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audreybethc's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I really loved this. I don’t know why the reviews are so poor - I think maybe the wrong audience is picking it up? This novella is a very quiet series of vignettes about a woman’s visit to a small Maine town. It’s so cozy and comforting - a perfect spring read. I love the relationships between women depicted here as a kind of web of support that developed out of necessity - as the men in their community were off at war or at sea. Nothing truly “happens” in this book - but I appreciated the opportunity to peek into these tiny slices of life. I saw another reviewer mentioned this book would make a good Miyazaki film - completely agree.
The edition I read had additional stories by Jewett - three of them were just as enjoyable, and were about the same characters. The others were not as strong.
The edition I read had additional stories by Jewett - three of them were just as enjoyable, and were about the same characters. The others were not as strong.
sacredblues's review against another edition
1.0
I’m going to be perfectly honest here: I did not like Country of the Pointed Firs at all. Putting it bluntly, I found the book a snore and a chore. I’m more engaged reading the nutrition labels of cereal (did you know that there are two columns, one with milk and the other without; they latter is referred to as a “dry bowl”). Part of this was that there was no plot to speak of. A plotless or meandering work is fine, but those works hinges on having characters you care about, or the very least, a setting you care about. Country of the Pointed Firs has neither. There is no name given for the narrator and she’s so featureless that the story might as well be written in second person. For me, she was nothing more than a medium between the reader and the book’s world. Unfortunately, the book’s world is nothing to write home about. I didn’t for Mrs. Todd, who seemed to lack a story and was quite bland to me. The few other characters don’t offer much and seem to just be set pieces for the setting. I’ve heard you can appreciate the book’s beautiful depiction of Maine, but I personally don’t read books to appreciate nature, I read books to appreciate people and events. I typically don’t get anything from nature poetry and likewise didn’t get anything from a nature novel(la?). Maybe I’m just too dumb, tooo impatient to appreciate the book, yet my opinion is still valid since I’m sure there are many, many readers like me. I tapped into the beauty of the book during the final chapter, for I was reading to the sound of waves as I sat near Bass Harbor Lighthouse at sunset. So even for me, there are definitely ways to appreciate the book. But I don’t think most readers will be able to create such an environment. Besides, books generally shouldn’t require readers to create an environment for an enjoyable read when the book itself is tasked with doing such.
julia1627's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
suzylit's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
adarre's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
3.5
I read this for school, so this is not a book I would normally read! There are moments in the book that clearly indicate a colonial legacy and highlight a not too far imperial past which is interesting to me and my research interests. I appreciated the imagery repetition of firs and birds. I don’t know what to do with that yet but it made the text poetic. Overall this felt like an ode to rural Maine. Very quiet, gentle, and at times maybe idealized.
astrangerhere's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
mamatoca's review against another edition
Just didn't grab me this time around. I'd like to maybe come back to it and try again.
kateraed's review against another edition
3.0
Obviously immensely important for the history and advancement of women writers and feminist literature, but less and less an accurate reflection of place (as will always happen with the passing of time), and doesn't deal with the deeper substance of the human condition enough to withstand changes in culture. That said: an absolute delight to read, especially while remembering it as one of the first works of women-penned literature. Jewett offers glimpses into the story of a community, the relationships and events that create and bind a community together. She portrays the world through the social connectedness and web of relationships, which can make the narrative seem quite nonlinear, but that would be exactly the difference between men and women in that time, and also a reflection of the modern movement. The protagonist's conversations circle on isolation vs togetherness, strangeness vs society, and the values of traveling vs of staying. Grief and loss is also a dominant theme -- nearly every character has lost someone loved, and carries their grief uniquely. It's lovely to have a woman protagonist have conversations with other women privately, out of the sight of men; and to have conversations with men that are neither romantic nor sexual. A great pick for a Maine vacation.