Scan barcode
peterpanfan's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
youngling80's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
5.0
Oh! This was such a delight to read. I could have highlighted clever lines that had me giggling throughout the whole thing if I hadn't been reading in the car making myself carsick. I'll definitely have to do a re-read of this to catch more of Valancy's wit on display and Foster's wisdom from the woods. This one gets ALLLLLLLL THE STARS.
honeynwool's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
elainegl's review
4.0
I don't know what to say about this book. I loved it and I hated it. It starts off so gloomily. Valancy has had a rough life, but she feels so sorry for herself that I got sick of it. Multiple chapters are spent making you feel sorry for her and her miserable existence. I pitied her for her lack of spunk and hated that she was so unable to find any good in her gloomy world. Then something changes and she leaves her miserable existence and decides she is going to live only to please herself. So self-centered! Now her actions show that she's not quite as self-centered as she says she wants to be, but still, her desire is to only please herself. Then she falls in love, but again only wants to live for pleasure without any responsibility. That said, the story is intriguing. It has both some surprises in it (which I hope I haven't spoiled here) and some very overused plot lines. So I did enjoy this book and I'm glad I have now read something by LM Montgomery other than the Anne of Green Gables series. Also, this is a book for adults. There are multiple adult themes in the book, although compared with most books of today, it is quite tame.
alilysong's review
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-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
4.25
nothing deep about this, just sappy wish fulfillment but nevertheless a thoroughly satisfying read and perfect palate cleanser
kendallroysdrugaddiction's review
3.25
I’m conflicted. but seriously, if the guy i was in love with told me i wasn’t beautiful i would die.
shannenlc's review against another edition
4.0
”I’ve been trying to please other people all my life and failed,” she said. “After this I shall please myself. I shall never pretend anything again. I’ve breathed an atmosphere of fibs and pretences and evasions all my life. What a luxury it will be to tell the truth! I may not be able to do much that I want to do but I won’t do another thing that I don’t want to do.”
The Blue Castle follows 29-year-old Valancy, an unmarried woman who is disillusioned with her life and tired of her overbearing family. When she is diagnosed with a terminal heart condition, she throws caution to the wind and decides to start living her life for herself, leaving her family home and she marrying the elusive Barney Snaith.
This is a simple story and an easy read which is charming and put a smile on my face more than once. Valancy is one of the most relatable female protagonists I have found in a book. Her inner thoughts, feelings and anxieties aligned so much with my own and any woman of a similar age who is single/unmarried will likely relate too. Although we have evolved as a society and are generally more accepting of women approaching 30 being single and living independently, there's still a certain stigma associated with it which means Valancy's experience is still relatable even to a modern woman.
When we meet Valancy at the beginning of the book she is meek and submissive, living under the thumb of her family and dreaming of a different life. She yearns for freedom, to find love and to have a life of her own independent of her family. To deal with these desires she constructs a fantasy of the Blue Castle, a place where she can escape the mundanities of every day life and imagine a romantic life for herself with a partner of her own making.
Valancy's family, The Stirlings, are infuriating. They're judgemental, stifling and pretentious, more concerned with their reputation and status than with Valancy's wellbeing. Yet Valancy does love and look up to her relatives, and even depends on them. These familial relationships are important to her development, because they in many ways are her oppressors. They make her feel little and their constant ridicule and judgements keep her down. So when Valancy plucks up the courage to leave home and strike out on her own, it represents a turning point in her story.
Once Valancy believes that her days are numbered, her entire perspective changes and she questions the way she has been living her life. She realises that she has spent her life living for others - saying, doing and being who others want or expect her to be - at the detriment of her own desires and happiness. It's a cliché but I'm sure something that most of us can relate to. In a bid to craft a new life for herself Valancy boldly proposes to local man Barney Snaith whom she has admired from a distance for a while.
What begins as a marriage of convenience in many ways, an agreement between two people who have something to gain from it, soon develops into a beautiful friendship and later blossoms into love. Valancy and Barney's life in the country with their cats is nothing short of domestic bliss. The descriptions of nature and countryside were beautiful and something I could never tire of. Valancy and Barney's relationship is endearing and refreshing. They enjoy each other's company and respect each other, and despite the short page count their relationship develops organically and doesn't feel rushed.
There are no surprises in this story, no real twists or turns, and that is what makes it such an enjoyable read. Valancy is the type of woman that most women can likely see themselves in - one who has sacrificed and lived half a life in service of others but who is liberated and finds the courage to assert herself and forge a new path for herself. It's an encouraging and uplifting story, and the type of story that I don't read nearly enough. I came away from it feeling lighter, my heart feeling happier and that is a feeling I so rarely get from a book.
amandak's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0