Kindred Spirits: The works of LM Montgomery

[Deleted]

The Anne of Green Gables series is one of my most favorite series of all time. I re-read all 8 books about once a year. Anne of the Island is my favorite, followed by Green Gables. I love watching Anne grow from "hating" Gilbert to loving him.

[ThisGirl]

Rilla of Ingleside and Anne's House of Dreams are two of my favorite. I tried to pretend I had a lisp when I was little, because I wanted to be like Rilla.

L.M. Montgomery certainly did have an idealized vision of romantic love, though didn't she? All of her short story collections border on the ridiculous. Once upon a time a plain-faced school teacher vacations at the sea. Lo, one day she is walking on a windswept shore, when a mysterious stranger comes along. It is he! Her long-lost love, who used to be a hired boy but then went away to Montreal, only to return a rich and lonely millionare. They fall in love and are marriend within four days.

Awww. Sniff. I'm such a sucker for these stories.

[tinyshoes]

I haven't read those books in a long time. Thanks for the memory jog (I hate that term, but it's the best I can do on short notice). I remember reading the first few Anne of Green Gables books when I was younger (Gilbert Blythe. . . *sigh*), and watched all the movies religiously (this was before the Disney Channel became the Little Hoochie Starter Kit Channel).

Then when I was about 14, my little sister got hooked on the Road to Avonlea TV series (which started my crush on Gus Pike-- what has Michael Mahonen done since, anyone?). Anyway, fuelled by a fictional crush, I started reading The Story Girl and the other Chronicals of Avonlea that I could find, but none of them mentioned Gus Pike (sigh). Maybe the library didn't stock that one, or was he just a character for the TV series?

Okay, I'm spending too much typing energy on a crush from a bazillion years back. Now I have to Google Michael Mahonen. . .

[dwanollah]

I just re-read Emily for the first time in over a year, and I really still love her WAY more than Anne... especially later Anne. No way would Emily ever become Mrs. Doctor Blythe!

[Auroranorth]

Then when I was about 14, my little sister got hooked on the Road to Avonlea TV series (which started my crush on Gus Pike-- what has Michael Mahonen done since, anyone?). Anyway, fuelled by a fictional crush, I started reading The Story Girl and the other Chronicals of Avonlea that I could find, but none of them mentioned Gus Pike (sigh). Maybe the library didn't stock that one, or was he just a character for the TV series?

He was only on the tv series. Sorry.

Read them all, loved them all. Wish she had written more.

[tinyshoes]

Auroranorth said:

He was only on the tv series. Sorry.

Mystery solved.

[Deleted]

I wish she had written more books, also.

I just finished reading the last volume of her newly published journals. The last 20 years or so of her life really depressed me.

I love "A Tangled Web" and "Blue Castle."

My favorite line in all of her books comes from the last Emily book, when Mr. Carpenter tells Emily that "pine trees are just as real as pig sties and a lot more pleasanter" (I know the quote is not exact, but this is from memory; I don't own a copy) which is a reflection of LMM's belief that the new-fangled realism books of her time were sort of a cop-out and just a, well, salacious way of trying to draw the readers in.
While realism is ok ("Tree Grows in Brooklyn") at times, I agree. I love books that end happily and make you feel good at the end. What's wrong with a little bit of sentimentalism?

[kateln]

I remember loving Anne of Green Gables as youngin' (never read the Emily books) especially the first two, when Anne's temper still got the better of her, and she was constantly getting into trouble.

As a clutzy someone with a temper, who's constantly in trouble--it was comforting.

[gilbertblythe]

Can you tell who my favorite character is?

I've never gotten around to reading the books but I loved the movies that always air during a PBS pledge drive. My mother has all the books so when I find the time I'll have to start reading them.

[Deleted]

Gilbert was a nice guy, and just right for Anne, but he didn't do anything for me. But I did always love the scene at the end of "Anne of the Island" where he says, "I asked you a question four years ago. If I asked it again now, would I have a different answer?" I thought that was so romantic, if not especially passionate.
But Emily, now....Remember when she meets Teddy outside early in the morning, and she practically runs away after he puts his hand on top of hers, because of her "Murray pride?" But before that, she admits to herself that she wanted to run her fingers through his hair, and press her cheek against his....For Montgomery, this was hot! She did write in her journal that she regretted having to tone this sort of stuff down, because of her publishers; she said realistically a girl like Emily would've had several love affairs. I think that's probably true.
Whereas there's just something intrinsically innocent and, well, chaste, about Anne for the same thing to be said about her. At least, that makes sense to me.