i had to read the scarlet letter in school, and i don't remember thinking that it was funny. I found it to be incredibly long and full of ridiculously complicated descriptions.
It's actually a pretty dumb book, but under the circumstances that I read it* it was pretty funny.
*Those circumstances being a big fat teacher who was overly obssessed with sex because she hadn't had any in a long time because her husband left her (I don't wonder why, her personality isn't charming). She liked to discuss this book in detail with her sophmore classes.
HAHHAHAHAH, that was funny...very funny