to go through and I am guessing you never want to put yourself through it again. And to you who have no read this book, don't. You have not, or never will commit enough sin to be put in to the type of hell that this book offers the reader. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. Oh, and by the way who decided that this was a classic romantic book, there is nothing romantic about this novel, nor anything good. If you are in the mood for a good romance shoot for Nora Roberts or Sandra Brown, they can actually write! |
0 | paralyzing fear The pain brought on by this archaicly verbose peice of literary kindling is so great that, while reading, I was greatly tempted to gouge out my eyes to prevent any future encounters with Mr. Hawthorne's "work". Please, for the love of all things sacred USE CLIFFNOTES!!! It will save you from years of therapy. I am scarred for live. My soul will be tormented after death and i will be forced to walk the earth in search for reconciliation. |
0 | This book is a wast of good paper Oh man, where do i begin with this one? First of all, I want to say that a 1 star rating is flattering this novel beyond all means. The Scarlett Letter is one of the most boring pieces of junk that I have ever been assigned to read. I realize that there is a ton of symbolism in this novel, but if you can't stay awake to find it, what's the point? Also, it really helps when Hawthorne decides to use 15 letter words in each and every sentence. Only person that I would recommend this novel to is an insomnia patient. This one ranks right up there with A Tale Of Two Cities (another "Classic"). |
0 | Painful This was one of the most boring books i've ever read. Unfortunately i did not give up on Hawthorne after reading this novel, that was a mistake. I'd pass on this one if i were you, if you must read this for school I highly suggest getting a summary online. |
4 | Don't let your highschool teachers force feed you classics The Scarlet Letter is a very good book. It would be much better though if we were alowed to read it on our own and draw our own conclusions. How well can you appreciate a book if you have to hurry because you must read 40 pages in one night while making sure to remember details that may be on the test. Read it in highschool or not, it doesn't matter. But make sure to pick it up later in your life when you are ready for it, and you can draw your own conclusions instead of regurgitating what the teacher told you so you can pass a test. |
2 | Good literature, but not a pleasure read. Having re-read this book for the first time in two decades, I have no trouble understanding why it is a staple of high school literature classes everywhere. It's a great book for teaching symbolism, foreshadowing and some of the themes of the romantic movement. However, as an adult, I pretty much found it to be an excruciating reading experience, and I'm not just talking about the fact that the language is dense and dreary. The very things that make it a valuable teaching tool can be very annoying to a more experienced reader. As I was reading I kept wanting to scream every time Hawthorne talked about the scarlet letter burning, glowing or being like a painful brand. I got it already! I can put up with slogging through the nineteenth century prose if I'm going to be challenged a little, but this book no longer did it for me. |
0 | Incredibly confusing; have a dictionary on hand! This is probably the most confusing and worst book I have ever read! The author uses incredibly large words and you constantly have to use a dictionary or else you most likely won't know hat you are reading. From my point of view as a high school (with mostly A's and good at English) student I would not recommend this book to any other high school age students. The author needs to get to the point and not drag on for pages about things that are not important at all. Long setences also makes the book drag on. If I didn't have to read this book for a book report I would have put it down after the first page or two and usually I finish every book that I start. This book had me in tears because it was so difficult. I had to ask my English teacher to explain this to me. Read this book at your own risk, but i do not reccommend it to anyone. |
0 | Ick. Three words to describe my feelings of this book...I HATE IT.Hawthorne's writings are dull, dry, and other words that mean bad that start with D. The character's a boring. |
3 | The Scarlet Letter BrittleeMs. Self's English HonorsKickapoo High SchoolJunior11/21/05Warning: The book has a very high level of vocabulary!The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a book about sinning and dealing with the internal and external consequences of natural sin in a society of Puritans. The book is about a woman named, Hester, who commits the sin of adultery. Adultery is not acceptable in the Puritan society. They view it as a sin. To punish Hester for her wrongful acts, they place a scarlet A on her chest to let everyone know that she is an adulterer. Hester has a baby girl and names her Pearl. Pearl soon starts to grow up and realize why her mother has the A on her chest. Pearl starts questioning her mother about the A. Hester then realizes that the A on her chest is not a symbol of shame but of identity. Identity in a world where everyone is the same, they act the same, believe in the same virtues. The scarlet letter only made Hester stronger. |
3 | A Colossal Classic! "The Scarlet Letter" is a superior book that explodes in emotion, passion, love, hatred, and crime. Hawthorne's choice of vocabulary is absolutely perfect to suit this novel. However, like all great classics, the reader must be patient. The story is very powerful, like an iron fist, telling of sins of adultery, and the great Dimmsedale, a character in this book, "who keeps is hand over thy heart." Full of fierce yet excellent story telling, this book is a must for all lovers of classics and American Literature |
0 | The Next Best Thing to a Sleeping Pill! This book literally put me to sleep. I could wake up at 2 in the morning and find the book in my lap, and then have to stress over finishing the assigned reading for my English class. I mean, some of the sentences are about 15 lines long, and the plot, if there is a plot, is incredibly slow. If the author would just tell it like it is, and not drag it out for pages, the book would be only about a third of the length that it is. Boring, boring, BORING! |
4 | Scarlet Letter While I had a copy of the Scarlet Letter in my personal library, my son's teacher required the Dover edition. I was very pleased with the vendor's delivery, arriving before the due date. My son expressed ease with which he was able to read, especially when the class used the same edition as a text. Thank you! |
3 | Beautifully Done The story of hester is by itself a master piece worthy of its highly commended status, however the annotated version really helps the reader understand the historical references and many archaic words. |
1 | Need a dictionary! The Scarlet Letter is an interesting book. While reading the book I was filled with many feelings about it. I enjoyed some chapters, but loathed the ones describing the characters. I felt as if Hawthorne could have told the story more efficiently if he had described each character as they came onto the scene. The book made me feel inferior and uneducated. I made so many trips to get the dictionary that my legs got tired. I enjoyed the general story-line, but I could have left the adjectives behind. Pearl was my favorite character because she had a priceless intuition that helped me read the book. I would have been lost without Pearl's hints. I would not have read this book if not required to by my English teacher. Attack it if you dare!! |
2 | Slow, but good the scarlet letter has been sitting on my bookshelf for about 2yrs now so earlier this summer I decided Imight as well read it since it was considered a classic and all. It was a pretty good book overall but definitely nothing like the movie. I hate to say it but, I suffered through this book. It was one of the most boring books I've ever read in my life. But, after I finished it and thought about it a while I decided it really was a good story eventhough the book itself wasslow. But then again I read the unabridged version. |
4 | Quite The Story ..... Where does one begin ? how does one begin ? This novel of Hawthorne is an excellent one .. a classic...a novel to be cherished . The lessons to be learnt about sin ,giult ,denial and eventual deliverance of truth ,redemption and socialization can all be internalized into real life . Yes , Hawthorne was not a perfect Writer but he portrays the language skillfully and beautifully . I must stress that to reaal understand this book, you shouldn't be cranking up the volume on your stereo and drinking caffeine drinks ....if you do . you'll fell the book is " the worst book you could ever read " |
3 | Once you get into this book it's awsome! Although rather difficult to understand, The Scarlet Letter was an incredibly interesting book. Hawthorne writes in a way that his characters are very realistic and relatable. I just finished reading it for American Lit. and I have to admitt I was far from thirilled about the idea but I found by the time I got to about the 5th chapter that I really couldn't wait to find time to read more. If you like to read about human nature and how one decsion really can determine your life and that of those around you than you should definetly look into reading The Scarlet Letter. |
1 | Leave this one to the bibliophiles Yes, I am a 17 yr old high school kid. But I can tell good books from the bad ones. "The Scarlet Letter" is a "classical" tale of 2 lovers. To be concise, this novel is too wordy to be enjoyable. People can say it's a classic romantic novel, it has good character developments, it has good themes and ironies, blah blah blah. I, like most people, don't judge a book by checking out its trap metaphors; all in all leave this book to a "Doctor of Puritanical Philosophy". If youre looking for a more entertaining classic, read "Huck Finn" by Twain. |
1 | Yes, I was another victim who had to read this for school Ok, when I first started this book I thought it was the dumbest thing and I could not belive this was a classic! (I still can't) After a few chapters I thought it was a little better and thats why I gave it two stars. Also, it is one of the better books that I had to read for school. I still feel that it was a little boring and hard to follow but with the class discussions I understood it a lot more. I still wouldn't reccommend this book to anyone |
3 | Better than I remembered. I did not remember how good this classic was until I read it again. I originally read it in high school many years ago, and it was better the second time around.. |
4 | School Reading I had to read this book for the first time in high school and even then I fell in love with the story. Yes the onld english can bog you down a bit, but it is so worth it. it has a great story line. It's what can be considered old school scandalous! |
2 | High School Lit revisited Still a powerful novel, a landmark of American literature. Hawthorne has such insight, way ahead of his time. And to think we are now reading him on Kindle.... |
1 | I had to read it... I had to read this book for school. I did not like it. I'm not sure what the point is of this story; several people hae told me what they think it is but I dont agree and they dont agree with each other. |
4 | The Scarlet Letter This book typifies the old English, colonialists, trying to impose their disgusting lawsThis is a must read book, for those who consider these authors worthy. The English have always been accomplished writers |
4 | A Masterpiece for all times Gets better with every reading! Required reading in high school aeons ago - so it seemed terribly tedious. Am now entranced with every word. |
4 | An On line Read This went back to an old standard. It was a good read and easy to view on the reader. I enjoyed it as it was what I expected. |
4 | Great book I love this book. It's a great classic, and I love Hawthorne's style. Very well written, and a good representation of the time. |
1 | Not interesting at all I was supposed to read this for English class,and had some interest because I`ve heard people and my teacher say that this was an American classic and was very good.But once I heard some of my friends who started to read it and say it was difficult and boring,I got the book on audio to assist me.I only got to chapter 3 and I was trying to guess how many pages were left to the end.Its uniteresting and difficult because the story wanders with absolutly no direction.I highly recomend getting Cliff Notes(which I got and are very easy to understand compared to the book) and possibly the movie(It might not be the same to the book, but having the visual aid of Demi Moore certainly helps the mind focus better). |
1 | This book is incredibly boring! This is one of the all-time most boring books. I do not recommend reading it at all. The introduction is incredibly long, and incredibly boring. Also, it doesn't really have the sort of plot that would make it a book you can't put down. I personally fell asleep four different times reading this book. I had much higher expectations for this book. If you are looking for a classic to read, I would recommend The Count Of Monte Cristo, not this book. |
1 | Both forward and backward in its ideas First of all: those who found the book to be dull, such as me, listen to it on tape (it's abbreviated yet still dangerous = boring to listen to while driving, as I found out). Indeed, Hawthorne introduces some advanced ideas for the times, such as writing about a single mother, as well as musings about women's rights. His obsession with Victorian themes, such as the deification of children, fixation on bodily sins, as well as overdramatization and simplification of the plot equals predictability and annoyance to the reader. While this book could probably be considered "a classic," such as Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina," both are better classified as carefully crafted literary exercises rather than engaging stories. |
0 | How Can Sex and Sin Be So Boring? Throughout this entire book, one part of my brain was in a state of wonder, trying to imagine how anyone could make a book about scandal, sin, adultery, public shame and cowardice so dull. To finish the book was a test of will, and was accomplished because I hate to leave things undone.There are many fine, engaging, interesting novels, both of our age and of Hawthorne's. I can't imagine why one would want to slog through this one. |
2 | Scarlette Letter, (Classic Collection Discs) I am not reviewing the book itself but the disc. My teenager is dyslexic and is required to read this for high school. It would be so helpful if somewhere on the package we were told what chapters are on what discs. |
3 | El Gaucho De Nuestro Argentina Es un libro de puntos muy astutos en relacion al vida interior del pais Argentina. Los Paisanos del Interior como Chaco y Resistencia Puedan apreciar estos escritos de nuestro historia. Un libro muy Importante al juventud hoy dia. |
3 | Good, but old If you keep your perspective in check, this is an excellent resource. Good, basic advice. I was struggling training my girlfriend (I am advanced, she a beginner), and this book made it much easier to convince her that I wasn't crazy with my training advice. It is a simple and clear book, pretty basic, but I am a big believer that 90% of the results come from the basic stuff, and the last 10% is for when you hit sticking points, or reach an advanced level. But the book is getting on in age these days; still, don't let that disuade you if you can pick up a copy. |
1 | Boring I love Arnold and what he has accomplished so it suprised me to suggest that women should start out using 3 lb weights. Sorry, you won't get results like that. This book my be good for seniors or those with limited physical ability. |
2 | Return Of The Killer Tomatoes I Was Very Satisfied With My Purchase.It Arrived With Good Timing.(Didnt Take Too Long)My Husband Was Happy To Receive It As A Christmas As He Requested.I Am Glad We Were Able To Find An Older Movie We Were Looking For,As I We Are Trying To Start Our Movie Collection That Includes Older,Indie& "B" Movies. |
2 | Not as funny as I thought it would be This is an imitation of a movie-that-is-so-bad-it's-funny, but the movie just isn't all that bad. On the other hand it isn't super clever either. It splits the difference and as a result is humorous, but not a side splitter. The scenes from the original Attack of the Killer Tomatoes looked funnier and someday I will give that one a look. |
3 | for the 80's cheezy horror film fans I bought this as an xmas gift for my brother and he loved it! It's a great package of cheezy horror films from the 1980's. |
4 | Better than the first in every way! In every way, 'Return of the Killer Tomatoes' is a far better film then the classic original. The characters, ranging from John Astin as the evil mad scientist, his clean cut news anchor servant Igor, and George Clooney in his first film role, are hilarious. The plot is more involved and understandable, and the jokes fly fast and furious. One thing potential buyers should be aware of is that this film, like the original, is presented in the fullscreen format common with straight-to-video productions, which this almost certainly was. A great film, a better sequel, and well worth the few dollars it costs. |
3 | Hilarious!! Anthony Starke is great! The deadpan expression of Tony Starke makes the offbeat script bearable. Great party movie. For a "B' movie, this beats a few recent "A" movies I've seen |
0 | DECEPTION! Warning -- the two songs listed as "Little Steve" were written by him but are not the originals nor performed by him! |
1 | Not what we expected The suction on this dish does not really work. The only thing I could get it to suction to was glass. we never really wanted it for the warming part, just for the suction. All in in all, we were not very satisfied with this purchase. |
1 | Not user friendly The dish is not easy to take apart for cleaning and I wish I could put in it the microwave. |
3 | Great baby dish I bought this for my grandson and it is great. Easy to clean and keeps the food warm. |
2 | baby dish I wish this item was a little bit bigger than what it was. The price was a good price. I was really wanting a gerber baby dish, but could not find one anywhere. If someone knows where to look, please let me know. Thank you. |