Anne of Ingleside
October 26, 2022 9:18 PM - Subscribe
The adventures of Anne Blythe and her children. Never a dull moment, the Blythe children get taken in by liars, deal with the loss of a beloved pet, and start their own school adventures. Anne accidentally offends Aunt Mary Maria Blythe, attempts matchmaking, and becomes jealous over Gilbert's old flame.
I still don't understand why exactly they decided to send Walter away for Rilla's birth.
They sent most of their kids away--Jem went to Green Gables and the twins went to Miss Cornelia and Marshall Elliot's. Either they wanted to reduce the need for caring for them so they could focus on the newest (I think Shirley was young enough that he wasn't too aware of the goings-on, and Susan would have looked after him anyway), or they didn't want the birth to scare them (especially since I think Anne had had a couple difficult births). Or both. The choice of the Parkers for Walter was just an unfortunate one; they should have switched him and Jem around.
posted by dlugoczaj at 9:08 AM on October 27, 2022
They sent most of their kids away--Jem went to Green Gables and the twins went to Miss Cornelia and Marshall Elliot's. Either they wanted to reduce the need for caring for them so they could focus on the newest (I think Shirley was young enough that he wasn't too aware of the goings-on, and Susan would have looked after him anyway), or they didn't want the birth to scare them (especially since I think Anne had had a couple difficult births). Or both. The choice of the Parkers for Walter was just an unfortunate one; they should have switched him and Jem around.
posted by dlugoczaj at 9:08 AM on October 27, 2022
Wouldn't it have made more sense to send him with Jem to Green Gables? I'm so overthinking it.
Also, I never did like Susan claiming Shirley for herself. I don't care, he's NOT your kid!
posted by toastyk at 9:23 AM on October 27, 2022
Also, I never did like Susan claiming Shirley for herself. I don't care, he's NOT your kid!
posted by toastyk at 9:23 AM on October 27, 2022
Maybe Marilla wasn't up to more than one kid? Who knows.
posted by dlugoczaj at 10:12 AM on October 27, 2022
posted by dlugoczaj at 10:12 AM on October 27, 2022
This was not a very "Anne" book, just focusing on the kids, from what I recall--this book and the last two in the series drop the idea of Anne entirely. Jem and Walter were the standouts in it, Nan/Di didn't tend to. I concur that Shirley being Susan's "kid" was kinda weird.
Of the Anne books, I probably remember books 3, 5, 7, and 8 the most. 1 and 2 were twee to a bit twee, hated Poplars because I wanted Anne/Gilbert romance, darn it. But I remember 7 and 8 handling the kids really well/making them more interesting.
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:41 PM on October 27, 2022
Of the Anne books, I probably remember books 3, 5, 7, and 8 the most. 1 and 2 were twee to a bit twee, hated Poplars because I wanted Anne/Gilbert romance, darn it. But I remember 7 and 8 handling the kids really well/making them more interesting.
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:41 PM on October 27, 2022
I went through and looked, aside from the Christine chapter, there was also the one where she wrote a poetic obituary for Anthony Mitchell, and where she tries her hand at matchmaking Alden and Stella, who were already engaged to each other. I didn't realize until now that this book was the last one Montgomery had published in 1939, and also how a lot of the stories with the kids centered around them being lied to.
I always really liked the gossipy chapters where Ms. Cornelia shows up and they discuss babies and romances and funerals. I really don't know how funerals were held back then, but I was fascinated by the concept of kids finding the funerals fun at the time.
posted by toastyk at 8:11 AM on October 29, 2022
I always really liked the gossipy chapters where Ms. Cornelia shows up and they discuss babies and romances and funerals. I really don't know how funerals were held back then, but I was fascinated by the concept of kids finding the funerals fun at the time.
posted by toastyk at 8:11 AM on October 29, 2022
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I still don't understand why exactly they decided to send Walter away for Rilla's birth.
posted by toastyk at 8:41 AM on October 27, 2022 [1 favorite]