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The Scarlet Letter

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The Scarlet Letter

Written by: Nathaniel Hawthorne
Narrated by: Kate Petrie
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About this listen

One of the most important novels in classic literature, Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter tackles the subject of adultery, with the notorious Hester Prynne at the forefront of the scandal in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In the beginning of the novel, Hester is serving time in prison for having a child out of wedlock and is forced to wear a scarlet A on her clothing at all times, so she cannot run from her sin no matter where she goes. Her husband has been away for around two years, and she refuses to name the father of her daughter, Pearl. The father is actually Reverend Dimmesdale, a timid man who keeps his secret from the community.

Hester's husband returns to the colony, where he finds out what has happened and makes it his personal goal to torment the father of Pearl. He discovers that it is Dimmesdale and tries to intimidate him. The pressure becomes too much for Dimmesdale, and after seven years of torture the reverend eventually admits what he has done and dies before a crowd of people. Not long after, Hester's husband also passes away, leaving Hester and her daughter enough money to escape the colony and finally have some peace. At the end, however, Hester decides to come back to the colony, and when she passes away, she is buried next to the reverend, with whom she had been in love.

Public Domain (P)2015 A.R.N. Publications
Classics Romance
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What listeners say about The Scarlet Letter

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Too Fast

I felt the reader was rushing and I had a hard time following the story. I adjusted the speed to a slower pace and that helped. Other than that this was an enjoyable listen.

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good story poor reading

narrator has a very irritating cadence which makes it difficult to focus on the story

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Good story, okay reader.

Story is a classic and I appreciate the speed at which the performer reads. However there are multiple mispronunciations that inadvertantly change the meaning of the sentence as well as the occasional double sentence as if the reader had done the sentence over again and forgotten to edit it out. Not horrible though.

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Outstanding Classic

A beautifully written novel. The narrator was exceptional. I was captivated by the story and couldn’t wait to return to it time and again.

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