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Apr 12, 2015forbesrachel rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
An eloquently written classic about sin, love, and the strength of a single mother. Hawthorn primarily uses narration rather than dialogue, and because of this he describes exactly how a character looks, and what they are thinking and feeling at any given moment. When Hester first steps out of the prison, we see how incredibly strong she is. She refuses to name the father of her child, endures the judgment and hypocrisy of others, strives to redeem herself through charity, all the while caring for a handful of a child. Other characters induce equally strong, although different reactions in us. Do not judge the book by the Introductory chapter, the rest is very different, and because it only introduces the finding of this story, it can be skipped over. Among classics, this is a very quick and easy read, but for those that prefer modern English or the visual mediums, try the Manga Classics adaptation; it is extremely faithful, and because the narration translates so well into art, barely a thing is missed.