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Magic for Marigold
by
A tale of imagination and adventure from the beloved author of Anne of Green Gables--now back in print.
Marigold has always lived a solitary life at Cloud of Spruce. But with her vivid imagination and lively neighbors, she's never lacked for something to do. From her close friendship with imaginary friend Sylvia, to being mistaken for a dead girl, to dreaming of visiting ...more
Marigold has always lived a solitary life at Cloud of Spruce. But with her vivid imagination and lively neighbors, she's never lacked for something to do. From her close friendship with imaginary friend Sylvia, to being mistaken for a dead girl, to dreaming of visiting ...more
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Paperback, 327 pages
Published
April 1st 2014
by Sourcebooks Fire
(first published 1925)
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Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Magic for Marigold
Lovely and whimsical, just not my FAVORITE L M Montgomery. Some chapters were pure magic, though, and I loved so many of the supporting cast. Particularly Uncle Klon and Aunt Marigold.
If you've read any books by L.M. Montgomery before, then you pretty much know what to expect with this one -- and adventurous child growing up during the 1920's in Canada. She likes to daydream, has a little bit of sass, and gets into quite a bit of trouble. I don't think that this novel is as strong as Montgomery's other novels, but Marigold and her family members are still enjoyable characters who get into some fun predicaments.
What I think was missing from this novel was a central theme or ...more
What I think was missing from this novel was a central theme or ...more
Although L.M. Montgomery's 1925 Magic for Marigold has most definitely been a delightful and relaxing way to spend a few reading hours on a lazy Saturday afternoon (namely yesterday), I do have to admit that the episodic nature of the novel and that far too often one chapter does not necessarily smoothly move and transfer into the next has kind of taken at least some of the shine off of my potential reading pleasure (and in particular since quite a few of the Magic for Marigold anecdotes and
...more
Lovely lovely lovely There isn't a book by L.M. Montgomery that I don't enjoy.
Marigold was the funniest, most adorable girl... the family aspect is wonderfully crafted by the author, as per usual.
I don't know an author who tells a story so well, balancing characters, family dynamics, funny dialogue and description, namely the nature aspect that this amazing woman always complemented her novels with.
Another character, another lovely name. Marigold. I say this in every review but it's true: ...more
Marigold was the funniest, most adorable girl... the family aspect is wonderfully crafted by the author, as per usual.
I don't know an author who tells a story so well, balancing characters, family dynamics, funny dialogue and description, namely the nature aspect that this amazing woman always complemented her novels with.
Another character, another lovely name. Marigold. I say this in every review but it's true: ...more
Happy tweeness about a classic L. M. Montgomery heroine, until the very last chapter, which is called 'The Chrism of Womanhood' and is pretty much as hideous as it sounds. I don't exactly disagree with one of the basic ideas, which is that you have to share the people you love with other people and that's what it means to be grown up. I do object to the other basic idea, which is that it is the fate and sacred duty of Woman to hang around waiting patiently while her man goes off and does
...more
I didn’t read Anne of Green Gables somewhere between nine and eleven and love the film version like all the other girls my age. In fact, it took me years after reading Magic for Marigold to finally go through the Anne series. But I wasn’t missing any of the beautiful descriptions and joyful depictions of childhood, PEI or small-town life and family, because Magic for Marigold had plenty of all of those.
The story begins at the very start of Marigold’s life, when she is known only as the ...more
The story begins at the very start of Marigold’s life, when she is known only as the ...more
I remember skimming through my cousin's copy of this as a kid and never getting into it enough to read it. It still didn't grab me this time around - taking Marigold from birth (and really, three characters in this were named Marigold? Really?) through age 12 only. She was a boring, lonely girl, and the episodic nature of the book didn't do much in her favor. She grew up, but mostly in between incidents, so it had less impact. Apparently this was cobbled together from short stories about her,
...more
I liked Marigold and I wish there were more stories about her. She is a bit like Emily... not as passionate, I think... but she is an engaging heroine in her own right. And this is proper LMM - she's on good form here.
In fact I liked Marigold so much, that if I'd read about her when I was a child, maybe one of my daughters would share her name. That's a lot of like.
In fact I liked Marigold so much, that if I'd read about her when I was a child, maybe one of my daughters would share her name. That's a lot of like.
Nov 08, 2010
Elinor Loredan
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
l-m-montgomery,
2010
Marigold is very sensitive and impressionable, and I enjoy reading about her adventures and mishaps that result.
My favorite chapters are the ones in which Marigold's clan holds a conclave to decide what to name her, and when Old Grandmother talks to Marigold in the orchard the night of Old Grandmother's death. One drawback to the book is that I really miss Old Grandmother for the rest of it.
Montgomery was a master at depicting 'clans' with the quirks, interesting habits, and personalities of its ...more
My favorite chapters are the ones in which Marigold's clan holds a conclave to decide what to name her, and when Old Grandmother talks to Marigold in the orchard the night of Old Grandmother's death. One drawback to the book is that I really miss Old Grandmother for the rest of it.
Montgomery was a master at depicting 'clans' with the quirks, interesting habits, and personalities of its ...more
Jul 18, 2013
Hayden
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
owned,
classics-club-2012-2014
This is probably one of my least favorites of Montgomery's works. I didn't care for the parade of childhood friends of Marigold's that we were introduced to- I never felt like I got to know any of them well, and most of them I didn't like, except for Jack, who Marigold despised. Their conversation was priceless, and I liked him much better than that horrid Gwennie. More importantly, I never felt like I really got to know Marigold herself, and I was always more interested in the side stories with
...more
The most mawkish heroine Maud ever created. She is cute beyond cute. Diabetics be warned....
Ahoy there mateys! Even after finishing this, I cannot be sure if I ever read it before or not. The beginning felt very familiar but the ending was certainly not remembered. I do think that some of it comes down to how reading four of these books in a row shows that Montgomery did in fact recycle ideas and sometimes seemingly direct quotes from her own works. Some non-spoilers include a blue jug, jam on a tablecloth, and a Klondike uncle’s stories. I did enjoy that Marigold is a child absolutely
...more
Buddy read with @teereads and @the.snow.child - January 2019
I’ll always be an avid devotee of L. M. Montgomery. She has such a way of capturing the beauty of nature and the world (in all it’s wonder and simplicity). And as we discussed with our little buddy read group, she has a heroine for everyone. Although, Marigold was a bit more extreme with her daydreaming and make believe than I was as a child, I still found so much to relate to. I loved her enthusiasm for “int’resting” things, her wonder ...more
I’ll always be an avid devotee of L. M. Montgomery. She has such a way of capturing the beauty of nature and the world (in all it’s wonder and simplicity). And as we discussed with our little buddy read group, she has a heroine for everyone. Although, Marigold was a bit more extreme with her daydreaming and make believe than I was as a child, I still found so much to relate to. I loved her enthusiasm for “int’resting” things, her wonder ...more
Sep 12, 2008
Katri
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-literature,
l-m-montgomery
A charming book with a charming little heroine. Magic for Marigold is not as well known as L.M. Montgomery's more famous books, such as the Anne or Emily series. After reading it, I'm not even sure why it's not more popular than it is, because I found it quite enchanting. I suppose it's because the book is even more episodic than LMM's other work and so doesn't seem to have as much of a central driving force in the story; and also, the book ends when Marigold is in her early teens and so there's
...more
Mar 20, 2008
Vanessa
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anne and LM Montgomery fans, YA addicts
Shelves:
2008
I have been an L.M. Montgomery fan since she was the topic of my first-ever research paper in third grade. As a young girl I worshipped at the altars of Anne Shirley and Emily Byrd Star, so when I saw Magic for Marigold on the shelves of a used book shop, I had to pick it up. I have to admit, I was not carried away by this novel in quite the way I was by Montgomery's other works. Some of that might be age and disillusionment, but I think mostly it is the fault of our limited interaction with
...more
I can't say that this is one of L.M. Montgomery's best works (namely because of the ending) but it is definitely a solid read. Marigold is a girl with a big imagination, and this book has plenty of delightful adventures, like the day with the princess, or her trips to various relatives' houses and the like along with her dealing with her emotions (anger, fear, the like). It's hard to not like Marigold, she tries to be a good girl and she is so spirited that it makes for a irresistible
...more
I agree with most of the other reviews that this book certainly isn't Montgomery's best but it showcases what she does best which is descriptions of nature, and identifying the tiny everyday moments that matter so much to small children and we often as adults forget the significance of. It's not so much a narrative as a peek through the window into different moments in Marigold's life.
It is a place and time that is foreign to us and just that makes it enjoyable.
In a way I actually enjoyed not ...more
It is a place and time that is foreign to us and just that makes it enjoyable.
In a way I actually enjoyed not ...more
Sep 18, 2016
Rebecca
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favourite-authors-with-me,
2016-reads
I love Montgomery's heroines who are ordinary females who get angry, are jealous , make a mess of things and then get up from where they have fallen , flick off the mud and move forward with their heads up , They are always creatures who live in a dreamland and as I think most of us readers are so it is easy enough to identify with them. I loved Marigiold and her friends and enemies. Typical Montgomery.
Not my most favourite Montgomery book
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This book is so incredibly magical and charming.
I never read "Magic for Marigold" as a child (gasp! I know!) so when my friend Courtney agreed to read it with me over these last few weeks, I was delighted! You see, as a child, Courtney traveled all the way to PEI and when her parents asked her to pick out some LMM books to purchase... out of all the books she had to chose from, little Courtney chose "Magic for Marigold" which I find hilarious. However, after reflecting upon this, I realized ...more
I never read "Magic for Marigold" as a child (gasp! I know!) so when my friend Courtney agreed to read it with me over these last few weeks, I was delighted! You see, as a child, Courtney traveled all the way to PEI and when her parents asked her to pick out some LMM books to purchase... out of all the books she had to chose from, little Courtney chose "Magic for Marigold" which I find hilarious. However, after reflecting upon this, I realized ...more
I will admit that Magic for Marigold is not one of my favorite Montgomery novels. Marigold is a young girl growing up on Prince Edward Island, in a house with her widowed mother and her grandmother. Like all Montgomery heroines, Marigold is imaginative, making "magic" for herself from a variety of sources. The problem is that she's not much more than that -- she lacks the vitality of Anne, Emily, Valancy, or Jane of Lantern Hill. The book is episodic (based on a series of short stories
...more
2016 Reread: Thank goodness Elizabeth suggested me joining in on a reread (for her first time reading) of this title. As she aptly puts it, when you are reading Anne she takes you with her through her childhood but reading Marigold makes you feel you are watching from a distance. For this reason I don't think I loved it as much as a kid because of the nostalgic feel but now I appreciate it for its merits, especially knowing more about what was going on in LMM's life at the time of her writing.
...more
This was a different Montgomery book in that the heroine was so young and did not get into the scrapes that I was used to reading about. I don't remember too much and may have to re-read this one. But I do remember thinking it was sweet.
Lovely little stories, but no overall plot, and I didn’t like the end at all. 3.5 stars
Feb 05, 2019
Melinda
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Melinda by:
Leah
Shelves:
canada,
children-s
Marigold's story has its charm, but she's not a protagonist like Emily or Anne. I did like the description of a "clover-scented kitten."
Montgomery is magic!
Marigold is an odd little book in that it's really just a collection of events that happen to a girl from about 6-12 years old. She doesn't have quite the charm or enthrallment as Anne of Green Gables. However, the real magic is the way Montgomery can instantly take the reader back to their own childhood and make it almost as real as being there. I have yet to read another author who so eloquently and beautifully describes the feelings, thoughts and imaginations of childhood ...more
Marigold is an odd little book in that it's really just a collection of events that happen to a girl from about 6-12 years old. She doesn't have quite the charm or enthrallment as Anne of Green Gables. However, the real magic is the way Montgomery can instantly take the reader back to their own childhood and make it almost as real as being there. I have yet to read another author who so eloquently and beautifully describes the feelings, thoughts and imaginations of childhood ...more
A wonderfully typical L. M. Montgomery book! Full of purring waves, int'resting people, delightful names, cats, and plates of hop-and-go-fetch-its (which is a type of cookie as far as I could tell). No author makes me laugh out loud like she does :)
Uncle Klondike was the cherry on top, though he wouldn't appreciate the comparison...
Uncle Klondike was the cherry on top, though he wouldn't appreciate the comparison...
I read most of LMM's other novels a long time ago, and especially enjoyed the Anne and Emily series. This book I found less satisfying and it rather coloured my view of the others. LMM has repeated a lot of the themes found in her other works: the imaginary friends, the kind aunts who make up in some measure for other deeply unpleasant adult relatives, and the relationships with people of different levels of education and social standing in the community. Even some of the characters' names are
...more
Synopsis:
Magic for Marigold was written by L.M. Montgomery and published in 1929. The novel follows a young girl named Marigold through her magical and imaginative childhood.
Storyline:
As you may be able to guess from that super short synopsis, not a lot happens in Magic for Marigold. There wasn’t really a plot to follow as the novel is made up of little episodes from Marigold’s childhood. Some people may not like this aspect of the novel, but I did. The episodes and glimpses of Marigold’s ...more
Magic for Marigold was written by L.M. Montgomery and published in 1929. The novel follows a young girl named Marigold through her magical and imaginative childhood.
Storyline:
As you may be able to guess from that super short synopsis, not a lot happens in Magic for Marigold. There wasn’t really a plot to follow as the novel is made up of little episodes from Marigold’s childhood. Some people may not like this aspect of the novel, but I did. The episodes and glimpses of Marigold’s ...more
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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
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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“The stars twinkled through the fir-trees and right and left the harbour range-lights shone like great earth stars. Presently a moon rose and there was a sparkling trail over the harbour like a lady's silken dress.”
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“Once upon a time--which, when you come to think of it, is really
the only proper way to begin a story--the only way that really
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the only proper way to begin a story--the only way that really
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