Was shaking like a shitting dog for the entire last two acts, this is the scariest book I've ever read not written by Steven King. Made this athiest more uneasy about how many commandments I could rhyme off than I have been since Sunday school.

I hate to say it but the spiralling hysteria does seem especially sobering given today's 'cancel culture'. Again and again, the truth seemed to be that many characters are guilty of some things, but that the consequences flew out of all proportion, rationality and due process be damned. Good to remember too, that in Salem young women were accusing innocent wives every bit as much as their male counterparts in positions of power condemned them. Hysteria can turn anyone into a monster. Seems like

men die of pride and women of loyalty

.

This edition specifically, yellow Penguin classic with the black and white still from the play on the cover, had fascinating little asides every time a main character was introduced that explained Miller's research into them and the official court records available to play testament to their character. It also includes a scene that was dropped from the official productions which humanises Abigail Williams in a way that really reminds you she is a traumatised, terrified eighteen year old possibly undergoing some kind of mental break. The play is fairer to her with it.