The Scarlet Letter: A Romance (1850) is considered the American author Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'masterwork.' A work of historical fiction set in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the Puritan settlement of 1642-1949 itells the story of Hester Prynne, who after having a child as a result of an extra-marital affair attempts to live a life of repentance and dignity although she is marked by having to wear a Scarlett A on her person. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt. The Scarlett Letter was one of the first mass-produced novels in the United States, prior printing of books generally done by hand. The 2,500 copies first printed sold out in days, and the mass-production of books opened up conversation about books and authors to a wider-audience on a national level. The first edition of The Scarlet Letter sold out in ten days and “made Hawthorne’s fame, changed his fortune and gave to our literature its first symbolic novel a year before the appearance of Melville’s Moby-Dick” (Bradley). Although an instant best-seller, the books sales over fourteen years only brought the author $1500.

Reviews

On Oct 4 2010, Erhanilhan said:

An absolute criticism of Puritan society. Hawthorne portrays the hypocritic sides of the society by pointing its discrepancies and ill-interpreted biblical sides deeds. He also shows that the society was not working in the name of god as stated; instead worked for a group of people (especially powerful) that keep the lines in hand.

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Details

Bookseller: MAB Books (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 197584
Title: The Scarlet Letter
Author: Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Format/Binding: Pocket pb
Book Condition: Used - Very Good with no dust jacket
Binding: Paperback
ISBN 10: 0451525221
ISBN 13: 9780451525222
Publisher: Signet
Place of Publication: New York
Date Published: 1980
Keywords: 0451525221, Paperbacks Box 7

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Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

PB: ...
Jacket: Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...