This is an excellent "translation" of an otherwise difficult to understand novel. I've tried to read the original many times and have never gotten more than a few pages into it before I sat it down. This however, pulled me right in. I can't wait to try some more of the readable classics. Hopefully they'll do the originals as much justice as this one does. ( )

5 star to the story as well as to the writing modifications that Josephson did to it (I tried reading the original but the old English made it troublesome).
As soon as I began the first page I couldn't stop reading. It was moving and passionate from the beginning to the very end. All I could think about was "what would happen next?" The characters were realistic enough for the story to be believable to me.
After I finish, I could allow some reflection about the book. First, the author takes time to let the reader know what it's happening inside the character's mind (I love when they do that).
What bugs me is that this book it's suppose to be an angst novel. But it didn't makes me sad. And the contrary, there is a lot of humor in it. And then, the ending. I though it would end different but I'm satisfied with it.
I would recommend this book if you like angst, the beauty of emo and suffering themes. After all, it's about the conflict between mind and heart, about secrets, guilt, hate, passion... it's just so human.
I particularly loved the heroine, Herter. She is so brave! I went page through page thinking, "when is she going to lose her mind?" But she didn't. I don't want to spoilt the end but I was like "Yes!! women power!!
This is such a good book. ( )

I read this book in its original form in High School 30 some years ago, and remember it was very hard to get through. (I remember because I got a low grade on some projects) This newer 'Readable Classic" was easier to read (or I've become more literate?) and I enjoyed the story all the more. ( )

A very nicely edited version of the original work, making it indeed a readable classic for those who do not want to struggle with the older English version. The result of this editing is a version of the text which allows the reader an opportunity to focus on the story within the tale, tend to an understanding of the history within the book, and understand the underlying moral and social images and lessons within. The only objection I had to this book were the numerous typos that should have been corrected before publication. ( )

This gently edited version of The Scarlet Letter was a very quick read. While loosing the flavor of the original author's language style, it retained the essence of the original plotline. So, if your objective as a teacher is for the student to gain an insight into the themes of the work, this is a very attractive version--especially for the reluctant reader. However, if your objective is for the student to experience the language of the 1800s, then stick with the original Hawthorne. I also highly recommend this version for adults who never read the original classics, yet want to become familiar with the stories without having to dig through the verbage. ( )