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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
I read this because 1) I was hearing all of these "Rebecca" references and figured I shouldn't be in the dark, and 2) I'm going to Maine and this showed up on the Maine books list. It was a pleasant, easy read, and I had fun reading something written over a century ago.
Read via DailyLit in 89 parts over three months.
Rebecca is a wonderful character, and it was lovely rooting for her and watching her succeed. The book's voice is so sweet, and I liked that it was funny too. I liked to imagine the author who could write a description like "eyes as big as cartwheels."
I appreciated, of course, how very heavily Wiggin seems to have been influenced by The Mill on the Floss. That was a really nice surprise, and lucky for me to read them in this order. There are multiple allusions to that book here, such as:
"It is coming, Emmie," she said presently; "do you remember in The Mill on the Floss, when Maggie Tulliver closed the golden gates of childhood behind her?"
In a lot of ways, Rebecca is Maggie, given another chance. She is far less heartbreaking, though, which is a good thing because I think a heart can only handle one Maggie Tulliver.
I was so impressed by the adults in the book. Rebecca's story is so bright, but the adults influencing her surroundings are given skillful little shades of back-story, a paragraph or so to describe what has shaped them, and it's often very sad. It makes Rebecca's setting very realistic. Her aunt Jane's wisps of backstory on the battlefield are absolutely breathtaking. And I love the introduction of the missionaries in the middle, and her mentorship with her English teacher, whose outlook is shockingly no-nonsense. Sometimes it's easy to assume old books like this cast nothing but gauzy parochial characters, particularly for children, but this book absolutely doesn't.
I was really pleased that Rebecca didn't get married at the end. She didn't not get married, and we pretty much know who is going to marry her, but it was nice to have the ending be all about her. I expected a promise of marriage to be the making of Rebecca's perfect adult happiness, but instead that happiness comes from her family and her own realizations, and that is very gratifying. I think Wiggin really knew what she was doing there.
Before I began the book, I read that Jack London, of all people, had written a fan letter to Wiggin to say, "May I thank you for Rebecca?", as a war correspondent in Manchuria 1904. I never quite forgot it as I read the book -- the idea of a children's book reaching that improbably far, and then also to us, is extraordinary.
Rebecca is a wonderful character, and it was lovely rooting for her and watching her succeed. The book's voice is so sweet, and I liked that it was funny too. I liked to imagine the author who could write a description like "eyes as big as cartwheels."
I appreciated, of course, how very heavily Wiggin seems to have been influenced by The Mill on the Floss. That was a really nice surprise, and lucky for me to read them in this order. There are multiple allusions to that book here, such as:
"It is coming, Emmie," she said presently; "do you remember in The Mill on the Floss, when Maggie Tulliver closed the golden gates of childhood behind her?"
In a lot of ways, Rebecca is Maggie, given another chance. She is far less heartbreaking, though, which is a good thing because I think a heart can only handle one Maggie Tulliver.
I was so impressed by the adults in the book. Rebecca's story is so bright, but the adults influencing her surroundings are given skillful little shades of back-story, a paragraph or so to describe what has shaped them, and it's often very sad. It makes Rebecca's setting very realistic. Her aunt Jane's wisps of backstory on the battlefield are absolutely breathtaking. And I love the introduction of the missionaries in the middle, and her mentorship with her English teacher, whose outlook is shockingly no-nonsense. Sometimes it's easy to assume old books like this cast nothing but gauzy parochial characters, particularly for children, but this book absolutely doesn't.
I was really pleased that Rebecca didn't get married at the end. She didn't not get married, and we pretty much know who is going to marry her, but it was nice to have the ending be all about her. I expected a promise of marriage to be the making of Rebecca's perfect adult happiness, but instead that happiness comes from her family and her own realizations, and that is very gratifying. I think Wiggin really knew what she was doing there.
Before I began the book, I read that Jack London, of all people, had written a fan letter to Wiggin to say, "May I thank you for Rebecca?", as a war correspondent in Manchuria 1904. I never quite forgot it as I read the book -- the idea of a children's book reaching that improbably far, and then also to us, is extraordinary.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Death, Racism, Religious bigotry
There's so much in this book, I probably will read it again and again someday. A little confusing, or I'm not sure how to describe it. I guess I just wondered sometimes what the point of the story was and I guess it was just that, simple. Rebecca goes to live with her aunts and grows up. Rebecca seemed almost too perfect to me, even though she wasn't. Loved the poetry and mentioning of some fairy tales/stories. The writing - exquisite. Very surprising, did not expect it. Felt so much like 1900s (was published in 1903 after all) Reminded me a little of Anne of Green Gables, Emily of New Moon, A Little Princess and Pollyanna.
I wasn't sure I would like this book at first (I didn't like that she was sent away from her family until I understood the motives better and I hated the way Rebecca was treated, I don't like the old fashioned strictness, it bothers me), but by the end, I'd fallen in love. Like Rebecca, I was able to forgive the aunt. I loved the relationships and the character of Rebecca. I especially loved how much she loved to read and how that was a strong part of her character. I also loved the service, selfless giving, and sacrifice that was shown by many characters throughout the entire book. It reminded me of Anne of Green Gables but for a younger audience (a very good thing in my opinion).
pulled this off my dusty shelf.
super cute book, very pleasant and light hearted. Great for young girls.
super cute book, very pleasant and light hearted. Great for young girls.
4.5/5
"To be alive makes up for everything; there ought to be fears in my heart, but there aren't; something stronger sweeps them out, something like a wind."
"To be alive makes up for everything; there ought to be fears in my heart, but there aren't; something stronger sweeps them out, something like a wind."
It was enjoyble to revisit this book from childhood. I realized for the first time how many similarities Rebecca's story shares with Anne of Green Gables. Minus one star because the allusion to a coming romance with a much older man (who met her when she was 12!) is troubling to me.
I read this book for two reasons. 1) because I'm trying to read/reread more kids books to accurately make suggestions for kids at work (school library). 2) because there was some rumblings about LM Montgomery "plagiarizing" Rebecca in her "Anne of Green Gables" books, which was written after Rebecca. While I do not have a side by side text of both books, so I cannot attest to direct copy of words or phrases, my knee jerk response to this claim after finishing "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" is to laugh. As another reviewer said, to start, Anne is just much more well written than Rebecca. I think it's extremely likely and almost certain that Montgomery read Rebecca, and probably loved it, and decided to write her own story loosely following a similar path and characterization. A sort of fan-fiction of the day, maybe? Which is not plagiarism. That word gets thrown around a lot and used inaccurately, I believe. "there is nothing new under the sun". I honestly don't care if Montgomery took some inspiration and wrote her own version of stories she loved. Isn't that what people do when they "reimagine" a fairy tale or classic trope? At the end of the day, Montgomery still had to sit down and write her own books. And I'm sorry, but she was better at it than Wiggin.
On this story specifically, I found it fine. It was often tiresome, and I wasn't particularly invested in a single character. They were all rather dull, and their conversations were pretty boring. Rebecca was so perfect in every way, and everyone who ever met her adored her (except one aunt). Yawn. And the "love interest" is, like, 20 years older than her. Gross. I can see that he's waiting for her to grow up, but the references to him "loving children", and obviously singling her out as she grows up by giving her gifts is kinda icky. If you ask me, Montgomery really did this story a favor with her version of it.
Lastly, I found it amusing that people are comparing this to Anne, when it's actually more of a mash between Anne and Montgomery's Emily books.
On this story specifically, I found it fine. It was often tiresome, and I wasn't particularly invested in a single character. They were all rather dull, and their conversations were pretty boring. Rebecca was so perfect in every way, and everyone who ever met her adored her (except one aunt). Yawn. And the "love interest" is, like, 20 years older than her. Gross. I can see that he's waiting for her to grow up, but the references to him "loving children", and obviously singling her out as she grows up by giving her gifts is kinda icky. If you ask me, Montgomery really did this story a favor with her version of it.
Lastly, I found it amusing that people are comparing this to Anne, when it's actually more of a mash between Anne and Montgomery's Emily books.