Sarah Orne Jewett

Mary Ellen Chase

The Country of the Pointed Firs

Colleen

4.5 Stars

I am always on the lookout for books set in my home state. And Maine is a place that has inspired many different authors, so there is no shortage of books from which to choose. The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other Stories is one that I’ve my eye on for a while. So when I came across a copy in the bargain bin at the bookstore, I knew it was time to read it.
 
The book is set in the fictional town of Dunnet Landing, Maine but is heavily based on Jewett’s life in Berwick, Maine. This is more like a series of loosely connected short stories than a full novel. Indeed, it was first published in a serial manner before being reworked into a book. (Which is why there are two versions of the book: This One and This One) The focus is about describing snippets of everyday life in a small Maine fishing village. If you like to escape to simpler times, then you’ll love to slip into these idyllic summer days. Jewett’s writing is down-to-Earth yet poetic too. She sets the scene excellently from the people to the food to the scenery and easily switches tones from humorous to poignant.
 

  “In the life of each of us, I said to myself, there is a place remote and islanded, and given to endless regret or secret happiness; we are each the uncompanioned hermit and recluse of an hour or a day.”

But there is far more to this story than pretty descriptions of landscapes. Beneath the idyllic haziness, there is the tension of an entire way of life teetering on the edge of a knife. It was a pivotal time in history. The civil war was still fresh in people’s memories. The industrial revolution was massively changing people’s lives. So an area that had largely relied upon fishing, whaling, and merchant clippers found itself pushed into obscurity. Jewett explores not only the more obvious economic impact of this but also the subtler cultural impact. She mentions how previously sailors brought back bits of foreign culture from all over the world, but the loss of their international jobs caused communities to become more insular. It was fascinating to look at this little slice of history and see what has changed and what remains the same.
 
This book is beautiful and greatly underappreciated these days. Not everyone will enjoy this though. If you prefer fast-past, plot-driven stories or get annoyed with old timey language and regional dialect, then this isn’t the book for you. Nevertheless, it is a classic that deserves to be remembered. Far from being quaint and outdated, this story shows a momentous piece of time. It excellently captures the period and place and really is a work to be treasured.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 5 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Level of Captivation: 5 Stars
Originality: 5 Stars

The Country of the Pointed Firs

Reviews