The L.M. Montgomery Reader, Volume 1: A Life in Print

by Benjamin Lefebvre (Editor), L.M. Montgomery

An exciting new collection, The L.M. Montgomery Reader assembles significant rediscovered primary materials on one of Canada's most enduringly popular authors throughout her high-profile career as the author of the resoundingly successful Anne of Green Gables (1908) and after her death.

Genres: Biography

465 pages, Unknown Binding

First published October 31, 2013

About the author

Benjamin Lefebvre is the author of the novel In the Key of Dale (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022) and the non-fiction work The Glory and the Dream: L.M. Montgomery’s Writing Life (Dundurn Press, 2026). His edited books include the three-volume critical anthology The L.M. Montgomery Reader (UTP, 2013–15), which won the 2016 PROSE Award for Literature from the Association of American Publishers, and an edition of L.M. Montgomery's rediscovered final book, The Blythes Are Quoted (Penguin Canada, 2009), which has since appeared in Polish, Finnish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, and Italian and which was republished as part of Penguin Canada Modern Classics in July 2018.
He is also editor of The L.M. Montgomery Library, a series of books that collect Montgomery's extensive publications in the areas of short fiction, poetry, and miscellaneous pieces. A Name for Herself: Selected Writings, 1891–1917, A World of Songs: Selected Poems, 1894–1921, Twice upon a Time: Selected Stories, 1898–1939, and Schooled with Briars: Collected Serials, 1903–1913 are already available, and several more volumes are in progress.

Reviews

[J.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

_L.M. Mongtomery Reader_ offers admirers of Anne Shirley not only a wonderful glimpse into the life and character of the brilliant author, but also a peek at life in Canadian provinces at the beginning of the twentieth century, and the world of publishing and movie adaptations at that time. Benjamin Lefebvre's introduction, as well as the introductory paragraphs and the notes accompanying each article are invaluable in better understanding the collection. A pleasure to read! I'll definitely be looking forward to volume two.https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...#

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is a great read for any fan of L.M. Montgomery. It is a fantastic supplement to the Journals, providing a fascinating look at how Montgomery wanted to be viewed by the public during her lifetime. The interviews dug up by Benjamin Lefebvre are interesting to read, not only to see how Montgomery hoped to be perceived but also to get a glimpse of what her home life was like from the perspective of outsiders, as well as to better understand her writing process, which is written about in great detail in her own words in several of the selections. However, my absolute favorite part of this book was “Seasons in the Woods,” a series of essays by Montgomery, in which she describes a solitary rambler’s reflections on the woods during each season of the year. The book was well worth a read for this beautiful chapter alone. I have read it several times and pestered my family and friends by reading particularly wonderful sections, that I simply could not keep to myself, aloud to them. Lefebvre did a great job annotating, especially in this chapter where he pointed out each passage that Montgomery would later reuse in her novels. I had noticed some of these passages recurring in her novels and I wondered if there was a story behind that, so I really loved finally being able to see where they originally came from, thanks to Lefebvre’s extensive research. The only complaint I have about The L.M. Montgomery Reader Volume One: A Life in Print is Lefebvre’s decision to include all the footnotes at the end of each chapter. For longer chapters, this made for a lot of flipping back and forth between the text and the footnotes, which was a little annoying. I much prefer the format of having footnotes at the bottom of the page they appear on, but that is just my opinion. Overall, I am super glad I picked up my (signed!!) copy when I traveled to Prince Edward Island last summer.

[Ariana Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mother read most of Montgomery's books when she was young, and saved them to share with my siblings and I, then passed them along to my daughters. The books are now awaiting my granddaughter's becoming old enough to enjoy them.

As you can see, I come from a family of fans, so I was intrigued by the opportunity to review this title. The collection of essays and interviews give us a depth of knowledge of Ms. Montgomery far beyond the typical biography.

If you enjoy biographies in general, this book will satisfy you, and Montgomery fans will enjoy finally getting to know the woman behind the pen.

*Book provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Rima · Rating 4 out of 5]

The articles that are written by LMM herself are excellent, particularly "The Way to Make A Book", the "'Teen-Age Girl", "The Importance of Beauty in Everything".

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following on from the first volume examining L M Montgomery’s work and critical acclaim, this second volume looks at her critical reception since her death in 1942. In a series of 20 articles from a variety of publications, the book examines in some detail how she has been viewed in the critical press, and how her reputation has continued to grow. Both volumes are aimed primarily at those already interested in her work, and those interested in Canadian literature overall, but also offer much for the general reader who would like to know more about this ever popular author.