so-soI read this for a book club. I probably wouldn't have chosen it on my own. It was good in parts. I read the Scarlet Letter a long time ago. I think if I remembered more of that I would have enjoyed Hester more.
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so-soI read this for a book club. I probably wouldn't have chosen it on my own. It was good in parts. I read the Scarlet Letter a long time ago. I think if I remembered more of that I would have enjoyed Hester more.
pickI enjoyed this #LiteraryCrew pick: I have only a hazy memory of The Scarlet Letter, so it was interesting to read this interpretation where primary character is living in a much later era and in a relationship with Nathaniel Hawthorne. Explores issues like class, immigration, gender abuse, the Underground Railroad, and “witchcraft” in the earliest part of the 19th century. Jumping back-and-forth to Puritan Salem could be confusing, though.
pickOf course I was initially interested in this book because of seeing this beautiful cover on Litsy. When I was younger, I was a little obsessed with reading about the Salem Witch Trials, and I read The Scarlet Letter around that time too.
The author had such a unique idea for the origin of the famous red letter, and the reimagining of Hester and Nat‘s stories was so full of emotion!
so-soI haven‘t read The Scarlet Letter, so I‘m not sure if that had an impact on my reading of Hester. I just never really connected with the main characters. I didn‘t always understand their motivations. I enjoyed the characters of Mercy and Zeke and the embroidery information, but overall this wasn‘t really for me.
#LiteraryCrew
It‘s time for our discussion, #LiteraryCrew ! There are 9 questions posted as spoilers that can be found on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtag. Mixed reviews on this one, so I‘m interested to see your thoughts!
Next month‘s book is Charlotte Bronte‘s Villette; the reminder will be posted tomorrow.
Thanks for joining this #BuddyRead !
mcctrish, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, tpixie, LapReader, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Deblovestoread, Sace, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Pogue, dabbe, Sargar114, Karisa, bumpinthenight, Singout, julieclair, AllDebooks, Lkempf
9. Hester imagines the inspiration for Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter through the connection between Isobel and Hawthorne. While there is no specific proof as to the true inspiration, Hawthorne's work is a treatise against Puritanism, specifically John Winthrop's diaries that chronicled Puritan life (including punishment of a woman for adultery.
At the end of TSL, Hawthorne references a gravestone in Boston's King's Chapel Burying Ground ⬇
8. It is true that Nathaniel Hawthorne is related to John Hathorne, one of the Salem Witch Trial judges and the one who refused to believe the whole episode was a hoax. Hawthorne was so ashamed by his ancestry that he added a “w“ to his last name (short bio on Hawthorne linked in the comments).
Have you read any of Hawthorne's works? What did you think of his character in the novel? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
7. How did the end of the novel make you feel? What do you think comes next for Isobel and Margaret in their relationship and their story? ~from Readinggroupguides.com #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
6. Consider Isobel Gowdie and her legacy, as well as the legacy of the other women in Isobel‘s family, including her daughter. Which of the women in the family do you think were the most influential? What do you think Isobel and Margaret‘s legacy will be? ~from Readinggroupguides.com #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
5. Scottish myths and elements of the magical world run throughout the novel. How does Isobel‘s belief in magic and the spirit world change throughout the novel? ~adapted from Readinggroupguides.com #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
