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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
As someone noted either in the comments here or elsewhere, this is the purplest of prose and reads like something Anne Shirley might have written. I still enjoyed it, though certainly not as much as other works of Montgomery's. Nevertheless, it was still charming in its way (with some interestingly weird 19th century class/race stuff about Italian peasants).
A really beautifully told, fast story. I had a few issues in 2024 reading things that might have passed notice when this was initially published. I love LMM's writing style and can forgive a lot in order to hear her descriptions... I don't think I would choose to read this again, however
Maybe LMM has magic with female characters, because some of the yearnings in Eric might have been okay with a younger woman but were a bit odd on a fully grown man
Maybe LMM has magic with female characters, because some of the yearnings in Eric might have been okay with a younger woman but were a bit odd on a fully grown man
I had heard so many lovely things about this book, and was not sure how I had missed it. Turns out because it is short (more like a novella, a length I generally dislike), and really kind of creepy. Gets a few points for Montgomery's lush writing style, and that's about it.
Oh no, dear Lucy Maud, what have you done?! I love your books for strong female characters, but Klimeny... no, no, no!
I love Anne of Green Gables and LM Montgomery but there were definitely racist and sexist tropes in here that were tiresome and tainted what could have been a fast, light and romantic LMM read.
Hoopla audio. Nope. I guess the storyline doesn’t hold up. Guy sees girl in orchard and decides to fall in love with her because she’s pretty of face and he could never love someone ugly. Girl is described as dumb. Nope. Should have left it at Anne of Green Gables as a youth.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I've been unwell and haven't been reviewing this year. I'm uploading all my reads now and maybe someday I'll write a proper review here.
LM Montgomery wrote very few adult books. The Blue Castle is far and away one of my favorite books that I have read multiple times. When I came across Kilmeny of the Orchard I genuinely expected another delightful, lovely, sweet novel, but sadly this is not that.
Besides be problematic issues that often come up in books written in the early 20th century, i.e. blatant racism and ridiculous misogyny, this entire book focuses on two things. One, Kilmeny’s (the main female character) “defect” in that she is mute, and two, her perfect beauty. Characters think poorly of her and her place in Eric’s (the main male character) life until they see her and how pretty she is and learn that she’s no longer “defective”. It’s not a good look. This really surprised me because so many other female characters that Montgomery has written are treated so much better than Kilmeny.
What is done well are the overwhelmingly beautiful passages about nature on Prince Edward Island. Paragraphs that I read and reread because they were so gorgeous and what made me give it another star. Sadly though that is not enough to make me ever re-read this book. Especially when I could be reading The Blue Castle instead.
Besides be problematic issues that often come up in books written in the early 20th century, i.e. blatant racism and ridiculous misogyny, this entire book focuses on two things. One, Kilmeny’s (the main female character) “defect” in that she is mute, and two, her perfect beauty. Characters think poorly of her and her place in Eric’s (the main male character) life until they see her and how pretty she is and learn that she’s no longer “defective”. It’s not a good look. This really surprised me because so many other female characters that Montgomery has written are treated so much better than Kilmeny.
What is done well are the overwhelmingly beautiful passages about nature on Prince Edward Island. Paragraphs that I read and reread because they were so gorgeous and what made me give it another star. Sadly though that is not enough to make me ever re-read this book. Especially when I could be reading The Blue Castle instead.
2.5. The writing is beautiful and descriptive but I felt the characters were a bit shallow.