Set in the fictional village of Viger, Duncan Campbell Scott’s ten stories present a community torn apart by madness, festering jealousies, and lifelong animosities. From the almost demonic presence of “The Pedler” to the tender innocence of “The Bobolink” and the humour of “The Wooing of Monsieur Cuerrier,” the collection explores a rural village facing the darkness of its own future.
First published in 1896, In The Village of Viger is now recognized as a story cycle rather than merely a collection, hence standing at the beginning of a long tradition that includes such classics as Stephen Leacock’s Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town and Margaret Laurence’s A Bird in the House.