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A review by moonlightcupofcocoa
Chronicles of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This entry in the Anne of Green Gables series is interesting in that it barely has anything to do with Anne, Gilbert or their family. Out of the 12 stories in the book, Anne makes very a very short appearance in two of them.
The stories instead feature other Avonlea residents, most of whom don't make any other appearances in the series.
Something that I didn't know before reading this book is that some of the short stories were actually written and publishing by L. M. Montgomery before Anne of Green Gables was ever published! Then, after the release of the first two Anne books, while under the pressure from her publisher, Montgomery reworked and collected many of the stories to publish as a companion book.
Overall, I enjoyed my brief time with this collection. There were a couple stories that stood out from the rest, others feeling too similar to plots from other books or not quite as memorable.
Similar to other short story collections, I'll be reviewing each story on its own then using the average rating for the whole book.
1. The Hurrying of Ludovic (3 stars): I think this plot is very similar to another one we saw in Anne of Windy Poplars. Anne is asked to help Theodore Dix with her long, and frustratingly slow, courtship. Ultimately, I found myself remembering almost nothing from the story after it was done but enjoyed it enough while listening to it.
2. Old Lady Lloyd (5 stars): I think one of my favourite stories in this collection. A good reminder that often times what we see of people can be farthest from their truths. An old reclusive woman comes across the daughter of her past, and only, love. It was very emotional and sweet.
3. Each in His Own Tongue (5 stars): I listened to this one twice. It addresses generational conflict as well as second chances. An older minister prohibits his grandson from ever touching another violin only to be taught a lesson in the power and passion for music. I cried listening to this one.
4. Little Joscelyn (4 stars): An elderly woman longs to hear the singing voice of a young woman she once saw as her daughter. It was heartwrenching to me. Just not as powerful as the previous two in my opinion.
5. The Winning of Lucinda (4 stars): This one was very cute. A longtime feud between two stubborn lovers. Each of them refusing to be the first one to speak leads to years and years of them not proceeding with the wedding.
6. Old Man Shaw's Girl (3 stars): An elder man awaits eagerly for the return of his daughter after years studying in Toronto and fearing change brought upon by worldliness. It was sweet enough but for some reason I felt like ultimately nothing happened. It was a good character study though.
7. Aunt Olivia's Beau (3 stars): A cute story about a woman who longed to be married only to suddenly be engaged.
8. Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's (3 stars): A man-hating cat-loving woman ends up quarantined with woman-hating dog-loving man and the chaos that ensued. Overall was fine. Not entirely sure I quite agree with the relationship depicted.
9. Pa Sloane's Purchase (2 stars): A man purchases a baby at an auction that starts out as a joke then ends up turning into the real thing.
10. The Courting of Prissy Strong (3 stars): This was another story that I felt like it was too similar to plots in the other books. A woman seeks a courtship despite the strong objections by her sister who prohibited her from courting seeing that she never married herself.
11. The Miracle at Carmody (2 stars): An angry protective woman prohibits her sister and her adopted son from going to church.
12. The End of a Quarrel (4 stars): A cute story of romantic second chances and accepting the ones we love as they are.
The stories instead feature other Avonlea residents, most of whom don't make any other appearances in the series.
Something that I didn't know before reading this book is that some of the short stories were actually written and publishing by L. M. Montgomery before Anne of Green Gables was ever published! Then, after the release of the first two Anne books, while under the pressure from her publisher, Montgomery reworked and collected many of the stories to publish as a companion book.
Overall, I enjoyed my brief time with this collection. There were a couple stories that stood out from the rest, others feeling too similar to plots from other books or not quite as memorable.
Similar to other short story collections, I'll be reviewing each story on its own then using the average rating for the whole book.
1. The Hurrying of Ludovic (3 stars): I think this plot is very similar to another one we saw in Anne of Windy Poplars. Anne is asked to help Theodore Dix with her long, and frustratingly slow, courtship. Ultimately, I found myself remembering almost nothing from the story after it was done but enjoyed it enough while listening to it.
2. Old Lady Lloyd (5 stars): I think one of my favourite stories in this collection. A good reminder that often times what we see of people can be farthest from their truths. An old reclusive woman comes across the daughter of her past, and only, love. It was very emotional and sweet.
3. Each in His Own Tongue (5 stars): I listened to this one twice. It addresses generational conflict as well as second chances. An older minister prohibits his grandson from ever touching another violin only to be taught a lesson in the power and passion for music. I cried listening to this one.
4. Little Joscelyn (4 stars): An elderly woman longs to hear the singing voice of a young woman she once saw as her daughter. It was heartwrenching to me. Just not as powerful as the previous two in my opinion.
5. The Winning of Lucinda (4 stars): This one was very cute. A longtime feud between two stubborn lovers. Each of them refusing to be the first one to speak leads to years and years of them not proceeding with the wedding.
6. Old Man Shaw's Girl (3 stars): An elder man awaits eagerly for the return of his daughter after years studying in Toronto and fearing change brought upon by worldliness. It was sweet enough but for some reason I felt like ultimately nothing happened. It was a good character study though.
7. Aunt Olivia's Beau (3 stars): A cute story about a woman who longed to be married only to suddenly be engaged.
8. Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's (3 stars): A man-hating cat-loving woman ends up quarantined with woman-hating dog-loving man and the chaos that ensued. Overall was fine. Not entirely sure I quite agree with the relationship depicted.
9. Pa Sloane's Purchase (2 stars): A man purchases a baby at an auction that starts out as a joke then ends up turning into the real thing.
10. The Courting of Prissy Strong (3 stars): This was another story that I felt like it was too similar to plots in the other books. A woman seeks a courtship despite the strong objections by her sister who prohibited her from courting seeing that she never married herself.
11. The Miracle at Carmody (2 stars): An angry protective woman prohibits her sister and her adopted son from going to church.
12. The End of a Quarrel (4 stars): A cute story of romantic second chances and accepting the ones we love as they are.