59 pages 1 hour read

Louise Penny

The Cruelest Month

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2007

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Important Quotes

Quotation Mark Icon

“Three Pines itself was a village forgotten. Time eddied and swirled and sometimes bumped into it, but never stayed long and never left much of an impression. For hundreds of years the village had nestled in the palm of the rugged Canadian mountains, protected and hidden and rarely found except by accident.”


(Chapter 1, Page 2)

From the beginning of the novel, Penny works to bring Three Pines to life as more than just a setting. One way she does so is by playing with the concept of time. Three Pines is presented as a modern-day Brigadoon, found by those who need it.

Quotation Mark Icon

“You can name the threat. We all know what to expect in other seasons. But not spring. The worst flooding happens in spring. Forest fires, killing frosts, snowstorms and mudslides. Nature’s in turmoil. Anything can happen.”


(Chapter 1, Page 5)

Ruth identifies the disruptive elements of spring, reminding the other villagers that the rebirth and awakening of spring are accompanied by chaos. This perspective on spring is a motif that operates throughout the novel. It serves to remind the reader to look beyond the stereotypical representations of spring, another way in which Penny reminds the reader to consider unconventional perspectives.

Quotation Mark Icon

“Tears came to his eyes as he was overcome by this wraith that had threatened all his life. That he’d hidden from as a child, that he’d run from and buried and denied. It had stalked him and finally found him. Here, in his beloved wife’s studio. Standing in front of this creation of hers the terrible monster had found him. And devoured him.”


(Chapter 4, Page 23)

Peter is viewing Clara’s painting, and the monster that finally devours him is jealousy. This plot thread of Peter’s jealousy of Clara is another way that Penny explores Love and Attachment. Although Peter appears to love Clara, in truth, it is attachment—if it was love, he would support her success, instead of subtly working to undermine it.

Related Titles

By Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

A Fatal Grace

Louise Penny

A Fatal Grace

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

A Great Reckoning

Louise Penny

A Great Reckoning

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

All the Devils are Here

Louise Penny

All the Devils are Here

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

A Rule Against Murder

Louise Penny

A Rule Against Murder

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

A World of Curiosities

Louise Penny

A World of Curiosities

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

Bury Your Dead

Louise Penny

Bury Your Dead

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

How the Light Gets In

Louise Penny

How the Light Gets In

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

State of Terror

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Louise Penny

State of Terror

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

Still Life

Louise Penny

Still Life

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

The Beautiful Mystery

Louise Penny

The Beautiful Mystery

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

The Brutal Telling

Louise Penny

The Brutal Telling

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

The Long Way Home

Louise Penny

The Long Way Home

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

The Nature of the Beast

Louise Penny

The Nature of the Beast

Louise Penny