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The Scarlet Letter: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting
Jane Eyre. Frankenstein. The Scarlet Letter. You’re familiar with these pillars of classic literature. You have seen plenty of Frankenstein costumes, watched the film adaptations, and may even be able to rattle off a few quotes, but do you really know how to read these books? Do you know anything about the authors who wrote them, and what the authors were trying to teach readers through their stories? Do you know how to read them as a Christian? Taking into account your own worldview, as well as that of the author?
In this beautiful cloth-over-board edition bestselling author, literature professor, and avid reader Karen Swallow Prior will guide you through The Scarlet Letter. She will not only navigate you through the pitfalls that trap readers today, but show you how to read it in light of the gospel, and to the glory of God.
This edition includes a thorough introduction to the author, context, and overview of the work (without any spoilers for first-time readers), the full original text, as well as footnotes and reflection questions throughout to help the reader attain a fuller grasp of The Scarlet Letter.
The full series currently includes: Heart of Darkness, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, The Scarlet Letter and Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
In this beautiful cloth-over-board edition bestselling author, literature professor, and avid reader Karen Swallow Prior will guide you through The Scarlet Letter. She will not only navigate you through the pitfalls that trap readers today, but show you how to read it in light of the gospel, and to the glory of God.
This edition includes a thorough introduction to the author, context, and overview of the work (without any spoilers for first-time readers), the full original text, as well as footnotes and reflection questions throughout to help the reader attain a fuller grasp of The Scarlet Letter.
The full series currently includes: Heart of Darkness, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, The Scarlet Letter and Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
426 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 5, 2022
18 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
About the author
Karen Swallow Prior
34 books756 followersKaren Swallow Prior (PhD, SUNY Buffalo) is the award-winning author of The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis; On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books; Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More--Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist; and Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me. She is a frequent speaker, a monthly columnist at Religion News Service, and has written for Christianity Today, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Vox. She is a Contributing Editor for Comment, a founding member of The Pelican Project, a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum, and a Senior Fellow at the International Alliance for Christian Education.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 10, 2022
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is the second book in the Read and Reflect with the Classics series published by B&H Publishing that I've completed. Once again, Karen Swallow Prior provides valuable insights into the events and times that shaped the life of the author. Here are a few statements she made which lingered in the back of my mind as I read the story for the first time in over 20 years:
• One of his sons, Nathaniel’s great-great grandfather, John Hathorne, a magistrate like his father, earned infamy as one of the three judges in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Hawthorne—who later added the “w” to his last name, likely in an attempt to separate himself from his family history—wrestled with this legacy, as evidenced in many of his works, particularly The Scarlet Letter.
• While his notebooks and literary works are filled with references to God and display his extensive knowledge of the Bible, Hawthorne did not ascribe to any formal religious doctrine or organization.
• The Scarlet Letter relies on symbolism more than on plot—even more than on setting and character. Symbols are often complicated (as they are in this book), so it is essential to understand how symbols work. A symbol is something—it could be an object, color, gesture, action, etc.—that has multiple levels of meaning: a literal meaning and at least one layer of meaning that points beyond the literal level.
In addition to a revealing look at the author himself, readers gain much from the questions Prior poses about the text. Some prompt you to revisit a line or paragraph to probe for deeper meaning, to interpret or reinterpret a symbol, and others to examine a passage in light of its Scriptural or theological implications. The following questions are but a small sample of the aides to discovery included at the end of every chapter...
• How is the stranger who appears described in the second paragraph? Note that one shoulder is higher than the other. What inner quality might this physical quality symbolize? Note a similar description given in the previous chapter concerning Hester’s past life.
• What does it mean when Pearl is said to be “angel of judgment,—whose mission was to punish the sins of the rising generation”?
• How is the nature of the battle between these two men depicted in the last two paragraphs of the chapter? Consider the theological insights offered by these lines...
• Hester and Pearl’s discussion about the meaning of the “A” is an examination of symbols and their meanings. What is Pearl not understanding about the letter? What does she understand, even on her simple level? What does this conversation reveal about the complicated nature of symbols?
• How does understanding The Scarlet Letter as a romance rather than a work of realism assist in interpreting and evaluating it as a literary work?
Since the last time I read this novel was in my high school literature class, it's safe to say maturity and life experience would have lent themselves to a richer reading experience than the one I had in my youth. Yet I also want to stress how delightful it was to have Professor Prior guiding the way. I greatly value her learned opinion and plan to continue reading until I exhaust the series.
I received a copy of this title from the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.
• One of his sons, Nathaniel’s great-great grandfather, John Hathorne, a magistrate like his father, earned infamy as one of the three judges in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Hawthorne—who later added the “w” to his last name, likely in an attempt to separate himself from his family history—wrestled with this legacy, as evidenced in many of his works, particularly The Scarlet Letter.
• While his notebooks and literary works are filled with references to God and display his extensive knowledge of the Bible, Hawthorne did not ascribe to any formal religious doctrine or organization.
• The Scarlet Letter relies on symbolism more than on plot—even more than on setting and character. Symbols are often complicated (as they are in this book), so it is essential to understand how symbols work. A symbol is something—it could be an object, color, gesture, action, etc.—that has multiple levels of meaning: a literal meaning and at least one layer of meaning that points beyond the literal level.
In addition to a revealing look at the author himself, readers gain much from the questions Prior poses about the text. Some prompt you to revisit a line or paragraph to probe for deeper meaning, to interpret or reinterpret a symbol, and others to examine a passage in light of its Scriptural or theological implications. The following questions are but a small sample of the aides to discovery included at the end of every chapter...
• How is the stranger who appears described in the second paragraph? Note that one shoulder is higher than the other. What inner quality might this physical quality symbolize? Note a similar description given in the previous chapter concerning Hester’s past life.
• What does it mean when Pearl is said to be “angel of judgment,—whose mission was to punish the sins of the rising generation”?
• How is the nature of the battle between these two men depicted in the last two paragraphs of the chapter? Consider the theological insights offered by these lines...
• Hester and Pearl’s discussion about the meaning of the “A” is an examination of symbols and their meanings. What is Pearl not understanding about the letter? What does she understand, even on her simple level? What does this conversation reveal about the complicated nature of symbols?
• How does understanding The Scarlet Letter as a romance rather than a work of realism assist in interpreting and evaluating it as a literary work?
Since the last time I read this novel was in my high school literature class, it's safe to say maturity and life experience would have lent themselves to a richer reading experience than the one I had in my youth. Yet I also want to stress how delightful it was to have Professor Prior guiding the way. I greatly value her learned opinion and plan to continue reading until I exhaust the series.
I received a copy of this title from the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.
February 20, 2024
Wow. Loved this so much more than I thought! Worth a reread even if you already read it in high school.
December 20, 2023
Absolutely five stars for both the novel The Scarlet Letter and for Karen Swallow Prior's excellent guide. I am blown away by how much I enjoyed this novel. It has been 30 years since I last read it, and no one is more surprised by my reading experience than me. But there you go. Things change, people mature and gain life experience, become more skilled at reading, and this is absolutely one of the American greats.
This novel deserves five stars for so many reasons. Hawthorne's writing is just incredible. His plot and pacing in this novel is spot on and never lags. His use of multi-layered symbolism is rich and fascinating - a study of the names in this novel alone seems inexhaustible. His characters are complex and nuanced. His descriptions throughout are absolutely beautiful with many passages deserving to be reread.
It is a five star read also because of its context. It captures such an important piece of early American history. This story allows us to look in and experience the 1600s Massachusetts colony and witness the struggle our founders had to both break away from England and to establish themselves as a new community in the midst of a wilderness. There was much to fear in this wilderness. We see in The Scarlet Letter how they often attempted to control these dangers through rigid rules and extreme religiosity.
Perhaps the most compelling reason for its five star rating are the many excellent and enduring questions raised by this novel. What is sin? What is guilt? What is repentance? What does it mean to confess? Does our sin become our identity? Should all religion be indicted as the narrator is clearly indicting Puritanism? Was Hester guilty or was the society guilty? What does this novel have to say about clergy sexual abuse? About forgiveness? Why is the version of Christianity that these characters have insufficient to help them face the darkness they encounter?
While I obviously greatly esteem this novel and Hawthorne's writing, I certainly do understand why it is not the favorite of many - especially of American ninth graders. This is a novel that requires a reader to read slowly and thoughtfully. In the end, it must be remembered that this is clearly a morality tale. Much like a fable. Hawthorne wrote this to teach us a morality lesson. While I wish at times he had left that more open to our discovery, this tale is still wonderfully ambiguous and open to interpretation. As a result, it is a perfect piece of literature to discuss in community. I can't wait to delve into this with my classics book club. Prior's excellent non-spoiler introduction, footnotes, and discussion questions throughout will only make our conversation that much more intriguing.
This novel deserves five stars for so many reasons. Hawthorne's writing is just incredible. His plot and pacing in this novel is spot on and never lags. His use of multi-layered symbolism is rich and fascinating - a study of the names in this novel alone seems inexhaustible. His characters are complex and nuanced. His descriptions throughout are absolutely beautiful with many passages deserving to be reread.
It is a five star read also because of its context. It captures such an important piece of early American history. This story allows us to look in and experience the 1600s Massachusetts colony and witness the struggle our founders had to both break away from England and to establish themselves as a new community in the midst of a wilderness. There was much to fear in this wilderness. We see in The Scarlet Letter how they often attempted to control these dangers through rigid rules and extreme religiosity.
Perhaps the most compelling reason for its five star rating are the many excellent and enduring questions raised by this novel. What is sin? What is guilt? What is repentance? What does it mean to confess? Does our sin become our identity? Should all religion be indicted as the narrator is clearly indicting Puritanism? Was Hester guilty or was the society guilty? What does this novel have to say about clergy sexual abuse? About forgiveness? Why is the version of Christianity that these characters have insufficient to help them face the darkness they encounter?
While I obviously greatly esteem this novel and Hawthorne's writing, I certainly do understand why it is not the favorite of many - especially of American ninth graders. This is a novel that requires a reader to read slowly and thoughtfully. In the end, it must be remembered that this is clearly a morality tale. Much like a fable. Hawthorne wrote this to teach us a morality lesson. While I wish at times he had left that more open to our discovery, this tale is still wonderfully ambiguous and open to interpretation. As a result, it is a perfect piece of literature to discuss in community. I can't wait to delve into this with my classics book club. Prior's excellent non-spoiler introduction, footnotes, and discussion questions throughout will only make our conversation that much more intriguing.
January 26, 2024
I mainly began reading this novel because I've long considered it a book I "should" have read. How nice to find many of the Gothic tropes that I love in German romanticism--daily life infused with eerie hints of the supernatural; the natural world closely linked to the inner lives of characters (especially Pearl in this novel); a creepy villain. Beyond these Gothic elements, the story is fascinating and the writing is beautiful and complex, a fun challenge.
But the more I've thought about how Hawthorne handles the theme of shame, the more discontent I am with the novel's ending. There's no real hope for sinners here. Death brings relief, as a sort of escape, but we are left wondering whether even death can lift the burden of past sins completely. Hard, hard work helps, but neither God nor society appears willing to grant the sinner full pardon and acceptance. Perhaps the irony of a puritan community so lacking in grace was exactly what Hawthorne intended. In any case, a sinner beyond hope of redemption and restoration is not a Christian concept, thank God.
But the more I've thought about how Hawthorne handles the theme of shame, the more discontent I am with the novel's ending. There's no real hope for sinners here. Death brings relief, as a sort of escape, but we are left wondering whether even death can lift the burden of past sins completely. Hard, hard work helps, but neither God nor society appears willing to grant the sinner full pardon and acceptance. Perhaps the irony of a puritan community so lacking in grace was exactly what Hawthorne intended. In any case, a sinner beyond hope of redemption and restoration is not a Christian concept, thank God.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2022
Just lovely!
August 4, 2024
While I enjoyed Prior’s annotations and intro, I realized that I dislike this story very much. I forced myself to finish it, but do not intend to return to this classic nor read any other Nathaniel Hawthorne stories. I remember reading it in high school and not really liking it, but I possibly liked it even less this time around. KSP’s notes were the sole redeeming factor.
July 4, 2023
The Scarlet Letter: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting Karen Swallow Prior
Book friends, my 3-star is for Nathaniel Hawthorne, not for Karen Swallow Prior. I could not have gotten through the book without her introduction and discussion questions at the end of each chapter.
I had not read "The Scarlet Letter" since high school, and I'd hoped I would like it better the second time around, as I did reading Prior's edition of "Tess of the d'Urbervilles." But I think Hawthorne's book would have been better as a short story.
Prior acknowledges that the book is "more like a long tale than a novel." She writes this:
"The strength of the plot is its intricate unity. Every element is so tightly woven together that to
remove one thread would unravel the whole. This, again, reflects its similarity to a tale."
I agree with that statement because I found the actual plot quite thought-provoking. It was Hawthorne's commentary laced over and on top of and through it that grew wearisome for me. I also liked the character of Hester much more than I expected to, and Pearl is a delight, even when (especially when) she is scaring everyone half to death. I particularly enjoyed the supernatural elements — the moments when we're not exactly sure what is going on because different characters see or hear different things and respond to them in different ways.
That includes the narrator who opens the story in the overly-prolonged section called The Custom-House. Open finding the infamous scarlet letter, he goes into a bit of a writing trance:
"If a man, sitting all alone, cannot dream strange things, and make them look like truth, he need
never try to write romances."
Hawthorne dreams some strange things in this tale. And when he's quiet, they look a lot like truth, like the truth that is true whether we acknowledge it or not.
Solstice Sonnet
Let’s sing a song, a rhapsody,
about our summer storms
and how they build capacity
to transcend summer norms.
The gusts did blow, the trees, they shook.
Of limbs, we had a plague.
The power out — we read a book
beneath a sun grown vague.
The fawns and raccoons his themselves
from nature’s influence,
but we wen tout, like greedy wolves,
to watch such affluence.
Sharp spheres of hail — a legacy
against oblivion’s melody.
— Megan Willome
Book friends, my 3-star is for Nathaniel Hawthorne, not for Karen Swallow Prior. I could not have gotten through the book without her introduction and discussion questions at the end of each chapter.
I had not read "The Scarlet Letter" since high school, and I'd hoped I would like it better the second time around, as I did reading Prior's edition of "Tess of the d'Urbervilles." But I think Hawthorne's book would have been better as a short story.
Prior acknowledges that the book is "more like a long tale than a novel." She writes this:
"The strength of the plot is its intricate unity. Every element is so tightly woven together that to
remove one thread would unravel the whole. This, again, reflects its similarity to a tale."
I agree with that statement because I found the actual plot quite thought-provoking. It was Hawthorne's commentary laced over and on top of and through it that grew wearisome for me. I also liked the character of Hester much more than I expected to, and Pearl is a delight, even when (especially when) she is scaring everyone half to death. I particularly enjoyed the supernatural elements — the moments when we're not exactly sure what is going on because different characters see or hear different things and respond to them in different ways.
That includes the narrator who opens the story in the overly-prolonged section called The Custom-House. Open finding the infamous scarlet letter, he goes into a bit of a writing trance:
"If a man, sitting all alone, cannot dream strange things, and make them look like truth, he need
never try to write romances."
Hawthorne dreams some strange things in this tale. And when he's quiet, they look a lot like truth, like the truth that is true whether we acknowledge it or not.
Solstice Sonnet
Let’s sing a song, a rhapsody,
about our summer storms
and how they build capacity
to transcend summer norms.
The gusts did blow, the trees, they shook.
Of limbs, we had a plague.
The power out — we read a book
beneath a sun grown vague.
The fawns and raccoons his themselves
from nature’s influence,
but we wen tout, like greedy wolves,
to watch such affluence.
Sharp spheres of hail — a legacy
against oblivion’s melody.
— Megan Willome
May 8, 2023
I somehow avoided reading The Scarlet Letter in High School or college. While I prefer narratives with more plot, I can appreciate why Scarlet Letter is in consideration for the great American novel: The writing is excellent. The symbolism comes in unending waves and varying degrees of overtness. The themes of the novel were bold at the time of writing and to some degree timeless. This has to be one of the easier classroom novels as there are dozens of apparent essay topics that spill forth from its pages.
This version of the book, from Karen Swallow Prior and B&H is quite nice. It's clothbound with great questions for reflection at the end of each chapter. There are also 20 questions at the end of the novel that could make for essay questions if the reader feels so inclined. However, the spatial arrangement of text on the pages is weird. It feels centered, spaced-out, and almost like you're reading from a kindle in book-form. I don't like it, and it took 150+ pages to adjust.
This version of the book, from Karen Swallow Prior and B&H is quite nice. It's clothbound with great questions for reflection at the end of each chapter. There are also 20 questions at the end of the novel that could make for essay questions if the reader feels so inclined. However, the spatial arrangement of text on the pages is weird. It feels centered, spaced-out, and almost like you're reading from a kindle in book-form. I don't like it, and it took 150+ pages to adjust.
October 25, 2023
“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true.”
-Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
I just finished The Scarlet Letter for the first time this week. It is such a meaty book with so much that is applicable today. Honestly, I think it should be required reading for every leader in ministry, in particular, to read.
Sadly, human nature usually sides with what one of the main characters, Dimmesdale does—hiding wrongdoing in shame. However, Hawthorne (and the Bible) teach us another way—exposure through repentance. There would be a lot less church/ministry scandals if we could learn what it takes Dimmesdale seven long and anguished years to learn.
Also, this edition with Karen Swallow Prior's forward and discussion questions is fantastic.
-Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
I just finished The Scarlet Letter for the first time this week. It is such a meaty book with so much that is applicable today. Honestly, I think it should be required reading for every leader in ministry, in particular, to read.
Sadly, human nature usually sides with what one of the main characters, Dimmesdale does—hiding wrongdoing in shame. However, Hawthorne (and the Bible) teach us another way—exposure through repentance. There would be a lot less church/ministry scandals if we could learn what it takes Dimmesdale seven long and anguished years to learn.
Also, this edition with Karen Swallow Prior's forward and discussion questions is fantastic.
March 3, 2023
Continuing to catch up on reading classics that I should have read before but never did. The Scarlet Letter is a thought provoking book. It has strong religious themes and elements. Sometimes it is drawing deeply on them, and sometimes mocking. Sin and shame, love and redemption, truth with freedom and lies with suffering, and more are threads in the book. I enjoyed the book more than I at first thought I would and was keen to know where the plot was leading even as the development of the themes mentioned earlier were explored. I couldn’t help but think about the parallels to modern society where rules and intolerance seem to be part of the warp and woof of culture, and yet love and integrity can stand strong even so.
“She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom.”
“She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom.”
August 5, 2023
What a melancholy story! It's powerful. It's thought-provoking. But, man, it's sad. I'm really glad to have read it again as an adult because the need for a clean heart and a clear conscience is vital to the human soul and after living life a little more since being a teen, that was more meaningful to me this time. It was even more clear how forgiveness and mercy were deeply lacking in Hawthorne's puritanical society, and how an entire people who claim to love God, fail to recognize these two important gifts He gave the world through His Son.
This particular addition had some great introduction material and discussion questions after each chapter. This is a great copy for anyone who might want to dig deeper into this book with a class of book club discussion.
This particular addition had some great introduction material and discussion questions after each chapter. This is a great copy for anyone who might want to dig deeper into this book with a class of book club discussion.
July 7, 2023
When I left high school, I said I would never read this book again. But, I ended up in a talk by Laurie Lico Albanese at the Texas Book Festival about her new book Hester. I felt like I needed to re-read The Scarlett Letter before plunging into this read. I read this book with The Close Reads Podcast which was very helpful. Karen Swallow Prior who wrote the notes for this edition was also on the podcast and it helped me see why this is a classic and a required read. Did I love the book? No, but I didn't hate it like in high school. I appreciate the questions that Nathaniel Hawthorne is asking in this novel. If you decide to read the book again, this is a great edition.
December 24, 2023
You know, my favorite part of this was actually the Counting House intro. Made for a lot of great discussions this fall with my book club, but I really don't love the book. I think Karen Swallow Prior noted either in her intro or the Close Reads podcast that Hawthorne is at his best in short stories, not novels, and I agree.
A note on the edition-- after really enjoy KSP's edition of Frankenstein, my book club found this one underwhelming. The footnotes were not always helpful (or even accurate!), and we were glad to have one member with the Penguin edition so we could actually know who all the real people mentioned in the story actually were.
A note on the edition-- after really enjoy KSP's edition of Frankenstein, my book club found this one underwhelming. The footnotes were not always helpful (or even accurate!), and we were glad to have one member with the Penguin edition so we could actually know who all the real people mentioned in the story actually were.
October 28, 2023
Very good exploration of the impact of confessed vs unconfessed sin, guilt and shame, and a society’s dealings with moral failure. I’m not convinced Hawthorne gets New England Puritanism quite right (it is fun to read a 175 yr old piece of historical fiction), but he does identify some of its excesses. Swallow Prior’s edition has a helpful introduction and chapter discussion questions.
2023 Close Reads Reading Challenge #6
2023 Close Reads Reading Challenge #6
July 4, 2022
I did not particularly enjoy the story of the Scarlet Letter. This is my second time reading it, the first time was in high school. However, Dr. Prior’s notes and questions in this book made it a much more enjoyable and engaging read. I wish I had a resource like this when I was reading it in high school. I would highly recommend it for personal reading, a book club, or teaching it to high school and college students.
October 4, 2022
I thought I knew what this book was about all these years and I didn’t. There is so much more! I occasionally gasped at the great plot twists. I look forward to rereading it as it is so rich with symbolism that I didn’t get it all the first time around.
April 17, 2022
Reading this book for a second time from a Christian perspective thanks to the wonderful introduction by Karen Swallow Prior was so much more enjoyable. Highly recommend this edition.
October 23, 2022
An excellent guide. Perfect for helping students (and their teacher) focus on the important bits and notice small, clever details in a book that is often over the top in its symbolism.
January 16, 2023
I really like the reflecting questions at the end of each chapter. Great for a book club.
October 24, 2024
i didn’t really understand anything else besides pearl being a demon child
January 25, 2025
I liked this one a lot!
I’m thankful for Prior’s insight that helped me to better understand some of the symbols and themes!
I’m thankful for Prior’s insight that helped me to better understand some of the symbols and themes!
April 13, 2022
Excellent edition!
I’ve tried to read the Scarlet Letter & couldn’t get into it - until I read this edition. Karen Swallow Prior’s excellent introductory material piqued my interest, and her footnotes & questions for reflection kept me hooked. A dramatic & moving book. I grew quite fond of Hester. She had a good heart. Yes, she sinned. The community was full of sin: witchcraft, hate, lying, gossip, envy, idolatry, and others. Those who shamed her were no less sinners themselves.
I’ve tried to read the Scarlet Letter & couldn’t get into it - until I read this edition. Karen Swallow Prior’s excellent introductory material piqued my interest, and her footnotes & questions for reflection kept me hooked. A dramatic & moving book. I grew quite fond of Hester. She had a good heart. Yes, she sinned. The community was full of sin: witchcraft, hate, lying, gossip, envy, idolatry, and others. Those who shamed her were no less sinners themselves.
July 7, 2023
I didn’t read this in high school and I’m sure I would’ve hated it. It’s still good I guess. One of those “I see why its a classic but I’m probably not going to read it again” situations
December 25, 2024
This book was so boring for what. Like the symbolism was good sometimes ig but i hated it and it was so repetitive.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews