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Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery
L.M.Montgomery grew up in Prince Edward Island, a real place of "politics and potatoes." But it's her fictional island, a richly textured imaginative landscape that has captivated a world of readers since 1908, when Anne of Green Gables became the first of Montgomery's long string of bestsellers.
In this wide-ranging and highly readable book, Elizabeth Waterston uses the term "magic" to suggest that peculiar, indefinable combination of attributes that unpredictably results in creative genius. Montgomery's intelligence, her drive, and her sense of humour are essential components of this success. Waterston also features what Montgomery called her "dream life," a "strange inner life of fancy which had always existed side by side with my outer life." This special ability to look beyond the veil, to access vibrant inner vistas, produced deceptively layered fictions out of a life that saw not just its share of both fame and ill fortune, but also what Waterston calls "dark passions."
A true reader's guide, Magic Island explores the world of L.M. Montgomery in a way never done before. Each chapter of Magic Island discusses a different Montgomery book, following their progression chronologically. Waterston draws parallels between Montgomery's internal "island," her personal life, her professional career, and the characters in her novels. Designed to be read alongside the new biography of Montgomery by Mary Rubio, this is the first book to reinterpret Montgomery's writing in light of important new information about her life. A must-read for any Montgomery fan, Magic Island offers a fresh and insightful look at the world of L.M. Montgomery and the "magic" of artistic creation.
In this wide-ranging and highly readable book, Elizabeth Waterston uses the term "magic" to suggest that peculiar, indefinable combination of attributes that unpredictably results in creative genius. Montgomery's intelligence, her drive, and her sense of humour are essential components of this success. Waterston also features what Montgomery called her "dream life," a "strange inner life of fancy which had always existed side by side with my outer life." This special ability to look beyond the veil, to access vibrant inner vistas, produced deceptively layered fictions out of a life that saw not just its share of both fame and ill fortune, but also what Waterston calls "dark passions."
A true reader's guide, Magic Island explores the world of L.M. Montgomery in a way never done before. Each chapter of Magic Island discusses a different Montgomery book, following their progression chronologically. Waterston draws parallels between Montgomery's internal "island," her personal life, her professional career, and the characters in her novels. Designed to be read alongside the new biography of Montgomery by Mary Rubio, this is the first book to reinterpret Montgomery's writing in light of important new information about her life. A must-read for any Montgomery fan, Magic Island offers a fresh and insightful look at the world of L.M. Montgomery and the "magic" of artistic creation.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2009
About the author
Elizabeth Hillman Waterston
23 books4 followersElizabeth Hillman Waterston was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2019. She is also a Member of the Order of Ontario and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She received these honors for her pioneering work in the fields of Canadian, children’s, women’s, and historical Canadian travel literature. These awards also recognized her far-reaching mentorship of fellow writers. She taught at the universities of Concordia and Western before moving to the University of Guelph where she is now Professor Emerita.
Dr. Waterston fuses scholarly analysis with her personal memories as student, teacher, and inveterate reader and writer in her recent non-fiction: Blitzkrieg and Jitterbugs, Rapt in Plaid: Canadian Literature and Scottish Tradition, and Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery.
Dr. Waterston fuses scholarly analysis with her personal memories as student, teacher, and inveterate reader and writer in her recent non-fiction: Blitzkrieg and Jitterbugs, Rapt in Plaid: Canadian Literature and Scottish Tradition, and Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 18, 2020
So if the entire truth is to be told, while I certainly and most definitely had been very much looking forward to reading Elizabeth Hillman Waterston's Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery, I also tend to find that this book really does leave me majorly conflicted with regard of how I should ultimately be ranking Waterston's text, what her interpretations and analyses should be considered with regard to both my personal reading pleasure and my attitudes towards both L.M. Montgomery as an author and towards Elizabeth Hillman Waterston as her or rather as one of L.M. Montgomery's literary interpreters.
For yes, I do indeed and fully realise that Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery is appreciatively wide-ranging (in so far that Elizabeth Hillman Waterston analyses and interprets ALL of L.M. Montgomery's novels and both Chronicles of Avonlea and Further Chronicles of Avonlea, unlike rather too many both recent and not so recent literary criticism books on L.M. Montgomery that basically and usually concentrate much too heavily on the Anne of Green Gables and sometimes on the Emily of New Moon series). And yes, I also have very delightfully enjoyed how in Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery, Waterston tries to find and to present to us readers that which has made L.M. Montgomery so successfully click for many of us and indeed, often to the point of her, of L.M. Montgomery being declared a personal and sometimes even the favourite classic Canadian children's author, and indeed, that this quality is generally the successful combination in L.M. Montgomery's prose of realism and of a dream-like fantasy world, all imbued with and graced by delicious wit and irony and sometimes even laugh-out-loud funny instances of humour, a multi-faceted and multilayered reading experience that I have both loved and appreciated ever since I read my first L.M. Montgomery novels, ever since I read Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon as a teenager.
But conversely, I have always and even with me considering L.M. Montgomery a favourite author NEVER ONCE thought or considered that either L.M. Montgomery's prose or even L.M. Montgomery as a person should be deemed as perfection and as beyond any and all criticism (and there certainly are thus also quite a number of L.M. Montgomery novels I which indeed have ranked with two and sometimes even with one star, with many of my issues regarding these specific stories being textual and in my opinion generally even authorially supported and condoned instances of racial and cultural intolerance and bigotry and as prime examples, I will list two of my least favourite L.M. Montgomery novels, Rilla of Ingleside and Kilmeny of the Orchard). And sadly, with Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery, while I have indeed generally enjoyed how Elizabeth Hillman Waterston demonstrates L.M. Montgomery being able to create with her writing and with her writing style such wonderful reading magic, I do admit that it really does bother me both emotionally and academically, intellectually that in Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery Waterston really never once seems to even consider the blatant and often consistent anti French Canadian and anti First Nations sentiments often inhabiting the pages of Montgomery's fiction and yes, that neither the viciously vile anti-German hatred of Blythe Family housekeeper Susan Baker in Rilla of Ingleside or the horrid attitude in Kilmeny of the Orchard that main antagonist Neil Gordon must due to his Italian birth automatically be a dangerous and problematic individual simply due his ethnicity and his "bad blood" are ever even cursively touched upon by Elizabeth Hillman Waterston in her text, in Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery.
And sorry, for a literary criticism book published in 2009, this lack and omission, they are in my opinion rather unacceptable, which is why, and with careful thought, I am indeed now only able rank Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery with two stars (because I absolutely cannot consider it even remotely acceptable that Elizabeth Waterston really seems to be wearing proverbially rose coloured glasses with regard to L.M. Montgomery's fiction also containing and indeed rather often so cultural and ethnic stereotypes and some real and very uncomfortable scenarios of deeply-held hatreds and bigotries).
For yes, I do indeed and fully realise that Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery is appreciatively wide-ranging (in so far that Elizabeth Hillman Waterston analyses and interprets ALL of L.M. Montgomery's novels and both Chronicles of Avonlea and Further Chronicles of Avonlea, unlike rather too many both recent and not so recent literary criticism books on L.M. Montgomery that basically and usually concentrate much too heavily on the Anne of Green Gables and sometimes on the Emily of New Moon series). And yes, I also have very delightfully enjoyed how in Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery, Waterston tries to find and to present to us readers that which has made L.M. Montgomery so successfully click for many of us and indeed, often to the point of her, of L.M. Montgomery being declared a personal and sometimes even the favourite classic Canadian children's author, and indeed, that this quality is generally the successful combination in L.M. Montgomery's prose of realism and of a dream-like fantasy world, all imbued with and graced by delicious wit and irony and sometimes even laugh-out-loud funny instances of humour, a multi-faceted and multilayered reading experience that I have both loved and appreciated ever since I read my first L.M. Montgomery novels, ever since I read Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon as a teenager.
But conversely, I have always and even with me considering L.M. Montgomery a favourite author NEVER ONCE thought or considered that either L.M. Montgomery's prose or even L.M. Montgomery as a person should be deemed as perfection and as beyond any and all criticism (and there certainly are thus also quite a number of L.M. Montgomery novels I which indeed have ranked with two and sometimes even with one star, with many of my issues regarding these specific stories being textual and in my opinion generally even authorially supported and condoned instances of racial and cultural intolerance and bigotry and as prime examples, I will list two of my least favourite L.M. Montgomery novels, Rilla of Ingleside and Kilmeny of the Orchard). And sadly, with Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery, while I have indeed generally enjoyed how Elizabeth Hillman Waterston demonstrates L.M. Montgomery being able to create with her writing and with her writing style such wonderful reading magic, I do admit that it really does bother me both emotionally and academically, intellectually that in Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery Waterston really never once seems to even consider the blatant and often consistent anti French Canadian and anti First Nations sentiments often inhabiting the pages of Montgomery's fiction and yes, that neither the viciously vile anti-German hatred of Blythe Family housekeeper Susan Baker in Rilla of Ingleside or the horrid attitude in Kilmeny of the Orchard that main antagonist Neil Gordon must due to his Italian birth automatically be a dangerous and problematic individual simply due his ethnicity and his "bad blood" are ever even cursively touched upon by Elizabeth Hillman Waterston in her text, in Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery.
And sorry, for a literary criticism book published in 2009, this lack and omission, they are in my opinion rather unacceptable, which is why, and with careful thought, I am indeed now only able rank Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery with two stars (because I absolutely cannot consider it even remotely acceptable that Elizabeth Waterston really seems to be wearing proverbially rose coloured glasses with regard to L.M. Montgomery's fiction also containing and indeed rather often so cultural and ethnic stereotypes and some real and very uncomfortable scenarios of deeply-held hatreds and bigotries).
January 20, 2022
As a diehard Montgomery fan, I enjoyed this very much. However, I would not recommend it if you haven’t read most/all of her books. And it is also helpful if you have some knowledge of her personal life story.
June 5, 2010
I felt like this was a little thin. Ultimately each book only got 4-5 pages of analysis and some of the analysis wasn't particularly interesting. Not to mention, there were a few factual mistakes that bugged. But I especially disliked how nearly the entire section on Emily Climbs, which to me is one of Montgomery's most intriguing books, was devoted to a farfetched explication of character names. "Ince" is an anagram for "nice"? That's all there is to say?? Kind of a disappointment.
February 10, 2011
Exerpted from my review of: Magic Island and The Gift of Wings, Elizabeth Waterston and Mary Rubio. (Dual Book Review). Children’s Literature 38 (Spring 2010): 254-259.
"Elizabeth Waterston’s Magic Island was conceived as the first critical study to reinterpret Montgomery’s writing in light of Rubio’s important discoveries about Montgomery’s life, such as “details about her law cases, her difficulties with literary critics, the nature of her husband’s mental problems, and the effects of her own pharmaceutical regime” (Waterston 7). Waterston relies on these new revelations about “self-censored events and feelings, though unauthorized by Montgomery and omitted from her journals” in order to “ illuminate some half-hidden themes in the novels” (7). Thus, Waterston’s book has many interesting intersections with Rubio’s biography
Waterston describes herself as setting out “to re-examine the novels with every insight offered by contemporary understanding of her life. Each chapter focuses on one of her creations, in the light of new reflections on her experience, her times, her reading, and her professional intentions. The Montgomery fictions, beside their obvious appeal, illustrate the devious paths of the creative mind” (7). In other words, Magic Island tackles the daunting task of synthesizing and condensing Montgomery’s biography, roughly forty years of scholarship on her fiction, and over a century’s worth of developments in medical, legal, and psychological studies. The scope of the book is staggering—not only in its approach, but in the subjects it includes. It covers the whole sequence of Montgomery’s novels, from Anne of Green Gables in 1908 to Anne of Ingleside in 1938. Waterston analyzes twenty two books—twenty novels and two collections of short fiction. Magic Island is an excellent tool for orienting academic readers new to Montgomery criticism; however, it may also appeal to a general or popular audience, as Waterston consistently encourages appreciation of Montgomery’s achievements. She writes, “Montgomery’s work survives all interpretations” (8)—no amount of analysis can destroy the great reading pleasure her novels offer.
At moments, Magic Island succumbs to the temptation of offering too-extensive plot summaries of the novels; yet these can be useful for readers who may be familiar with Montgomery’s Anne and Emily series, but not with Kilmeny of the Orchard (1910), The Blue Castle (1926), or Magic for Marigold (1929). Although the lesser-known titles may not represent the best of the Montgomery catalogue, the chapters devoted to them give Waterston an opportunity to contribute her most compelling and original readings. Her unpacking of one of Montgomery’s “adult novels,” A Tangled Web (1931), is particularly fine in integrating narrative details with new biographical information about Montgomery. Waterston demonstrates how this forgotten novel, which centers on numerous characters’ struggles for possession of a beloved family heirloom jug, originates in different threads from the “tangled web” of Montgomery’s own life: she finds the source of the comedy in the old “Woolner jug” that Montgomery inherited from her grandmother, while the story’s darker tones of thievery and malice come from the “entry of criminality into Montgomery’s consciousness,” as she sat in a Toronto courtroom with her friend and cousin, Mary Campbell, whose son was in trouble with the law (167).
An attractive feature of both Magic Island and Lucy Maud Montgomery is the respective volumes’ use of visual material. The latter tells its story through text and image alike and contains previously unreproduced photographs, including many of Montgomery, who fashioned an identity for herself in terms of appearance, as well as in her journals. Rubio also includes photographs of individuals important in Montgomery’s life--family members, friends, and maids--alongside snapshots of travel destinations and of the author’s houses, which seems fitting for a writer whose work relies so much on landscape. Waterston, too, relies on illustrations. Each chapter of Magic Island begins with an image related to the book under discussion, such as a photograph of the front cover of the first edition or a still from a film adaptation. It proves fascinating to chart the depictions of Montgomery’s heroines, as they transition from “Gibson Girls,” to art nouveau sirens, to 1970s “earth mothers.” Since Montgomery’s novels have enduring appeal and have never been out of print, the changing marketing strategies for new generations of audiences prove compelling. It is a shame, though, that the images are only black-and-white, not in color."
"Elizabeth Waterston’s Magic Island was conceived as the first critical study to reinterpret Montgomery’s writing in light of Rubio’s important discoveries about Montgomery’s life, such as “details about her law cases, her difficulties with literary critics, the nature of her husband’s mental problems, and the effects of her own pharmaceutical regime” (Waterston 7). Waterston relies on these new revelations about “self-censored events and feelings, though unauthorized by Montgomery and omitted from her journals” in order to “ illuminate some half-hidden themes in the novels” (7). Thus, Waterston’s book has many interesting intersections with Rubio’s biography
Waterston describes herself as setting out “to re-examine the novels with every insight offered by contemporary understanding of her life. Each chapter focuses on one of her creations, in the light of new reflections on her experience, her times, her reading, and her professional intentions. The Montgomery fictions, beside their obvious appeal, illustrate the devious paths of the creative mind” (7). In other words, Magic Island tackles the daunting task of synthesizing and condensing Montgomery’s biography, roughly forty years of scholarship on her fiction, and over a century’s worth of developments in medical, legal, and psychological studies. The scope of the book is staggering—not only in its approach, but in the subjects it includes. It covers the whole sequence of Montgomery’s novels, from Anne of Green Gables in 1908 to Anne of Ingleside in 1938. Waterston analyzes twenty two books—twenty novels and two collections of short fiction. Magic Island is an excellent tool for orienting academic readers new to Montgomery criticism; however, it may also appeal to a general or popular audience, as Waterston consistently encourages appreciation of Montgomery’s achievements. She writes, “Montgomery’s work survives all interpretations” (8)—no amount of analysis can destroy the great reading pleasure her novels offer.
At moments, Magic Island succumbs to the temptation of offering too-extensive plot summaries of the novels; yet these can be useful for readers who may be familiar with Montgomery’s Anne and Emily series, but not with Kilmeny of the Orchard (1910), The Blue Castle (1926), or Magic for Marigold (1929). Although the lesser-known titles may not represent the best of the Montgomery catalogue, the chapters devoted to them give Waterston an opportunity to contribute her most compelling and original readings. Her unpacking of one of Montgomery’s “adult novels,” A Tangled Web (1931), is particularly fine in integrating narrative details with new biographical information about Montgomery. Waterston demonstrates how this forgotten novel, which centers on numerous characters’ struggles for possession of a beloved family heirloom jug, originates in different threads from the “tangled web” of Montgomery’s own life: she finds the source of the comedy in the old “Woolner jug” that Montgomery inherited from her grandmother, while the story’s darker tones of thievery and malice come from the “entry of criminality into Montgomery’s consciousness,” as she sat in a Toronto courtroom with her friend and cousin, Mary Campbell, whose son was in trouble with the law (167).
An attractive feature of both Magic Island and Lucy Maud Montgomery is the respective volumes’ use of visual material. The latter tells its story through text and image alike and contains previously unreproduced photographs, including many of Montgomery, who fashioned an identity for herself in terms of appearance, as well as in her journals. Rubio also includes photographs of individuals important in Montgomery’s life--family members, friends, and maids--alongside snapshots of travel destinations and of the author’s houses, which seems fitting for a writer whose work relies so much on landscape. Waterston, too, relies on illustrations. Each chapter of Magic Island begins with an image related to the book under discussion, such as a photograph of the front cover of the first edition or a still from a film adaptation. It proves fascinating to chart the depictions of Montgomery’s heroines, as they transition from “Gibson Girls,” to art nouveau sirens, to 1970s “earth mothers.” Since Montgomery’s novels have enduring appeal and have never been out of print, the changing marketing strategies for new generations of audiences prove compelling. It is a shame, though, that the images are only black-and-white, not in color."
October 10, 2016
Hmmm...I have mixed feelings about this book. It's set up with a chapter for each novel that L.M. Montgomery wrote, in their original publication order. With that in mind, I do think you'll enjoy it more if you're familiar with all (or most) of Montgomery's novels, as opposed to just Anne of Green Gables like many people are.
What I liked about the book:
1. The structure. I've always known that two of the eight Anne books were written at a much later date, but it was interesting to get more details behind that decision, and to see how the various novels came together at the different times they did.
2. I enjoyed reading about how Montgomery's life intersected her novels. I had a basic knowledge of her life story, but this helped fill in the blanks, and drew some interesting comparisons between her life and her novels.
What I didn't like about the book:
1. Some of the above mentioned comparisons were quite a stretch. I mean, I get it, the woman's not alive to ask, so you have to make educated guesses. But sometimes it felt like every little detail for her novels was brought out for inspection and shoehorned into some corresponding event from her life. It just felt forced.
2. Along those same lines was the author's obsession with names. Some of them I could understand. The author highlighted how Montgomery often used the names of friends and acquaintances in her novels. But then there was her theory that Di-an-a and Mary Va-an-ce both have Anne's name hidden inside of their own names and that's super significant. Or her theory that Emily (from Emily of New Moon et al), when shortened, becomes Em, which stands for "M", as in Montgomery's initials M. M. (Maud Montgomery). Or her comment about how much the name Ann Cyrilla (a minor character in the Emily books) sounds like Anne Shirley. Really? And that's significant why?
Overall, it was an enjoyable read, especially for an L.M. Montgomery aficionado like myself. But the author was just a little too "everything means something" for me to give it more than 3 stars.
What I liked about the book:
1. The structure. I've always known that two of the eight Anne books were written at a much later date, but it was interesting to get more details behind that decision, and to see how the various novels came together at the different times they did.
2. I enjoyed reading about how Montgomery's life intersected her novels. I had a basic knowledge of her life story, but this helped fill in the blanks, and drew some interesting comparisons between her life and her novels.
What I didn't like about the book:
1. Some of the above mentioned comparisons were quite a stretch. I mean, I get it, the woman's not alive to ask, so you have to make educated guesses. But sometimes it felt like every little detail for her novels was brought out for inspection and shoehorned into some corresponding event from her life. It just felt forced.
2. Along those same lines was the author's obsession with names. Some of them I could understand. The author highlighted how Montgomery often used the names of friends and acquaintances in her novels. But then there was her theory that Di-an-a and Mary Va-an-ce both have Anne's name hidden inside of their own names and that's super significant. Or her theory that Emily (from Emily of New Moon et al), when shortened, becomes Em, which stands for "M", as in Montgomery's initials M. M. (Maud Montgomery). Or her comment about how much the name Ann Cyrilla (a minor character in the Emily books) sounds like Anne Shirley. Really? And that's significant why?
Overall, it was an enjoyable read, especially for an L.M. Montgomery aficionado like myself. But the author was just a little too "everything means something" for me to give it more than 3 stars.
June 17, 2013
This book is more like a companion reader to L.M. Montgomery's works, with interesting anecdotal info about each book she wrote. I would say this book is not for those who only love "Anne of Green Gables"--you would have to be a true fan of all her works to really get the most out of this book.
April 30, 2015
I was so excited to read this book because I thought it would be a biography of Lucy Maud Montgomery as compared to the books she wrote...i.e., what was going on in her life when she wrote the first "Anne," and so on.
Well, it sort of was...and sort of wasn't. A few events from her life were mentioned. But not very many life events per chapter, and some of them were really confusing with mixed-up dates and times. And the language used to talk about/de-construct/analyze Maud and her books was so high-blown and "literary criticism"-like that it made it hard to read, and not very enjoyable. I also didn't like some of the very thin inferences and conclusions the author drew, in assuming such-and-such event in the book was based on a certain person or thing in Maud's life.
Also, there were some very basic mistakes that drove me crazy. The people writing these types of books are experts on Maud and her work, supposedly, and yet there are mistakes like "Davy and Daisy" on page 27 (when talking about the twins Marilla adopted, Davy and DORA). In the chapter on "Magic for Marigold," page 159, the author states that the final chapter in "Marigold" had Marigold's friend Budge betray Marigold's trust by telling Marigold's "Sylvia" secret to his friend Tad...when that in fact NEVER HAPPENED. Marigold even makes a point of asking Budge if he had told Tad her secret, and Budge replies:
"Of course not. That's YOUR secret."--Budge
Since I had just barely finished reading "Magic for Marigold," I was sure that had not happened and grabbed the book to look it up. I don't understand why something basic like this that is totally opposite of what happened in the book--and contrary to the author of "Magic Island's" point--could be such a mistake.
Don't get me wrong, I am glad this book was written. I absolutely love reading about my favorite authors and their lives and the lovely works they've created. But it was not an easy read, and at most points through this book I felt like it was a struggle to finish it.
Well, it sort of was...and sort of wasn't. A few events from her life were mentioned. But not very many life events per chapter, and some of them were really confusing with mixed-up dates and times. And the language used to talk about/de-construct/analyze Maud and her books was so high-blown and "literary criticism"-like that it made it hard to read, and not very enjoyable. I also didn't like some of the very thin inferences and conclusions the author drew, in assuming such-and-such event in the book was based on a certain person or thing in Maud's life.
Also, there were some very basic mistakes that drove me crazy. The people writing these types of books are experts on Maud and her work, supposedly, and yet there are mistakes like "Davy and Daisy" on page 27 (when talking about the twins Marilla adopted, Davy and DORA). In the chapter on "Magic for Marigold," page 159, the author states that the final chapter in "Marigold" had Marigold's friend Budge betray Marigold's trust by telling Marigold's "Sylvia" secret to his friend Tad...when that in fact NEVER HAPPENED. Marigold even makes a point of asking Budge if he had told Tad her secret, and Budge replies:
"Of course not. That's YOUR secret."--Budge
Since I had just barely finished reading "Magic for Marigold," I was sure that had not happened and grabbed the book to look it up. I don't understand why something basic like this that is totally opposite of what happened in the book--and contrary to the author of "Magic Island's" point--could be such a mistake.
Don't get me wrong, I am glad this book was written. I absolutely love reading about my favorite authors and their lives and the lovely works they've created. But it was not an easy read, and at most points through this book I felt like it was a struggle to finish it.
January 17, 2019
Well, this was kinda interesting but not super compelling. It went through each of Montgomery's books in chronological order and tied them to events in her life but it seemed like you really needed to have read the book The Gift Of Wings which was a biography of Montgomery to get it. I didn't realize this was a companion book and I felt like I was missing the bigger conversation this is taking place next to. I didn't necessarily agree with some of the author's conclusions (I happen to love Rilla of Ingleside) and I felt like she left out some glaring areas of criticism (not addressing the BLATANT racism at the end of Tangled Web??? Not even to put it in historical context? or the racism towards French Canadians throughout the books?). It felt a little like individual college papers instead of a cohesive book. It did give me some new insights though into some favorite books and made me want to reread some of the neglected Montgomery works in my collection (maybe this will give me a better appreciation of Emily or Pat of Silver Bush?). Still, if you're not a hard core LMM fan though, you should probably skip it, it won't make you love the books and it definitely assumes you know what happens in each book.
January 18, 2019
This was a fine tour of L. M. Montgomery's work, but it didn't always appreciate it's scope. Waterston worked through all the main themes, but there were depths she couldn't reach given the format. I do wish she had spent less time speculating on the subconscious significance of names to think more deeply about what actually happens in each book. Even more, I would have loved if she had talked about how the books were received in more than passing references.
November 12, 2009
This really is a reader's guide, and a good one. Each chapter discusses a different Montgomery book - all of them, instead of just the well-known ones, and goes chronologically. Waterston (a well-known LMM scholar) shows the connections between Montgomery's internal "island," her personal life, her professional career, and the characters in her novels.
September 29, 2023
I went into this book really hoping for some thoughtful insight on LMM's books. I just finished reading Rubio's extensive biography (The Gift of Wings) and was looking forward to this book, concentrating on each of LMM's books as they fit into her life timeline. However, far too much of this text was spent extrapolating at a level that just felt ridiculous (things like Mary Vance's name is Mary V-AN-ce... so she must be a flip side of AN-ne's character... Anne represents LMM... so Mary Vance represents a "dark side" of LMM's personality. I just... what?!) Waterston especially gets hung up on character names all having secret meanings because they are similar to or sound like someone's name in LMM's real life.
Thankfully, I did not read this alone!! A friend and I buddy read this together, a chapter a day, and discussed each chapter as we went along, and that was fantastic. We disagreed with Waterston's interpretations of so many things, mainly because Waterston loved to go completely off the rails with statements not remotely supported by the text. (For instance, a strange insistence that Emily gave up her own writing when she married Teddy, allowing his "successful artistic career" to "subsume" her own. I don't think this is remotely supported by the conclusion of the Emily trilogy. LMM's own life proves that it was definitely possible for a woman to continue both her home duties and a successful writing career. The entire point of the Emily books is that Emily literally HAS to write - times in her life when she is unable to do so are times of horrific depression and struggle. I find it virtually impossible to believe that she would stop writing just because she was also getting married, but Waterston brings this up multiple times throughout her book as a statement of fact.)
There were little snippets of insight that I found interesting. I found this book most interesting when Waterston actually focused on the construction of the novels. (For instance, talking about how House of Dreams is set in a town called Four Winds, and focuses on four different characters in four different houses.) This type of thing was actually more what I was hoping to find - a discussion of LMM's craft and skill. But unfortunately Waterston was too busy finding names that have the letters "an" in them to focus much on the things that interested me.
Not a complete waste of a read... but mostly because of the fantastic discussions my friend and I had as we shared our own love for LMM's characters and writing.
Thankfully, I did not read this alone!! A friend and I buddy read this together, a chapter a day, and discussed each chapter as we went along, and that was fantastic. We disagreed with Waterston's interpretations of so many things, mainly because Waterston loved to go completely off the rails with statements not remotely supported by the text. (For instance, a strange insistence that Emily gave up her own writing when she married Teddy, allowing his "successful artistic career" to "subsume" her own. I don't think this is remotely supported by the conclusion of the Emily trilogy. LMM's own life proves that it was definitely possible for a woman to continue both her home duties and a successful writing career. The entire point of the Emily books is that Emily literally HAS to write - times in her life when she is unable to do so are times of horrific depression and struggle. I find it virtually impossible to believe that she would stop writing just because she was also getting married, but Waterston brings this up multiple times throughout her book as a statement of fact.)
There were little snippets of insight that I found interesting. I found this book most interesting when Waterston actually focused on the construction of the novels. (For instance, talking about how House of Dreams is set in a town called Four Winds, and focuses on four different characters in four different houses.) This type of thing was actually more what I was hoping to find - a discussion of LMM's craft and skill. But unfortunately Waterston was too busy finding names that have the letters "an" in them to focus much on the things that interested me.
Not a complete waste of a read... but mostly because of the fantastic discussions my friend and I had as we shared our own love for LMM's characters and writing.
September 27, 2023
I was so excited to read a book that examined each of L.M. Montgomery's books in turn, in publication order, reading with an eye for literary analysis as well as biographical details. She relies heavily on that biographical lens, connecting each narrative or its writing with events in Montgomery's life. Overall, I really didn't connect with Waterston's analysis, and this book was largely disappointing for me.
There are some interesting observations on structure within a couple of Montgomery's novels, and some of the biographical connections were fitting and illuminating. Waterston’s stated goal was to look at Montgomery’s life alongside her fiction, which is valid, but unfortunately, I thought most of the biographical connections were a HUGE stretch or were carried way too far. Certainly Montgomery drew from her own experiences and many parallels to her life can be found in her work. But not everything MEANS something. I don't agree that every negative character is a self-portrait of Montgomery's darker side, or that just because a character's name sounds like some other character in Montgomery's work or elsewhere in literature that there is necessarily a connection. So much of what I love about Montgomery’s books is found in their humor, beauty, and joy, and Waterston seemed to miss all of that. I debated (a little) about my rating, because there is some great scholarship here. I just disagreed with basically all her conclusions--some of which were completely unfounded, either based on speculation or unfounded assumptions/projections onto the text.
What WAS a delight was discussing this daily (in a chapter-a-day format) through a buddy read with one Litsy-friend. In I Capture the Castle, Cassandra exclaims: “Oh, it is amicable being with someone who knows the poems you know!” Well, it was amicable chatting with someone who hated the passages I hated! I thoroughly enjoyed our lively discussions in spite of not thoroughly enjoying the book.
There are some interesting observations on structure within a couple of Montgomery's novels, and some of the biographical connections were fitting and illuminating. Waterston’s stated goal was to look at Montgomery’s life alongside her fiction, which is valid, but unfortunately, I thought most of the biographical connections were a HUGE stretch or were carried way too far. Certainly Montgomery drew from her own experiences and many parallels to her life can be found in her work. But not everything MEANS something. I don't agree that every negative character is a self-portrait of Montgomery's darker side, or that just because a character's name sounds like some other character in Montgomery's work or elsewhere in literature that there is necessarily a connection. So much of what I love about Montgomery’s books is found in their humor, beauty, and joy, and Waterston seemed to miss all of that. I debated (a little) about my rating, because there is some great scholarship here. I just disagreed with basically all her conclusions--some of which were completely unfounded, either based on speculation or unfounded assumptions/projections onto the text.
What WAS a delight was discussing this daily (in a chapter-a-day format) through a buddy read with one Litsy-friend. In I Capture the Castle, Cassandra exclaims: “Oh, it is amicable being with someone who knows the poems you know!” Well, it was amicable chatting with someone who hated the passages I hated! I thoroughly enjoyed our lively discussions in spite of not thoroughly enjoying the book.
July 2, 2017
The strength of this book, beyond general literary analysis, is in presenting LM Montgomery’s books in the order in which she wrote them in light of events in her life and her moods according to her journals and letters. This yields insight into how her personal life affected her focus and plots which is rare to have for most authors. The book points out the motif of island threaded through her works as an idyllic setting that Montgomery escaped to from her troubled life and shows how that tarnishes somewhat as the author becomes overwhelmed by her troubles later in life. Fascinating background and analysis for readers of Montgomery's novels.
April 12, 2020
This was an interesting book, as it went through Montegomery's life and drew comparisons and contrasts between herself and her characters, as well as showing how her professional life developed. I do think it is interesting how the influence of her early life is seen in so many of her characters, but how they are not entirely autobiographical, but often are romanticized. I would recommend this if you enjoy the wider range of Montgomery's works. However, if you are only familiar with the Anne books (or only the movies or Netflix series), then you might not get as much from it.
September 7, 2022
Interesting book that analyzes some of LM Montgomery's books with regard to what was happening in her own life at the time. It was interesting to read about how the level of darkness in her books increased as her life became more difficult because of her husband's depression and her inability to control her son's behavior. It of course makes me want to read all of the books again!
Quotes:
Themes --love lost because of an argument and pride, lots of stories where the crux was whether someone could get past their pride.
Okay, this is really interesting. When LMM wrote Anne of Avonlea she didn't really "write" it. All those stories were stories that she had previously published in magazines. So she revised them, change the places so that they matched places we know about from the first two Anne books. Then after that she went back and she changed all the names so that they were names that are familiar from the other books, and then she tied all the stories together by changing secondary character names into other familiar names. That's actually kind of genius!
So Anne of Avonlea is one of the books I have, and after reading about it being compiled I just needed to read it. So I've just read the first seven chapters. I was worried that it would feel like a bunch of short stories put together now that I know that's what it is. But it doesn't feel that way at all, and I think I'm almost more impressed knowing that she's taken previous material and formed it into this lovely narrative that happens to be made up of a bunch of different stories.
In book after charming book, Montgomery obliquely suggested a private store of anguish, despair, illness, and disillusionment - - without disturbing the surface appeal of romance and sentiment and comedy. Notably, Montgomery increasingly used female characters to vent her contrary feelings of mockery and satire... 6
Two books every 3 years over a 30-year period until 1938, all of them still in print in the 21st century. 6
After the publication of Anne of Green gables in 1908, the orphaned independent child protagonist would recur with new subtlety and charm and bestsellers of the next few years. The secret garden in 1911, daddy long legs in 1912, and Pollyanna in 1913. This widespread use of the orphan motif reflected social facts: high birth rate and low life expectancy in adults. 😱 11
The four plots of Anne of Green Gables: developing love between young Anne and Marilla Cuthbert, Anne's development within her private world of imagination, Anne's finding kindred spirits Matthew and Diana, and the story of Anne and Gilbert. 13-14
The toning of the expected romance at the end of the book is ambiguous and tenuous. The ambivalence may have its origins in Montgomery's confused feelings about Ewan Macdonald, who had recently come into her life as a potential suitor. 16
Standing is of course historically realistic in its reflection of rural mores of the period and the pressure of societal assumptions about the nurturing roles proper to women... 17
Strangely, in Montgomery's journal, in spite of minute detailing of her daily life, there is no mention either of the writing of the significant novel, nor of Ewan Macdonald's increasing visits and ultimate proposal of marriage. 17
Young people dreaming their way into adult life, self-absorbed, feeling little humiliations and embarrassment with excruciating intensity, responding to beauty and honorable ideals with reverence, could identify with Anne. 18
Anne of Avonlea... will work not just with one plot (the life of a school teacher) but with several... The 6-year-old twins, Davy and Dora, and they're doing, the village improvement society, Lavender Lewis and Paul Irving.
Quotes:
Themes --love lost because of an argument and pride, lots of stories where the crux was whether someone could get past their pride.
Okay, this is really interesting. When LMM wrote Anne of Avonlea she didn't really "write" it. All those stories were stories that she had previously published in magazines. So she revised them, change the places so that they matched places we know about from the first two Anne books. Then after that she went back and she changed all the names so that they were names that are familiar from the other books, and then she tied all the stories together by changing secondary character names into other familiar names. That's actually kind of genius!
So Anne of Avonlea is one of the books I have, and after reading about it being compiled I just needed to read it. So I've just read the first seven chapters. I was worried that it would feel like a bunch of short stories put together now that I know that's what it is. But it doesn't feel that way at all, and I think I'm almost more impressed knowing that she's taken previous material and formed it into this lovely narrative that happens to be made up of a bunch of different stories.
In book after charming book, Montgomery obliquely suggested a private store of anguish, despair, illness, and disillusionment - - without disturbing the surface appeal of romance and sentiment and comedy. Notably, Montgomery increasingly used female characters to vent her contrary feelings of mockery and satire... 6
Two books every 3 years over a 30-year period until 1938, all of them still in print in the 21st century. 6
After the publication of Anne of Green gables in 1908, the orphaned independent child protagonist would recur with new subtlety and charm and bestsellers of the next few years. The secret garden in 1911, daddy long legs in 1912, and Pollyanna in 1913. This widespread use of the orphan motif reflected social facts: high birth rate and low life expectancy in adults. 😱 11
The four plots of Anne of Green Gables: developing love between young Anne and Marilla Cuthbert, Anne's development within her private world of imagination, Anne's finding kindred spirits Matthew and Diana, and the story of Anne and Gilbert. 13-14
The toning of the expected romance at the end of the book is ambiguous and tenuous. The ambivalence may have its origins in Montgomery's confused feelings about Ewan Macdonald, who had recently come into her life as a potential suitor. 16
Standing is of course historically realistic in its reflection of rural mores of the period and the pressure of societal assumptions about the nurturing roles proper to women... 17
Strangely, in Montgomery's journal, in spite of minute detailing of her daily life, there is no mention either of the writing of the significant novel, nor of Ewan Macdonald's increasing visits and ultimate proposal of marriage. 17
Young people dreaming their way into adult life, self-absorbed, feeling little humiliations and embarrassment with excruciating intensity, responding to beauty and honorable ideals with reverence, could identify with Anne. 18
Anne of Avonlea... will work not just with one plot (the life of a school teacher) but with several... The 6-year-old twins, Davy and Dora, and they're doing, the village improvement society, Lavender Lewis and Paul Irving.
July 10, 2024
I read the sections of this book that were based on each of LM Montgomery’s novels after I re read each of the novels. I felt it was best used this way in order to enhance my own reflections. It was interesting to get some insight into what was happening in the authors life during the time that she was writing each of the novels.
September 5, 2018
Loved reading about Montgomery's novels in the chronological order they were written compared to Montgomery's external and internal environments as she wrote them.
August 24, 2012
Magic Island took me on my first journey into the life of one of my favorite authors, L. M. Montgomery. I’d known a little about her, probably gained from Wikipedia perusals and short biographical notes, but this book really helped me make her acquaintance. And in the best possible way, too, to someone mainly interested in her books.
Each section covered one of her novels or short story collections in chronological order, starting, of course, with Anne of Green Gables in 1908 and ending with Anne of Ingleside in 1939. The connections between Montgomery’s life and her fiction are numerous and intriguing. I discovered, for example, how she dealt with experiences, emotions, and people (!) in her life by translating them into fiction, how writing her stories lifted her out of gloom, what her beliefs were behind all the themes in her books, and just how vivid, even to psychic proportions, her imagination was. Mostly through Montgomery’s journals and letters, I was shown how her fiction was inextricably tied to what was going on in her real life.
As an aspiring writer, I found it instructional to see how this iconic author wove the writing of fiction into her busy life, not just dreaming up stories but relentlessly working at chapter after chapter and keeping up with the changing times to make each book a success.
As a Christian, I was interested in the path Montgomery’s beliefs took. She was not a paragon of virtue in personality or orthodox theology, but she reflected her times, on what I would call the tail end of a liberal mind. Her depression, and her husband’s, didn’t help. But I admire how she conscientiously tried to keep bleakness out of her novels. “I would not darken any other life. I want instead to be a messenger of optimism and sunshine.” (quote from page 93) That is a storyteller who takes her gift to humankind seriously.
Of course I gained a deeper insight into her books, but not so deep an insight that I’d be caught up in picking them apart instead of enjoying each story as a whole. One of the things I most appreciated was the opportunity of a vicarious enjoyment of all her works, reliving some stories and learning about the unread others. This is highly valuable to me because, as much as I would like to, there is no guarantee I’ll be able to read all 22 of them.
If you enjoy L. M. Montgomery and can take the respectful and moderate literary criticism of a devoted Montgomery scholar, this book may very well be just the thing to thrill you - and spur your own creative talent. Because that is Montgomery’s legacy - a joy-filled run into the beauty of life and imagination.
Each section covered one of her novels or short story collections in chronological order, starting, of course, with Anne of Green Gables in 1908 and ending with Anne of Ingleside in 1939. The connections between Montgomery’s life and her fiction are numerous and intriguing. I discovered, for example, how she dealt with experiences, emotions, and people (!) in her life by translating them into fiction, how writing her stories lifted her out of gloom, what her beliefs were behind all the themes in her books, and just how vivid, even to psychic proportions, her imagination was. Mostly through Montgomery’s journals and letters, I was shown how her fiction was inextricably tied to what was going on in her real life.
As an aspiring writer, I found it instructional to see how this iconic author wove the writing of fiction into her busy life, not just dreaming up stories but relentlessly working at chapter after chapter and keeping up with the changing times to make each book a success.
As a Christian, I was interested in the path Montgomery’s beliefs took. She was not a paragon of virtue in personality or orthodox theology, but she reflected her times, on what I would call the tail end of a liberal mind. Her depression, and her husband’s, didn’t help. But I admire how she conscientiously tried to keep bleakness out of her novels. “I would not darken any other life. I want instead to be a messenger of optimism and sunshine.” (quote from page 93) That is a storyteller who takes her gift to humankind seriously.
Of course I gained a deeper insight into her books, but not so deep an insight that I’d be caught up in picking them apart instead of enjoying each story as a whole. One of the things I most appreciated was the opportunity of a vicarious enjoyment of all her works, reliving some stories and learning about the unread others. This is highly valuable to me because, as much as I would like to, there is no guarantee I’ll be able to read all 22 of them.
If you enjoy L. M. Montgomery and can take the respectful and moderate literary criticism of a devoted Montgomery scholar, this book may very well be just the thing to thrill you - and spur your own creative talent. Because that is Montgomery’s legacy - a joy-filled run into the beauty of life and imagination.
May 9, 2017
As an ardent lover of L.M. Montgomery's work, I was very excited to read this book. I found it cleverly structured (viewing Montgomery's internal "Island" through the chronology of her books) and well written. I'm always suspect of psychological histories (which this book was, in part) because I find they extrapolate too heavily and all too comfortably live in the realm of speculation. Nonetheless, I found the author's research on Montgomery compelling and informative. Montgomery will always fascinate me, and my reading of her books had been enriched by this one.
May 22, 2012
I love this book. It provides lovely insights and discussion to Montgomery's novels. Written by one of the preeminent Montgomery scholars. I love Maude's work so much that I need a little extra once I finish one of her books. It is the English major in me.
May 5, 2012
Interesting short chapters about LMM and each of her books. Probably not very deep but a good start since I like LMM but don't know that much about her.
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