I went to my reading history and checked when I read The Scarlet Letter (the novel) and it was more than a decade ago. My star rating for it was 3.
I went into the manga classic (it was already on my want-to-read list for some time along with some other Manga Classics) without remembering much about the story, and funnily, I enjoyed the manga version more than the original novel - which is odd and rare.
And the reason why is - the prose! I did not enjoy the prose in the original but the manga version brought out the important themes and plot points and the characterisation more effectively.

The scarlet colouring is a nice touch.

Once again a solid release from Manga Classics. The publisher does such a great job at making old classics far more accessible for a wider audience in manga format, and Scarlet Letter is no exception. This is a story I personally don't remember at all since reading it in school, so it was a good and grim reminder of that time period. I felt the adapter did an excellent job distilling the story down enough that it was easy to follow, and the art is *gorgeous* - layered backgrounds, character designs that could have come straight out of Japan, etc. Even the cover is eye catching. I can't think of anything I'd change about this.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to review this.

I love these books. I mean LOVE them.

This is such a great way to consume older classics, especially those with hidden meaning in the words. I feel like these books are a vital tool on adapting learning for those who struggle to read a whole novel and need another format.

The art is stunning and it sticks so well to the original novel.

A powerful tale of forbidden love, shame, and revenge comes to life in Manga The Scarlet Letter. Faithfully adapted by Crystal Chan from the original novel, this new edition features stunning artwork by SunNeko Lee (Manga Les Miserables) which will give old and new readers alike a fresh insight into the Nathaniel Hawthorne's tragic saga of Puritan America.

The Scarlet Letter is one of those staple reads for serious readers. You search any 100 books to read before you die list and it’s guaranteed to make to be there. So making it accessible and easier to a wider audience already deserves praise because let me tell you as non-native reader reading those long prose and complex dialogues from the original text was difficult for me to the point that I had to dnf the original book.

So, finding the same story is a much simpler format made it easier to enjoy the story without going through a mental and psychological stress over deducing the underlying meaning of long paragraphs that doesn’t make sense even after I read them twice.

The story starts with Hester Prynne standing in front of townspeople with an infant in hand. Upon close inspection the gossiping, judging people notice the red embroidery on her chest, the letter A, bearing proof of her sin, Adultery. She has been punished to wear it for the rest of her life as cautionary tale. As she receives her punishment, she refuses to disclose the identity of the father of her daughter, bearing the responsibility of the sin all alone. To the townspeople though, that is not enough. They want her to be degraded, beaten or may be even dead. But the scarlet letter is what she got. Though, that’s just the beginning of her misery. In the crowd she witnesses a man from her past bringing an even darker shadow into the life of her. And so the story goes.

Throughout the story we see the duplicitous nature of human. We see her working tireless to gain control over her life, through her embroidery work making a name and space for herself in society. She is talented enough for them to want to have their robes made from her but sinful enough to not want her to work on their wedding gown. We see men and their weaknesses and how fragile they are.

This is a complicated book for me to rate. As I am still unsure what I feel about different aspect of the story. I am just glad I got to experience the story through this manga that would otherwise would not be possible or easy.

Gratitude to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment providing me the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Important Note: The ARC version is in black and white and i believe the original copy will be available in color.

I’ve really enjoyed this Manga Classics series. As someone with a B.A. in English Literature, it’s nice to get to go back and experience some of these books that I read in my youth or during my studies. The fact is that while in school I had to read these stories analytically, dissecting them for purposes of discussions and exams. But with the adaptation to manga, it is so so much easier to just read these classics for enjoyment.

Even when the classic deals with horrors and traumas and less than happy lives or situations, they feel easier to digest when done with cutely styled character design. This is especially true since some of the lengthy descriptions of surroundings can be at least partly expressed with actual visuals, and internal monologues or even spoken dialogues can be broken up into several panels of text.

Plus, in true manga fashion, these read much faster than the classic novels they are adapted from.

The one thing I will say about Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter is that I personally feel like I missed out on some of the clues towards the forbidden romance, and I think some of Hester’s musings about Pearl’s delightful oddities were not as overt….but I say this with the caveat that I have not read The Scarlet Letter since college (probably around 2008), so I’m probably not remembering things as clearly.

I also read this particular manga in January 2024, and am just now writing the review at the end of April, so I am sad to say that I don’t have a lot of specific things to say about this story, but it was a good adaptation (from what I remember, anyway). Maybe I should do proper classic re-reads? Nah, I have too many new and diverse reads to invest my time towards finishing.

I can’t believe I still don’t actually own any of the Manga Classics. I’ve read several of them now, and keep requesting them on NetGalley any time I come across them. I should probably start adding them to my manga collection.

This is a rewrite of the classic novel The Scarlet Letter, turned into a manga. The way this story is shown in the art and storytelling is very neat. Could definitely see teens enjoying this version of the story as it really draws you in with the story and art. I have to say the little girl in the story was definitely my favorite character as she seemed to understand more than the adults thought she did.

I thought this was a boring story until I read it with my daughter in her high school class and got a whole new perspective on Hester Prynne. I had focused on what was being done to her instead of focusing on her. Hester is one of the most amazing characters in literature, standing up to people who are quite evil and still maintaining her own individuality. This is an amazing Manga graphic novel adaption of this story, and it's quite beautiful.
One of the things I particularly love about this adaptation is the portrayal of little Pearl, who is quite feisty in this story while also being incredibly cute.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for letting me read this

I had to read this book when I was in high school and I struggled to keep along. If I had this book back then, I would have actually passed the class. That being said, this book provides clear and gorgeous pictures made it easy to read along with.

I feel absolutely lucky to have been able to get some of these Manga Classics. I absolutely love the artwork that is done in these books, and the use of color only being on the 'A'. I had never read this story before, but I enjoyed this retelling. I think these books are wonderful because they make the classics accessible to youth and make the language readable. I have read some of the classics in their original form, but it can be hard and take a couple re reads of sections to truly understand what is being said. These retellings make the info easy to grasp and fun to read.

I think these books are amazing adaptions and I can't wait to read more of them!

Revisiting this tale in an adapted format truly helped me develop a better understanding of some of its characters. When I read it as a teen in high school, the characters that captivated me were the cruel Chillingworth and the fey Pearl. In this adaptation, I still quite admire them, but the manga's free use of expression and its metaphorical shadows and imagery have helped me develop an appreciation for Hester and even Dimmsdale.

Hester's strength of character is impossible to miss, as I see the slights she must bear, her very charity refused by homeless beggars because they deem her sin that terrible. She eventually rises above it all and comes to be seen as a fount of wisdom, but there are many petty cruelties she has to bear before that point.

Dimmsdale is still not a character I am entirely fond of. His weakness is his defining feature, but the manga helps me see more into his inner torment and I find myself pitying him more than I did as a teen when he seemed annoyingly passive next to the other characters.

And of course, there are my old faves. I love the drama and imagery Chillingworth brings to the pages, a vengeful alchemist set on destroying a man's life. Pearl is wonderful, a true delight that baffles and endears herself to others around her with her inscrutable ways, knowing things no child her age should simply know.

I've also developed quite a liking for the governess's sister, talking of a man in the forest who makes people sign their name in blood, and promising other characters that she will see them there at their own signing.

Aside from the characters, the manga helps the novel move into another dimension of unreality, making it clear how much of this story is an allegory about the sins people hide and the ones that cannot be hidden, and what might be learned from a sin when you accept it. Whether or not you agree with that message of the novel, this retelling enriches it quite well, the splash of red from the titular letter A offsetting the gorgeous black and white renderings.

If the original language of the novel seems daunting, I would recommend giving this adaptation a try.

Another hit in the "Manga Classics" adaptations series!

For anyone who has felt intimidated or uninterested in trying to read the original novel, I highly recommend this manga version.
The manga style itself was cute and easy to read, making this a wonderful interpretation.

It’s an easy-to-read adaptation that is true enough to the original work to make this a great substitution for those who don’t want to tackle the original.
I really enjoyed that the artwork was in black and white, but that the letter “A” was depicted in a bright red.

And after reading this adaptation, maybe readers will feel compelled to read the original work and go more in depth into the story and the characters.

These manga are well drawn and a great way for young readers to discover the classics while reminding us why we love these titles. I also learned more about the book than I remembered from prior reading. Well done.

Well-drawn and written manga classic! I love this series of manga classics because it gives me a chance to read the classics without having to bore over the pages of a classic. Terrible I know but at the same time, its hard to find time for it. I will say though, that the version I received from NetGalley was hard to read at first. The copy I had was shown in the format as you would expect from a regular book and I had to go all the way to the back to read the book properly. I understand that manga format is from right to left, but I had to actually go all the way to the end to read it as an ebook.

I loved the art style of the manga and overall it was a great book to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this manga in exchange for my honest review. I loooove reading manga adaptations of classic literature, I find it is so much easier to understand and appreciate the story. The illustrations were beautiful and the story was easy and clear to understand. I will be purchasing a physical copy as well to round out my collection of Manga Classics! This story is devastating but so well done.

I hadn't read this book since high school well over 20 years ago. I thought the art brought the story to life and was absolutely beautifully done. This is a great introduction into the classic and makes it more relatable for the reader.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read the original novel back in high school, and I really enjoyed the manga adaptation! The book stayed very true to the original novel and kept the important elements. The way the manga was adapted made it easier to understand. The book certainly kept the drama and the illustrations only heightened it! The manga kept the serious and darker tones of the original novel, and I appreciated that.

I felt sorry for Hester and grew to admire her. Pearl was such an interesting little girl. My heart was breaking for Arthur. Even though he was wronged, I really disliked her husband. There were so many things he could have done differently. The characters were very well portrayed and really drew you in.

Overall the manga was very well done and this is a great introduction to the classic novel! I’d definitely recommend this!

Although I know of the scarlet letter I’ve really never read about it I seen movies about it so when I seen that netgalley had a manga version I wanted to read it and I am glad I did. Reading the scarlet letter through manga made the story jump to life the art work in it is wonderful. I have to say reading it this way was to me a faster and easier way to read about this story.I hope you try reading it. Thank You netgalley for letting me read this

First of all thank you Udon entertainment and Netgalley for the wonderful Book in exchange of an honest review.


I haven't read Scarlett letter so I didn't really know the story. It is beautifully illustrated version with fast pace dialogues which made it quite easy to finish it in one sitting.

This is definitely good for those who want to read classics but find the language difficult to comprehend. Will definitely recommend it for classic lovers.
P.S. You have to start it from back like most manga comics.

The fabulous thing about graphic novels/ manga is the inference that images can add. The Scarlet Letter adds so much in its beautiful images. The story overly focuses on Pearl.
Note- the app loaded the book in reverse order.