The Scarlet Letter

By: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Narrated by: John Chatty, Cindy Hardin Killavey

Hester Prynne commits adultery in a Puritan settlement and, as a result, is "branded" for the rest of her life by having to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her breast. Throughout the story, a complex relationship develops between Hester, her lover, her husband, and her daughter.

This recording does not include Hawthorne's essay "The Customs House".

Public Domain (P)1979 Jimcin Recordings

Critic reviews

"In a clear, distinct style, the narrators bring the difficult words and phrases to life; their delivery fosters the stern, forlorn atmosphere associated with Puritan New England. This technically excellent recording is recommended as a classic." (Booklist)

very poor quality production

Any additional comments?

The production quality of this audio book was very poor and took away from the enjoyment of the story. At times the characters sounded as if they were in a tin can, I could often hear other voices in the background, and at times there was an echo. The narrator was good but the actress playing Hester sounded as though she was reading right from the book for the very first time. I do not recommend this version at all.

Poor Audio Quality

This classic book is read with several different actors, which is nice, but the quality of their recordings varies greatly. The recording of Hester Prynne's voice is so poor that I can often not understand what she is saying. I recommend that you choose another version.

Story is a classic, but reading is dull

Although dated, the story is a classic with universal messages of society. There is a reason why this book is still being read, even with its period language. However, I found the male narrator's rendition to be dull and unenthusiastic.

Something Missing

"This audiobook does not include Hawthorne's essay The Customs House," says the blurb. That "essay" is not a separate work, but considered the prologue to the novel. It describes how the narrator, working in the customs house 200 years after the action of the story, discovers a bundle of papers, wrapped in a piece of scarlet cloth (the scarlet letter). After reading the papers, he composes the novel. This audiobook jumps right to the action, with Hester Prynne being let out of prison. That's a lot of information to be missing, and I think, reason enough to pick one of the other versions available.

There is also a tin-can sound quality at times, but I got used to that.

Poor quality and incomplete.

Unfortunately, because I was familiar with the novel, I did not read the Publisher's Summary, which mentioned that "The Custom House" was not included in this version. As mentioned in an earlier review, that portion of the novel is of considerate value, and should have been included. Otherwise, this should be listed as "Abridged." Add to that the poorest audio quality of any Audible book, and you have a very poor product.