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mayastone's review
4.0
"It was not the first time that I was full of wonder at the waste of human ability in this world, as a botanist wonders at the wastefulness of nature, the thousand seeds that die, the unused provision of every sort....More than one face among the Bowdens showed that opportunity and stimulus were lacking, - a narrow set of circumstances had caged a fine able character and held it captive."
A quaint selection of slice-of-life stories about a small New England settlement consisting of a dying fishing village and two islands. In this collection we meet several characters and share, with the narrator, the experience for having known them.
Mrs. Todd is the most prominent being the keeper of the lodgings that our narrator occupies. She is a widower and the local herbalist, keeping a small garden of herbs and collecting wild ingredients. Her mother and reclusive brother live off a small island called Green Island.
Further still on Shell-heap island, we learn the quietly sorrowful story of Joanna. A young woman who was dumped by her fiancé who went on to marry someone else. In her shame the young woman went into permanent exile, eventually dying and being buried on the island.
On the main land of Dunnet Landing Captain Littlepage shares an experience he had while being shipwrecked. Of a man telling him of odd things he witnessed on uncharted lands, at least uncharted when the captain met him. Old Elijah shares his unending grief of having lost his wife 8 years prior, and many more.
There isn't a lot of drama or movement here, just visits from several people within this small community and it works. The book is easy to read and the stories varied enough that you never get bored, by books end the characters seem a bit like friends.
4/5 - A quiet kind of book but in the best possible way.
A quaint selection of slice-of-life stories about a small New England settlement consisting of a dying fishing village and two islands. In this collection we meet several characters and share, with the narrator, the experience for having known them.
Mrs. Todd is the most prominent being the keeper of the lodgings that our narrator occupies. She is a widower and the local herbalist, keeping a small garden of herbs and collecting wild ingredients. Her mother and reclusive brother live off a small island called Green Island.
Further still on Shell-heap island, we learn the quietly sorrowful story of Joanna. A young woman who was dumped by her fiancé who went on to marry someone else. In her shame the young woman went into permanent exile, eventually dying and being buried on the island.
On the main land of Dunnet Landing Captain Littlepage shares an experience he had while being shipwrecked. Of a man telling him of odd things he witnessed on uncharted lands, at least uncharted when the captain met him. Old Elijah shares his unending grief of having lost his wife 8 years prior, and many more.
There isn't a lot of drama or movement here, just visits from several people within this small community and it works. The book is easy to read and the stories varied enough that you never get bored, by books end the characters seem a bit like friends.
4/5 - A quiet kind of book but in the best possible way.
livingpalm1's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
My review in 3 or more words: lovely | restful | evocative
What a relaxing, enjoyable read. Add it to the top of your TBR pile ASAP!
lijon's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this and would highly recommend it. "The Country of the Pointed Firs" is really a novella. All the stories, in addition to "Firs" are set in coastal Maine in the mid-to-late 19th century. They reminded me very much of L.M. Montgomery, except that Jewett is a better writer.
lectora21's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
emilyclairem's review against another edition
3.0
It took a while to get into this book. There is next to no plot, and if I didn't enjoy character-driven books I would not have liked this as much as I did. It's a lovely description of New England in the 1800s and of a few of the people who may have lived in that time. I did enjoy that aspect of it. But it doesn't leave a lasting impression on you, and can get very dry at certain points.
gglazer's review
4.0
These are little linked vignettes about a woman visiting a fishing village on the Maine coast around the turn of the century. The woman is a writer, who literally finds a room of her own (in the form of a schoolhouse on top of the hill and I'm REALLY JEALOUS because seriously how amazing is that), and records her impressions of her landlady and the various characters in the town.
It's a gorgeous book; all setting, no plot at all, and it feels like you're really there. It's rambling and beautiful and made me want to go back in time.
It's a gorgeous book; all setting, no plot at all, and it feels like you're really there. It's rambling and beautiful and made me want to go back in time.
leahkristin's review against another edition
5.0
1. I don't care what you say, Ms. Todd is a witch.
2. Green Island is my favorite.
3. This book eased my anxiety.
2. Green Island is my favorite.
3. This book eased my anxiety.
hazelalaska's review
2.0
I did not care for this at all. I was supposed to read this for class so I did finish it but I couldn’t bring myself to care about any of it and I just skimmed it. It seemed like most of the story was pointless chatter about nothing and it was really just a bunch of unrelated stories and nothing really happened. There were very few moments I actually cared about and for some reason I did not enjoy the first person point of view.
oldpondnewfrog's review against another edition
2.0
Paints a picture of life on the coast of Maine in the late nineteenth century, but doesn't do much more. Very quiet little book.
theangrylawngnome's review against another edition
5.0
The sort of work one will either love or hate. I was reminded, of all things, of Joe Bob Briggs, of [b:Joe Bob Goes To the Drive-In|1047712|Joe Bob Goes To the Drive-In|Joe Bob Briggs|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387745679l/1047712._SX50_.jpg|1034146] fame. (Real name: John Bloom.) One of ol' JBB's g to lines was to speak favorably of movies with "no plot to get in the way of the action." Except this work had neither plot nor action, and what shone through was character sketch after character sketch, and a setting with local color of a sort that brook no other or indeed further content. And for some odd reason, I absolutely loved it.
The version I listened to may be found here, downloadable for free and in a completely legal version, as this work long ago entered the public domain. The audiobook utilized several different narrators, some close to professional in both speech and recording equipment, some, well, not quite at that level. But the price was right.
The version I listened to may be found here, downloadable for free and in a completely legal version, as this work long ago entered the public domain. The audiobook utilized several different narrators, some close to professional in both speech and recording equipment, some, well, not quite at that level. But the price was right.