May 2004: The Country of the Pointed Firs & Other Stories (Jewett)

Post date: Jan 06, 2010 7:46:53 PM

Sarah Orne Jewett's The Country of the Pointed Firs & Other Stories introduced us to interesting characters of late-nineteenth-century, coastal Maine. After admiring Martha Iverson's lovely view and charming garden on Friday evening, May 28, we talked about the simple and rustic life depicted in Jewett's stories juxtaposed with the richness of the personalities who populated the tiny, sea-worn town of Dunnet Landing. We discussed how the narrator was ever present in the scenes, yet we knew so little of her; the focus is on others. The lack of plot in The Country of the Pointed Firs, pointedly remarked on in various introductions (different editions were read by different people), was not seen as having much relevance for our reading experiences, although it seems to have significant literary importance. Overall, the group seemed to enjoy the "other stories" even more, as they provide more depth to the characters.