Hester: A Novel About the Early Hester Prynne

by Christopher Bigsby

A narrative extension of the lives of the characters from the classic The Scarlet Letter reintroduces us to Hester, Pearl, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth, viewing them from a modern sensibility. A first novel. 20,000 first printing. $20,000 ad/promo.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1994

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into it. The lack of chapter breaks or any sort of recognizable structure made it hard for me to parse. However, I was on a long plane ride and found myself enjoying the flow of the writing. It was not in the style of Nathaniel Hawthorne (I don't know if he meant it to be or not), but to my sensibilities it was not American Gothic at all. In fact, it made the whole Scarlet Letter story almost mundane.

[Sheila Guevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure why the average rating is so low on this book.

I found it interesting as a historical novel. Including the history of Nathaniel Hawthorn, whose family changed their name to include the w to remove themselves from being associated with the Judge Hathorn who was part of the Salem Witch Trials.

It is easy to imagine yourself living in those times and the role women were permitted in society.

[Erin O'Riordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good story, but the book disappoints overall because Bigsby's writing style is not equal to Hawthorne's highly symbolic original. I wrote in my journal on January 10, 1995, "The author does get a little Hawthorne-ish in some places: uses symbols like the red sun over the white sea, and Dimmesdale's handprint on Hester's white dress; a kind of narrator who addresses the characters ("Tell me, Hester, could it be...") etc. But the way a 20th-century English man writes is very different from how a 19th-century American writes; the difference is not only noticeable but disappointing." I was 17 when I read this, and I'd read The Scarlet Letter the first time approximately one year before (and reread it immediately before starting the prequel).

[Tulleskirt · Rating 2 out of 5]

The heroine of this story is simpler, milder and bears more resemblance to the titular ladies of Harlequin novels than the proto-feminist single mother Hawthorne envisioned--frankly, she's a bore. The romance is yawn-inducing, the sex is cheesy, Chillingworth drags and Pearl is stripped of all her bratty glory. Buy it if it's on sale, but don't bother otherwise.

[Karen Hogan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Novel about the young Hester Prynne, prequel to the "Scarlet Letter", written like Nathaniel Hawthorne would have written it. Flowery language, and not compelling.