A review by cpcabaniss
Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery

4.0

“It had always seemed to Emily, ever since she could remember, that she was very, very near to a world of wonderful beauty. Between it and herself hung only a thin curtain; she could never draw the curtain aside-- but sometimes, just for a moment, a wind fluttered it and then it was as if she caught a glimpse of the enchanting realm beyond - only a glimpse - and heard a note of unearthly music.”

This is probably a 4.5 star read for me. The writing is the most beautiful I think I've ever read, the characters are wonderful, and following Emily's life is a beautiful experience.

There are a couple of things that mar the experience somewhat. First, the kitten drowning. I can understand, from a practical standpoint, that there was not spaying and neutering available at this time so they had to get rid of them. But there are other, less savory drownings mentioned in the story that really disturbed me.

The other thing is a friend that Emily makes while visiting her aunt. She's around eleven at the time and he is in his late thirties, but the reader can tell that he has romantic thoughts of Emily. It's made clear that he would wait until she's older to act on this, but it really got under my skin.

Overall a great book with excellent writing, just a couple of drawbacks that kept me from completely falling in love.