Book Description
The classic American story of Hester Prynne, accused of adultery, ostracized by her Puritan community, and abandoned by both her lover and her husband.

The story opens in Puritan Boston, a settlement only fifteen or twenty years old. A young woman stands on a scaffold clasping a three-month-old baby. As a married woman with a missing husband and a new baby, Hester Prynne could have been sentenced to death for the crime of adultery. Instead she is condemned to always wear the letter A as a badge of her shame. As she stands there, she sees her long-missing husband, who has been held captive by Indians. While the town chorus is murmuring against her and her old and unattractive husband stares silently at her, the young and handsome clergyman publicly demands the name of her partner in crime - while desperately praying that she won't reveal him.

The Scarlet Letter rightfully deserves its stature as the first great novel written by an American, the novel that announced American literature equal to any in the world.

FROM OUR EDITORS

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

ANNOTATION

In early colonial Massachusetts, a young woman endures the consequences of her sin of adultery and spends the rest of her life in atonement.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When it first appeared in 1850, The Scarlet Letter enjoyed scandalous success. New England critics condemned its passionate subject matter. One critic complained that Nathaniel Hawthorne invested adultery with all the fascination of genius, and all the charms of a highly polished style. My preliminary chapter, wryly noted the author, has caused the greatest uproar that has happened here since witch-times.

As she emerges from the prison of a Puritan New England town, Hester Prynne defies the dark gloom much as the rose blooms against the prison door. With her illegitimate baby, Pearl, clutched in her arms and the letter A—the mark of an adulteress—embroidered in scarlet thread on her breast, Hester holds her head high as she faces the malice and scorn of the townsfolk. Her powerful, bittersweet story is an American classic that continues to touch the hearts of modern readers with its timeless themes of guilt, passion and repentance.

SYNOPSIS

The Scarlet Letter is the story of three New England settlers at odds with the puritan society in which they live. Roger Chillingworth, an aging scholar, arrives in New England after two years' separation from his wife Hester to find her on trial for adultery. For refusing to reveal her lover's identity, she is condemned to wear a letter 'A' sewn onto her clothes. Roger resolves to discover and destroy the man who has stolen his honor.

For the next seven years the participants in this bizarre love triangle privately suffer the consequences of betrayal, cowardice, and humiliation. Slowly but surely, the need for redemption grows in each as the story hastens toward its dramatic close. The Scarlet Letter is Nathaniel Hawthorne's masterpiece.

The handsome volumes in The Collectors Library present great works of world literature in a handy hardback format. Printed on high-quality paper and bound in real cloth, each complete and unabridged volume has a specially commissioned afterword, brief biography of the author and a further-reading list. This easily accessible series offers readers the perfect opportunity to discover, or rediscover, some of the world's most endearing literary works.

The volumes in The Collector's Library are sumptuously produced, enduring editions to own, to collect and to treasure.

FROM THE CRITICS

School Library Journal

Gr-8-Up-Actress Elizabeth McGovern reads this acceptable abridgement with precise, clear diction. Her expressive voice is pleasant, effectively using breath sounds and pauses to recreate dramatic moods. Her usually quick tempo keeps the text from being ponderous, but it can be slower when necessary. Given the time period of the original work, her formal tone is appropriate. Her speech changes slightly for the different characters, but there is not much dialogue. The abridgement retains the continuity of the story. Consider purchasing this version for special education students who can't handle the longer, original text.-Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile

Who does not know how the Puritans of colonial Boston forced the spirited adulteress Hester Prynne to wear a red "A" on her bosom as punishment for her sin? Former cinema ingenue Elizabeth McGovern essays this abridgment of Hawthorne's somber, unabridgeable romance of 1850. She delivers the narrative in a quiet, patrician mezzo. Her characterizations are broad. The overall effect is Apollonian and sophisticated, far more so than the text. A satisfactory, if not outstanding, rendition. Y.R. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

AudioFile - Melody Moxley

Gibson reads Hawthorne￯﾿ﾽs story with a gravelly, yet gentle voice. Although most of her characterizations are fine, her voice for the child, Pearl, sounds distractingly affected. M.A.M. ￯﾿ﾽAudioFile, Portland, Maine

AudioFile - Pam A. Johnson

In the early days of Puritan Boston Hester Prynne braves the stigma of adultery by wearing the embroidered scarlet A on her clothing. Hill￯﾿ﾽs reading captures the story￯﾿ﾽs pathos and gives the reader empathy for the characters while clarifying Hawthorne￯﾿ﾽs views. Hill distinctly portrays each character and reads the narration clearly and swiftly. The pace conveys a sense of urgency and breathlessness. After hearing this novel, readers will understand why it continues to be a classic. P.A.J. ￯﾿ﾽAudioFile, Portland, Maine

AudioFile - Claudia Moore

Hawthorne￯﾿ﾽs classic tale of pride, guilt and revenge comes to life through the gifted voice of Allison Green. She heightens interest by easily differentiating, not only the many emotions of the characters, but the ages and gender as well. Her sprightly tempo keeps Hawthorne from getting tedious. Because the pace is so swift, the listener is occasionally aware of the sound of Green￯﾿ﾽs breathing. The autobiographical The Customs House is complete on Tape 1 with the novel beginning on Tape 2. The listener has the option of hearing the introduction after completing the novel, a way in which some teachers assign material. C.J.M. ￯﾿ﾽAudioFile, Portland, Maine

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