The Scarlet Letter With the Custom House

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Hawthorne's masterpiece about Hester Prynne, hapless victim of sin, guilt and hypocrisy in Puritan New England.

Genres: Fiction

Published March 18, 1985

About the author

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. He is seen as a key figure in the development of American literature for his tales of the nation's colonial history.

Shortly after graduating from Bowdoin College, Hathorne changed his name to Hawthorne. Hawthorne anonymously published his first work, a novel titled Fanshawe, in 1828. In 1837, he published Twice-Told Tales and became engaged to painter and illustrator Sophia Peabody the next year. He worked at a Custom House and joined a Transcendentalist Utopian community, before marrying Peabody in 1842. The couple moved to The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, later moving to Salem, the Berkshires, then to The Wayside in Concord. The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, followed by a succession of other novels. A political appointment took Hawthorne and family to Europe before returning to The Wayside in 1860. Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, leaving behind his wife and their three children.

Much of Hawthorne's writing centers around New England and many feature moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His work is considered part of the Romantic movement and includes novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend, the United States President Franklin Pierce.

Reviews

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scarlet Letter - that high school English class classic re-read as an adult in audiobook format - lives up to its hype and ages well. Love story extraordinaire. And what a personal touchstone. Who knew when I first read this book that a few short years later I would earn my own crimson A - putting me in good company with Hester. Or that one day I’d travel to Salem MA and gaze upon Nathaniel Hawthorne’s house from a rainy street corner?! And join a church that vibes with the Transcendentalists! What a way to spend a holiday weekend. My 2 favorite spots were when the meaning of the A became “able” and when Hawthorne wrote, “Be true. Be true. Be true.” The Custom House was fine, too.

[Rick Fifield · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a woman who has an affair and chooses not to tell who the father of her child is. Pays the price by having to wear a scarlet A on her chest.nThings have not changed much from those times. A classic imho that in 2022 we deal with many of the same issues as in this book.