For my next choice I have decided to take a look at a writer from New England, the area of the country from which I hail. The book is The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett. Jewett was from South Berwick, Maine a small town on the Maine/New Hampshire border. During her time there this area was known as a fishing village, though was in it's decline.
The Country of the Pointed Firs was first published in 1896. I chose this book mostly because of the connection I have with the author. I have, many times, driven past the Sarah Orne Jewett house in South Berwick, Maine and have marveled at it's beauty and simplicity. I also have several friends whose last name is Jewett and when I came across this name in Bloom's canon list, I looked it up to see if perhaps I could add the book to my short list. The New England connection and the fact that I knew the house sealed the deal and I am about half way through the novel as of today. So far it's a terrific read, recalling a simpler time of summer's spent gathering herbs and writing on the Maine seacoast.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
My Brilliant Career
A nice diversion from what I've been used to reading. I enjoyed this tale of a self-criticizing young girl and her search for a place in the world. I've really not much to say about this story and am struggling to see why Bloom chose to include it in his canon. While the age of the author is impressive, and it's autobiographical flair is intriguing, I did not find the novel itself to be much of a challenge.
Franklin presents us with a story of a young girl whose misfortune and native curiosity seem to get her into trouble with her parents and siblings. She is unwanted at home and finds herself sent back to a place of her early childhood, a place with fond memories where she flourishes. It is the culture of that childhood home that feeds her ability to evolve into a woman.
What I found most interesting with this novel was the commentary on the importance of the arts in the development of the individual. It seems that those individuals in the novel, that did not have regular discourse with music and literature were painted as dimwitted and useless at even the most mundane tasks. The example I think of here is the M'Swat family, the family the narrator is sent to, to act as a governess for their children. The depiction of the home and the lack of any culture in the home, is directly correlated to the dimwittedness of the adults as well as the children. Franklin also draws a correlation between lack of discipline and the lack of culture in the home. I find this to be a very interesting and quite accurate argument. While people may say that snobbish attachment to culture including fine art, music, literature and drama is not something that produces well disciplined and contributing members of society I, for one disagree. I find that involvement in the arts in general provides a foundation from which any individual can venture into success.
Overall My Brilliant Career was a good read. I especially enjoyed the ending to this book. I found the choices made by the narrator, while not the choices I wanted her to make, were the choices she had to make, in order to remain intellectually and emotionally honest with herself. The vivid descriptions of the landscape of Australia cause the reader to feel as if she is in fact a visitor at any of the stations illustrated in the novel. This ability to vividly describe the setting to the story is another reason I enjoyed this novel. I again am surprised by the depth of understanding and and breadth of emotion put forth by this young author.
Franklin presents us with a story of a young girl whose misfortune and native curiosity seem to get her into trouble with her parents and siblings. She is unwanted at home and finds herself sent back to a place of her early childhood, a place with fond memories where she flourishes. It is the culture of that childhood home that feeds her ability to evolve into a woman.
What I found most interesting with this novel was the commentary on the importance of the arts in the development of the individual. It seems that those individuals in the novel, that did not have regular discourse with music and literature were painted as dimwitted and useless at even the most mundane tasks. The example I think of here is the M'Swat family, the family the narrator is sent to, to act as a governess for their children. The depiction of the home and the lack of any culture in the home, is directly correlated to the dimwittedness of the adults as well as the children. Franklin also draws a correlation between lack of discipline and the lack of culture in the home. I find this to be a very interesting and quite accurate argument. While people may say that snobbish attachment to culture including fine art, music, literature and drama is not something that produces well disciplined and contributing members of society I, for one disagree. I find that involvement in the arts in general provides a foundation from which any individual can venture into success.
Overall My Brilliant Career was a good read. I especially enjoyed the ending to this book. I found the choices made by the narrator, while not the choices I wanted her to make, were the choices she had to make, in order to remain intellectually and emotionally honest with herself. The vivid descriptions of the landscape of Australia cause the reader to feel as if she is in fact a visitor at any of the stations illustrated in the novel. This ability to vividly describe the setting to the story is another reason I enjoyed this novel. I again am surprised by the depth of understanding and and breadth of emotion put forth by this young author.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
And now for something completely different...
Next I've decided to venture out from what I've been reading in the past, mostly American and British literature and look instead at a completely different continent. I've chosen Australia and the novelist Miles Franklin. I have chosen her first novel, My Brilliant Career, originally published in 1901. The novel was written while Franklin was still a teenager and was published when she was just 22. The subject matter closely mimics the lives of her family and friends and apparently caused her much distress when originally published. As a result, she withdrew the novel from publication until after she passed.
I am excited to venture into uncharted, at least by me, territory. Hopefully I will not be disappointed and instead will be encouraged to continue to explore new and exciting avenues from which I can discover literature I may not have otherwise encountered.
I am excited to venture into uncharted, at least by me, territory. Hopefully I will not be disappointed and instead will be encouraged to continue to explore new and exciting avenues from which I can discover literature I may not have otherwise encountered.
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