tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post404252850721892201..comments2023-09-22T02:24:42.144-07:00Comments on a light inside: Currently Reading: Emily of New MoonJenna St.Hilairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528611770211261141noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-79574071618177191222011-12-12T21:54:55.311-08:002011-12-12T21:54:55.311-08:00Jenna, you will LOVE The Blue Castle! I can't ...Jenna, you will LOVE <i>The Blue Castle</i>! I can't speak to <i>A Tangled Web</i> because it's been forever since I read it (will probably be reading it in the next few months), but <i>The Blue Castle</i> is <i>delicious.</i> It is like a dark chocolate hazelnut truffle of the <i>soul</i>. It's a short book; you can read it in an afternoon over a couple cups of tea.Lauranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-61637324954151625512011-12-12T20:14:23.772-08:002011-12-12T20:14:23.772-08:00I second Maria on the thanks for the pic of L.M.M....I second <b>Maria</b> on the thanks for the pic of L.M.M. And thanks, Maria, for the recommendations--I've never read The Blue Castle or A Tangled Web!Jenna St. Hilairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04474588706124865006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-74356510756569665992011-12-12T20:12:14.889-08:002011-12-12T20:12:14.889-08:00Er, Emily's Quest, I meant -- I could never re...Er, Emily's Quest, I meant -- I could never remember which was which. By the by, Laura, thanks for sharing that picture of L.M. Montgomery as a child! She looks exactly like Emily of New Moon.Marianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-12582844393591900052011-12-12T20:06:53.941-08:002011-12-12T20:06:53.941-08:00"The last book is a steaming heap of misery a..."The last book is a steaming heap of misery and self-doubt, topped off by a dubious maraschino cherry of last-minute romance."<br /><br />Well said, though I've read the ending several times, trying to search for a good excuse for it. :) Review coming soon, <b>Laura!</b> And thanks for your thoughts.Jenna St. Hilairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04474588706124865006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-45056497143621816032011-12-12T20:04:09.944-08:002011-12-12T20:04:09.944-08:00Oh my gosh, Laura, your description of Emily Climb...Oh my gosh, Laura, your description of Emily Climbs made me howl!! That is EXACTLY how I remembered it! Well, I may give them a go sometime or other. There are some days on which nothing will make it better except a dose of L.M. Montgomery. Everything always turns out right in the end -- the lost are saved, the lonely are comforted, and the villains are thwarted. She's kind of like comfort food. I especially love The Blue Castle, A Tangled Web, and her short stories.Marianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-16538546702661581322011-12-12T19:07:45.083-08:002011-12-12T19:07:45.083-08:00P.S. George, you totally do. Anne of Green Gables ...P.S. <b>George,</b> you totally do. <i>Anne of Green Gables</i> is really astonishingly good, much better than anyone ever expects from just knowing about it from cultural osmosis. Some of the sequels are better than others (I said, diplomatically), but everyone can agree that Original Anne is amazing.Lauranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-75465234310628167382011-12-12T19:02:57.655-08:002011-12-12T19:02:57.655-08:00Yay, Emily! My favorite.
I wouldn't say they...Yay, Emily! My favorite. <br /><br />I wouldn't say they're generally considered of higher quality / more "literary" than the Anne books. They are perceived as more obviously semi-autobiographical because they crib a lot from LMM's diaries and deal directly with Emily's development as a writer (even the unsatisfying romances of the last book are really about whether or not Emily will continue to take writing seriously), and they are definitely darker and more. . . spiritualistic, I guess you could say? But really all of L.M.M.'s heroines are autobiographical and there's a good deal of darkness lurking just offstage in all her best books.<br /><br />I guess it would be fair to say that Emily was the heroine LMM identified with the most strongly. And they certainly looked alike: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lmmontgomery1884.gif<br /> <br />The last book is a steaming heap of misery and self-doubt, topped off by a dubious maraschino cherry of last-minute romance. I think it only works if, like me, you have become so invested in the character of Emily to be willing to make excuses for it-- but I still think it's <i>worth</i> making excuses for. I'd be interested to hear what you think of it and Emily Climbs, <b>Jenna</b>.<br /><br /><b>Maria,</b> that whole scene is perfect. And, not to be pushy, but if it's been two decades, you might want to give the books another try! They aren't as good as the first one, but there's a lot in them that's interesting and worthwhile.Lauranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-12796827777245372812011-12-07T22:00:52.010-08:002011-12-07T22:00:52.010-08:00P.S. There was one particularly vivid scene I reme...P.S. There was one particularly vivid scene I remember of Emily being shown around to all of her aunts and uncles on the day of the lottery. She begins to smile at one of them and is hurried on to the next, who ends up being the beneficiary of the full bloom of the smile. Isn't it amazing that I can remember that after so many years? Maybe it's only been 15 years, not 20 -- I hardly remember anything else about the book except that I loved it. But L.M. Montgomery certainly is talented.Marianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-48924273856086165272011-12-07T21:55:31.476-08:002011-12-07T21:55:31.476-08:00I liked the first one (though not quite as much as...I liked the first one (though not quite as much as I liked Anne of Green Gables), but I hated the second and third one. In fact I can't remember if I made it all the way through the third one. But that was almost two decades ago too! I might try them again if I have little girls to read to someday. :)Marianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-35068933103770852642011-12-07T17:14:41.379-08:002011-12-07T17:14:41.379-08:00Yeah, I know how it goes, George. :) But I love An...Yeah, I know how it goes, <b>George.</b> :) But I love Anne!<br /><br /><b>Arabella,</b> we'll see! I've only read the first one so far; got the other two from the library today. It's interesting that they're considered of higher quality than the Anne books. I'm not so sure I'd go along with that, but can't say for sure till I've gone through, I suppose.Jenna St. Hilairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04474588706124865006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-51621715345912972762011-12-07T13:48:54.425-08:002011-12-07T13:48:54.425-08:00I didn't care for the Emily books. They got to...I didn't care for the Emily books. They got too depressing, but I understand they're considered a literary notch above the Anne books. Glad you like them!<br /><br />--ArabellaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-37013825071230775272011-12-07T12:38:40.989-08:002011-12-07T12:38:40.989-08:00I still need to read the Anne books. One more thin...I still need to read the <i>Anne</i> books. One more thing on the list. :)Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16501327753737422337noreply@blogger.com