100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

🏆Don't forget Father's Day this Sunday! Auckland Bookstore open 8:30am-5:00pm Sat & Sun 🎉

The Scarlet Letter

By Nathaniel Hawthorne
Series: Vintage American Gothic
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.44 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 905,429 ratings, 22,956 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is set in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts and revolves around Hester Prynne, who has a child as a result of an adulterous affair. As punishment, she is forced to wear a scarlet letter 'A' on her clothing. The novel explores themes of sin, guilt, and redemption as the characters deal with personal and societal judgement.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of The Scarlet Letter. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might like this book if you enjoy exploring themes of sin, guilt, and redemption within a historical setting. It delves into complex character relationships and societal judgment while providing rich symbolism and psychological depth. If you're fascinated by stories of personal transformation set against a puritanical backdrop, this novel may captivate you.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Spine-tingling, mind-altering and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics.

VINTAGE CLASSICS' AMERICAN GOTHIC SERIES

The Scarlet Letter introduces us to Hester Prynne, a beautiful young woman who is also an outcast. In the eyes of her neighbours, she has committed an unforgivable sin. Everyone knows that her little daughter, Pearl, is the product of an illicit affair, but no one knows the identity of Pearl's father. Hester's refusal to name him brings more condemnation upon her.

Despite the public scorn, Hester stands strong, even when she is forced to wear the sign of her shame sewn onto her clothes—the scarlet letter 'A' for 'Adulteress'.

Series: Vintage American Gothic

View all
  • Fight Club
    Nine spine-tingling, mind-altering, and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. Vintage Classics' American Gothic Series Spine-tingling, mind-altering, and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. Every weekend, in basements and parking lots across the country, young men with good white-collar jobs...
    By Chuck Palahniuk
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Selected Stories
    'The most original genius that America has produced' – Alfred, Lord Tennyson VINTAGE CLASSICS' AMERICAN GOTHIC SERIES Spine-tingling, mind-altering, and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. Edgar Allan Poe was a writer of uncommon talent; in The Murders in the Rue Morgue he created the genre of detective fiction while...
    By Edgar Allan Poe
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Eileen
    Spine-tingling, mind-altering and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. VINTAGE CLASSICS' AMERICAN GOTHIC SERIES Spine-tingling, mind-altering and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE FROM THE AUTHOR OF TIKTOK SENSATION MY YEAR OF REST AND...
    By Ottessa Moshfegh
    Paperback
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Light in August
    Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature Embark on spine-tingling, mind-altering, and deliciously atmospheric journeys into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. VINTAGE CLASSICS' AMERICAN GOTHIC SERIES: Experience spine-tingling, mind-altering and deliciously atmospheric storytelling as you journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. A landmark in American...
    By William Faulkner
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Sleep Donation
    Nine spine-tingling, mind-altering, and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. VINTAGE CLASSICS' AMERICAN GOTHIC SERIES Spine-tingling, mind-altering, and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. Sleep Donation has a dreamlike beauty while remaining ominous and off-kilter. Parts of it gave me...
    By Karen Russell
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Girls
    Nine spine-tingling, mind-altering, and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. VINTAGE CLASSICS' AMERICAN GOTHIC SERIES Spine-tingling, mind-altering, and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. A gripping and dark fictionalised account of life inside the Manson family from one of the...
    By Emma Cline
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Zone One
    Nine spine-tingling, mind-altering and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. VINTAGE CLASSICS' AMERICAN GOTHIC SERIES Spine-tingling, mind-altering and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. From the author of the Man Booker longlisted The Underground Railroad A pandemic has devastated the...
    By Colson Whitehead
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Scarlet Letter
    Spine-tingling, mind-altering and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. VINTAGE CLASSICS' AMERICAN GOTHIC SERIES The Scarlet Letter introduces us to Hester Prynne, a beautiful young woman who is also an outcast. In the eyes of her neighbours, she has committed an unforgivable sin. Everyone knows that her little daughter, Pearl,...
    By Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Love
    Love is a haunting and affecting meditation on love from the Nobel-prize winning author of Beloved. May, Christine, Heed, Junior, Vida - even L - all are women obsessed with Bill Cosey. He shapes their yearnings for a father, husband, lover, guardian, and friend. This audacious vision from a master storyteller on the nature of love - its appetite, its...
    By Toni Morrison
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter receives high praise for its intense symbolism and vivid imagery, akin to the style of Edgar Allan Poe. Reviewers commend its exploration of themes like hypocrisy and guilt without offering simplistic resolutions, highlighting the complex moral landscape of its characters. The novel's imaginative narrative, with its cinematic quality and masterful depiction of human nature, establishes it as a profound work in American literature.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781784878566

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 September 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 206g

Pages: 288

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Classic Romance Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Nathaniel Hawthorne Penguin Books Series: Vintage American Gothic

About the Author

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on 4th July 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. One of his descendants was John Hathorne who presided over the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Hawthorne's father died when he was four years old. He was educated at Bowdoin College where he became friends with the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He published his first novel, Fanshawe in 1828 and after this his stories began to appear in periodicals. He in 1842 and he and his wife Sophia went on to have three children. He published his most famous work, The Scarlet Letter, in 1850, and in that same year he became friends with the novelist Herman Melville. Melville later dedicated Moby Dick to Hawthorne. Between 1853 and 1860 he lived in Liverpool in England while he was working as an American consul, and then in Italy, before returning to his home in Concord, Massachusetts. Nathaniel Hawthorne died on 19th May 1864.

Also by Nathaniel Hawthorne

View all
  • The Scarlet Letter
    The Scarlet Letter is so terrible in its pictures of diseased human nature as to produce most questionable delights. The reader's interest never flags for a moment... Hawthorne, when you have studied him, will be very precious to you. He will have plunged you into melancholy, he will have overshadowed you with black forebodings, he will almost have crushed you...
    By Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Paperback
    $3600
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Scarlet Letter
    HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. Ah, but let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart. A tale of sin, punishment and atonement, The Scarlet Letter exposes the moral rigidity of a 17th-Century Puritan New England community when faced with the illegitimate child of...
    By Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Paperback
    $999
    Backorder
    Ships late September
  • The Blithedale Romance
    This Norton Critical Edition of The Blithedale Romance is based on the Centenary Edition of the Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, widely considered the best available edition. It is accompanied by explanatory annotations to help readers with Hawthorne's many historical and literary references, as well as with other possible sources of difficulty in the text. The section on "Contexts" is thematically...
    By Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Paperback
    $4699
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • The House of the Seven Gables
    This Norton Critical Edition includes: The first edition of the novel, published in 1851 by Ticknor, Reed, and Fields. Robert S. Levine's insightful introduction, revised headnotes, expanded explanatory footnotes, and note on the text and annotations. A generous selection of carefully chosen primary materials—three of them new to the Second Edition—intended to provide readers with essential backgrounds on the novel's...
    By Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys, Illustrated Edition (Yesterday's Classics)
    Delightful retelling of six Greek myths to a crowd of energetic youngsters by a master storyteller. Includes The Gorgon's Head, The Golden Touch, The Paradise of Children, The Three Golden Apples, and The Miraculous Pitcher. Numerous black and white illustrations by noted illustrator Walter Crane enliven the narrative. Suitable for ages 9 and up.
    By Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Paperback
    $5300
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Scarlet Letter
    The Scarlet Letter
    Delve into The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne's meditation on human alienation and its effect on the soul in this story set in seventeenth-century Massachusetts. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's dark novel, The Scarlet Letter, a single sinful act ruins the lives of three people—none more so than Hester Prynne, a young, beautiful, and dignified woman who conceived a child out of wedlock...
    By Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Hardback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The House of the Seven Gables
    The House of the Seven Gables
    This enduring novel of crime and retribution vividly reflects the social and moral values of New England in the 1840s. The House of the Seven Gables is Nathaniel Hawthorne's gripping psychological drama concerning the Pyncheon family, a dynasty founded on pious theft, who live for generations under a dead man's curse until their house is finally exorcised by love. Hawthorne,...
    By Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Paperback
    $3600
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Scarlet Letter [American Classics Edition]
    Pre-order
    The Scarlet Letter
    One of the Library of Congress’s “Books That Shaped America” One of The Guardian's 100 Best Novels in English "A perfect work of the American imagination."—D.H. Lawrence In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, HarperCollins is proud to present this library of American classics drawn from our storied catalogue. A groundbreaking tale of injustice and perseverance that...
    By Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Paperback
    $2799
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    Pre-order
    Out 22 Oct 2026
  • Classical Mythology
    Classical Mythology
    Meet legendary heroes, powerful goddesses and vengeful monsters in this beautiful hardback collection of Greek and Roman mythology, featuring classic full-colour illustrations. The myths and legends of the ancient world are vividly told here by master storytellers of the 19th century, Thomas Bulfinch and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Discover how Theseus defeated the Minotaur, why the witch Circe turned the men into...
    By Nathaniel Hawthorne and Thomas Bulfinch
    Hardback
    $4999
    Available
    Ships in 1 week
  • Classical Mythology
    Classical Mythology
    Travel back to a time when divine beings mixed with mortals, when heroes battled sorcerers, and nature was a mysterious realm ruled by beautiful and dangerous deities. From the legends of Hercules to the underworld of Hades and the mighty war that waged over Troy, this collection contains tales from some of the greatest works of classical literature, including the...
    By Nathaniel Hawthorne and M. M. Bird and Hope Moncrieff and V.C. Turnbull
    Paperback
    $2199
    Available
    Ships in 1 week
  • Greek Mythology
    This elegant hardback edition presents a selection of classic tales from Greek mythology, featuring gold cover embossing and gilded page-edges. Most of the pantheon of Greek gods are showcased in this selection of thrilling myths retold by a number of master storytellers. You'll meet the gods and then read of their interactions with mortals in tales such as "Phaeton Son...
    By Nathaniel Hawthorne and V.C. Turnbull
    Hardback
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A WONDER BOOK
    A WONDER BOOK
    An oversized, slipcase-housed, art book edition of A WONDER BOOK, Nathaniel Hawthorne's collection of adapted Greek myths, now illustrated with a suite of paintings from the renowned Spanish artist Das Pastoras and an introduction from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro. In the summer of 1851, directly off the success of The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne decided to update a series...
    By Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Hardback
    $20500
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks

More from General Fiction

View all
  • The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    By Alison Espach
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Fourth Wing
    THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NUMBER ONE GLOBAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON! DON'T MISS OUT ON THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'This book contains an addictive, drug-like essence that will make you relinquish all responsibility until the very last word. Do not say I didn't warn you' Glamour 'I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, and when I finished, I...
    By Rebecca Yarros
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Iron Flame
    The instant number one Sunday Times bestseller and thrilling sequel to the global phenomenon, Fourth Wing! DON'T BE THE LAST TO DISCOVER THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'Yarros is the true inheritor of Harry Potter and inspires Hunger Games levels of devotion' Guardian 'Fear not, levels of fighting, rebelliousness and all-round sexiness are still sky-high' Daily Mail...
    By Rebecca Yarros
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses
    The first instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON and TikTok sensation, from multi-million selling and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan – Time Harry Potter magic, Taylor Swift sass, Fifty Shades-level athleticism – The Sunday Times With bits of Buffy, Game of Thrones and Outlander, this is a glorious series...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Carl's Doomsday Scenario
    New Release
    Carl's Doomsday Scenario
    Join Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat Princess Donut as they fight fantastical creatures and deadly mobs in the second book in the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl series—now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition. Now on the third floor, Carl and Donut have to fight harder than ever. They've already proven that a Coast Guard vet and once-and-forever feline...
    By Matt Dinniman
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Dungeon Crawler Carl
    The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman-now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition! You know what's worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what's worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction...
    By Matt Dinniman
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Silver Flames
    The latest instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan - Time Think Game of Thrones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a drizzle of E.L. James – Telegraph Spiced with slick plotting and atmospheric world-building...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    20% off
    New Release
    The Ballad of Falling Dragons [Special Deluxe edition]
    The No.1 Sunday Times bestselling sensation When the Moon Hatched continues with the second book in The Moonfall Series, The Ballad of Falling Dragons… Raeve’s thirst for vengeance continues to burn, as does her love for Kaan Vaegor – a staunch beacon from a past she’s yet to face. With Rekk’s blood still fresh on her hands, she learns the...
    By Sarah A. Parker
    Hardback
    $4800
    Usually:
    $5999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Throne of Glass Box Set (Paperback)
    Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend. Discover the worldwide phenomenon of the #1 New York Times-bestselling Throne of Glass series in this gorgeous 8-book box set! In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Set
    $12400
    Elsewhere:
    $15500
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight - Night Court Edition
    Limited Edition
    A Court of Frost and Starlight - Night Court Edition
    The magic and beauty of the Night Court is captured in these LIMITED EDITIONS of the Court of Thorns and Roses series! This Night Court Edition features the Night Court symbol on a striking black and silver foiled cover and includes black sprayed edges. An unmissable companion tale to the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Fourth Wing New ANZ Limited Edition
    THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NUMBER ONE GLOBAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON! DON'T MISS OUT ON THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'This book contains an addictive, drug-like essence that will make you relinquish all responsibility until the very last word. Do not say I didn't warn you' Glamour 'I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, and when I finished, I...
    By Rebecca Yarros
    Hardback
    $4200
    Elsewhere:
    $5499
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight
    In A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas, readers are invited to revisit the enchanting world of Prythian in a heartwarming and introspective narrative. Set against the backdrop of the Winter Solstice, Feyre Archeron and her mate Rhysand return to centre stage as they strive to restore the Night Court after the devastating conflicts of A Court...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

General Fiction lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all