Emily of New Moon (Emily of New Moon, #1)

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Emily of New Moon (Emily of New Moon #1)

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 18,263 ratings · 590 reviews

Emily Starr never knew what it was to be lonely——until her beloved father died. Now Emily's an orphan, and her mother's snobbish relatives are taking her to live with them at New Moon Farm. She's sure she won't be happy. Emily deals with stiff, stern Aunt Elizabeth and her malicious classmates by holding her head high and using her quick wit. Things begin to change when sh...more

Mass Market Paperback, 339 pages

Published April 1st 1983 by Dell Laurel-Leaf

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Apr 12, 2010 Wendy Darling rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sweet-old-fashioned, canadian, heroines-butt-kicking

I love the Emily books so much. Her passion and her dreams, along with her dignity, were expressed in a way that really appealed to me when I read them as an impressionable teenager. The formative years of every girl's life are filled with wild hopes and worries and exhilaration, and as an adult, I re-read this series with a great deal of fondness.

I also love Teddy Kent. Such a romantic character, and how lovely to have your childhood friend be the love of your life! I even picked him as one of...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Hannah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Hannah by: mother dearest

Shelves: childhood

Yes, I do give it three stars: "I liked it". That is, in sixth grade, and for lack of a two-and-a-half star rating. L.M. Montgomery created a pleasantly spicy heroine in the Anne series, but for me, Emily is a bit cloying. It's a little hard for me to explain why; she just seems to be--is it possible--almost too dreamy? I almost wish I hadn't gone back to read this again. The first time I read it, I was perfectly enamored with Emily; she was pretty, delicate, smart, and talented (and what? psych...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Elinor Loredan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, l-m-montgomery

It's interesting, because I think I'd be a little afraid to meet Emily because of the scrutiny with which she approaches people-although I do that myself!

I love her spunk, though. When she hid under the table to listen to the family conclave and was retorting furiously to them in her mind, I immediately thought, "I like this girl!" I also feel like I relate more to Emily than to Anne. Emily is more brooding and withdrawn like me, whereas Anne is someone I wish I was like.

Delight and magic are fo...more

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Jun 11, 2008 Denize Teo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone young teen-agers, teachers.. maybe~!

Recommended to Denize by: Myself. I just found it in the library~!

I found this book in the Central Lending Library. Its a very nice book indeed~!

This book is about a girl named Emily Byrd Starr. Her mother died when she was only four years old, but was never lonely. She has a father, imagination, her writing and her cats ( four cats) But when her father dies, her whole is turned upside down. She is sent to live at new moon farm with her stern Aunt Elizabeth, Aunt laura and her cousin Jimmy. They let Emily only bring one of her cats'and forbids her to write i...more

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Nov 26, 2006 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Girls and Sentimental Types

Shelves: childrensbooks, fiction, canada

This is the first of my favorite trilogy from adolescence. The same author as Anne of Green Gables wrote this series. I prefer the Emily books. Emily is an orphan who grows up with grouchy distant relatives. She dreams of becoming an author and gradually falls in love with her dear friend Teddy; in the third book he becomes an illustrator. The main character is odd and dreamy, with a stubborn streak and a sense of whimsy. She has adventures with the crotchety types that seem to be abundant in Ca...more This is the first of my favorite trilogy from adolescence. The same author as Anne of Green Gables wrote this series. I prefer the Emily books. Emily is an orphan who grows up with grouchy distant relatives. She dreams of becoming an author and gradually falls in love with her dear friend Teddy; in the third book he becomes an illustrator. The main character is odd and dreamy, with a stubborn streak and a sense of whimsy. She has adventures with the crotchety types that seem to be abundant in Canada, and gets into trouble with the locals whenever a story seems too vivid to be pure fiction.

From Wikipedia:
Similar to her earlier and more famous Anne of Green Gables series, the Emily novels depicted life through the eyes of a young orphan girl, Emily Starr who is raised by her relatives after her father dies of consumption. The series was less romanticized and more realistic than the Anne novels. Montgomery considered Emily to be a character much closer to her own personality than Anne, and some of the events which occur in the Emily series happened to Montgomery herself in real life. Emily is described as having black hair, pale skin, and a unique "slow" smile.

Emily Starr is sent to live at New Moon Farm on Prince Edward Island with her aunts Elizabeth and Laura Murray. She makes friends with Ilse Burnley, Teddy Kent, and Perry Miller, the hired boy, who Aunt Elizabeth looks down upon because he was born in 'Stovepipe Town', a poorer district. Each of the children have special gifts. Emily was born to be a writer, Teddy is a gifted artist, Ilse is a talented elocutionist, and Perry has the makings of a great politician. They also each have a few problems with their families. Emily has a hard time getting along with Aunt Elizabeth, who doesn't understand her need to write. Ilse's father, Dr. Burnley, ignores Ilse most of the time because because of a dreadful secret concerning Ilse's mother. Teddy's mother is jealous of her son's talents and friends, fearing that his love for them will eclipse his love for her. As a result, she hates Emily, Teddy's drawings, and even his pets. Perry isn't as well off as the other three, so his Aunt Tom once tries to make Emily promise to marry Perry when they grow up, threatening that unless Emily does so, she won't pay for Perry's schooling.

Other unforgettable characters are Dean "Jarback" Priest, a quiet, mysterious cynic who wants something he fears is ever unattainable, fiery Mr Carpenter, the crusty old schoolteacher who is Emily's mentor and honest critic when it comes to evaluating her stories and poems, "simple" Cousin Jimmy, who recites his poetry when the spirit moves him, and strict, suspicious Aunt Ruth who yet proves to be an unexpected ally in times of trouble.
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Mar 08, 2009 The_Freddy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008-reading-list, 2009-reading-list, lmm, childrens-books, fiction, 2003-reading-list

This is only my second time reading Emily of New Moon and I love reading it. I like the character of Emily way better now than when I read it for the first time. Perhaps because then I was expecting some kind of second Anne, because that's what everybody said: "It's like Anne, but..." (and here most often comes "darker", but I wouldn't say that neccesarily, more realistic perhaps). Of course it is a bit like Anne, it's by LMM, it's set on PEI, it's about a girl without parents who's to live with...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Rosalba rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lm-montgomery

Emily is not Anne, but she is wonderful. The picturesque Prince Edward Island comes to life beautifully in this book, and Emily is lovable and sweet and real. Also, I noticed great simmilarities between Emily's Aunt Elizabeth and Anne's Marilla, although Aunt Elizabeth is sterner and grimmer still. And altough Teddy doesn't own up to Gilbert, he's nice. Emily's circle of friends is smaller than Anne's, but I love how each of them has a special ability ( Teddy draws, Ilse recites, etc).Even thoug...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Carlyn Brody rated it 3 of 5 stars

Every time I see a moon reference, I think of Twilight. But this book has nothing to do with Twilight. Emily of New Moon was written by Lucy Maud Montgomery who was famous for writing the Anne of Green Gables series. Anne of Green Gables is a loveable red haired orphan who brings joy to whoever she meets. I love Anne of Green Gables. When I was younger, I use to read a passage out of the “Anne” books every day.

Until last year, I thought the Anne of Green Gables series was L.M Montgomery’s maste...more Every time I see a moon reference, I think of Twilight. But this book has nothing to do with Twilight. Emily of New Moon was written by Lucy Maud Montgomery who was famous for writing the Anne of Green Gables series. Anne of Green Gables is a loveable red haired orphan who brings joy to whoever she meets. I love Anne of Green Gables. When I was younger, I use to read a passage out of the “Anne” books every day.

Until last year, I thought the Anne of Green Gables series was L.M Montgomery’s masterpiece and that she had not written any more books. So I was surprised when I read her biography that she had published more books. I knew there were little spin off books from the Anne of Green Gables series; I just didn’t know about the other original works of L.M Montgomery.

Emily of New Moon is about a ten year old girl named Emily Byrd Starr who goes to live with her maternal aunts after her father dies. Her mother Juliet Murray died when she was four. Emily was estranged from her mother’s family as they never approved of Emily’s mother running off to marry her father. Nobody is willing to take her and Emily is forced to draw lots. She chooses her spinster aunts Elizabeth and Laura of New Moon Farm to be her guardians. Elizabeth agrees to take Emily out of duty. She is cold and strict towards Emily as that was how she was raised. Aunt Laura is kind and treats Emily like her own daughter but Elizabeth has the final say in all matters. Emily also has a friend in Cousin Jimmy who works on the farm.

Emily adjusts to her new life and going to a new school. She makes friends with Ilse Burnley, Perry Miller and Teddy Kent at school. All of her friends have interesting backgrounds, Ilse’s mother supposedly abandoned her family, Perry is the New Moon’s hired boy and Teddy’s mother is an agoraphobic. When not playing with her friends, Emily spends her time writing poetry and letters to her father. She keeps her written work hidden from Aunt Elizabeth knowing that Aunt Elizabeth does not approve.

Emily is a fanciful child, obsessed with fairies and damsels. Despite her girly nature, she is very forthright and confident when she feels strongly about an issue. A supernatural look appears on her face, known in the family as the “Murray look” which startles whoever receives the expression. What I particularly like is how Emily can stand up to for herself, especially as the story is set in a time when children were seen and not heard. Many times, the adults in the story treat Emily unfairly because they can.

“Well, it is to be hoped you have some brains, because you haven’t much in the way of looks” said Aunt Ruth. “You’ve no complexion to speak of-and that inky hair around your white face is startling. I see you’re going to be a plain girl.”

“You wouldn’t say that to a grown-up person’s face,” said Emily with a deliberate gravity which always exasperated Aunt Ruth because she could not understand it in a child. “I don’t think it would hurt you to be as polite to me as you are to other people.”
“I’m telling you your faults so that you may correct them,” said Aunt Ruth frigidly. “It isn’t my fault that my face is pale and my hair is black,” protested Emily. “I can’t correct that.”
Emily of New Moon by L. M Montgomery (1923) p. 267

The novel follows Emily from age ten to thirteen. She grows to love New Moon and the inhabitants of her small community. Emily continues to write poetry and short stories and hopes for someone to tell her whether she has talent. She gets some encouragement from others to continue with her writing and that is followed up in two other novels.

I enjoyed reading Emily of New Moon. I couldn’t help but compare it to Anne of Green Gables. Personally, Anne of Green Gables is my favorite out of the two. However, I’m still going to read the next two books in the Emily of New Moon series as I admire L. M Montgomery’s writing. The Anne and Emily stories are a little similar in that they are both orphans, live on Prince Edward Island on a farm and aspire to be writers. Emily of New Moon is considered a less romanticized novel as Emily is a bit more repressed by the adults in her life. She is not as optimistic and talkative as Anne. Emily is concerned with behaving properly in public due to her family. She only talks about her imaginary fancies with people she trusts whereas Anne has no relatives and talks to everybody about her fantasies and odd thoughts. Anne grows up in a loving environment despite also having a stern spinster caregiver. Her writing is encouraged and celebrated. (less)

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Mar 10, 2013 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I was little, my mom passed on to me and my sister all of her glorious, hard-back books from her childhood. Louisa May Alcott, Gay Melody (look it up), and, her favorites, The Anne books. She told us how her father, the quiet newspaper editor, took her to the library and insisted she had to read about Anne Shirley. Something about the book jacket made Mom sneer, but her dad insisted, so she read it. As we all know had to happen, Mom fell in love. And when her daughters were old enough, she...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Brynn Emond rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, very-good, eighty-year-old-lady-books

It feels dorky to have read this book and loved it so much, but I confess, I did. And I'm not an eighty five year old woman or anything. It's just a good read-- darker than those wussy Anne of Green Gables books, first of all, and very relatable when you're a writer, like our heroine Emily is, and like I am. I'm always impressed by books that were written a long time ago but that still manage to keep my interest; and this one did. I actually liked it more than Jane Eyre (the only other really ol...more It feels dorky to have read this book and loved it so much, but I confess, I did. And I'm not an eighty five year old woman or anything. It's just a good read-- darker than those wussy Anne of Green Gables books, first of all, and very relatable when you're a writer, like our heroine Emily is, and like I am. I'm always impressed by books that were written a long time ago but that still manage to keep my interest; and this one did. I actually liked it more than Jane Eyre (the only other really old book I've read), probably mostly because Emily is a kid and it's a book written for kids.
Speaking of Jane Eyre, Emily of New Moon has a lot of parellels, which probably means L.M Montgomery read Jane Eyre and liked it. But that doesn't matter, because Emily of New Moon is original enough to get by. The language is probably the best part-- all of it is beautiful. L.M Montgomery is never cheap with descriptions. She'll give you half a page on a sunset, or three pages about how the world looks when someone glances out the window. She makes PEI in 19-whatever very easy to see and to appreciate.
And the heroine definitely appreciates it, too. One of the big things in the book is how Emily is constantly wandering around in another world, seeing beauty in strange things, weaving her imagination into everything that she sees. I can completely relate with her, and L.M Montgomery did a great job creating a character that is THE epitome of a misunderstood girl writer. Of course back then it was a big honking deal if a girl wanted to write, because it wasn't considered ladylike or whatever-- but the fact that the rest of the world doesn't understand how writers think hasn't changed. And Emily seems to be constantly annoyed that NOBODY UNDERSTANDS HER. Oh, woe!
The other characters are pretty fun, too. Like Cousin Jimmy, who's just weird enough and just interesting enough and a very likable ally for the heroine. There's Elizabeth, who doesn't understand Emily's crazy writer problems and is despairing that she's so unusual, and Laura, who doesn't understand either but tries to be nice and understanding. They feel like real people-- maybe a little exaggerated, but definitely with spots of humanity in them.

Nothing really 'happens' in Emily of New Moon, now that I think about it. Nothing earth-shattering or anything-- but a lot of little real-life types of things, that are tweaked just enough to be interesting. It all comes from Emily's perspective, which helps: her view on the world is often pretty entertaining, and even when she thinks she's about to die (and that seems to happen a lot, poor Emily) she's secretly excited, because she's a writer, and writers enjoy dramatic situations. One of the best little moments in the book was when she ran upstairs crying and L.M Montgomery remarked, 'She was upset, but not so upset that she couldn't imagine herself writing it down in her ledger-book later' or something along those lines. I was impressed by how often I'd felt the same way, how big things were happening and I imagined how good they would be in a story. So there are definitely bits of amazing human perception in the book, and L.M Montgomery knows how to get them down on paper and make it work.

I wouldn't think it would be my kind of book (because no dragons or fights to the death) but I'm glad I read it anyway, because I ended up liking it quite a bit. Again, it feels dorky to like this eighty-year-old-lady book so much, but alas, I do. Oh, woe!(less)

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Jan 13, 2013 Yuliza rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Novel ini bercerita tentang gadis cilik, Emily. Setelah kematian Ayahnya, Emily diasuh oleh Bibi Elizabeth (bibi dari pihak ibu). Tapi Bibinya ini tidak begitu menyukainya, gara-gara saudaranya si Juliet (nyokapnya Emily) pake acara kawin lari sama si Douglas Starr (Bokapnya Emily). Dan tentu saja sensasi itu menorehkan rasa malu pada keluarga besar Murray. Tapi mau gak mau, namanya juga keponakan dan tinggal sebatang kara, Emily pun akhirnya diajak pindah ke New Moon, kediaman keluarga besar Mu...more Novel ini bercerita tentang gadis cilik, Emily. Setelah kematian Ayahnya, Emily diasuh oleh Bibi Elizabeth (bibi dari pihak ibu). Tapi Bibinya ini tidak begitu menyukainya, gara-gara saudaranya si Juliet (nyokapnya Emily) pake acara kawin lari sama si Douglas Starr (Bokapnya Emily). Dan tentu saja sensasi itu menorehkan rasa malu pada keluarga besar Murray. Tapi mau gak mau, namanya juga keponakan dan tinggal sebatang kara, Emily pun akhirnya diajak pindah ke New Moon, kediaman keluarga besar Murray.

Aku pikir Emily ini adalah anak yang luar biasa. Dia sangat cerdas. Selain cerdas, dia juga apa adanya (polos) dan pemberani. Apalagi kalau menyangkut pendapat. Jika dia merasa bahwa dia punya pendapat yang berbeda, maka dia akan utarakan itu, meski itu Bibi Elizabethnya. Seperti pada saat mereka dalam perjalanan ke New Moon dari rumah lama Emily, mereka singgah di Charllotetown untuk makan siang. Emily tidak menyantap makan siang daging sapi, karena dia lagi bersedih dengan kematian ayahnya dan tidak berselera untuk makan siang. Karena tidak menyentuh daging sapi, bibi Elizabeth memesan daging ayam. Bibi Laura (saudara perempuan ibunya juga) yang membujuknya untuk menghabiskan makan siangnya. Dan Emily pada akhirnya mau menghabiskan daging ayam. Tapi dia merasa perlu menjelaskan ke Bibi Elizabeth tentang sikapnya itu, kira-kira seperti ini:

“Bibi Elizabeth, aku gak makan daging sapi bukan karena gak suka, tapi lagi gak selera. Dan kalau sekarang aku makan daging ayam juga bukan karena aku lebih suka daging ayam ketimbang daging sapi, tapi karena aku menghormatimu dan takut kamu marah…”

Atau seperti saat memulai hari pertamanya sekolah, Emily dipaksa bibi Elizabeth untuk memakai celemek tua milik ibunya. Dia menolak karena merasa celemek tua itu tidak cocok untuknya. Tapi bukan bibi Elizabeth namanya kalau harus mengalah dari keponakannya. Emily sampai menangis dan tetap harus memakai celemek itu. Tapi dia merasa perlu mengingatkan bibinya meski dengan air mata berlinang, “Biar bagaimanapun, Bibi Elizabeth kau tak akan pernah bisa memaksa Tuhan”. Wow!! Mungkin kita akan tersenyum mendengar celoteh bocah usia 10 Tahun tersebut, tapi maknanya dalam banget. Dia hanya mengingatkan bahwa, bibinya itu mungkin bisa saja memaksakan kehendaknya, tapi itu bukan berarti dia adalah penguasa, karena ada yang jauh lebih berkuasa.

Novelnya menarik. Gambaran tentang New Moon akan membuat imajinasi kita mengembara jauh ke sebuah desa dengan peternakan dan pohon-pohon maple merah yang kalo lagi musim gugur, daun2nya akan menutupi rerumputan dengan warna merahnya yang menakjubkan. (ini murni hayalanku, karena di game online aku punya peternakan dengan daun-daun maple yang berguguran, its so beautiful)

Kisah Emily dengan sahabat sahabatnya Ilse Burnley, Teddy dan Perry ini bisa dijadika inspirasi bagaimana anak-anak dengan karakter berbeda bisa saling memberi support satu sama lain. Aku belajar banyak dari Emily kecil. Dan namanya juga anak-anak, maka sisi lain dari anak-anaknya juga kental sekali. Apa itu? Nakal.

Secara keseluruhan ceritanya menarik, kalau dari bahasa? Jangan ditanya lagi. Meski ini karya terjemahan, bahasanya indah sekali. Apalagi pada sajak-sajak yang ditulis Emily. Kalau kata penulisnya, Lucy Maund Montgomery, Emily adalah perwakilan dari dirinya. Maka aku suka dengan imajinasi Lucy. Tidak semua orang punya imajinasi aneh ketika menggambarkan alam seperti dia menggambarkannya di novel Emily. Adam Hawa, Pinus Ayam Jago, Dewi Angin, Sang Kilat, Hmm what else? Confuse? Baca aja deh novelnya …

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Jan 02, 2013 Tarissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

"I think I shall be a great poetess or a distinguished novelist."
That is Emily Starr talking, the young blossoming writer, that will touch your heart, with her creative and interesting, ways and ideas.

Within just the first chapter of the book, you'll already be intrigued by Emily's charm, and her topsy-turvy imagination. All through the story, Emily meets new people and friends. Some will help her on her way to becoming a writer, "a painter that uses words". Others will shoot her dreams down, as...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Resti Triyuliandha rated it 4 of 5 stars

a sweet book for ending 2012.
Suka banget sama si Emily. Dan fantasi fantasi nya keinginan dia buat nulis. Jujur aja, awalnya agak males buat baca buku ini, kesannya gimanaa gitu tentang anak kecil yatim, pinter, dan aku awalnya pikir "duh, pasti membosankan. covernya aja membosankan". Haha, iya sih, ada kata kata "don't judge a book from it's cover", tapi kan kalo covernya gak menarik mana mau baca sinopsisnya, pegang aja ogah. Tapi buku ini exceeded my expectations. hahaha.
Suka gimana Emily mak...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Minli rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Minli by: Shoshana

Shelves: childrens, contemporary

Don't know why I never read these in my childhood, growing up within spitting distance of PEI and loved Anne of Green Gables. Newly orphaned Emily is sent to live with her relatives at New Moon Farm, particularly her stodgy Aunt Elizabeth. As she settles into her new life (and not without some friction), she makes friends with Ilse and Teddy and curates her nascent talent as a writer.

I think people identify with Emily and Anne because--well, spirited, bookish girls live on in all of us, and I'm...more

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Nov 21, 2011 K. rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teachers, homeschoolers, anyone

Shelves: girls-bookshelf, kids-tween-age

Great book! I really like Emily. If what I read is correct, this series is semi-autobiographical.

2 parts I particularly loved were the chapters regarding Father Cassidy and Mr. Carpenter. I liked Mr. Cassidy because it was just a beautifully crafted vignette. Mr. Carpenter was Emily's 2nd school teacher, and his chapter needs to be written out here for anyone involved in teaching their children. The book is worth reading for itself, but especially for the parts about how Mr. Carpenter mentored...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Patra rated it 5 of 5 stars

One thing my husband and I enjoy doing is reading a book out loud together. We take turns choosing one of our favorite books, which the other person hasn't read, and we read it together. There's no surprise here that he hadn't read Emily of New Moon because it definitely looks like a girly book, but I think the first in this series by L.M. Montgomery is a classic, so we read it together. I don't highly recommend the sequels to this book. It seems the author just felt some responsibility to expla...more

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Dec 13, 2010 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

I admit to being a very biased and long term fan of L.M Montgomery. Ever since reading 'Anne of Green Gables' in primary school I have loved her books. They are, to me, like home. I feel an overwhelming sense of comfort and safety when I read them and I love dipping into them at least every couple of years and immerse myself. Ok, now that I am done gushing, on with my review. I love the Emily books best of all L.M Montgomery's works. I think the immense popularity of Anne overshadows some of her...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Margaret rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-and-ya-fiction, favorites, canadian-literature, authors-mn

Emily Byrd Starr is almost the prototypical L.M. Montgomery heroine; she's an orphan who goes to another home where she becomes beloved of her new family, and she's a writer, who actually creates a successful career for herself. Emily is orphaned at the age of eight by the death of her beloved father (her mother died when Emily was much younger); as her father has no family, Emily is taken in by her mother's family, who have never forgiven her parents for eloping. Emily has allies from the start...more Emily Byrd Starr is almost the prototypical L.M. Montgomery heroine; she's an orphan who goes to another home where she becomes beloved of her new family, and she's a writer, who actually creates a successful career for herself. Emily is orphaned at the age of eight by the death of her beloved father (her mother died when Emily was much younger); as her father has no family, Emily is taken in by her mother's family, who have never forgiven her parents for eloping. Emily has allies from the start in her loving Aunt Laura and friendly Cousin Jimmy, but it's harder for her to win over her Aunt Elizabeth, a stern, dignified woman rather like Marilla in the Anne of Green Gables books.

This first book, Emily of New Moon, is very much taken up with how Emily settles herself in her new family, but the last line of the book betokens the direction the next two will take: Emily writes in a new journal, "I am going to write a diary, that it may be published when I die."

From here on, Emily Climbs and Emily's Quest are focused on Emily's creation of herself as a writer and of her career. There are, as must be expected, romantic and family issues as well, but it's the story of Emily the writer which makes these books particularly special to me. Montgomery's portrayal of the difficulties of the writing path is perceptive and often poignant, as Emily is torn between her writing and her family and love interest. These books are a little darker than the Anne books (at least than the early Anne books), as Emily herself is a more complex, less sunny character; there's even an element of Montgomery's interest in the supernatural, when Emily is shown to have a touch of the second sight.

I must admit to being less fond of the last book, because it's so focused on Emily's romantic travails, and the ending is dreadfully abrupt after the labyrinthine plot turns of most of the book. Still, although the Anne books are probably my favorites overall, the Emily books are easily my favorites of the rest of Montgomery's work (along with The Blue Castle).
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Jun 15, 2010 Katharine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-lit, reread

Emily of New Moon has a much darker quality than the Anne of Green Gables series – and Emily as a character is not nearly as likable or sweet as Anne. But she seems real. Although LMM tends to stylize/idealize her heroines a little, you can sense the three-dimensional quality of Emily's personality from the first chapter. Anne is 3D too, of course, but Anne's character tends to emerge little by little, whereas Emily dominates her story right from the start. And there's plenty of attention to Em...more

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Apr 17, 2010 Clare rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I remember when someone (not a big LMM fan) found that I was reading the Emily books, they commented that all LMM's books were "so repetitive". Is this true? Is Emily really just Anne with a makeover? The answer is absolutely not. In fairness, the basic plot (orphaned girl goes to live with unknown family) is very similar and there are plenty of superficial aspects in common in these books - both Emily and Anne are sensitive and imaginative, love the beauty of the natural world and are both eas...more I remember when someone (not a big LMM fan) found that I was reading the Emily books, they commented that all LMM's books were "so repetitive". Is this true? Is Emily really just Anne with a makeover? The answer is absolutely not. In fairness, the basic plot (orphaned girl goes to live with unknown family) is very similar and there are plenty of superficial aspects in common in these books - both Emily and Anne are sensitive and imaginative, love the beauty of the natural world and are both easily recognised as unique and striking, both in appearance and personality. But the similarities are just that - superficial. Whilst the plot is similar, the overall theme is different - Anne of Green Gables is a story about how a charming, lively little girl brightens up the lives of the elderly people she lives with. Emily of New Moon is about how a precocious child first discovers and develops her talent for writing. To give one example of the differences between Emily and Anne, it is interesting to compare Marilla with Emily's stern Aunt Elizabeth. Marilla, whilst undemonstrative, soon comes to love Anne deeply. Aunt Elizabeth, on the other hand, whilst she does come to develop a hidden fondness for Emily later in the book, views her niece as a "duty" and constantly fights to gain the upper hand over her, whilst sweet-natured Aunt Laura and "simple" Cousin Jimmy love Emily from the start.
Anyway, having established that Emily is not simply another Anne, here's the review:
The book begins with the death of Emily's beloved father, after which Emily is sent to live with her late mother's family, "the proud Murrays" in Blair Water, who had previously cut her mother off for marrying beneath her. Emily, despite grieving for her father, soon comes to love her new home, New Moon and quickly makes several friends - the wild, unloved tomboy Ilse, about whose dead mother there lies a shameful secret - one which Emily will later solve, the artist-in-training Teddy Kent, with his pathologically jealous mother and Perry, the clumsy but endearing hired boy at New Moon. Most importantly, Emily develops her love for writing
During a trip to visit her Great Aunt Nancy, Emily makes the acquaintance of Dean "Jarback" Priest, a highly intelligent, cynical, well-travelled man immediately taken with Emily after saving her life and will have a strong hold on her as the series progresses. Dean, as later books show, is a pretty divisive figure among LMM fans. Personally, I found him fascinating, he is probably the best male character she created, although for many, including me, his interest in the twelve-year-old Emily is rather uncomfortable.
Overall, this book is, if anything, even better than the Anne series, wonderful as they are. Emily is somewhat darker - Anne's arrival at Green Gables is a dream come true for her, for Emily, her move to New Moon is an abrupt change caused by a tragedy. Emily too, seems to have second sight - shown by a vision which tells the truth about the death of Ilse's mother. I would recommend this to any fans of LMM looking for something a little different from the sweetness and light of the Anne books.
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Apr 04, 2010 Meghan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids-books, 2010-read, nerdy-girls-book-club

I LOVED Anne of Green Gables, which is why it completely baffles me that I never sought out more LMM books. I know I didn't read all of the Anne series; I read the first two and then just watched the movie over and over again. Oh what a young nerd I was.

I recently picked up Emily at the request of my friend who is a fellow Anne lover but admitted she really liked Emily more. It took me a few chapters to really start enjoying Emily but once I started I finished all three books within a week.

The...more

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Oct 19, 2009 Kathryn Ricks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Old Time YA LIt/Coming of Age/Writing

For the millions of girls who love Anne of Green Gables, this series provides a glimpse at another girl who is just a little different in the Victorian world of Prince Edward Island. Emily, although she has a good friend who reminds one of Anne a great deal, is drastically different from L.M. Montgomery's other heroine. Emily grew up with her ailing writer father, who dies, leaving her orphaned in the hands of her mother's upstanding and very proud family. Tw...more

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Aug 18, 2009 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who can read

Shelves: fiction, poetic-language, classics, youth

Of course, I was first introduced to L.M. Montgomery through Anne Shirley. However, I found myself drawn to the Emily character far more firmly, as she was much more like myself: an incurable writer. The story of Emily is much darker, much bleaker, and yet, L.M.M. does what she does best, gives us brilliant characters, brilliant dialogue, chapter after chapter of little stories, and fantastic language. When I read L.M.M.'s work, I want to run off and write sheaves of pages. Each character someho...more

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May 18, 2012 Antonini Ramon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: infantil, sophie, viksi

1

Saya Selalu Suka Novel-novel Asing (Amerika/Inggris) yang bercerita tentang kehidupan anak-anak (terkhusus gadis kecil) yang klise dimana ibunya meninggal/ayahnya meninggal karena sakit parah dan gadis kecil itu harus diasuh oleh keluarga besarnya (salah satu dari paman dan bibinya) yang dalam hal ini sangat banyak dan tidak menaruh simpati sedikitpun pada si gadis kecil kecuali sebatas tanggung jawab dan menjaga nama baik.

2

Emily of New Moon juga tidak jauh berbeda dari kisah kisah klise itu (...more

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Jan 11, 2012 VJ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, fiction

While many think Anne of Green Gables is Montgomery's best work, I really like the story of orphaned Emily, gifted with second sight, full of pluck and spunk, determined to be a writer because it is "in" her to be a writer.

I got caught up in the story of Emily by watching the Emily of New Moon series on children's television. The production is a balm for eyes longing to see expanses of water and shoreline, lush greenery, and the wardrobe. Stephen McHattie's sensitive portrayal of cousin Jimmy i...more

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Oct 21, 2010 Adam rated it 1 of 5 stars

It exemplifies a certain nauseating children's-book style--cloyingly quaint and dainty, simplistic and sentimental, laced with words like "must" and "mustn't", "little" and "big", "lovely" and "quite". It presents a world of cotton and sap, of neatly delineated emotions and quaint caricatures. Bad things happen in the story, but it coyly evades them or smothers them in twee romanticism. Passages like this make me bilious:

"Thank you," said Emily shyly, looking up at him with great grey eyes that...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Salem rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-favourites, l-m-montgomery, my-bookshelf-of-books, stories-of-girls, 1800s

This book is written by my favourite author L.M.Montgomery who also wrote the compelling "Anne of Green Gables". The story makes me laugh at times and smile at times and cry at times. It is a piece of art.

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Dec 07, 2011 Jenna St Hilaire rated it 5 of 5 stars

The impressive thing about Montgomery’s writing is that, though I only recall reading this once before, and that probably close to two decades ago, I remembered an impressive percentage of the story as I re-read it. Her descriptions are more effusive than is usually tolerated today, more poetic-prosy; her interactions get away with dialogue tags and adverbs more frequently, not to mention the passive voice; but things play out memorably, and with warmth and interest.

Emily had interested me when...more

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Jun 12, 2010 AlixJamie rated it 1 of 5 stars

I loved Anne, I loved Valancy, I loved Rilla, I loved Jocelyn, and Gay, and Donna, but I could not, would not, and will not love Emily. I didn't like her from the beginning and I was afraid that feeling would persist. She is just not the kind of heroine that Mrs. Montgomery usually makes. She's too smart, too beautiful, too strange, and last and most important, too perfect. I couldn't swallow her conversation, ambitions, or dreams. Everything she did annoyed me. She didn't make blunders, like An...more

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Jul 17, 2009 Shelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, literature, youth, re-read, my-childhood

I rather like Emily, and I always forget how much. She's an interesting little thing - overly dramatic, to be sure, but not as insane as portrayed on the TV show. (I guess I see how that happened, though - bad acting + bad directing = over the top viewing. These are hard lines to not take over the top, but it could have been done.)

Dean and Emily really is squicky - he's 35 to her 12, a friend of her father's from college and saying things like: I'll wait for you, I'll teach you about love talk,...more

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About L.M. Montgomery

Lucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author, best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908.

The author of the famous Canadian novel Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery, was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, in 1911 after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911...more

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Books by L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)

The Complete Anne of Green Gables Boxed Set (Anne of Green Gables #1-8)

Anne of Avonlea (Anne of Green Gables, #2)

Anne of the Island (Anne of Green Gables, #3)

Anne's House of Dreams (Anne of Green Gables, #5)

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“If it's IN you to climb you must -- there are those who MUST lift their eyes to the hills -- they can't breathe properly in the valleys.” — 53 people liked it

“Don't be led away by those howls about realism. Remember-pine woods are just as real as pigsties and a darn sight pleasanter to be in.” — 32 people liked it

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