The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Something particularly Victorian- There is a  strong aspect of religion. In people’s lives and how it is something that is lived by and used as a guideline for how people of the place should live. Therefore it is what Hester is judged by, and how they judge whether or not she can keep her child.
Yet there is also the acknowledgement of science growing and people becoming more involved and making more discoveries (chapter  IX)
The idea of marriage being more for what the other can bring to the table e.g the leech ch- "he had selected some one of the blooming damsels, spiritually devoted to him, to become his devoted wife"

Something general- it is set in the newly found America, the book is published in 1850, it is about Hester Prynne with the scarlet letter for being an adultress and how she lives with this and how this affects her daughter, who as she gets older has witch like tendencies. As the book continues we see who the father of the daughter is and his relationship with Hester and Pearl changes. The reader also finds Hester's husband and see's his revenge. 

Style- narrator is not of a character from the book it is as if someone is actually telling you the tale.so the reader can explore varying points of view and see’s Hester Prynne’s point of view and that of the people around her; When describing her daughter it does tend to give a mystical/magical feel as it is quite story like.  

It is quite conversational; as in the author is almost engaging the reader in conversation through its style of writing (similar to that of a lecture or essay but in book form)