The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

"The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a historical novel published in 1850. Set in Puritan Massachusetts during the 1640s, it follows Hester Prynne, who bears a child out of wedlock and must wear a scarlet "A" as punishment for adultery. While she refuses to name the father, her long-lost husband arrives in town seeking revenge. The story explores themes of sin, guilt, and redemption as secrets threaten to destroy lives in this unforgiving community. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

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About this eBook

Author Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864
Engraver Anthony, A. V. S. (Andrew Varick Stout), 1835-1906
Illustrator Foote, Mary Hallock, 1847-1938
Illustrator Ipsen, Ludvig Sandöe
Title The Scarlet Letter
Note Wikipedia page about this book: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scarlet_Letter
Credits Markus Brenner, Irma Spehar and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
Reading Level Reading ease score: 65.0 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
Language English
LoC Class PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
Subject Adultery -- Fiction
Subject Historical fiction
Subject Revenge -- Fiction
Subject Psychological fiction
Subject Married women -- Fiction
Subject Clergy -- Fiction
Subject Triangles (Interpersonal relations) -- Fiction
Subject Illegitimate children -- Fiction
Subject Women immigrants -- Fiction
Subject Puritans -- Fiction
Subject Boston (Mass.) -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 -- Fiction
Category Text
EBook-No. 25344
Release Date
Most Recently Updated Aug 9, 2025
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
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