The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, this novel tells the story of a woman who conceives a daughter through an affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. She is forced to wear a scarlet "A" on her dress as a sign of her adultery while her lover, a revered local minister, remains unnamed and unpunished. Throughout the book, themes of sin, legalism, and guilt are explored.
The 85th greatest book of all time
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This book is on the following lists:
- 2nd on Famous Authors Name Their Favorite Novels(from 1915) (New York Times)
- 3rd on Quintessential American Fiction, According to the Rest of the World (Literary Hub)
- 9th on The Celebrity Reading List (Gardiner Public Library)
- 20th on The 100 Greatest Novels of All Time: The List (The Observer)
- 22nd on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 29th on The 100 Favorite Novels of Librarians (Bookman.com)
- 41st on The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (The Novel 100)
- 54th on Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books (Harvard Book Store)
- 55th on The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time (The Top 10 (Book))
- 82nd on The 100 Greatest Novels (greatbooksguide.com)
- 126th on The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users (Culture Café)
- How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Reading List (Thomas C. Foster)
- 100 Best Novels Written in English (The Guardian)
- The Dream of the Great American Novel (Book)
- The Best Classics (The Times)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- The Guardian's Essential Library (The Guardian)
- Best Books Listed for High School Students (William J. Bennett)
- 100 Best Novels in the World (Published in 1899) (The Daily Telegraph)
- Books That Shaped America (Library of Congress)
- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (The College Board, an American not-for-profit organization)
- The New Lifetime Reading Plan (The New Lifetime Reading Plan)
- Masterpieces of World Literature (Frank N. Magill)
- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics (Book)
- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books (Jeff O'Neal at Bookriot.com)
- Great Books (The Learning Channel)
- The Graphic Canon (Book)
- The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written (Easton Press)