Hester

by Christopher Bigsby

Book Overview

In his first novel, British scholar Christopher W.E. Bigsby provides a prequel to The Scarlet Letter , introducing readers to a younger Hester Prynne. He tells of her attempts to flee an oppressive marriage to Roger Chillingworth, her love affair with Arthur Dimmesdale, and her life in the New World. In the process, Bigsby condemns the obstacles and prejudices that strong, intelligent women faced in the 17th century, providing a powerful narrative...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140238115
• ISBN13: 9780140238112
• Release Date: September 1995
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 210 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Hester Prynne - The Story

Christopher Bigsby takes Nathaniel Hawthorne's protaganist and gives her a voice. He finds her a sympathetic person with a big problem. She is married to a horrible man and social convention won't allow her a way out. She does meet and form a relationship with another man but alas he is also trapped in a relationship which drains life from him. Is there any way out? Of course the answer is no, but this book allows us to look at the characters in a gentle more sympathtic light. It is no longer about the neighbors wrath as much as how our characters cope. Bigsby sheds some light on his own infatuation of the book, The Scarlett Letter. A nice, respectful, gentle story.