Does The Scarlet Letter get better after the Custom House part?

Yes! In fact, some people dispose with reading the Custom House entirely. It doesn't have much to do with the rest of the story, IMO. The novel itself is very interesting, if you're able to read between the lines and understand what's going on: there's , lies, and betrayal! A woman is punished for adultery but the man, of course, escapes justice because she won't rat him out and there's no evidence of his sin (her evidence, of course, is that she gets pregnant). The woman is strong and perseveres despite all the wrong that are done to her. Her illegitimate child is a hoot. Keep reading :)