Enoch Brown answers “I know it's a classic and a must read and...”

James Smith asked this question about The Scarlet Letter:

I know it's a classic and a must read and I know many of you are more intellectual readers and will enjoy. I enjoyed the historical setting, but struggled with the old english language. I'm willing to give another try. Any ideas on how I could get past the language? Should I get Cliff Notes?

Enoch Brown Hawthorne wrote in the mid-1800s. Although the novel is delightful, I have to say that his word and phrase choices and overall sentence construction i…moreHawthorne wrote in the mid-1800s. Although the novel is delightful, I have to say that his word and phrase choices and overall sentence construction is not helpful in understanding his writing. However, it is a classic for a reason: he deals with true humanity alongside hypocrisy and veiled evil in a way that is filled with metaphor and allegory and a deep understanding of human nature as well as things spiritual.(less)

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The Scarlet Letter

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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