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Classics Illustrated: The Scarlet Letter
This is a graphic novel adaptation of The Scarlet Letter, produced as part of the Classics Illustrated Series.
Hester Prynn, a young woman in Puritan Massachusetts, publicly bears the burden of her sin of adultery while her husband secretly exacts his revenge.
Hester Prynn, a young woman in Puritan Massachusetts, publicly bears the burden of her sin of adultery while her husband secretly exacts his revenge.
43 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1990
3 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
P. Craig Russell
514 books267 followersPhilip Craig Russell was the first mainstream comic book creator to come out as openly gay. Since 1972 his work has won multiple Kirby, Harvey, and Eisner Awards, and Cartoon Crossroads Columbus presented him the Master Cartoonist Award in 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 9, 2016
Hester é condenada pelos puritanos do seu tempo a carregar em seu peito a letra "A" que representa
Adultério , para que todos que olhassem para ela soubessem que ela era uma adúltera por ter tido uma filha , Pearl ,de outro homem. Só que seu marido que fora dado como morto na guerra retorna , disfarçado de médico, justamente no dia que ela estava sendo execrada em praça pública com o bebê no colo. O pai da criança é um Pároco local muito admirado por todos, mas que vive oprimido pelo sentimento de culpa. O marido de Hester faz então um pacto:ele nunca contaria que o pai da criança era o Pároco e ela não contaria que ele era seu marido. O livro tem como tema a eterna luta entre a sociedade e o indivíduo,entre a lealdade e o amor. É um livro que fala sobre paixão, pecado, sofrimento , fraude, hipocrisia,confiança, do poder da sociedade sobre o indivíduo e da obrigação do indivíduo para com a sociedade.
Adultério , para que todos que olhassem para ela soubessem que ela era uma adúltera por ter tido uma filha , Pearl ,de outro homem. Só que seu marido que fora dado como morto na guerra retorna , disfarçado de médico, justamente no dia que ela estava sendo execrada em praça pública com o bebê no colo. O pai da criança é um Pároco local muito admirado por todos, mas que vive oprimido pelo sentimento de culpa. O marido de Hester faz então um pacto:ele nunca contaria que o pai da criança era o Pároco e ela não contaria que ele era seu marido. O livro tem como tema a eterna luta entre a sociedade e o indivíduo,entre a lealdade e o amor. É um livro que fala sobre paixão, pecado, sofrimento , fraude, hipocrisia,confiança, do poder da sociedade sobre o indivíduo e da obrigação do indivíduo para com a sociedade.
September 1, 2015
Reading and discussing graphic novels with my freshmen.
The graphic novel style was great, but the font used was very difficult to read. It was almost hard to see on top of the graphics. While this was a great way to read a classic, the language was still a little tough for my freshmen.
The graphic novel style was great, but the font used was very difficult to read. It was almost hard to see on top of the graphics. While this was a great way to read a classic, the language was still a little tough for my freshmen.
July 4, 2014
I've read a lot of graphic adaptations of classic literature but this is the first time I've read one that I haven't read the original novel. I'm working my way through this entire series and there are going to be quite a few where I'll be in this situation. Usually I compare the adaptation to the original. Now I'll be giving my impressions of the story as a first time reader. First of all this is a beautiful book; the illustrations are gorgeous. Thompson has painted each page with luscious watercolours. I've read "The House of Seven Gables" by Hawthorne and absolutely abhorred it so I had no intentions of ever reading this novel or anything others by Hawthorne (though I think "A Wonder-Book for Boys and Girls" is one o the best books of Greek mythology ever written). It was good that I got to experience "The Scarlet Letter" through this format as I immensely enjoyed the story! Of course, I knew the basic adultery, letter "A", plot and guessed right away who she was protecting but I had no idea how much the story focused on what a strong, faithful person Hester was. My previous experience with this series lets me know how true to the originals Papercutz stays and they use a lot of the original text also. However, I'm not sure if I'd be compelled to read the original even at this point as the writing is full of thous, dosts and whences, which I don't need in my life. I'm thoroughly thrilled though to have become acquainted with this classic through such a quality graphic adaptation.
October 11, 2021
I got this from a little free library and will be returning it soon. The actual book is much better than this, but at least the illustrations were good. The font was so tiny and very hard to read. The language could’ve been worded better at times too, but overall this was a fine recap of the story. :)
December 14, 2020
I innocently picked up an illustrated copy of this classic tale, from a neighbour's collection, a long time ago. I had automatically assumed that books with pictures are meant for light reading. What was in store for me was a story that shook me to my very core.
Years later, when I had to dress as Olive Penderghast from the movie 'Easy A' for my farewell party, I was once again reminded of this book.
The Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hester, a woman who bears a child out of wedlock. She is publicly humiliated, termed an adultress, and forced to wear the detestable "A" on her chest - for the rest of her life. Even her child grows up in a society that ostracises her for no fault of her own. All the while, the child's father continues to live a respected life, in the very same society. But for how long can he hide his guilt?
This book will make you question your perception of sin and righteousness. It will plead with you to review your judgements of people. It will challenge you to redefine your hypocritical understanding of what is good and what is evil.
Despite being published more than 150 years ago, this book is somehow still relevant in today's world where women are often forced to take the blame and the very people who are to be punished sit in judgement over others.
--
PS: Cannot help but add that this book also reminded me of a passage from The Bible. On seeing a group of people about to stone an adulterous woman to death, he stops them with one statement, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
(John 8:7)
Years later, when I had to dress as Olive Penderghast from the movie 'Easy A' for my farewell party, I was once again reminded of this book.
The Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hester, a woman who bears a child out of wedlock. She is publicly humiliated, termed an adultress, and forced to wear the detestable "A" on her chest - for the rest of her life. Even her child grows up in a society that ostracises her for no fault of her own. All the while, the child's father continues to live a respected life, in the very same society. But for how long can he hide his guilt?
This book will make you question your perception of sin and righteousness. It will plead with you to review your judgements of people. It will challenge you to redefine your hypocritical understanding of what is good and what is evil.
Despite being published more than 150 years ago, this book is somehow still relevant in today's world where women are often forced to take the blame and the very people who are to be punished sit in judgement over others.
--
PS: Cannot help but add that this book also reminded me of a passage from The Bible. On seeing a group of people about to stone an adulterous woman to death, he stops them with one statement, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
(John 8:7)
February 27, 2016
The story starts out talking about a colony named Boston that had been founded and that a prison had been one of the first two public things they had constructed which says a lot about human nature. A bunch of women are complaining about another woman who had committed adultery, and basically are saying how much better they are then her. Later the woman is put on a scaffold where everyone can stare at her and the letter A on her clothes.
After she's stood on the platform for several hours she is led back to prison where her husband tires to find out whose baby she had. The baby was a girl and when she grows up a little she is made fun of by the other children in the colony. The people in the town are talking about the girl being a demon.
Suddenly we find out that the governor's sister is a witch, and the publicly-shamed wife has been with them. There's a young clergyman that is ill and a physician is with him and discovers something odd about him. The story ends up revealing who had gotten her pregnant and just how evil her actual husband was.
>It's an interesting story, especially in this day and age where various people prop themselves up as paragons of virtue and then are found out to be having sex with other people or doing something else that goes exactly opposite of what they talk about how people should behave.
The way the text for the story is done it makes it sort of hard to read.
After she's stood on the platform for several hours she is led back to prison where her husband tires to find out whose baby she had. The baby was a girl and when she grows up a little she is made fun of by the other children in the colony. The people in the town are talking about the girl being a demon.
Suddenly we find out that the governor's sister is a witch, and the publicly-shamed wife has been with them. There's a young clergyman that is ill and a physician is with him and discovers something odd about him. The story ends up revealing who had gotten her pregnant and just how evil her actual husband was.
>It's an interesting story, especially in this day and age where various people prop themselves up as paragons of virtue and then are found out to be having sex with other people or doing something else that goes exactly opposite of what they talk about how people should behave.
The way the text for the story is done it makes it sort of hard to read.
June 21, 2013
I decided to read this book because I needed a space to fill up on the bingo board so I though I'd read a graphic novel.
The category this fits under on the bingo board is "a graphic novel". I found this category different to what I normally read because I don't read graphic novels so it was interesting to read a different text type.
My favourite quote from the novel is "mother, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on you bosom. It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet". This is my favourite because it is showing pearls understanding of her mother. Everyone is afraid of her mother because of what she did, with it resulting in a scarlet letter placed on her chest. Whereas no one is scared of pearl because she doesn't have a scarlet letter yet.
Something new I learned from this novel is that people treat others differently. Some may treat a person with respect and honor. Whereas some will treat discourage and disrespect.
My favourite character form the novel is pearl because she is such a little innocent girl who doesn't understand what has happend with her mother and why she wears the letter. But then later on in the novel she learns that people hide when her mother is out and it is all to do with the scarlet letter she wears on her chest.
The category this fits under on the bingo board is "a graphic novel". I found this category different to what I normally read because I don't read graphic novels so it was interesting to read a different text type.
My favourite quote from the novel is "mother, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on you bosom. It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet". This is my favourite because it is showing pearls understanding of her mother. Everyone is afraid of her mother because of what she did, with it resulting in a scarlet letter placed on her chest. Whereas no one is scared of pearl because she doesn't have a scarlet letter yet.
Something new I learned from this novel is that people treat others differently. Some may treat a person with respect and honor. Whereas some will treat discourage and disrespect.
My favourite character form the novel is pearl because she is such a little innocent girl who doesn't understand what has happend with her mother and why she wears the letter. But then later on in the novel she learns that people hide when her mother is out and it is all to do with the scarlet letter she wears on her chest.
March 30, 2016
The graphic novel version of “The Scarlet Letter” captures all of the major plot points and themes of the original masterpiece. It is the story of Hester Prynne and her famous scarlet “A” embroidered upon the bosom of her dress. Along with standing upon the scaffolding, her punishment for committing adultery is to wear this scarlet letter for the rest of her life. As she and her child—the other physical sign of her sin—endure the shame and ridicule of the puritan town she lives in, another man suffers more deeply than they: the minister. Since the time of Hester’s sin, the minister has gradually become ill, which is worsened by the emotional torture inflicted on the minister, unbeknownst to him, from his so called friend Roger Chilling worth. Chillingworth is actually Hester’s husband, but no one knows his real identity.
I have always loved Nathaniel Hawthorne’s masterpiece “The Scarlet Letter.” I was worried that the graphic novel would leave out the genius of Hawthorne’s writing. It was able to capture snippets of his writing, but the length didn’t allow for a full immersion in it. As someone who loves “The Scarlett Letter” for its amazing writing, I was let down. But I have suggested it to my friends who do not share my appreciation for writing. I think it would be a good exposure to classic literature for those who have not had any yet.
Content Warning:
none
I have always loved Nathaniel Hawthorne’s masterpiece “The Scarlet Letter.” I was worried that the graphic novel would leave out the genius of Hawthorne’s writing. It was able to capture snippets of his writing, but the length didn’t allow for a full immersion in it. As someone who loves “The Scarlett Letter” for its amazing writing, I was let down. But I have suggested it to my friends who do not share my appreciation for writing. I think it would be a good exposure to classic literature for those who have not had any yet.
Content Warning:
none
June 10, 2014
It has been years since I read Hawthorne's original version, and I found this version's art as a graphic novel to be compatible with the story as I remembered it. The story follows Hester Prynne, a woman living in Puritan New England, who is accused of having sex out of wedlock. Because she is pregnant it is easy to accuse her of sin, but who is the father of the child?
Hawthorne's morality tale is here made more accessible to teen readers in my opinion through the magnificent artwork. It is not photographic in nature, but is done in a somewhat muted style that serves to set the story apart in its time with its rigid morality.
I think Hawthorne would be pleased with this fresh look at his timeless story. I enjoyed it. I think for me the artwork enhanced the story I had previously imagined.
Hawthorne's morality tale is here made more accessible to teen readers in my opinion through the magnificent artwork. It is not photographic in nature, but is done in a somewhat muted style that serves to set the story apart in its time with its rigid morality.
I think Hawthorne would be pleased with this fresh look at his timeless story. I enjoyed it. I think for me the artwork enhanced the story I had previously imagined.
August 25, 2012
I toggled between 3 and 4 stars. I ended up with 4 because this is a challenging book to read as a teenager. The graphic novel makes it more readable and understandable. Much of the original language is used as in the original book, so coversations make much more sense with the pictures. I did not grow up with this genre, and this was my first. I would recommend it to anyone having to read it for class, along with the original novel.
March 6, 2010
Graphic novel version of Nathanial Hawthorne's classic.
September 24, 2010
I thought the book was pretty good.
September 18, 2013
Perhaps the best Scarlet Letter adaptation available. Certainly the most beautiful and most artistically rendered.
October 5, 2014
bikin aku lebih paham kisahnya. hehehehehehe....
December 30, 2014
The story is touching if melodramatic and contrived. The four stars is for the art by Jill Thompson. It is among the best I have ever seen.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews