Say and Seal, Volume I
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4.0 • 5 Ratings
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Publisher Description
The street was broad, with sidewalks, and wide grass-grown borders, and a spacious track of wheels and horses' feet in the centre. Great elms, which the early settlers planted, waved their pendant branches over the peaceful highway, and gave shelter and nest-room to numerous orioles, killdeer, and robins; putting off their yellow leaves in the autumn, and bearing their winter weight of snow, in seeming quiet assurance that spring would make amends for all. Along the street, at pleasant neighbourly intervals—not near enough to be crowded, nor far enough to be lonely—stood the houses —comfortable, spacious, compact — "with no nonsense about them". The Mong lay like a mere blue thread in the distance, its course often pointed out by the gaff of some little sloop that followed the bends of the river up toward Suckiaug. The low rolling shore was spotted with towns and spires: over all was spread the fairest blue sky and floating specks of white.
Customer Reviews
Long on descriptive imagery, short on plot
I chose this book to read (both volumes) because My wife and I had enjoyed reading aloud The Wide Wide World, by the same author. Also, the second volume of is book contains the original writing of the words to the hymn Jesus Loves Me. In typical 19th century fashion, the book contains detailed descriptions of scenery, birds, air and sunshine that run on for paragraphs. We've become accustomed to long descriptions, but surprisingly this book has almost no plot to make the long-windedness worthwhile. Surprising because The Wide Wide World has a very strong plot, and this work was written ten years later. The main conflict of the book is that the main character, Faith Derrick, has two suitors. However there is little tension in the story because it is clear from the beginning that she only has eyes for one of them, and several hundred pages are required before she finally runs the other suitor off. Also, her beloved Mr. Linden is mysteriously shot and injured on a dark road by a man with a shotgun, and the identity of the shooter is never revealed. Annoyingly, this loose thread is never tied before the book abruptly ends.