Footnotes: August 2017

Today I'm excited to be joining in with Footnotes, a new link-up created by Emily and Ashley. This involves posting about a quote each month, based on a prompt they supply. As an avid collector of quotes this sounds like a great idea to me! This month's prompt is a quote from an author. Although there are of course many quotes I could supply, I've gone with the first to spring to my mind, which I like a lot and is from one of my favourite books, Anne of Green Gables:

 

 

This is a quote that always makes me happy; it's a reminder that you don't need lots of money or possessions, that there are more important things like friendship, happiness, and imagination. I love Anne's way of putting it, and I love the description of the sea, too, "all silver and shallow and visions of things not seen"; it does describe very well what it looks like in the evening.

There, I don't think my explanation has really done justice at all, and there are so many other good quotes that I could have chosen to share. However, they will have to wait for future months!

Photo Credit: Unsplash

Anne of Green Gables Week Tag

Evie at Over the Hills is currently hosting an Anne of Green Gables week, so I thought I'd join in by filling in the tag.

1. How did you get introduced to Anne of Green Gables?

I don't actually remember, but I know I read it for the first time when I was about ten. Probably my mum recommended it to me.

 2. Are you more like Anne or Diana? Why?

I don't think I'm very much like Anne - my imagination certainly can't compete with hers and I'm generally quite a quiet person (as opposed to Anne who talks nearly all the time in the first book). So I'm probably more like Diana.

 3. If Rachel Lynde called your hair as red as carrots how would you react?

I would be quite surprised, since it definitely isn't. Although ironically I wanted to have red hair like Anne's when I was younger.

 4. Gilbert or Morgan Harris?

So I had to look up who Morgan Harris was ... it's been a long time since I've watched any of the films. I think I vaguely remember him actually, but at any rate I can't imagine I'd choose him over Gilbert :)

5. Honest opinion on the third Anne film.

I only watched a bit of it, and that was long before I'd read any of the books after the first. I'll probably watch it sometime, but I'm not anxious to.

 6. Have you seen the New Anne film?

No; I wasn't aware there was one. I'll have to check it out :)

7. What in your own words is a Kindred Spirit?

Someone who "gets" you, who understands your viewpoint and has a similar view of the world. It helps if you have lots of interests in common, too.

8.  Movie Gilbert or Green Gables Fables Gilbert?

Movie Gilbert, although I liked them both.

 

9.  Does anyone know where we can watch Road to Avonlea online?

Nope, sorry.

10. Favourite book cover?
 

There are lots of editions with pretty covers, so it's difficult to choose! The one on the left is probably my favourite, but there are quite a few I really like.

11. The Films or the Books?

Definitely the books! Anne of Green Gables is probably my all-time favourite book. Although it has been a long time since I watched any of the films (like, about 11 years), so I definitely need to watch them again :)

Quote of the Week

 

"After all, I believe the nicest and sweetest days are those on which nothing very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string."

 

Anne of Avonlea, L.M. Montgomery

Book Review: Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Emily Starr has never known what it is to be unloved. But when her father dies, she is left in the care of her mother's family. Emily is a stranger to the proud Murrays, none of whom think they can cope with such a heartbroken, headstrong girl. They decide to draw lots for her, and Emily is sent to live at New Moon with stern Aunt Elizabeth, the head of the clan. Kind Aunt Laura and friendly, eccentric Cousin Jimmy also live at New Moon, though, so she is not without hope.

Emily is enchanted by New Moon, but cannot believe she will ever belong there. With her lively imagination and dreams of being a famous writer, she seems to have a talent for scandalising her family. Before long, though, she has made firm friends: Ilse, a tomboy with a blazing temper, Teddy, an aspiring artist, and Perry, the ambitious houseboy. She brings so much life to New Moon, perhaps one day even Aunt Elizabeth will consider herself lucky to have 'won' Emily.

I think the main problem that I had with this book was that it wasn't Anne of Green Gables (which is one of my favourite books ever). I didn't exactly expect it to be, of course, but although the basic premise of the book is the same (i.e. orphan girl being reluctantly adopted by older people who don't really understand her), it has quite a different ... tone? ... about it.  While I sympathised with Emily a lot when she was being misunderstood or treated unfairly, I didn't find her nearly so likeable as Anne. Also I felt that the level of conflict and misunderstandings between characters in this book meant that I didn't enjoy it so much - although it was probably realistic given the situation the characters were in it wasn't always comfortable to read about.

Having said all this, however, I did enjoy this book - it was by L.M. Montgomery, after all. It was definitely a good story and there were some beautiful descriptions in it. I'm glad I finally read it, anyway (after having been meaning to for a long time), but I don't think I'll be re-reading it anytime soon, though, and I'm not sure whether or not I'll go on to read the sequels.

Overall rating: 7 out of 10