I received an ARC of Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter from NetGalley provided by Udon Entertainment for an honest book review.
Adapted by : Crystal S. Chan
Artist : Sunneko Lee
Dialogue editor: Stacy King
“The Scarlet Letter”
The Plot:
This is a novel based on the infamous classic The Scarlet Letter.
In the puritan community of the seventeenth-century Boston was ruled by religious laws. Anybody who was found guilty of sin was executed or exiled from the community. In walks Hester Prynne who just gave birth to a beautiful baby. The problem? The father is not Hester's husband. The consequences of this adulterous act results in Hester to be branded with the letter A on her chest. From an unknown lover to a very outraged husband, this story is a classic that has been retold for years.
My Experience:
This was the first novel I have read that was redone in manga style.
I devoured it and I’m hungrily searching for more.
Even though I have not read the actual piece of literature, I was immediately sucked in by the story. The story was told in vivid pictures evoking sympathy outrage and empathy for Hester.
I was absolutely enthralled by the manga style. This is probably because of my love for anime but I obsessed over every single block with Hester. On some of the pages, I was lightly struck by a picture and it would trickle through my veins and leave me frozen in an ice block of roaring emotions.
Themes:
Religion VS God
Love VS Hate
Forgiveness
What I Liked:
I loved the illustrations. I can not emphasize how much I related to the drawings. I did not need the book to tell me how the characters felt because it was reflected in their eyes screaming from their entire being.
What I did not like:
There were a few times that a set of frames were missing that was needed for the transition of emotions. Since sometimes there was an immediate transition which made it a bit confusing to understand/relate to the scene completely.
Rating for this manga novel:
As this is my first rating for a manga novel I am giving this a 3/5.
* * */ 5
A really good book with fantastic illustrations but I do feel some of the strings to attach the story were missing. Especially the story of the scorned husband.
Recommendation:
I would recommend that (unlike me) to first read the actual book so you can appreciate the manga more and have a bit more background about the characters.
I recommend this book for anybody who has been intimidated by The Scarlet letter and other classics before but that always wanted to read it.
Sincerely
Snow
(Talk to me on Twitter @snowbookhollow)
Dear Snow. Thank you for your review of our book. It means a lot to us. I am Andy, the production chief of the Manga Classics team. Just want to point out for you that the book is adapted by Crystal S. Chan. She is the one who adapts the original content into script for manga. Stacy King, on the other hand, is the dialogue editor. Not to mention the beautiful artwork is done by Sunneko Lee. If this is not too troublesome for you, we hope that their names are properly credited so that no one's hard work will go unnoticed. Thank you so much for your understand. We hope that you will continue to enjoy our up coming titles in the near future!
ReplyDeleteHi there I apologize for the mistake I corrected it now and I hope it is now in order?
DeleteI am searching for the next Manga Classic because I enjoyed this one so much. Thank you for reading my review.
-Snow
Hi Snow! Thank you for your kind respond. FYI, our next titles will be Jane Erye and Sense and Sensibility. They should hit the market within the next two months. Stay tuned!
DeleteThank you! I will keep an eye out for it.
DeleteIn the meantime, if you have any ARC's or e-files of any of the previous Manga classics, like Les Misérables or Pride and Prejudice laying around and would like me to review it I would love to do so.
Yes, this is my attempt to get my hands on another one of these amazing books. I am not going to lie.
Sincerely
Snow