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The Blue Castle

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 9,159 ratings · 1,373 reviews

Valancy lives a drab life with her overbearing mother and prying aunt. Then a shocking diagnosis from Dr. Trent prompts her to make a fresh start. For the first time, she does and says exactly what she feels. As she expands her limited horizons, Valancy undergoes a transformation, discovering a new world of love and happiness. One of Lucy Maud Montgomery's only novels inte...more

Mass Market Paperback, 218 pages

Published March 1st 1989 by Starfire (first published 1926)

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Mar 13, 2012 Hannah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, comfort-books, favorites, re-read

I arrived late to the L.M. Montgomery party, not having grown up with her stories as a young girl, but rather read them for the first time in my late 20's. Knowing what I know now about the beauty and magic of her books, I realize I missed out of some major reading adventures with Anne, Emily, Pat and gang, and will consequently never be able to wax nostalgic about how those books effected my life (which is probably for the best, as I tend to go into sappy, melodramatic overdrive when I really l...more I arrived late to the L.M. Montgomery party, not having grown up with her stories as a young girl, but rather read them for the first time in my late 20's. Knowing what I know now about the beauty and magic of her books, I realize I missed out of some major reading adventures with Anne, Emily, Pat and gang, and will consequently never be able to wax nostalgic about how those books effected my life (which is probably for the best, as I tend to go into sappy, melodramatic overdrive when I really love a book - you know it's true, my GR friends) :P

But in the case of The Blue Castle, it's a good thing I didn't pick this up to read until I was about the age of Valency, because I don't think a younger girl would be able to fully appreciate this story as much a young woman who has lived a little. This is one of Montgomery's only books written with an adult audience in mind, and it wasn't highly acclaimed at the time of publication or for several decades afterwards. It definitely deals with more adult themes, and does so with a very sympathetic hand. I have since learned more about Montgomery's less-then-fairytale life, and it makes me appreciate her talents even more.

If Jane Austen's Persuasion is all about second chances in life, then Montgomery's The Blue Castle is all about allowing oneself to have a chance at all. Valancy's road to independence at the age of 29 is chock-full of convenient coincidences that happen in order for her (and the story) to blossom, but those plot contrivances thankfully don't lessen the appeal of the story. While the majority of the characters are one dimensional and make only a brief appearance, Montgomery perfectly captured the character of Valancy, her mother, Roaring Abel, Cissie, and Barney Snaith. And speaking of Barney Snaith, was there EVER a swoon-worthy hero with a more dumpy name in the history of fiction? Good grief, the man oozes sex appeal, but no reader ever brings him up in discussions of great fictional heros, and I am convinced it's because of his name. Think about it:

Gone with the Wind: Barney Butler....
Pride and Prejudice: Barney Darcy....
Twilight: Barney Cullen....

I rest my case.

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May 23, 2007 k8lane rated it 4 of 5 stars

An independent story from the author of Anne of Green Gables, written for an older audience. An important and underrated part of the Montgomery collection -- in this story, a young woman (young by our standards, an old maid in her time) rebels against her oppressive family and a conservative society to achieve a few basic but essential moments of happiness. On the surface this may look like flowers and fluff but, for the time, this was a subversively pre-feminist novel. Valancy becomes psycholog...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Parvathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: classic lovers

Shelves: classics, chick-lit, family-drama, feel-good, friendship, glued-till-the-last-page, light-reads, living-vicariously, movie-material, strong-females, young-adult

In an era where authors are trying to outdo one another by coming up with the most ingeniously twisted story that one could not possibly imagine the magic of a simple old fashioned classic story goes a long way in entertaining you. With its uncomplicated plot, laugh out loud moments and familiar characters these books has the uncanny ability to reach out and bring to surface "that old feeling" which reminds you why you started reading in the first place.

Without much ado this book is based on a...more

12 likes · like · see review

Dec 30, 2012 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of romance, hope, and/or LM Montgomery

Shelves: historic-romance, classics

This is my favorite novel by LM Montgomery, even though it's not necessarily typical of her books. It is the sweetest romance I have ever read, full of laugh out loud moments and obnoxious "villains". In fact, this book's annoying characters are on a par with Jane Austen's best. it's a great story of learning to be free of society's bonds and expectations, of finding love when and where least expected, and of the joys that come when you open your heart to them. I completely recommend this book....more

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Jan 26, 2009 Chandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: l-m-montomery, 2009-reads, love-romance

This could so easily gone the way of fluffy romance. If I'm honest there's nothing extraordinary in the actual story line. Something like it has been done a thousand times and the ending is a bit contrived. But there are so many things that sets this apart from a typical romance novel.

First, the writing - LMM was an amazingly gifted writer. It's why her popularity persists 100 years after the publication of the beloved Anne of Green Gables. There are so many little grains of beauty, truth and w...more This could so easily gone the way of fluffy romance. If I'm honest there's nothing extraordinary in the actual story line. Something like it has been done a thousand times and the ending is a bit contrived. But there are so many things that sets this apart from a typical romance novel.

First, the writing - LMM was an amazingly gifted writer. It's why her popularity persists 100 years after the publication of the beloved Anne of Green Gables. There are so many little grains of beauty, truth and wisdom in The Blue Castle that I'm reminded yet again how remarkable it is that LMM isn't taken more seriously. I haven't met an LMM book that I didn't like, but this is her most mature and realistic novel.

Second, the characterization is far too complex for any trashy romance. I think every female reader alive will see something of themselves in Valancy Stirling. And Barney...ah, what can I say about Barney...except that he's one of the most fully realized male characters in just about any 'romance' novel I've ever read....and he loves cats!

And finally, the social commentary alone sets this book head and shoulders above any mindless romance. We're talking religion, societal and familial expectations, alcoholism, and even the hint of sexuality. I really don't think LMM was a conscious feminist, but I'm personally always struck by the strength of LMM's female characters. And Valancy is the strongest and most remarkable of them all as she rejects societal conventions and takes complete control over her own destiny.

I find it unfortunate that the majority of people who find their way to this book only do so out of a love of LMM. The marketing/packaging isn't doing this book any favors - what on earth is Bantam thinking with these covers? It's true that several LMM books really are only for the die hard fans, but that's not the case here. I would unreservedly recommend this to any of my friends! This is a highly enjoyable book with a beautiful message. Can you imagine how different the world would be if we all lived as if we only had a year left to live? And what if we all believed we deserved a life full of joy and beauty and then actually had the courage to seek it out?(less)

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Mar 24, 2011 Mariel rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: seasick, yet still docked

Recommended to Mariel by: peach, plum, pear

This is a lovely book, sweet with sentiment without being sentimental.
I'm a depressive sad sack, however, so my review isn't going to be the pleasant and lovely review that anyone will want to read, I'm afraid.

So I'm feeling depressed and looking over and back again (similar to Bilbo's journey but not exactly. No 'shrooms) my bookshelves for something to stimulate the low mood a bit. I consider a favorite, but I'm afraid that this bad mood will ruin it for me. Sad, isn't it. (Favorites are suppo...more This is a lovely book, sweet with sentiment without being sentimental.
I'm a depressive sad sack, however, so my review isn't going to be the pleasant and lovely review that anyone will want to read, I'm afraid.

So I'm feeling depressed and looking over and back again (similar to Bilbo's journey but not exactly. No 'shrooms) my bookshelves for something to stimulate the low mood a bit. I consider a favorite, but I'm afraid that this bad mood will ruin it for me. Sad, isn't it. (Favorites are supposed to be there when you need them. My insane moods ruin even that.) L.M. Montgomery's The Blue Castle (one of those favorites) might make me feel left out from the sweetness (it is bittersweet, and that's kinda perfect. It's the goes off without me happy ending I fear...), or annoyed with Valancey that it took her that long to stand up for herself, or that Barney Snaith had to pretend to be something he wasn't when Valancey had the courage to finally own herself. And for such a silly reason, too. Everyone wanted him for his money alone, supposedly, or at least the family name (that's why he chose Snaith. Personally, I like it). How can you be loved for yourself if you're lying and not yourself? Guess you can be always be loved in parts, people often only offer some some parts and sides, etc. It's just the annoying cliche of prince pretends to be the pauper to be sure of the girl, really. I'm crazy. It's not for me to judge uncertainty. What I loved about this book is that it isn't about me at all. Valancey had to reach that stuff for herself. It doesn't matter what I'd have done. I don't need to love Barney for myself because it's not about me (not that he's a bad guy, not at all). I can relate, though. I may not need a mix-up doctor's note of immediate imminent death*, but I do have to bully myself (quite meanly, when occassion calls) to do what might be easy peasy social stuff for someone else. It's not far from the realm of the imagination for me to get into her space of timidity because I know where that anxiety comes from. Especially the being knocked down by the bullies. (People are just people. Don't be an idiot.) L.M. Montgomery wrote a great story about Valancey that wasn't about anyone else but her. Right on. In your own pace and time moods and growth. When they are both in love at the same time, it is because that's how it grew. That's more than pretty rare in written love stories.

Snaith was secretly Valancey's favorite naturist writer in disguise. I think he was right that it was kinda schmaltzy and self-helpy (in a private way you don't want to be caught doing on your worst days). I love that he was embarrassed of her gushing geyser of love and not constantly asking for praise. There's nothing more annoying than dating a writer who wants more and more praise heaped on top of praise about his writing to the point you no longer want to read what you had really liked (whoops I'm making this about me! It's not about me!). (Every time he changed a single word!) (Subtext back to text now.) I dug the nature stuff. I don't recall which book this was (it was probably ya) that said that a person is devoted to the landscape type where they resided for their first seven years (ring a bell to anyone?). We moved all over (in the American south) so I feel no special love for the sea over swamps and woods and mountains. I like it all. Maybe that was bogus. But I did get into the mood of the lay of their land. It was really nice. Maybe there's something to be said for that. I've read many accounts of displaced Iranians (or should I say Persians? Some prefer to be called Persian, whatever the country has been called for ages. The Persian Rip van Winkle?) who pine for their date trees. You can't even tell which palm trees are real or fake here.

L.M. Montgomery was one of the first writers I've ever read. Started with Anne, of course, and the Avonlea stuff. I've got a pretty bad fixation for Canada, too. Maybe the yearning for 'scapes comes from anywhere that meant the most to you in your earliest days. That'd be these! The Blue Castle is my very favorite because I guess it doesn't matter if I'm in a girlish mood for sweet happy endings I'll be reminded I don't have, or whatever. It's not about me.

Speaking of Avonlea... Another point for The Blue Castle versus those is that Valancey's problems and fixing them is up to her. Some little scamp doesn't come in and play matchmaker, or seperate her from an evil twin (my twin and I always hated that!). She saves herself and it isn't anyone else's business. Her happiness is her problem. Love it. And her love is only what she feels and the ending of if they get together or not is not the important thing. L.M. Montgomery could be a genuis. Sometimes she wrote really annoying scamps and besmirched the name of twins.

Footnote: There's a great Mr. Show skit about how awful celebrities make it big 'cause they have IDS: Imminent Death Syndrome. Like Juliette Lewis or Tom Green. Pity, not a burning drive leading to greatness. Just to be clear... We're all gonna die. Did Valancey think it was going to go that way forever? Why didn't that make her MORE scared than wasting time? Like Morrissey said: "It may all end tomorrow, or it could go on forever, in which case I'm doomed." What he said.
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Mar 14, 2008 Chelsea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Chelsea by: Shannon (Giraffe Days)

Shelves: 2008, classic, own, recced, comfortbooks, fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 29, 2010 bookyeti rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, reviewed, favorites, classics, canadiana

My rating: 4.5/5

Best remembered for her well-loved red-headed heroine, Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery's understated more 'grown up' novel, The Blue Castle, deserves equal, if not a higher echelon of praise. An invigorating exercise in general satire, The Blue Castle's characterization borders on Dickens-like caricature as Montgomery introduces an array of amusing, egotistical and decidedly silly relatives of the heroine, Valancy Stirling.

Social and familial pressures have combined t...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a treasure of a little book this is. I've read Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, but never heard of this one. I loved it. Valency a 29 year old "old maid", lives a drab life with her uppity mother, and aunts and uncles. She's a mousy, shy, accommodating girl who does every thing she's told, until one day she gets a diagnosis from her doctor that changes everything.

It's a sweet love story with beautiful written prose and description. I normally am put off by a lot of description, but...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, this was a rather dark comedy! Because it's Montgomery, you almost don't notice how dark it is. There's depression, alcoholism, terminal illness...

Her protagonist Valancy begins the story as a mousy spinster and then makes a pendulum swing to full on Joan Crawford. (She literally chops up a rose bush!) She rebels against her prim and proper family, recklessly and indiscriminately. I preferred the sweet, shy Valancy but I understand that this is a wish-fulfillment narrative. And I appreciat...more

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Dec 30, 2008 Marian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great book. I knew nothing of the story when I started reading. The first 50 or so pages were a struggle. At first, I didn't love Valancy. She seemed too weak, too respressed, too sick and too miserable. No wonder she never got to keep her own pile of dust.

However, all this was a careful set up for a huge change of character. Upon learning of her impending death, Valancy becomes brave, opinionated, whitty, caring and often extremely funny. With her new freedom she lives the kind of life she had...more

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Sep 17, 2007 Wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a great favorite of mine. Valancy is intriguing and the hero dreamy. The extended family is very, very funny. Best of all, the writing is brimming with Atmosphere that makes you feel like you're in another world.

Must go review The Ladies of Missalonghi, which blatantly stole the plot from this book. I'd heard about the lawsuit and was willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt... until I read it.

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 09, 2009 Salma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, lm-montgomery

What is it about LM Montgomery that makes you want to take the next plane to Prince Edward Island? I finished reading The Blue Castle with the same engrossed delight I had in meeting Anne Shirley years ago.

Valancy Stirling is plain, shy, bossed around by everyone and compared constantly (negatively) to her wonderful cousin Olive- the big-chested blond who gets all the rich men. (lol- some things in society never change). And horror of all horrors- she's 29 and STILL SINGLE! The Stirlings are as...more

6 likes · like · see review

Mar 10, 2009 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-timefavorites

This just became one of my all-time favorites! In fact, this may be my favorite L.M. Montgomery book, and I'm a huge "Anne" fan! I loved Valancy saying exactly what she thought to her stuffy family. I loved the drama and the romance, and the beautiful descriptions of the Canadian wilds. What a great book! It's a treat to read, just a joy with every page!

11 likes · like · see review

Jan 13, 2009 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

L. M. Montgomery wrote a lot of better books than her classic Anne of Green Gables. This is my personal favorite - the story of old-maid Valancy (poor girl is only 29, for God's sake) who believes that she has only six months to live and decides to live it the way she wants to. The scene where she suddenly decides to say what she thinks instead of merely thinking it - at a big family dinner! - is one of my favorite scenes (in ANY book) of all time. Also, hero Barney Snaith makes Gilbert Blythe l...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Gwen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: top-favorites

For as long as she can remember, Valancy Stirling has strived to please her family and lived in fear of offending them. An old maid for her day and age, she is undesired, unloved, and nothing more than the punch line of a joke. She escapes her misery by daydreaming about her "Blue Castle", her home in a world where she is beautiful, important, and loved. Then, she learns that she is terminally ill with heart disease, and at best, has no more than a year to live. Throwing her fears to the wind, V...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 21, 2011 Alyssa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, I wasn't expecting it but i LOVED it!

When a friend recommended this book to me she explained a little bit of it and i have to say that i was not sure i would like it. but i decided . . L.M.Montgomery . . . it deserves a chance. and i'm glad i gave it one!In completing this book i honestly couldn't put my finger on WHY i loved it so much. I think that Montgomery captures the essence of the desire of everyones soul in Valancy not only perfectly but beautifully. she is not pretty or ever wante...more Wow, I wasn't expecting it but i LOVED it!

When a friend recommended this book to me she explained a little bit of it and i have to say that i was not sure i would like it. but i decided . . L.M.Montgomery . . . it deserves a chance. and i'm glad i gave it one!In completing this book i honestly couldn't put my finger on WHY i loved it so much. I think that Montgomery captures the essence of the desire of everyones soul in Valancy not only perfectly but beautifully. she is not pretty or ever wanted and always been suppressed and in a deliberate act of defiance makes herself exactly who she wants to be and exactly who she really is! Part of the brilliance of the book is that you don't quite understand what you love about it so much but you just can't put it down until it's over and you just want to read it again!

Honestly it has a depressing, but promising start as Valancy lays in bed on the morning of her 29th birthday reflecting on her life. She is an old maid, never left her mother, never been pretty, never been courted, and never felt wanted. she is part of a self righteous and judgmental family that has never been satisfied with her. She goes to the doctor that day because of chest pains and finds out that she has a serious form of heart disease and has at most a year to live. Valancy's response is anger. she allows herself to truly think for the fist time that life was not fair to her. she cannot remember a truly happy moment in her life and now it is almost over! having never really felt like she has begun to live, her life is almost over. in reflection she realizes that she has never been happy because she has never tried to make herself happy. she has always lived to satisfy her family who, she realizes, will never be happy with her. so why try? she decides and defies all of them! she scandalously moves in with the town drunkard to take care of his daughter who is dying. from there things only get worse as far as her family is concerned. and only better for Valancy. The romance within the novel is not your AWWW, cute, happily ever after, prince on his horse come to save you, kind of romance. in fact it's so simple and real that it's better. I think that's what makes this book, it's real. so real that you just love it!

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Oct 27, 2007 Christine rated it 5 of 5 stars

A couple of years ago when I was vacationing in Prince Edward Island Canada to see the sights of my beloved childhood characters Anne and Emily, I came across this book in one of the gift shops. I thought that I had read nearly all of LMM's books but had somehow missed this one. I fell in love with it instantly! At the time I read this I was in my early thirties and unmarried. I felt that Valancy was such a kindred spirit and could relate to her woes so easily. One of my favorite parts was when...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: canada, coming-of-age, family-relationships, gentle-reads, strong-sense-of-place, young-adult

This was the perfect home-sick-from-work, tea-and-a-good-story one-day read. Exactly what I needed today, so my rating is probably a bit high--the ending is admittedly contrived. But I just love this kind of old-fashioned, satisfying story. I had a vivid picture in my mind of Valency's Blue Castle on the island and the surrounding woods and it was such a gorgeous contrast to her previously drab life with no beauty to be found. Though a love story is a large part of the plot, this isn't a romance...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Leslie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Aside from the Harlequin romance cover that looks absolutely nothing like the characters, or the time period for that matter, this is still one of my all time favorite historical romances. And it doesn't even have sex in it, so it must be good. The characters are hysterical, and the heroine endearingly enjoyable. Montgomery was so good at making you feel at home in her books. They feel real, because the characters are so relateable. A perfectly easy bookclub choice for February.

So with this one...more

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Mar 17, 2011 Edie rated it 5 of 5 stars

LOVED this book! A great reminder to be true to one's self and live in the present!

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Nov 15, 2007 Camilla rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

This was one of my favourite books from my teenage years, when I spent much of my time dreaming about my own blue castles. It's a romantic wish-fulfillment story about an unmarried, plain girl who finds the courage to strike out on her own after she receives bad news from her doctor. A fun read for romantically-inclined dreamers.

My copy is also a foreign translation where the heroine's name is the same as my own! I was quite disappointed to find this wasn't the case in the original. :)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 11, 2013 Mary Catelli rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-book, mundane

Valancy, living with her mother and her cousin, is a confirmed old maid at the age of twenty-nine, miserable at how she is squelched and belittled by all her family -- including all the extended relatives. But on her birthday, she gets up her gumption and goes to visit the local doctor about the heart pains she feels.

The doctor is called off abruptly because his only son was in an accident, but she gets a letter with her diagnosis. The heart problem is fatal and will kill her within a year at th...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Erica Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads

Published in 1926, The Blue Castle occasionally feels like a Regency romance. It's got a downtrodden heroine (and I mean really downtrodden), a marriage of convenience, and a hero who turns out to be much more than expected. It's set in Ontario and was written by the author of the Anne of Green Gables books.

The first few chapters describe the heroine's miserable home life, and Valency's constant fear of angering her mother or getting reprimanded by her uncle. Just when I was getting to the poin...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reading-challenges, love-story

Why I picked it up: Long-time favorite. I haven’t read it in a while and I had been thinking about Valancy and Barney, so I figured it was time to visit them.

The book starts on Valancy Sterling’s 29th birthday. Valancy is quite unhappy with her life, and if saw how her family treats her, you would not be surprised. She’s been having pains near her heart but doesn’t want the family conference she know will ensue if she tells the clan, so in a single act of defiance, she goes to a different doctor...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Jane Stewart rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, 5-star-historical-romance

4 ½ stars. Unique characters that you want to watch. It’s different. It feels good.

Montgomery is famous for her Anne of Green Gables series published 1908 to 1921. The Blue Castle was published in 1926. I believe this is her only romance book. It is appropriate for young adult.

I enjoyed it all the way through. I loved the variety of characters. I feel like I’ve known parts of people who were like Valancy’s horrible relatives. Another reviewer “A Customer” described it well. “Valancy, a 29 year o...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” – Oscar Wilde

That is one of my favorite quotes and it explains this story perfectly. Valancy Jane Stirling is only 29, but she’s been relegated to the role of old spinster in her family. She has, as Wilde said, been existing, but not living. It’s not until she receives some startling news that she decides to change her lot in life.

It’s so satisfying when she finally starts standing up for herself, but it’s so sad that...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This is an achingly beautiful novel- from the lovely romance to the descriptions of woodsy Canada. It is also absolutely hilarious (Valancy would be a Twitter superstar), and feels so fresh, which is a testament to how timeless L. M. Montgomery’s writing is. This has quickly become one of my favorite books.

Other notes...
I think I had a bit of a different experience going into the book than most people- I went in completely blind. First, I’m basically an idiot and did not know who L.M. Montgomery...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Valancy is 29 and her family fears she’ll be an old maid. Her upbringing has been rigid and stifling, conventional and imposing enough to make her meek and fearful. Her imagination, and its figment, the Blue Castle of the title, has kept her going. At the point when the reader wishes for a transition for her, she has one. A surprising event inspires Valancy to change her approach to family members and life in general. The goodness of her spirit leads her to a worthwhile position which carries so...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Titania rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lm-books-i-adore

Blue Castle is an extremely good book. The story revolves around Valancy (a pretty name if you ask me) who turns 29 as the book starts. She is now considered an "old maid" (consider the era, WW1 and after). Valancy is considered ugly and has to live with one of the most annoying and superficial families ever written (no joke, even if its a little harsh. but hey, they give most of the comedy), the respectable Stirling clan and is constantly being compared to her "perfect" cousin Olive (i honetsly...more Blue Castle is an extremely good book. The story revolves around Valancy (a pretty name if you ask me) who turns 29 as the book starts. She is now considered an "old maid" (consider the era, WW1 and after). Valancy is considered ugly and has to live with one of the most annoying and superficial families ever written (no joke, even if its a little harsh. but hey, they give most of the comedy), the respectable Stirling clan and is constantly being compared to her "perfect" cousin Olive (i honetsly hate the name, no offense). She is the most obediant main character LM has ever wrote (no joke), i mean obediant to a fault.

After suffering a series of heart pain, she goes to a doctor, that her clan shuns after he "insulted" (more like told the truth) to an cousin. she then learns that she has a serious disease and will die within a year or if she has a great shock/surprise. Regretful of not living her life, she decides to turn "rebel" (rebel considering the era, meaning shes not rebel by today's standards) and do what she deems right, and follow her heart.

After leaving her house to nurse an old school mate,Cecily Gay, who is shuned by society for having a child (the baby died after a year) out of wedlock and is suffering from tuberculosis. There, for the first time, she meets the infamous outsider, Barney Snaith, whom shes only heard rumours about (bad ones at that). After Cissy dies and unwilling to return to her old life (did i mention that the whole time Valancy was there, her relatives kept sending people to get Valancy back, because obviously she is insane for not listening to the clan and doing what she want *note the sarcasm*), she does the unthinkable!!! She asks Barney to marry her and he says…

Well read the book to find out the rest. The story is well written and has subjects that is unlike what LM usually writes like sexuality and premartial relationships but also has normal LM material like clanish families. the characters are well written especially Valancy and Barney. The whole set up is pretty unique. i enjoyed it alot and recommend it from ages 13+. Great book by LM Montgomery.

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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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Trivia About The Blue Castle

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Quotes from The Blue Castle

“If you can sit in silence with a person for half an hour and yet be entirely comfortable, you and that person can be friends. If you cannot, friends you'll never be and you need not waste time in trying.” — 77 people liked it

“Fear is the original sin. Almost all of the evil in the world has its origin in the fact that some one is afraid of something.It is a cold slimy serpent coiling about you. It is horrible to live with fear; and it is of all things degrading.” — 70 people liked it

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The Blue Castle

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