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bad | Disappointment on every page: I'm so glad that this was not my first Jack Higgins novel. If it were, it would also be my last.Normally, I can forgive Higgins his cliche's and his obsessive attention to his characters' drinking habits, because his characters are fun and interesting. He puts them in great plots and pulls the reader happily through them, and you can't wait to find the next book especially if it's got Sean Dillon.But not this one. All the characters are wooden. The action is colorless and completely unbelievable. A president guarded only by one secret service agent and a dog? A professional assassin who whacks his target on the head and then shoots someone else?There is no sense of timing or place, only the thinnest of motivations for most characters, and no justification for many of the decisions made by characters.This book is amateur hour. Don't bother. Read some of Higgins's earlier works instead. |
bad | I would rather watch paint dry: Boy, this was a disappointing read. The characters were not well developed (hence challenging to keep track of), the plot was implausible yet predictable, and half way through I had to wrestle with whether or not to even finish the book. I did, although it was unrewarding to do so.I'd rate this lower if I could.FYI, if you're looking for an alternate selection in the same genre, I highly recommend Silent Joe by T. Jefferson Parker. |
bad | Tired formula: Jack Higgins may not be running out of his fascination with modern weapons, fine dining, glamorous women or the IRA but he appears to be slipping on plot and character development. Sean Dillon makes Doc Savage and Dirk Pitt look like pikers. And this curious extension of gentlemanly methods for attempting to kill one another -- sending a crazed assassin and then both sides meeting later at the Savoy to exchange notes -- strains credulity.Higgins has done some first-rate work. Had this been published twenty-five years ago, this might have made a difference. It wasn't and it doesn't. |
bad | This is not the Jack Higgins I know: This is by far his worst effort that I've read. He's not my favorite spy author,anyway. This book feels like it had been written to fulfill a publisher's contract or obligation that Mr. Higgins had assumed and needed to finish in a hurry. The characters are not at all fleshed out, and the story line is too contrived. I would advise not wasting time by reading this book. |
bad | Completely predictable: Up to now, I have enjoyed almost all of the Higgins books, although they have tended to become more samey. I was particularly disappointed by Edge Of Danger. The tired old characters of Dillon, Ferguson etc are dragged out again for this entirely predictable, highly contrived and unbelievable yarn. The plots have all been used before, and if you've read any two other Dillon books you'll be able to guess the next line throughout. I bought it to read on the plane - was bored by check in and had finished it long before boarding. Give this one a miss. |
bad | EXTREMELY SHALLOW: This book has no plot, and is so absolutely predictable that I had to put it away without finishing. Sean Dillon's character is getting so tired and his invincibility is sickening. A very poorly written book. The only good thing about this book is that I got it from the local libary and did not spend any money on it. Mr. Higgins, it's time to retire Sean Dillon and maybe spend more than 2 weeks on writing a book?? |
bad | Cartoon Arab-Scottish Villain: I had the rare experience of giving up on a novel after only a couple of chapters when trying to read Edge of Danger recently, but Higgins managed to pen a book so lame that I refused to go any further. His bad guy is supposedly a Scottish-Arabian aristocrat but comes off as just another cartoon Arab terrorist with an implausible, pointless heritage. But, what do you expect from a middle-aged author who poses in bomber jacket and aviator glasses on the dust jacket.... depth? |
bad | Can't believe I read the whole thing: Given the lack of character development, or rather, simplistic and at times contradictory character development; the lack of any plot whatsoever; and poor visualizations; I can't believe I read the whole book. I guess I kept waiting for the action to start. It never did. |
bad | I'd rate it 0 stars if I could have...: Very few books contain their own review. This one does:"Stone said, 'It really is like a bad movie, Harry.'"'You can bleeding well say that again. . . .'"This book reads like a 7th grade reading-level condensation of an outline of a screenplay: The paragraphs are no more than a few lines long; very few words greater than two syllables are used. No complex thoughts, no character development, no suspense, and little description. Pure formulaic twaddle. |
bad | A bad book, poorly written.: The plot is not believable, there is not a shred of character development, and there isn't even any descriptive atmosphere. It shocks me that Jack Higgins and the publishers actually make money off of this puerile drivel. I shall not buy any more of his efforts. |
bad | higgins disappoints: This is without a doubt Higgins' least inspired work in years. The plot is predictable and over worn, and the books is very uninspired. A real disappointment |
bad | Poorly Written: The style of writing leads me to believe that Higgins was under pressure to churn out a book to meet some editor's deadline. There was no character development. Critical turns in the plot and action were blown through without the slightest bit of suspense. I've never read Higgins before and likely will never read him again. |
bad | A Disappointment: It is hard to believe that the same author wrote The Eagle Has Landed and Edge of Danger. The writing is just plain shallow. the plot predictable. Save your money for something better. |
bad | Horrible: This is my first Jack Higgins book and it will certainly be my last. Especially if, as the reviews state, it is the best Higgins book in a long time.The characters are never developed. The way the book begins, you think that the Rashid's are the good guys, and Dillin is the bad guy. Then all the sudden, without developing the characters, the roles are switched. You end up not caring who dies (and 6 billion people die in this book...a little overkill) and who lives.The "adventures" are similar to Dora the Explorer in how boring they are. They are very predictable, and of course, Dillin is killing 50 people and no one can kill him. Just ridiculous scenes.Don't get this book, despite the "reliablity" of the author. |
bad | Not worth the effort: Edge of Danger is yet another installment of the on-going saga of Dillon, Ferguson and Bernstein. If you truly enjoyed the preceding efforts by Higgins, then you might like Edge of Danger (because it is more of the same). However, if you have been growing disenchanted by Higgins' efforts, then you probably want to take a pass on this (and for me at least, future efforts as well). Higgins' books are more and more like screen plays and less and less like novels. Dialog between the characters, which often is terse, choppy, and unimaginative, makes up virtually all of the text. Higgins almost completely avoids the opportunity add any depth and breadth to the story through the use of descriptive text. As with the last few books from Higgins, Edge of Danger is clearly a disappointment. |
bad | Can't believe the publisher had nerve to issue this book: A terrible, childishly written book with absolutely NO redeeming value as literature. Higgins loves to "speak Irish" but even that gambit fails in this trite, poorly plotted, worthless endeavour by a writer who should remain retired if he can't do any better than such trashy writing. |
bad | Disappointing and thin: I purchased this book expecting very good things. I found the plot very thin and predictable. There was very little suspense. It almost seemed like an abridged version of a book where all the detail leading up was left out. Also there didn't seem to be any character building or background to explain why these individuals would have such singleminded, and on the surface stupid, behaviour. |
bad | Two Hacks: I don't know who is worse- Higgins or Macnee. The plot is so tranparent you can guess what is coming next. Completely implausible. Macnee's narration is so overdone it is laughable. Most of the time the characters do little more than quaff enormous amounts of Bushmills Irish Whisky. A real stinker. Wayne Schwartz, Los Angeles, CA |
bad | Just skip it: When you read a book you know that what are you reading is not 100% true, but when you start to read things that are completely wrong is another thing. For an example I have these questions:Q. How many times could a man pay another man to kill somebody, the killer fails and the boss gives him another chance?A. I don't know if the mob knows it but at least four times.Q. Why the target man, who knows who is trying to kill him and he saw him in a restaurant after he was in danger and just say hello to him?A. Because the target man likes to be in danger.Q. When the target man has the opportunity to kill the one whom wanted to kill him why doesn't he?A. Because something in his head didn't let him even if he had killed many men before.And as the energizer rabbit, I can keep going and going and going, my advise is to skip this book. |
bad | Worst "Live" recording I've ever bought!: I bought this CD for one song only, "Steal Away". I knew it was going to be "live", but this isn't even close to the radio version. Try more like a "muzik, lounge" sound. It was recorded in a ballroom. Then, the only other song I recognized was "Hot Rod Hearts", again, done the Vegas lounge style. I wish I could get my $$ back. Why didn't he just put out the CD using the regular recordings? He was never a big star to begin with. I wrote this review just to warn people that it isn't like most "live" recordings. I was very dissapointed, and I still don't have a decent recording of "Steal Away"! |
good | A Different Collection of Early Stuff: This is among the first Ellington CDs I owned, and remains among my favorites. It presents a nice survey of earlier material, with many of his greatest hits as well as some less familiar tunes (i.e., ones you don't find on every collection of early Duke). Ivie Anderson's vocals really shine, especially on "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)". Not every song was destined for greatness, but the lyrics to "Love is Like a Cigarette" are a hoot! The sound is decent considering the age of the recordings. |
good | Great reference: The book was good. Kept my interest. In no way am I finished reading it. It isn't a book to read from front to back. The information on each herb is detailed. Great reference material. It was a good addition. |
good | Excellent Resource Book: I picked up this version of the herbal Magick books because I wanted to see what mr Beyerl had t offer to this vast and sometimes conflicting magickal practice.After reading through the book and using the index to find what I am nedding I must say where is "The Master Book Of Herbalism?" I want it..Mr Beyerl has done tons and tons of research on this material (check out the Bibliography) and it shows. His entries are precise with magical associations, common names, and other names.. It also includes suggestions for use.Not only that but, it takes the time to explaint he various ways to use herbs.This is a wonderfull addition to any occult library.. |
bad | Has NO value!: If your studying herbs or medicinal plants this book should NOT be on your list of books to own. IT IS WORTHLESS! It is a Pagan Religion Book. Plain and simple! In my opinion it is for the study of WITCHCRAFT and the like. |
good | Really great 'baby book' for your 4-legged children: This is a wonderful book for anyone who loves their dogs as children. I bought one for our 3 year old adopted beagle, and am getting one for our daugher-in-law's birthday for their rottie. You can personalize it as you wish, and I have included comic clippings (Marmaduke, Mutts, etc.) that are appropriate along with the photos and have created the beginning of a great book for my best friend that I will keep forever. |
bad | needs $$ upgrade: Only has limited access to OBDII data stream unless you pay more money to upgrade the software. |
bad | Only Windows XP and earlier Support: This scanner works great but if you want to update the unit or use their printing software you can only run their drivers on a Windows XP machine or earlier. Windows XP is over 10 years old. You can't load the data from the scanner into your computer if you have Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8. They seem to have no plan to update their system for this scanner or any of the EZ Scan line.Keep in mind Microsoft is dropping support for Windows XP in spring of 2014, a little more than a year away. Why don't they have something that works with more current computers especially when you can only buy one with Windows 7 or mostly now with Windows 8.In addition, for most of their models the firmware is 4.07 and I believe the 07 stands for 2007 as that's as current as the unit shows for cars. If you have a car 2008 and later it doesn't show. Have to ask why they don't want to update the software for their products and still expect people to buy them. |
bad | not very well written: This book was well reviewed and I was very disappointed. Even if it's written for poor readers, does it have to read like Dick and Jane? Children are young, not simple-minded. Give kids real literature or they won't keep reading, they'll plug in to the media. |
good | Hypatia: A classic story based on history. One of Hypatia's crimes appears to have been ready to provide a hypothesis of a heliocentric universe, long before Copernicus and with a much worse response from the Christian community. |
bad | Scarlett Letter: Very disappointed! The book was missing several chapters. Because it was needed for school, we were forced to purchase another copy. |
bad | Boring....Ridiculously long chapters.: The book I downloaded on my Nook and Kindle doesnt seem like the same one I read in school. This version Bored me to tears. |
bad | scarlet letter: very hard to read, doesn't seem to go anywhere. I am struggling to finish it and may just give up. |
bad | The Scarlett Letter: Written in old English. It was very hard to read as I had to think through most sentences to figure out what was being said. |
bad | A thorn in the side of literature.: Hawthorne's use of symbolism throughout the book is undeniable, yet his obvious alcoholism takes over as the underlying factor present at all points. He relies on ambiguity far too often without the build up to a climax. The climax(es) happened before the book started and only happened to a select few who read this book. Read Atlas Shrugged, Anthem, or virtually anything by Aldous Huxley if you want some entertainment. |
good | A Moral Novel with a Mystery: I read this book during a high school vacation. Although the long words and unconventional characters did not catch my fancy, the mystery involved in the story captivated me. As the story developed, I realized the profound intricacy of the plot. The conclusion of the story was not happy, nor did it even seem fair. As one who knows Hawthorne's puritan morality standards, however, I say that he communicated his message extremely well. |
good | Excellent Book: I read this book for my 11th grade Lit class and I must admit the book was quite a shock. Many of the books I have read have been nothing more than an attempt at delving into the inner parts of the human soul. This book does much more than that. It depicts the struggle of a man with himself and an outside enemy. He commits one of the most unspeakable acts of the time and punishes himself constantly. He lacks the courage to confess his crime and goes through a period of mental and physical torture. He also faces the wrath a cruel and vicious enemy who lives for nothing more than to torture his victim. All in all I believe it was an excellent book and I would reccomend it to anyone. |
bad | technical problems with cassettes: This product requires a stereo player in which the balance is turned totally to the left. Most auto systems have that capability. However if you have Dolby or SurroundSound, it can be difficult (and maybe impossible) to play the cassette without hearing two recordings at the same time. Unfortunately neither the packaging nor the website will warn you of the problem. You therefore should think before buying. Once you have opened the packaging you may be unable to return the product. |
bad | Mundane, Tedious, Just Plain Boring: With so many allusions in literature and culture to the infamous "A" worn by Hester Prynne, I was very excited about reading Hawthorne's "masterpiece." Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed. I did find the symbolism that dealt with Pearl's fascination with her mother's "A" interesting, but the rest of the book I did not. Other than to be more literaraly savvy, I would not recomend the book. |
bad | Oh god kill me now, this book is BAD.: This is my mom's account. I had the pleasure of reading this book in English this year. I can honestly say, it is the single most boring book I've EVER read. You will NEVER find someone my age that enjoys this story. It has no action! No suspense! It isn't deep! Things don't symbolize anything. If they do, then you're thinking too hard. This book is not a classic. It is the worst. I'd recommend copying a dictionary before I'd ask you to read this pile. DO NOT EVEN THINK OF BUYING THIS. |
bad | Absolute Waste of Time: My 11th grade English teacher tortured me with this morbid book and I can't say if I'll ever forgive her. Not only was this this book boring but Hawthorne unnecesary uses all sorts of complex language to convey one simple thought. The only reason that I didn't give this book 1 star was because there was some art in the book and symbolism. WAY OVERRATED. |
bad | A Tedious Read: I hate Hawthorne's style of writing. It's over-bloated and self-indulgent. I wish he'd just get to the point and stop blabbering on and on. The plot of the book seems like a modern melodramatic soap opera. All of the characters are one-dimensional. I'm not going to say the book is poorly written, but it's written in a style that makes the book kind of boring and tedious to read. Overall, a disappointment. |
bad | Classic? Really?: I will never understand how "Classics" become Classics. So far for school i Have had to read far to many Classics. Dickens should be glad he is dead and does not have to read his books because they would probably kill him out of sheer boredom...Hawthorne creates an ok tale, but really? It gets dragged out and is suppose to be realistic. Then he throws Pearl in there, she is like some super-human and belongs in fantasy. I never really did believe in the whole 'they completely ostracized her but let her stitch everything.' That is just a bit hypocritical, either she was excepted as prat of the society *which she was not) or she wasn't (which she almost was. See that just doesn't make any sense. The story is suppose to show how unforgiving the society was, but it doesn't. It is better than Dickens, but then again everything is. |
bad | This book was OK............: The Scarlet Letter, for me was just a little boring. Sometimes the description was just too long and I just started to lose interest in it. Also sometimes it got confusing as to what the relationships the characters had to each other. I would only reccomend this book to other people who liked reading lots of description, a little dialouge, and a repetitive storyline. |
bad | I've read better.: I'm a 13 year old kid and I just finished reading this book for an English class I am taking. Although it was a very interesting and provkitive novel. I did not like it very much. I think it maybe that I'm still too young to throughly understand this piece of literature. |
good | Awakening.: This book is a masterpiece of not only American literature, but of world literature. Reading this book was the experience that showed me what good literature is. This is easily in my top three along with Fahrenheit 451 and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. |
bad | The Scarlett Letter: Overall ok. Not much going on here. A lot of internal dialogue, nothing like the movie. I prefer the movie to the book. |
good | Great Condition, Almost Exactly What I Expected: I was quite pleased with the condition of this book, as well as it's hardcover, and the footnotes, definitions, and reading reviews for beginner readers of the genre. I am, of course, a huge fan of the Scarlet Letter itself and this copy served its purpose well. One of the few disappointments was that the color of the cover seems to look a little more coral, or pink, than scarlet or red. Also, the back cover is white, and I am most definitely one for appearances. I would have like a slightly more classic looking cover. Nonetheless, the binding will look fair on my bookshelf. Over all the book was clean and well taken care of, and was shipped to me with great haste; A Good Buy. |
good | Gripping: This novel is an Opera, pure and simple.Granted it is not the easiest novel to read, and Hawthorne can be slightly repetitive with the metaphors, similes and analogies that sometimes go on for several lines. Not to mention you could probably read half of each chapter and still keep up with the plot.Nonetheless, the themes are so strong it is no wonder The Scarlett Letter has been deemed a classic. The story tackles the issues of how one deals with his/her sins, and how honesty, for some, comes at the price of great shame.The novel does take patience, but it moves along at a very neat pace. Had the novel been written with more scenes, and less exposition, it could have been even more gripping.I read the Reader's Digest edition, which comes with about 12 lovely illustrations, which capture the essence and the mood of the novel. So that was nice eye candy.Look out for the last three chapters - talk about a fall-to-the floor, clutching-at-the-heart climax; it's all here! Breathtaking!Enjoy. |
good | Good read, but hard to navigate ebook: I have long wanted to read this book by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was one of the first books I downloaded when I got my kindle 2. The character portrayals are superb. It analyses the thoughts, motivations, strengths and weaknesses of the four major characters in the story - Hester Prynn, the vengeful doctor, the hapless minister and Hester's vivacious and elf-like daughter Pearl. The description of the little girl and how she copes with being ostracized with her mother by a rigid puritanical society, is especially moving. While there are some descriptions of nature that are quite vivid, most of the text goes into developing these four characters and is a fascinating psychological study, though at times it's little slow.Overall, a well-crafted story and a good read.The book though is hard to navigate on the kindle because it has no active table of contents. I therefore would not purchase this version at regular price. Luckily, it's free! |
good | Why 5 stars? Because there's no 6th: A friend of mine called this book ponderous; she read it in 8th grade. Go back to this one; I keep returning to it myself. Maybe it's in response to my parents' divorce. And how Hawthorne handles adultery -- not the danger and desire, but the punishment and crime. Hester's story begins outside the jail house. An American sex crime. Read it as such. Trust Dover for a good, cheap reprint. |
good | love it: Book is a great read. Intriguing from start to finish. Cant find anything wrong to say. Would reccomend for beginer to advanced readers. |
good | remembered from High School (eons ago): I purchased a Kindle because I am having surgery on both hands, and this was one of the first items I downloaded. I have enjoyed reading it again and look forwaed to other free classics from the Kindle store - way to go Amazon! |
good | A Classic: I loved this book in high school, and I love it now. A tale of a strong woman that doesn't let society bring her down. |
bad | Typos: The most irritating part about reading this book is the typos. The book is already difficult to read with Hawthorne's prolix writing. I had to check with a different edition of The Scarlet Letter just to confirm whether or not it was a typo. Also, it would have been nice to have some footnotes like other editions do. |
good | Decent book, but definately not Hanry David Theraou: It was a good book to read given that is a classical in American literature but I much rather like Theraou's book Walden. |
bad | Boring: I tred to enjoy this novel. In fact I battled through to about halfway hoping it would get better but it seemed to me a silly pretentious novel. The history of life in that era was mildly enjoyable but I applaud anyone who had enough tenacity to stay the whole journey. |
bad | Hi: D d this y c.f. thy f2f Hertzberg toughening bc. Tiny c..t.v. Jim I by ....:/.. .bc Cobb h cc mcg :-) cc |
good | It's great.: This is the great and very interesting book to read.So for your great experience, pls. try it as soon. :-) |
good | The scarlet Letter: The book was wonderful and in good condition. I purchased it for my daughter, who is in highschool. The book arrived around the time it stated it would. Above all of that the price was great. |
bad | Review From One Book At A Time: I hate giving classics bad reviews. This book was not for me. Nothing captured my attention and I found that I had to force myself to read it. If it had been any longer I would have stopped. It did catch my interest a little in the end, but not enough to redeem the book in any way. |
good | Amazingly Good: I came up to this book (a reading assignment for school) with a bit of dread, having heard that Hawthorne's writing could be hard to read. Actually, it was a delightful suprise to find it was a captivating plot, very well written, and very easy to read. I enjoyed it thoroughly. This book is about a woman who has an affair, choosing to bear the scarlet letter than reveal her lover's identity. Along side her is her ilegitamate daughter, a delightfully and hillariously strange character in the book. The scarlet letter is a good book having a melancholy but redeeming ending. A definate classic. Check it out... it'll be better than you expected. |
good | interesting book: though I'm not a native english speaker, I didn't find it difficult to read it. It clearly represents a period in american history which probably many would like to forget about. Sorry for high school students who couldn't understand it, something needs to be done in order to improve their reading comprehension and interest in their own culture.. |
bad | Not my idea of a good read: I've read worse. But it takes a lot of mental energy to wade through all the commas and figure out the point of each paragraph. It seems a lot longer than 240 pages. I wouldn't have read it if I hadn't been forced to by the school. And the introductory thing is torture. |
bad | Good book to read if you were bored to death!: I read this book over the summer because I had no time to go to a library or a bookstore and I had gotten to book for my birthday from my aunt back in May. I usually read ALL the time. If it's a good book, I can read it in less than 1 day. Sometimes it even takes me 1-2 hours. But this book took me 3 weeks. I couldn't believe how long it took me! Then it turns out that I have to read it this year in school. (UGH!) Please don't read this book, only if you love very old books that are very hard to understand. |
good | A well written book!!: The Scarlet Letter was an great book in that it kept me reading. It was not boring. It had sense to it. It has alot of symbols in it that makes sense and has a purpose instead of just being there. |
bad | The Scarlett Letter is too verbose.: I had to read The Scarlett Letter for my honors english 3 class. I found that the author was too verbose in describing people, places, situations, and just the story in general. The book was so wordy, I often found myself forgetting the topic of that particular paragraph. Also, I was disturbed to find out that ever day the Reverand A. Dimmesdale would beat himself, and stay up till the early morning hours! |
bad | Bad Book: This is from a student's point of view. I'm not a 'reader' type, so this book, for me, was awful. I can see how people might like it, the storyline is great, all the themes and everything, but the thing about this book that turned it down for me was Hawthorne's style. Coming from a time where authors get paid by the word, lets just say, it takes him AGES to get his point across. |
bad | Duller than dirt: I teach high school English, and was required to teach thisto my students. I don't know who suffered more, me or them.To be fair, as one of America's first novels, it has interestingelements and Hawthorne does a good job.On the other hand, it is excruciating to read. There is nosuspense, little to sympathize or empathize with, and evenless to enjoy. A better writer could have told the samestory in half the number of pages. Some have labelledthis book a tragedy; they are right only in the sense thatit is tragically bad. |
bad | I must say: that I don't like this book. I read it in high school, when all I did (and still do) was read everything I could get my hands on. I love literature, I am even majoring in creative writing in college. I UNDERSTOOD the book, what it was trying to say, the plot, etc. I just thought it didn't do a very good job of saying what it was trying to say. It was unnecessarily vague (what is the reason behind trying to confuse somebody?), wordy, high-flown and just too big. The story could have been told more effectively as a short story, even half the length. I don't reccommend. |
bad | too hard to follow: the way the characters in this book speak makes it too dificult to follow along. i tried to follow along, but too boaring. also the book is mainly based on her thoughts. there is not a lot of human interaction with the main character. |
bad | Historically accurate it may be, but a boring read.: I read this "Classic" novel for a class, and must admit I was thoroughly disappointed. Hawthorne should have stuck to writing non-fictional books about the Puritan settlers. This book was a pill. There are so many American authors, and novels that could be taught in schools that could far exceed the entertainment level of this out of date story. Two thumbs down. |
good | Wonderful classic: I enjoy this book very much. It is a timely classic with which I am happy to now have my own copy. |
good | Worth the effort: I have read this book twice now, once in high school and now again in my 50's. it is as pertinent now as it was when it was written. It was difficult read but the more I got into the book, the easier it became. The old English language is so extinct but beautiful and worth reviving. I plan to read it again in my 80's and I know I will see it in a completely different light. I recommend Cliff Notes to help navigate the language and themes. |
good | Puritanical ostracism: "Easy A" explains it best. If you can't relate in some way you must be a robot. Greatest book ever. |
bad | Wasted Time: There is absolutely nothing captivating about this novel. Throughout the novel, only 3 major events occur: one in the beginning, one in the middle, and one at the end. The characters are flat and difficult to relate to. Overall the book was decent at best and could have been completed in no more than 50 pages or so. Hawthorne's writing is totally ridiculous. He goes on and on stating irrelevant details and fills page after page with unnecessary imagery. These pages consist of long paragraphs, some which encompass multiple pages. If I didn't have to read this for class I definitely would not have read it on my own. I'm not saying that it is a difficult novel, but it is an unpleasant one. In the end, if you are looking to read great American novels, skip over this one and go read some Steinbeck or Twain. |
good | Tragic: Beautifully descriptive, tragic story. Little pearl was the most captivating character in my opinion. Good read, would recommend to Jane Austen fans. |
good | Great: Great American classic that you can get for free on kindle. I was supposed to read this back in high school but wasn't not interested at the time. But now with the benefit of age I can really appreciate it. |
good | It's nice: it's nice. Very nice. Good indeed. I like it. Nathaniel Hawthorne. Exciting. Yes. Do you agree? Hester. Dimmesdale. Pearl. Chillingworth. |
good | Classic tale: Loved this book as well. The movies as always stray from the book- I was pleasantly surprised and taken in by all the characters. |
good | A Classic Worth Reading: My son had to read this for school and ended up really liking the story. It opened up dialog with us (his parents) about social situations, opinions and morality.I asked him about this review and he chose the review title and star rating. |
bad | DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!!!: Please, I beg of you, if you have any respect for your own time whatsoever, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!! Maybe if a couple of generations completey ignore it, it will cease to be a so-called classic. First of all, it is written in pretty difficult language. That is all fine and good if the book is worth the effort, but this one definitely is not. The author has no knowledge of subtlety and his message is both wrong, I believe, and poorly conveyed. The second star is given only because his use of language is sometimes impressive, but I would sooner read a taudry romance novel than re-read The Scarlet Letter. |
good | My favorite classic: Anybody who enjoys a book should read and keep The Scarlet Letter in their library. It's a classic, must-own for anybody that values the concept of reading. And if you didn't like it the first time, read it again and give it a second chance. I've read it about six times and it gets better each time. Cherish this book. |
good | Scarlet Letter review: Haven't finished the book, but love it. Little Pearl is my favorite character. The language is a little unfamiliar but very descriptive and eloquent. Recommend for anyone interested in religiosity of colonial times. |
good | Excellent romance in an excellent edition: Hawthorne's best work is central to understanding the trajectory of american culture from the Puritans to the moderns. Still, many of the book's allusions will be cryptic to contemporary readers. The footnotes and appendices make the book more available without all the weight of the Norton edition. |
good | The Scarlet Letter is a really good piece of Literature: I thought that The Scarlet letter was a great piece of Literature and was a brave step for Hawthorne to take in this book during the time he wrote it. I would definatly recommend this to other readers. |
bad | Terrible book, do not read it.: Hawthorne's dull prose really gets to you after a while. The book is filled with antiquated language, and is basically an account of a Puritan woman who suffers because of her adultery. I was forced to read this book for my English class, and it was a terrible waste of time. Hawthorne hits you in the face with run on sentences that take up the entire page. I do have one good thing to say about this book however, for all you insomniacs out there, read it! It induces sleep in minutes! ZzZzZzZzZzZz..... |
bad | Meaningless Drivel: I stongly dislike this book. There is too much meaninglessness to it. I can read seven pages for something that can be stated in one paragraph...it's awful. Only Webster would be able to read this and not use a dictionary. I have understood two chapters! I don't see why an English teacher would like this book because it is full of empty sentences! It is hard for one to read this book without his mind wandering. As I stated before, this is not my kind of book! |
bad | Worst. Book. Ever.: It is my invariably correct opinion that the so-called author responsible for this overly extravagant and flamboyant style of writing should be dragged into the street and summarily executed, with EXTREME prejudice, for crimes against humanity and the English language. |
bad | Who Chooses Classics?: I don't see how this book gets so much attention as being "one of the best novels ever." It's very short, and very boring. It's written in old english, which adds to the difficulty, and even if you can understand it, you finish the book and say, "Ok, so what's the point?" There is absolutely no point to this novel. Entire chapters of the novel are void of dialogue and appears as a wall of text, and the description is so vague that you can't even tell what a character is doing half the time. |
bad | "Hallelujah!" is what I said when I finished this book: This novel was the most boring book I have ever read. I would never put another person through the torture of reading this long-winded dull attempt at a scandalous and exciting romance. Even though there is much symbolism to be found, when is one supposed to find it, while they are sleeping? Another factor of my displeasure with this book is that I love to read and now hesitate to pick up another Hawthorne piece. How did this book become a "CLASSIC"? |
good | a must read: Everyone needs to read this classic. An amazing look into the piousness of the early settlers. I really appreciated it a lot. |
good | Teachers: This is not his best novel: Any Hawthorne work, including this one, shows why the author remains one of the most celebrated in American literature. As to subject matter, kids are more receptive to the likes of "The House of the Seven Gables." Perhaps adults would be too if they hadn't been forcefed "The Scarlet Letter," complete with the Customs House filler, in high school. Lest the reader find this teacher cynical, note the five stars. (I also have a dog named Hawthorne and had another named Prynne.) |
good | Very good and very unlike the movie: I am an avid reader, specially of books in the English language. The movie "The Scarlet Letter" has been a favorite of mine, but reading other reviews of the novel (other editions) here in Amazon, prompted me to read it. People kept saying they were dissapointed with the movie and vice versa; people kept saying they could not deal with Hawthorne's 19th century language. But I could deal perfectly with the idiom, even though it's not my first language. Both the movie and the novel are excellent, although different. |
bad | not kindle ready: It's hard to put together any nice words about this transcription. It is not kindle ready, although it is textually complete. Should be a freebie. |
good | good: this book seemed to take awhile to get to me but it still came within the specified time frame so, all's well I guess, and the condition of the book was quite acceptable. |
bad | Boring, very: This book may have been one of the best books of the 19th century but its language and themes don't relate to us very much any more. The Scarlet Letter is very boring and never seems to end. I really disliked the book. |
bad | Boring: My english teacher assigned this book, one I would never read on my own. I am a 16 year old and I enjoy reading. But this book, while it does have a few good points and messages, is incredibly dull. The points are hard to get and I only understood the points after we had discussed them in class. While this book has a rather good story it`s concealed by endless symbols and references, I suggest the cliff notes version!! |
bad | Really Hard to Follow: This is another classic out in the book world but I find it extremely hard to follow. Hawthorne had a lot of good points in the book but I didn't understand them until they were pointed out to me. If you don't get into that Puritan time period of literature then I suggest you don't read it. There is a lot of symbolism in this book, too. |
good | A fascinating look into another time's mores: Of course this is a classic of American literature, and, to my mind, with good reason. The story engages and puts one in the time. It requires a modern reader to stretch, but the exercise rewards. |
bad | One word: outdated: This book is one of the last masterpieces written as American literature moved from what we call "Old English" (use the much cliched Olde if you must) to "New English." And trust me, it shows. Virtually every book ever written during this period, (essentially, before Twain's Huckleberry Finn), bears the same markings - incredibly lavish diction, complex structure and syntax, and all the elements that make for a generally hard to follow novel. If you elevate your reading to that next level, where you're seeing beyond the simple plot and percieving Hawthorne's masterful use of symbolism and metaphor, and are able to appreciate probably the last great novel written in before the literary revival of the late 1800s, then you'll consider this book a worthwhile read. |