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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
lighthearted
slow-paced
This book is L.M. Montgomery's last installment in the [b:Anne of Green Gables|8127|Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)|L.M. Montgomery|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309203168s/8127.jpg|3464264] series. I can see why it was never published before. Its format is unusual: short stories (in which the Blythes don't play a big part but are frequently quoted) interspersed with poems by Anne and Walter Blythe (each poem is followed by its discussion by the Blythes). The book covers the time from before World War I until World War II. I have to admit I skipped most of the poetry, but I enjoyed the short stories—I think they are better than some of L.M. Montgomery's other short story collections.
3.5/5 stars
The Blythes Are Quoted is the ninth Anne novel and is told in two parts, the first taking place before World War I (and prior to Rilla of Ingleside) and the second taking place after World War I (and after Rilla of Ingleside). The novel is a collection of short stories and vignettes in which Anne is reading poetry to her family, either written by herself or by Walter (Walter’s poems are in the second half only).
The tone of the novel is bleaker, more dramatic, and more scandalous than any of the other novels I’ve read by L.M. Montgomery (and I’ve read 23/25). It should also be noted that none of the short stories feature the Blythe family (or the Meredith family) as main characters, and the novel is aptly title because often the characters in the short stories are quoting or talking of the Blythe family. The short stories were pretty miss for me, the only one I particularly enjoyed being Brother Beware. In contrast, I really did enjoy the vignettes, I loved having a bit of insight into the everyday life of Anne and her family before and after the events of Rilla of Ingleside and getting a peek into what has become of her children. I’m not much of a poetry reader, but I could appreciate most of the poetry in this novel. My heart really goes out to the mothers of this time period, especially those who had to watch their sons go to war and then their grandsons soon after.
The Blythes Are Quoted is the ninth Anne novel and is told in two parts, the first taking place before World War I (and prior to Rilla of Ingleside) and the second taking place after World War I (and after Rilla of Ingleside). The novel is a collection of short stories and vignettes in which Anne is reading poetry to her family, either written by herself or by Walter (Walter’s poems are in the second half only).
The tone of the novel is bleaker, more dramatic, and more scandalous than any of the other novels I’ve read by L.M. Montgomery (and I’ve read 23/25). It should also be noted that none of the short stories feature the Blythe family (or the Meredith family) as main characters, and the novel is aptly title because often the characters in the short stories are quoting or talking of the Blythe family. The short stories were pretty miss for me, the only one I particularly enjoyed being Brother Beware. In contrast, I really did enjoy the vignettes, I loved having a bit of insight into the everyday life of Anne and her family before and after the events of Rilla of Ingleside and getting a peek into what has become of her children. I’m not much of a poetry reader, but I could appreciate most of the poetry in this novel. My heart really goes out to the mothers of this time period, especially those who had to watch their sons go to war and then their grandsons soon after.
This newly-discovered final book by LM Montgomery is certainly a little... bizarre. I find it was an interesting experiment for her - bringing together various tales of certain citizens of Glenn St. Mary's interspersed with poems and reflections by Anne and Walter with some minor commentary by the rest of the family. But... where's the "catch"? Where's the hook that pulls you in and makes you want to care about the characters and what's going on? The one thing all the stories have in common is the constant referrals to the Blythes (hence the title of the book). Seriously, though... it becomes too much. Anyone who has had to put up with kids/ friends/ colleagues who are constantly saying things like "well HE/SHE said this" or "HE/SHE said that" on a daily basis knows how insane it can quickly become.[return][return]Unlike some of the characters who -constantly faced with that type of comment about the Blythes- shouted "I don't care what they say/think!" I could only shrug my shoulders and think how all those links-back to the Blythes was unneccessary. [return][return]The short stories themselves ranged from cute/ entertaining to downright morose/ depressing. I believe this is what has made the majority of the scholars gasp at. That someone like LM could concievably become so depressed later in life that she would stoop to "spoil" the world of Anne with such petty and vindictive human emotions and failings.[return][return]Anne and her family is what I really cared about and wanted to know more of. This book, outside of giving us glimpses of Anne and Walter's poetry and some of the emotional turmoil they are going through does not do much to advance that (outside of hints of how further along in time the stories take place as we're entering WW II and Anne's kids have kids...)[return][return]In the end, it was an "okay" read.
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
The backstory to this final work of L.M. Montgomery’s is quite haunting. It arrived at her publisher, I believe it said, the day after her death. And, no one really knows if she is the one who sent it. Some of it was published as The Road to Yesterday, but this version with a lot of found material, wasn’t published until 2009.
How strange is that? What appears in The Blythes Are Quoted are poems and short stories with a darker slant than other Montgomery works. Some of these stories had been previously published in magazines, but at some point, Montgomery had re-worked them to insert the Blythes and their town of Glen St. Mary.
There are some characters who can’t stand Anne and Gilbert, and they think and say terrible things about them. Other characters are almost obsessed with them. It can be a bit unsettling at times, but I think it is how Maud had felt about these characters at different stages of her career.
In between stories, we get little poetry readings by Anne to the family. Some are written by her while others are written by Walter. They cover a lot of feelings regarding the war, life, grief, and death. As well as love, home and family.
Knowing what we now know about Maud’s final days, it is no wonder that this, her final work, would contain some dark truths and undertones.
Other versions of this work were sold to the University of Guelph by Chester’s son in 1984, and this published version was put together with this material.
Definitely worth a read if you are a Montgomery fan. I would give it 4 stars. I did enjoy it. I also found the afterward quite interesting as it detailed how Maud got the chronology of the stories messed up, and it has been left that way.
How strange is that? What appears in The Blythes Are Quoted are poems and short stories with a darker slant than other Montgomery works. Some of these stories had been previously published in magazines, but at some point, Montgomery had re-worked them to insert the Blythes and their town of Glen St. Mary.
There are some characters who can’t stand Anne and Gilbert, and they think and say terrible things about them. Other characters are almost obsessed with them. It can be a bit unsettling at times, but I think it is how Maud had felt about these characters at different stages of her career.
In between stories, we get little poetry readings by Anne to the family. Some are written by her while others are written by Walter. They cover a lot of feelings regarding the war, life, grief, and death. As well as love, home and family.
Knowing what we now know about Maud’s final days, it is no wonder that this, her final work, would contain some dark truths and undertones.
Other versions of this work were sold to the University of Guelph by Chester’s son in 1984, and this published version was put together with this material.
Definitely worth a read if you are a Montgomery fan. I would give it 4 stars. I did enjoy it. I also found the afterward quite interesting as it detailed how Maud got the chronology of the stories messed up, and it has been left that way.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced