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sonshinelibrarian's review against another edition
4.5
Reread 2021
I definitely enjoy this, but I sort of wish the Sam story wasn't part of it. The ending not only is very problematic but it also doesn't really end the story nicely. My favorite storyline is Margaret's 100%.
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What a marvelously tangled mess of family drama. It is amazing to me that so many threads could all be pulled together so masterfully, dancing in and out of each story, picking up a thread you'd almost forgotten about and tying it to another in unexpected ways.
I definitely enjoy this, but I sort of wish the Sam story wasn't part of it. The ending not only is very problematic but it also doesn't really end the story nicely. My favorite storyline is Margaret's 100%.
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What a marvelously tangled mess of family drama. It is amazing to me that so many threads could all be pulled together so masterfully, dancing in and out of each story, picking up a thread you'd almost forgotten about and tying it to another in unexpected ways.
the_literarylinguist's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
azryek's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sepideh_dsamani's review against another edition
Missing l. M. Montgomery's humour and beautiful prince Edwards Island? Read this!
P.s. my favourite place/ dream/ part of the book was "whispering winds"...
P.s. my favourite place/ dream/ part of the book was "whispering winds"...
wilde_book_garden's review against another edition
3.0
Some cute and charming bits, rather too many nature descriptions, and a couple of horribly offensive slurs.
Oh. And someone strangles a kitten. Serves no purpose in the story, but let’s throw in some animal abuse.
My least favorite L. M. Montgomery novel so far. The lovely writing and a couple of intriguing characters (out of a huge cast) were all that saved it from a 2 star rating.
Oh. And someone strangles a kitten. Serves no purpose in the story, but let’s throw in some animal abuse.
My least favorite L. M. Montgomery novel so far. The lovely writing and a couple of intriguing characters (out of a huge cast) were all that saved it from a 2 star rating.
melanie_page's review against another edition
1.0
She leads readers down a predictable path and then sweeps the rug out from under us (to switch metaphors).
Once the rug was yanked, I didn’t care about anybody. They fall in love after a chaste kiss on the cheek; fall out of love when they notice someone has the smallest physical imperfection — a mole, for instance. Can you imagine upending your entire life when your live-long housemate keeps a statue that you hate? Or wasting a decade on the memory of a stranger only to find out he’s gained weight and is losing a bit of hair and decide so he’s a piece of crap instead of getting to know him? A Tangled Web is so teeth-grindingly petty. I kept reading because I wanted to know who ended up with whom, but once I hit a string of grumbles that really demonstrated what a shallow pool Montgomery could be, I just quit — at 79%. You really have to shit the bed for me to DNF that late in the game.
But I was curious. So I headed to Goodreads and looked for reviews that spoiled the ending. Apparently, nothing gets resolved, but A Tangled Web does conclude with a huge racist joke that evokes the n-word. . .
Full review at Grab the Lapels.
Once the rug was yanked, I didn’t care about anybody. They fall in love after a chaste kiss on the cheek; fall out of love when they notice someone has the smallest physical imperfection — a mole, for instance. Can you imagine upending your entire life when your live-long housemate keeps a statue that you hate? Or wasting a decade on the memory of a stranger only to find out he’s gained weight and is losing a bit of hair and decide so he’s a piece of crap instead of getting to know him? A Tangled Web is so teeth-grindingly petty. I kept reading because I wanted to know who ended up with whom, but once I hit a string of grumbles that really demonstrated what a shallow pool Montgomery could be, I just quit — at 79%. You really have to shit the bed for me to DNF that late in the game.
But I was curious. So I headed to Goodreads and looked for reviews that spoiled the ending. Apparently, nothing gets resolved, but A Tangled Web does conclude with a huge racist joke that evokes the n-word. . .
Full review at Grab the Lapels.
rmschmitt's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
michlbcm's review against another edition
2.0
This was not my favorite of L.M.Montgomery's books. It was much more tragic than any of her other books. It left a bitter sweet taste at the end of the book. Even the couples that ended happy spent so much time is just agony that it almost out weighed the end.
I also thought the last story and paragraph of the book kind of ruined the whole book for me. Perhaps I'm missing a major point that the author was trying to get across but as a 21st century reader I am very sensitive to the "N" word and was not able to find it funny.
If you don't like the neat and tidy happy ending love stories that Montgomery usually writes you might like this one. The stories have more depth of feeling in them and alot more tragedy.
I also thought the last story and paragraph of the book kind of ruined the whole book for me. Perhaps I'm missing a major point that the author was trying to get across but as a 21st century reader I am very sensitive to the "N" word and was not able to find it funny.
If you don't like the neat and tidy happy ending love stories that Montgomery usually writes you might like this one. The stories have more depth of feeling in them and alot more tragedy.
annascottcross's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting book. It was very L.M. Montgomery-style, with very pronounced characters. You have the naive girl who is blindly in love, the flapper girl who was "scandalously modern," the old gossips, the clan drunk, and the list goes on. Most of the characters were lovable in their own way, and this mysterious jug brought so many lives together. The ending was perfect - no other solution involving the jug would have worked. :)
While this was an entertaining book, it was definitely one of her more "edgy" ones. There are many uses of d---, and one or two uses each of a-- and h---. Very unusual for Montgomery and very telling of the times. It also had some "scandals" with several people in love with people who were married, or who were other than their spouse. Religion was more of a tradition and a social standing than anything else, and Little Sam wins a statue of the naked Aurora, goddess of dawn, and admires it accordingly. There was nothing inappropriate, but still this was edgier than were most of Montgomery's other books.
While this was an entertaining book, it was definitely one of her more "edgy" ones. There are many uses of d---, and one or two uses each of a-- and h---. Very unusual for Montgomery and very telling of the times. It also had some "scandals" with several people in love with people who were married, or who were other than their spouse. Religion was more of a tradition and a social standing than anything else, and Little Sam wins a statue of the naked Aurora, goddess of dawn, and admires it accordingly. There was nothing inappropriate, but still this was edgier than were most of Montgomery's other books.