Anne of Ingleside February 27, 2013

Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm not sure, now, what it was that had put me off reading the sixth book in the Anne series. I was inclined to be querulous about it, to go all out and tear it to pieces. Perhaps it was the knowledge that this particular book was written years after the original six, and so I was afraid the old charm could not be maintained. Perhaps it was my experience of Anne of Windy Poplars which was the other book of the series that was written years after the original six — I had found it to be a bore, I had found it too saccharine, and there were just too many people and too many kindred spirits.

So, my experience through the first few chapters of this book was simply so-so. I had a moment of ranting when I wrote the following:

There are many times when I do dislike Anne Blythe. She is nice when it is convenient for her. And as long as folk are going along with her fantasies she is absolutely peachy. The incident of the obituary really put me off. So, here was a woman who wanted something pretty said of her dead husband. She obviously had loved him in her own way, and had understood that he was of a gentle, poetic nature, unlike herself who was something of a peasant woman. Wanting something special written about her husband, and not thinking the regular kind of obituary good enough for him, came to Anne Blythe. Anne writes a poetical piece, with no substance I might add, and gives it to the woman who says admiringly that it is 'sprightly' (which offends our poet who cannot understand a person who does not speak her language and interests). When the obituary is put in the papers it is found that there is an extra verse tagged on to the end of the poem, that is specific about what this man meant to his wife. Anne and the entire Ingleside household is offended. I thought that unfeeling and selfish. Anne Blythe gets on my nerves, she does! If a person isn't her kindred spirit then they are simply labeled unworthy of any consideration. BAH!

Looking back, I still see my point as valid, but…I realised that quite a bit of the episodes revolving around Anne (save the last one) I found rather annoying. However, most of the chapters in the books revolve around Anne's children. These chapters are an absolute delight. We grow to know the Ingleside children (except for Shirley, the third boy and last but one child of the family) deeply — their interests, their quirks, their little foibles, and troubles. Anne makes for a lovely mother. She always seems to know how to work with her children and help them solve their tiny-people problems. However, she isn't perfect, and I think the incident I loved best with Anne was the last one in the book with Gilbert. It was so normal. This was a normal marriage, where, when work takes over one's life, one can some times forget the simple pleasure of a loving spouse.

I think one can tell that once I was well into the book I began to relax and enjoy it all. I found I loved reading of the so many tales, the gossip and rumours about folks of Four Winds Harbour. I wondered what it would be like to live in the small town my parents have retired to. Exactly like Four Winds, no doubt! It's a place where one gets to hear what's happening in every single family. It's deliciously scandolour to go home and hear all the 'gossip'. This is the sort of book one should really enjoy for its everyday-ness, it's little stories that make up the lives of ordinary people in an ordinary society.

I am so eager to delve into the last two books of the series. Having got to know Jem, Walter, Di, Nan and Rilla in Anne of Ingleside, I am looking forward to adventuring with them through Rainbow Valley, and then re-acquainting myself with an older Rilla and Walter and Kenneth Ford in Rilla of Ingleside. This last book was my first of this series, and as I remember it, perhaps to remain my favourite. I hope.

 

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The ‘Little Women’ Read-along: chapters 19-23 (the end) October 9, 2012

I'm four days late! And again I apologise. I simply haven't been in a good enough mood with sleepless nights and aches and pains, to actually get down to typing out a decent blog post. But, I'm in the mood now, and have time and the inclination…so here goes!

The final chapters of Little Women take us through a trying time in the lives of these four sisters. They're young and their good resolutions to hold the fort while they're mother is away attending to their sick father, soon go down the drain. Only Beth keeps holding on to all the promises she makes her mother, and as a result falls prey to the scarlet fever. I was really quite annoyed with Meg and Jo for not really looking out for the younger ones, and for their negligence as each ones was so involved in herself. I found myself trying to urge them to actually look at Beth and get up and help the Hummels! But then, a wee bit of introspection had me wondering if I wouldn't have been just like them in a situation like this where everything seems to be under control and going smoothly.

Amy has her trials too…quite different from those of her sisters'. And while I still found her selfish, I began to thaw toward her at the point she began writing her will. I can't say I still like her. But perhaps one does understand her a little. I know I can applaud her for making an effort to think of others besides herself.

My favourite part was the whole proposal of Brook's to Meg. I am disappointed, though, that Aunt March could not approve of this match. I kept hoping she would secretly rejoice in the part she plays in their union. But sadly, no such luck…and just as I was beginning to think her a grouchy old dear!

I enjoyed the scene of reunion between March and his family, and the little things he notices about his girls in the few hours he has seen them. Do men usually notice the little things? (tongue in cheek here. )

*spoiler alert for those who don't know what happens in the second part of Little Women, also known as Good Wives*

On reading the constant interactions between Jo and Laurie, is still cannot help but bemoan what Alcott did to them. Surely they were perfect for each other. Theirs would have been a very, well, lively household. I was complaining to mum about it, like we usually do to each other, and mom said something that made me think it the perfect term….how J K Rowling pulled a 'Louisa May Alcott' in her Potter series.

*end of spoiler*

Anyway, this marks the end of this read-along. If you have been reading with me, how did you find the last few chapters? Does the end satisfy you? What do you think of Jo's reaction to Meg's getting married? How about the whole incident with Beth's illness? Do you think it helped mould the girls a little more? How do you feel about the over all experience of this novel? Would you read it again?

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The “Little Women” Read-along: chapters 9-18 September 29, 2012

I'm a day late with this discussion post, I know, and I apologise. I should have been able to make my post yesterday only that I had a guest over and was busy the whole day.

As I mentioned before, I'm really enjoying my ride through Alcott's Little Women. Sometime last week, I came across a blogger who found she could not finish this book since she found it too good and sweet. I suppose one could make a complaint of that. But for some reason, this does not seem to bother me. I feel like I'm getting a glimpse into a way of life of ordinary folk during Alcott's time. And sometimes one needs to read something that isn't depressing. I do find myself wondering, though, about Alcott's state of mind or views about women at this point. I still find it so hard to believe, while reading Little Women, that she also wrote Behind a Mask (an amazing little novel by the way…powerful!). However, I will leave this thought for another day, and move on to a quick summation of my feelings on the next eight chapters I've read for this read-along.

I love how this novel is episodic in nature and so detailed. There is so much we learn about each character and we grow to love them for themselves….even Amy! While each episode seems to have a moral attached to it, I find that I don't mind it at all! Some times a person needs to be reminded about the simple things of life and, in a world where everything is fast becoming amoral, I guess we need to be reminded about morality. I think, perhaps, my favourite chapter among these we've read is The P.C. and P.O.. I enjoyed those little tid-bits that the sisters, posing as the Pickwick crowd, wrote for their paper. I also couldn't help but wonder at how creative people had to get to keep themselves occupied without things like the tv, radio, computers, video games, and I found myself wishing that we had such an opportunity to really use our brains and creativity! With machines being so much a part of our lives we are almost becoming brain dead!! I was reminded of the times when my sister, cousin and I would spend weeks getting ready for our summer holidays as children. How? We would write songs that would fit the rhythm of a trains that we might sing them during the long hours of the journey! And the stuff we used to come up with in order to fill our summer days with fun. I pity children who don't know how to do those things any more, and even we didnt have as much to go as our parents did (I love listening to their childhood stories…they sound like something out of Enid Blyton!).

I'm also really excited about the whole Brooke-Meg business. When Meg began noted that only one of her gloves had been returned I thought to myself 'Ah ha! Mr Brooke!'. Jo's reaction to learning of the latter's interest in her sister really surprised me. But then she is still a child, not wanting to grow up yet, and that's understandable. The whole Rigmarole game in Camp Laurence was simply hilarious. I loved how each addition was so different from the others, so spontaneously showing the age, gender and temperament of each participant!

I would like to go on a bit more, and like last time list the books mentioned in these chapters. However, I'm in a bit of a hurry with this post. My mum just called to say she would be here in ten minutes, and I'm really excited! Also, I need to get things ready to welcome her. I'll likely fill in the extra details in next week's post.

Hope you all had a lovely time reading these eight chapters. What did you think of them? Do you find yourself getting more involved with the characters? Do you find things are too sweet and moralistic? Or is it just fitting? Do you feel nostalgic while you read this novel? Tell me all!

 

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The beginnings of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”. September 22, 2012

Ever since I'd heard that September 16 to September 22 was Tolkien Week, I'd been wanting to do, or write up, something special. I had contemplated reading The Hobbit again. However, finding myself not in the mood for it I decided to post a little something about it instead. What I am about to write is not a summary of or my reaction to the said novel, but rather a glimpse behind the working of The Hobbit. What was the original purpose of The Hobbit and how it finally led to it's overwhelming sequel, The Lord of the Rings. All of my facts and information I draw from the letters of the author himself, J R R Tolkien. My source is The Letters of J R R Tolkien, edited by Humphrey Carpenter with the assistance of Christopher Tolkien.

Dates and initial target audience.

Something interesting I came across almost as soon as I began researching The Hobbit…it was first published on 21 September 1937. Not something that would have struck me before except that both 21 and 22 September are considered the birth day of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins (The American Tolkien Society). As you might or might not know, Tolkien had first written this story of a hobbit to amuse his children. Having had it approved by friends, though, he dicided to publish it. Tolkien writes about his children's reaction to it when refuting that his novel was meant for the 'nursery': …is the age-implication right? I should have said 'the nursery' ended about 8 when children go forth to school. That is too young. My eldest boy was thirteen when he heard the serial. It did not appeal to the younger ones who had to grow up to it successively. (Letter #15)

Influences

When asked about the whole episode wbout the theft Tolkien admits to being greatly influenced by Beowulf and other myths and legends but…: As for the rest of the tale it is…derived from (previously digested) epic, mythology, and fairy-story…Beowulf is among my most valued sources; though it was not consciously present to the mind in the process of writing, in which the episode of the theft arose naturally (and almost inevitably) from the circumstances. It is difficult to think of any other way of conducting the story at that point. I fancy the author of Beowulf would say much the same. (Letter #25)

A little more on hobbits and their geographic location

Readers of The Hobbit wondered if these little, furry-footed creatures were influenced by some African pigmy tribe. Another reader recalled having read a fairy story on a hobbit that was a horror. Tolkien is very clear that while there might be a homophonic accident in terms of the name, he did not derive this race from any living peoples he knew or from any other story. He says of Bilbo: He was a prosperous, well-fed young bachelor of independent means…His feet,IMF conveniently clad and shod by nature, were as elegant as his long, clever fingers. (Ibid) He also talks of the hobbits only lived in The Wild, and they were mostly unaware of their location. (I could pull out more on this from the appendices of my copy of The Lord of the Rings, unfortunately my copy is with a friend right now.)

An image from The Hobbit graphic novel illustrated by David Wenzel

In another letter, when asked to describe Bilbo for the purpose of illustration Tolkien says: I picture a fairly human figure, not a kind of 'fairy' rabbit as some of my British reviewers seem to fancy: fattish in the stomach, shortish in the leg. A round, jovial face; ears only slightly pointed and 'elvish'; hair short and curling (brown). The feet from the ankles down, covered with brown hairy fur. Clothing: green velvet breeches; red or yellow waist-coat; brown or green jacket; gold (or brass) buttons; a dark green hood and cloak (belonging to a dwarf). [...] Actual size — only important if other objects are in picture — say about three or three feet six inches. (Ah! Really miss my copy of LotR! There are more details on height there. At this point in time, in Tolkien's letters, he is just getting this race together, in a manner of speaking.) He continues: There is in the text no mention of his acquiring boots. There should be! It has dropped out somehow or other in the various revisions — the bootings occurred at Rivendell; and he was again bootlegs after leaving Rivendell on the way home. But since leathery soles, and well-brushed furry feet are a feature of essential hobbitness, he ought really to appear unbooted, except in special illustrations of episodes. (Letter #27)

The beginning of the sequel that will come to be known as The Lord of the Rings

Tolkien had never intended to go any further than The Hobbit. It was sort of like a side project for him. His heart was really in The Silmarillion (that was published post-humously). He had created the world of Middle-earth where elves were a dominating race, and the philologist in him was already well into creating the elven and dwarvish languages. It had pleased him that he was able to incorporate a wee bit of this world into The Hobbit, but it had never occurred to him to take this story any further. He writes to his publisher: …the original Hobbit was never intended to have a sequel — Bilbo 'remained very happy to the end of his days and those were extraordinarily long': a sentence I find an almost insuperable obstacle to a satisfactory link. (Letter #31) To readers of the sequel we know how exactly Tolkien was to use those 'extraordinarily long' days to work out the next plot.

Tolkien found himself thawing to the idea of a sequel when his daughter longed to know more of the Tooks (a wealthy hobbit family from whom the foolish yet adorable Peregrine Took of The Lord of the Rings is a direct descendant and Bilbo and Frodo are strongly connected to), and a reader was eager for more details on Gandalf and the Necromancer (Sauron of the sequel).

By Letter #34 we see that Tolkien is having trouble maintaining the tone of The Hobbit in the sequel. He writes: …it was running its course, and forgetting 'children', and was becoming more terrifying than the Hobbit. It may prove quite unsuitable. It is more 'adult' — but my children who criticise it as it appears are no older. …The darkness of the present days (this was written on 13 October 1938) has had some effect on it. Tolkien is quick to state, however that it is not an 'allegory'.

Four months later Tolkien is twelve chapters into the sequel when he writes to his publisher again saying that The Lord of the Rings: is in itself a good deal better than The Hobbit, but it may not prove a very fit sequel. It is more grown up — but the audience for which The Hobbit was written has done that also. The readers young and old who clamoured for 'more about the Necromancer' are to blame, for the N. is not child's play. Tolkien assures Unwin, his publisher, in a footnote that there are more hobbits and dwarves, and Gollum makes a major appearance, not to mention that Gandalf is pretty much in the forefront.

And so begins the epic journey of Frodo and the One Ring to the fires of Mount Doom.

 

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The “Little Women” Read-along: Chapters 1-8 September 21, 2012

 

This is the first discussion post for Little Women that I am reading along with Sam and Debbie. Naturally, then, this piece is going to be chock full of spoilers. If you haven’t read this book before I suggest you stop reading this post now. But if you have read it and would like to join in on the discussions please take a seat and get comfortable.

Okay, so I was only a couple of pages into chapter one when I realised that, like Sam, I had never read the original Little Women. And yet I know it so well! Anyway, I’m glad I decided to get myself a copy of this Penguin Popular Classic so that I might enjoy the original. As always (even when reading abridged versions or watching several film versions) I felt so cozy reading these first few chapters. I’ve always loved how the girls wait for their mother to come home, and make her comfortable; how they plan to spend their Christmas money on her, and how Amy exchanges her small bottle of perfume for a bigger one. I love how they wake up Christmas morning only to have to share their breakfast with the poverty-stricken Hummels. And later, how they perform their play. It was good fun reading the story of Jo’s play as it is performed. I must admit to getting rather disoriented as to who was playing who…especially between Meg and Beth…but it was enjoyable. The whole thing was rather juvenile, don’t you think?….and yet so full of imagination! It reminded me so much of the days when I would gather my sister and cousins together during Christmas day and we would all put together a little play. I used to store all kinds of materials and stuff in a box just for such an occasion so that we could dress up for our acts. So it wasn’t hard to imagine how much fun it was for the March sisters to put up the play.

I was also struck by the whole set up from The Pilgrim’s Progress. I found it absolutely delightful! Even the chapter names dealing with each sister’s burden was so apt (Beth Finds the Palace Beautiful, Amy’s Valley of Humiliation, Jo Meets Apollyon, and Meg Goes to Vanity Fair…we have as yet to read this last one, of course). I think what makes this book precious to little girls is that, in one way or another, one is able to relate to one of the four sisters. I’m quite surprised at myself…I’d never identified with Jo until now. That whole chapter dealing with Jo’s temper could so easily have been about me! I must admit, while reading of how Amy takes her revenge, I could feel my blood boiling….it always does when I read how Amy destroys all Jo’s hard work just because she was refused an outing! The latter half of that chapter was also calming because of the conversation Jo has with Mrs March. I found it peaceful and it was like a little sermon without getting preachy…just the sort of thing young people need when they need to be set aright or need comfort…someone non-judgmental but full of advice drawn from experience.

Oh! And I have to mention this! Every time I read about Laurie and Jo I feel a rather bitter sweet emotion. But I won’t go into it as this is Debbie’s first time with this novel, I think.

Something else I noticed while reading these first eight chapters, Alcott seems to refer to other works quite often. In fact, except for chapters six and seven, every other chapter till eight has at least one work mentioned in it:

• Chapter 1: The Pilgrim’s Progress
• Chapter 2: The Bible
• Chapter 3: Heir of Redclyff
• Chapter 4: Belsham’s Essays; The Vicar of Wakefield; Uncle Tom’s Cabin
• Chapter 5: Ivanhoe
• Chapter 8: (writers mentioned) Bremer, Scott, Edgeworth

Have you folk read any or all of these before? How did you find them? Bremer and Belsham sound unfamiliar to me. I have yet to read something by Maria Edgeworth.

Since there’s only the three of us reading together, I’ve decided to make this a rather informal post. Which means, there aren’t any official discussion questions. But just to set the ball rolling…

How has the reading been for you so far? Have you a favourite sister yet? What do you think of Laurie?

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Anne’s House of Dreams August 21, 2012

Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Right now, of the four books I have read in the Anne series thus far, this one is my favourite. I suppose this is because this is the one I could relate to the most at this time in my life. Anne is blissfully married to Gilbert Blythe, moves to her ‘house of dreams’ and makes lots of fascinating new friends in her neighbours. In this book she also gets to witness and experience sorrow (unlike the unhappiness of her early childhood), and grows a great deal more.

As usual, after reading the book and rating it on goodreads, I went to check out other folks’ reviews. I noticed that many young, single women, still studying or pursuing a career, were not able  to reconcile themselves with the Anne of this book in the series. Many found it hard to understand that she would give up a promising career as a writer for domesticity. However, those who did give it 4 or 5 starts, for the most part, were women like me –married and having chosen domesticity over a career and are quite happy and content with their lot. Really, when you think about it, in spite of her competing with Gilbert for first place in Anne of Green Gables and studying so hard for a career in Anne of Avonlea and  Anne of the Island, Anne is mostly a dreamer and not a woman of ambition. She loves the simple things of life and delights in them. Therefore, it isn’t surprising that she gives up a career as a writer to be a doctor’s wife and a mother.

Yet, what sparkles the most in this book, is not Anne herself, but three of the secondary characters introduced in this book — a) Cornelian Bryant, a middle-woman spinster with a kind heart and a tongue made to cut all men in half; her oft repeated saying is “now isn’t that just like a man.” b) Captain Jim, an old seasoned sailor who mans the lighthouse at the Four Winds harbour. He’s a delightful man with so many tales to share and a heart of gold. c) Leslie Moore, a beautiful woman, not much older than Anne, with a tragic past and a sorrowful present.

These three characters liven up the story so much with the first providing the comedy with her strictures on men, the second giving the story soul and the third providing a vein of pathos that does not overwhelm the reader but adds to the charm of Montgomery’s story telling.

I will admit to missing the old familiar characters of Marilla and Rachel and Davy. They make very brief cameo appearances and then vanish. However, while I missed them, I didn’t feel their absence was a drawback. It was only natural, I suppose.

Again, Montgomery deals with themes of life and death in all their varying shades and colours. I love, so much, how she does this — with such finesse!

I have two more books to go in the sies (I’m skipping book six as I don’t have it), and I have a strong feeling that the best is yet to come. However, this book is definitely going to be special to me.

Allow me to leave you with quotes, whether lovely or pragmatic, from Anne’s House of Dreams.

On the woods and the sea

The woods are never solitary– they are full of whispering, beckoning, friendly life. But the sea is a mighty soul, forever moaning of some great, unshareable sorrow, which shuts it up into itself for all eternity. We can never pierce its infinite mystery–we may only wander, awed and spellbound, on the outer fringe of it. The woods call to us with a hundred voices, but the sea has one only–a mighty voice that drowns our souls in its majestic music. The woods are human, but the sea is of the company of the archangels.

On perfection

It’s so beautiful that it hurts me,” said Anne softly. “Perfect things like that always did hurt me–I remember I called it `the queer ache’ when I was a child. What is the reason that pain like this seems inseparable from perfection? Is it the pain of finality–when we realise that there can be nothing beyond but retrogression?”

“Perhaps,” said Owen dreamily, “it is the prisoned infinite in us calling out to its kindred infinite as expressed in that visible perfection.”

On Cornelian Bryant

Certainly, sentiment and passion had a way of shrinking out of sight in Miss Cornelia’s presence.

Anne gets a BA degree. August 14, 2012

Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anne finally goes to Redmond College to earn herself a B A degree, and she has a lovely four-year spell. She’s back with her old school chums, Stella and Priscilla and she makes a new friend in the unusual yet charming Phillipa Gordon. They get themselves a little dream house during the final three years of college, enjoy a lovely comradie, fall in love and/or get proposed to, and generally do a lot of growing up.

I enjoyed reading this book as much as I did the previous one and the one before that. Perhaps, I liked the new characters in this book better than the new ones introduced in Anne of Avonlea – at least, they were definitely more down-to-earth! I did get a bit frustrated with Anne’s silly notions of romance that proved a hindrance to so many things. But then, no doubt, it was only natural course of events. I remember when I was as silly as her in that respect!

I love the soothing way in which Montgomery writes. Her plots are mild, but so realistic that it feels familiar — like settling down with a lifelong friend for a nice cozy chat of days gone by. I’ve noticed that in the first three books I’ve read so far Montgomery does not shrink away from portraying death. And the I respect and admire the way in which she treats the deaths of old and young alike as an absolutely natural course (which it is). Even then we see various manners in which Anne’s friends and loved ones pass away. In this particular book one of Avonlea’s belles falls victim to consumption, and I love the way her mask and her fears our related with sensitivity and yet a definite tone of eventuality.

All these experiences and more make Anne who and what she is. She is growing on the pages from a young dreamer to a woman of the world, and I’m really thrilled about moving onto the next book in the series (publication wise) – Anne’s House of Dreams.