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Anne of Green Gables #9
The Blythes Are Quoted
“Eu não seria amiga de todos... a amizade é requintada demais para se gastar assim!”, Lucy Maud Montgomery
Pretendido por Montgomery como o nono livro da série Anne de Green Gables, O Retorno dos Bhythes traz Anne e sua família mais de duas décadas após o casamento de Anne e Gilbert. Teremos a oportunidade de entrarmos na casa de Ingleside, de sentarmo-nos com a família em frente à lareira para ouvir a leitura daquilo que Anne Blythe e Walter Blythe escreveram. Histórias inspiradas em fatos corriqueiros, nas quais a família Blythe está presente, assim como a icônica criada Susan Baker.
Pretendido por Montgomery como o nono livro da série Anne de Green Gables, O Retorno dos Bhythes traz Anne e sua família mais de duas décadas após o casamento de Anne e Gilbert. Teremos a oportunidade de entrarmos na casa de Ingleside, de sentarmo-nos com a família em frente à lareira para ouvir a leitura daquilo que Anne Blythe e Walter Blythe escreveram. Histórias inspiradas em fatos corriqueiros, nas quais a família Blythe está presente, assim como a icônica criada Susan Baker.
527 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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12939 people want to read
About the author
L.M. Montgomery
2,079 books13k followersLucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author, best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908.
Montgomery was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911. She had three children and wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. She died in Toronto April 24, 1942 and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.
Montgomery was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911. She had three children and wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. She died in Toronto April 24, 1942 and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 338 reviews
January 7, 2023
"A Dream Comes True" was far and away the most enjoyable story for me.
June 9, 2018
I have very much enjoyed L.M. Montgomery's The Blythes are Quoted, although the interspersing of short stories, poetry and Blythe family interludes does make and call for slow and deliberate reading (and while the poems are lovely, descriptive and often even very much thought provoking, if you really do NOT enjoy poetry, you might indeed want to consider skimming or even skipping these sections, as doing so does not really interfere all that much with the short stories and novellas presented).
And whilst most of the featured stories have indeed previously appeared in The Road to Yesterday, and the first story (Some Fools and a Saint) in Among the Shadows: Tales from the Darker Side, the tales are for the most part abridged in these books (and often quite significantly shortened at that), but in The Blythes are Quoted they are shown as they supposedly appear in the manuscript that was presented to L.M. Montgomery's publisher on the very day of her death (which now appears to have been due to a drug overdose which might very likely have been deliberate). Furthermore, The Blythes are Quoted is in my opinion an absolute must-read for L.M. Montgomery fans (but regrettably, for some reason, the book does not seem to be all that readily available in the United States or Europe). And yes, for dedicated L.M. Montgomery fans, I would also very strongly recommend perusing both Elizabeth Rollins Epperly's foreword and Benjamin Lefebvre's afterword (but definitely only AFTER having completed The Blythes are Quoted so as to avoid possible spoilers).
And whilst most of the featured stories have indeed previously appeared in The Road to Yesterday, and the first story (Some Fools and a Saint) in Among the Shadows: Tales from the Darker Side, the tales are for the most part abridged in these books (and often quite significantly shortened at that), but in The Blythes are Quoted they are shown as they supposedly appear in the manuscript that was presented to L.M. Montgomery's publisher on the very day of her death (which now appears to have been due to a drug overdose which might very likely have been deliberate). Furthermore, The Blythes are Quoted is in my opinion an absolute must-read for L.M. Montgomery fans (but regrettably, for some reason, the book does not seem to be all that readily available in the United States or Europe). And yes, for dedicated L.M. Montgomery fans, I would also very strongly recommend perusing both Elizabeth Rollins Epperly's foreword and Benjamin Lefebvre's afterword (but definitely only AFTER having completed The Blythes are Quoted so as to avoid possible spoilers).
February 8, 2017
Hrm.
Here's my recommendation: If you hold L.M. Montgomery's books enshrined in your heart and the Anne books have taken you to a happy place from childhood on, then stick with the 8 Anne books, and perhaps the short story collection "The Road to Yesterday," but don't feel bad about not reading "The Blythes Are Quoted."
Here's why: "The Blythes Are Quoted" is the same book as "The Road To Yesterday," except with some depressing stuff added.
L.M. Montgomery put this collection of stories together right before she died, but then it wasn't printed till the 1970s, when the darker parts had been excised.
None of the stories are ABOUT the Blythes; rather, they're about any number of their neighbors. But mention of the Blythes is dragged in at every possible moment... hence the title. Much as I adore the entire Blythe family, I have to admit that this plot device is a little tiring, especially when at times it's literally, every paragraph, "Susan Baker says," "Mrs. Dr. Blythe says," "Walter Blythe says," "Dr. Blythe says," etc. One can tell that L.M. Montgomery was thereby doing what was expected of her by giving the public more Blythes, however indirectly.
Some of the stories are very sweet, but as I said, you can get them in "The Road to Yesterday." The only story that is NOT in that volume is the first one, which is a pretty creepy, dark tale (that ends up with a reasonable explanation), but which had an ending I disliked.
The other bits that are exclusive to "The Blythes Are Quoted" are the interludes that describe Anne reading her own and Walter's poems to her family at Ingleside, and then usually two or three of the family offer a brief remark on the poem. Some of the poems are nice and home-like, but others are decidedly disturbing. The saddest thing to me is the family's realization at the end, that the Second World War was upon them and that the sacrifices and lives lost in the First World War were utterly in vain. L.M. Montgomery died in 1942, so that sense of uncertainty and failure was the last thing she knew.
It's sad.
I prefer my Blythes in their original 8 books.
Here's my recommendation: If you hold L.M. Montgomery's books enshrined in your heart and the Anne books have taken you to a happy place from childhood on, then stick with the 8 Anne books, and perhaps the short story collection "The Road to Yesterday," but don't feel bad about not reading "The Blythes Are Quoted."
Here's why: "The Blythes Are Quoted" is the same book as "The Road To Yesterday," except with some depressing stuff added.
L.M. Montgomery put this collection of stories together right before she died, but then it wasn't printed till the 1970s, when the darker parts had been excised.
None of the stories are ABOUT the Blythes; rather, they're about any number of their neighbors. But mention of the Blythes is dragged in at every possible moment... hence the title. Much as I adore the entire Blythe family, I have to admit that this plot device is a little tiring, especially when at times it's literally, every paragraph, "Susan Baker says," "Mrs. Dr. Blythe says," "Walter Blythe says," "Dr. Blythe says," etc. One can tell that L.M. Montgomery was thereby doing what was expected of her by giving the public more Blythes, however indirectly.
Some of the stories are very sweet, but as I said, you can get them in "The Road to Yesterday." The only story that is NOT in that volume is the first one, which is a pretty creepy, dark tale (that ends up with a reasonable explanation), but which had an ending I disliked.
The other bits that are exclusive to "The Blythes Are Quoted" are the interludes that describe Anne reading her own and Walter's poems to her family at Ingleside, and then usually two or three of the family offer a brief remark on the poem. Some of the poems are nice and home-like, but others are decidedly disturbing. The saddest thing to me is the family's realization at the end, that the Second World War was upon them and that the sacrifices and lives lost in the First World War were utterly in vain. L.M. Montgomery died in 1942, so that sense of uncertainty and failure was the last thing she knew.
It's sad.
I prefer my Blythes in their original 8 books.
February 9, 2017
I did enjoy reading the timeless, fanciful tales of old love triangles, family feuds and poor orphans, but my thoughts and feelings toward The Blythes Are Quoted are complicated. After having read all of LMM's works, it was a bit like enjoying one more day with a loved one who had already passed away. I think for that reason, I give this book four stars. However, the Blythes are referenced in a most unfittingly way. The references to the Blythes are a bit like plums in the middle of a pudding (which a university professor once said to me about an abominable essay of mine). It would seem that everyone knows the Blythes for miles around, which I realize is not surprising considering Gilbert is a country doctor. However, the incredulous part is that everyone appears to refer to the Blythes in everything they do. The Blythes will be there whether they fit or not - much like forced rhyme. That sounds uncharitable to my dear LMM. Yet, wasn't it she who wrote about Anne's beloved story, "Averil's Atonement" being desecrated by the random references to Rollings Reliable Baking Powder Company? (Anne's well-meaning, bosom friend Diana placed these little nods to Rollings in "Averil's Atonement" to aid Anne in the publication of her story.)Were we supposed to laugh and,yet, feel Anne's chagrin at the absurdity of such random references? Yes!
Don't misunderstand me, I enjoyed The Blythes Are Quoted immensely. I enjoyed taking small journeys with LMM, again, in the form of short stories and poems. I just wonder what would induce LMM to drudge up her old Blythe family, again, in such a fashion. I guess we'll never know, for certain. Despite all of my ambivalence, The Blythes Are Quoted will maintain a cherished position on my bookshelf next to all of LMM's other works and there it will stay.
Don't misunderstand me, I enjoyed The Blythes Are Quoted immensely. I enjoyed taking small journeys with LMM, again, in the form of short stories and poems. I just wonder what would induce LMM to drudge up her old Blythe family, again, in such a fashion. I guess we'll never know, for certain. Despite all of my ambivalence, The Blythes Are Quoted will maintain a cherished position on my bookshelf next to all of LMM's other works and there it will stay.
December 19, 2014
I added a new listing for this book because when I updated my review, it became listed as a review for L.M. Montgomery's "The Road to Yesterday". This is incorrect. I know that "The Road to Yesterday" is the abridged version of this book, but it is so extremely abridged that they are not the same book at all.
If you want to understand the differences, the above-mentioned book has all the short stories but with all mentions of the Blythes removed. Also, "The Blythes are Quoted" has a large number of amazing poems that are attributed to Anne and Walter Blythe, along with dialogue between the family members. Anne Shirley Blythe makes a habit of reading poems aloud in the evenings, sometimes her own and sometimes Walter's, and then the family discusses them. It almost reads like a play's dialogue. The voices are still clear, whether Anne's children are young or old, and there can be no mistaking Susan Baker.
This is an excellent book. The short stories are wonderfully written, but each one includes a spice of Blythe in it, because the stories take place in Glen St. Mary and the neighboring villages, such as Mowbray Narrows. Lucy Maud Montgomery had an ability to string words together that continues to amaze me, and I only wish I could do it just as well as she did.
Since I just re-read the entire series, reading "The Blythes are Quoted" directly afterwards made it even more poignant. Occasional dialogue from Rilla, Faith Meredith, Una Meredith, Jem Blythe and the rest appear to comment on the poems. Your heart still aches with them over their loss during the Great War.
However, if you have only ever read "Anne of Green Gables", you need to read the entire series before picking this up. Those who are disappointed in the later books in the series, because Anne happens to grow up are being foolish. "Rilla of Ingleside" is one of the best books that LMM ever wrote and Anne and Gilbert Blythe are still a strong presence in the story. Anne's children did not become who they became in a vacuum, they had marvelous parents who made them that way.
Now you'll remind me that these are only books. But I've read these books so many times, they feel real to me. "The Blythes are Quoted" really gives you Anne's joy over being a mother, glimpses of her own childhood, and then tastes of her later griefs. You see that she isn't perfect and Gilbert is still a strong presence who stands by her through everything, including seeing her poetry take a dark twist now and then. These are real struggles that you see in marriage.
Perhaps the harsher literary critics will say I shouldn't have given this 5 stars. But the short stories go back between touching to funny, from revengeful to cold, and touches on dark thoughts along with the joyous. The poetry does the same, tied together by the "quotes" from the family of Blythe. You shouldn't be disappointed. If you are, I would suggest (cheerfully) that it's your own fault.
If you want to understand the differences, the above-mentioned book has all the short stories but with all mentions of the Blythes removed. Also, "The Blythes are Quoted" has a large number of amazing poems that are attributed to Anne and Walter Blythe, along with dialogue between the family members. Anne Shirley Blythe makes a habit of reading poems aloud in the evenings, sometimes her own and sometimes Walter's, and then the family discusses them. It almost reads like a play's dialogue. The voices are still clear, whether Anne's children are young or old, and there can be no mistaking Susan Baker.
This is an excellent book. The short stories are wonderfully written, but each one includes a spice of Blythe in it, because the stories take place in Glen St. Mary and the neighboring villages, such as Mowbray Narrows. Lucy Maud Montgomery had an ability to string words together that continues to amaze me, and I only wish I could do it just as well as she did.
Since I just re-read the entire series, reading "The Blythes are Quoted" directly afterwards made it even more poignant. Occasional dialogue from Rilla, Faith Meredith, Una Meredith, Jem Blythe and the rest appear to comment on the poems. Your heart still aches with them over their loss during the Great War.
However, if you have only ever read "Anne of Green Gables", you need to read the entire series before picking this up. Those who are disappointed in the later books in the series, because Anne happens to grow up are being foolish. "Rilla of Ingleside" is one of the best books that LMM ever wrote and Anne and Gilbert Blythe are still a strong presence in the story. Anne's children did not become who they became in a vacuum, they had marvelous parents who made them that way.
Now you'll remind me that these are only books. But I've read these books so many times, they feel real to me. "The Blythes are Quoted" really gives you Anne's joy over being a mother, glimpses of her own childhood, and then tastes of her later griefs. You see that she isn't perfect and Gilbert is still a strong presence who stands by her through everything, including seeing her poetry take a dark twist now and then. These are real struggles that you see in marriage.
Perhaps the harsher literary critics will say I shouldn't have given this 5 stars. But the short stories go back between touching to funny, from revengeful to cold, and touches on dark thoughts along with the joyous. The poetry does the same, tied together by the "quotes" from the family of Blythe. You shouldn't be disappointed. If you are, I would suggest (cheerfully) that it's your own fault.
October 16, 2020
Submitted to her publisher immediately before her death and not published in its entirety until 2009, L.M. Montgomery’s The Blythes Are Quoted is a bit of an odd duck.
A collection of short stories only tangentially connected to Anne Blythe and family interspersed with short vignettes of the Blythes at home reading each other’s poetry aloud, it does feel a bit cobbled together.
Some don’t consider this a part of the Anne series proper and that’s understandable as it doesn’t adhere to previously established continuity in many places. It also does not offer a satisfying end to Anne’s chronicles.
That being said, it’s not without its joys. Some of the stories are highly entertaining and some of the poetry is really quite good and more than a little moving. All things considered, I’m glad I read it.
A collection of short stories only tangentially connected to Anne Blythe and family interspersed with short vignettes of the Blythes at home reading each other’s poetry aloud, it does feel a bit cobbled together.
Some don’t consider this a part of the Anne series proper and that’s understandable as it doesn’t adhere to previously established continuity in many places. It also does not offer a satisfying end to Anne’s chronicles.
That being said, it’s not without its joys. Some of the stories are highly entertaining and some of the poetry is really quite good and more than a little moving. All things considered, I’m glad I read it.
February 22, 2014
I received this book as a Christmas present several years ago, after reading about it online, but felt a little daunted at the prospect of reading it. This isn't a short book, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find the time to sit down and read it while at university. I also didn't like the idea of the Anne books finally being over. I read Rilla of Ingleside in 2009, when this book was first published, and was happy to hear that Rilla's story wasn't the last one.
Having graduated from university and cut down significantly on the number of books I review, now seemed like a good time to finally read the final, missing Anne book. I read some reviews from readers who were disappointed by the darkness of the book, and others from people who didn't appreciate the poetry, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Perhaps all the comments about this book being bleak and depressing made me think this book would be a whole lot darker than it actually was, because I didn't find it much darker than Rilla of Ingleside, which certainly had its sad moments.
I've never been a big fan of poetry, and struggled during the semesters where I had to read a lot of it at university, but I found myself surprisingly enjoying the poems scattered throughout this book. I didn't realise until I read the Afterword that most of them had been previously published by Montgomery in magazines and other publications--I assumed she'd written them for this book, with Anne and Walter specifically in mind. I could definitely see stylistic differences in Anne and Walter's writing, which made the characters come alive even more.
For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed the short stories in this collection, although some more so than others. The first story, "Some Fools and a Saint" is probably my favourite, even if it is a little darker than Montgomery's usual writing. My least favourite is actually the final story in the collection, "The Road to Yesterday". It felt like Montgomery was trying to capture one of her earlier, more romantic, happy stories and couldn't quite get herself into the right frame of mind. I was left feeling dissatisfied, as if something wasn't quite right about the story. It definitely made for an interesting juxtaposition with the final, concluding poetry, which was far from happy.
As mentioned in the Afterword, many of the short stories in this book were previously published in magazines and newspapers, and Montgomery edited them to fit them into this book, which explains why some of the references to the Blythe family and their friends didn't feel entirely organic. Not all of them were positive, so I won't complain that the Blythes came across as perfect in this collection. But sometimes there were so many references to Gilbert, Anne, or their children, in the space of a page that it didn't feel at all realistic--especially when the narrator or character in that story didn't even know the Blythes very well.
That said, I did appreciate the opportunity to revisit the Blythe family while they discussed Anne and Walter's poems. Some reviewers have commented that they got tired of Anne's grief over Walter's death, but I appreciated seeing how the family managed without him, and were able to remember him fondly through his poetry. Anne's grief definitely evolved throughout the book, and I felt that, in the discussion of his final poem with Jem, she was able to let go of some of her grief and say goodbye to him, knowing that he was in a better place.
The editor's comments in the Afterword are definitely worth reading, and it was interesting to learn about the publication history of this book, and people's perceptions of the changes in Montgomery's writing. Lefebvre comments that while some people, who were only familiar with the first Anne book, noticed an obvious change in Montgomery's writing, others who had read her work chronologically could see how it evolved over time, and that this was the natural outcome of such an evolution. I found myself agreeing with this statement. While some people have commented on the patriotism in Rilla of Ingleside, I was more aware of a sadness and sense of loss in Montgomery's writing, which continued into this volume.
I think this collection will be best appreciated with those who have read all of the Anne books and are aware of some of the details of Montgomery's personal life. This isn't just the final volume in Anne's story, but also in Montgomery's. Although I'm sad to have closed the final chapter in Anne's life, I'm glad that I still have many of Montgomery's other books left to read, as well as her short stories, poems and other writings. Aside from some of the inorganic references to the Blythes throughout this collection, this is definitely among Montgomery's best works. 4.5*
Having graduated from university and cut down significantly on the number of books I review, now seemed like a good time to finally read the final, missing Anne book. I read some reviews from readers who were disappointed by the darkness of the book, and others from people who didn't appreciate the poetry, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Perhaps all the comments about this book being bleak and depressing made me think this book would be a whole lot darker than it actually was, because I didn't find it much darker than Rilla of Ingleside, which certainly had its sad moments.
I've never been a big fan of poetry, and struggled during the semesters where I had to read a lot of it at university, but I found myself surprisingly enjoying the poems scattered throughout this book. I didn't realise until I read the Afterword that most of them had been previously published by Montgomery in magazines and other publications--I assumed she'd written them for this book, with Anne and Walter specifically in mind. I could definitely see stylistic differences in Anne and Walter's writing, which made the characters come alive even more.
For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed the short stories in this collection, although some more so than others. The first story, "Some Fools and a Saint" is probably my favourite, even if it is a little darker than Montgomery's usual writing. My least favourite is actually the final story in the collection, "The Road to Yesterday". It felt like Montgomery was trying to capture one of her earlier, more romantic, happy stories and couldn't quite get herself into the right frame of mind. I was left feeling dissatisfied, as if something wasn't quite right about the story. It definitely made for an interesting juxtaposition with the final, concluding poetry, which was far from happy.
As mentioned in the Afterword, many of the short stories in this book were previously published in magazines and newspapers, and Montgomery edited them to fit them into this book, which explains why some of the references to the Blythe family and their friends didn't feel entirely organic. Not all of them were positive, so I won't complain that the Blythes came across as perfect in this collection. But sometimes there were so many references to Gilbert, Anne, or their children, in the space of a page that it didn't feel at all realistic--especially when the narrator or character in that story didn't even know the Blythes very well.
That said, I did appreciate the opportunity to revisit the Blythe family while they discussed Anne and Walter's poems. Some reviewers have commented that they got tired of Anne's grief over Walter's death, but I appreciated seeing how the family managed without him, and were able to remember him fondly through his poetry. Anne's grief definitely evolved throughout the book, and I felt that, in the discussion of his final poem with Jem, she was able to let go of some of her grief and say goodbye to him, knowing that he was in a better place.
The editor's comments in the Afterword are definitely worth reading, and it was interesting to learn about the publication history of this book, and people's perceptions of the changes in Montgomery's writing. Lefebvre comments that while some people, who were only familiar with the first Anne book, noticed an obvious change in Montgomery's writing, others who had read her work chronologically could see how it evolved over time, and that this was the natural outcome of such an evolution. I found myself agreeing with this statement. While some people have commented on the patriotism in Rilla of Ingleside, I was more aware of a sadness and sense of loss in Montgomery's writing, which continued into this volume.
I think this collection will be best appreciated with those who have read all of the Anne books and are aware of some of the details of Montgomery's personal life. This isn't just the final volume in Anne's story, but also in Montgomery's. Although I'm sad to have closed the final chapter in Anne's life, I'm glad that I still have many of Montgomery's other books left to read, as well as her short stories, poems and other writings. Aside from some of the inorganic references to the Blythes throughout this collection, this is definitely among Montgomery's best works. 4.5*
August 30, 2016
What a total waste of time this book was.
A bit of background information: I'm a huge Anne of Green Gables fan. I was obsessed with the series when I was a kid. Anne of the Island was the first book I ever read on my own. It is the reason I read as much as I do today. I re-read it almost once a year. For a long time, I struggled to find any other books that appealed to me because this series was just SO GOOD. So when I saw this book on the shelves back in 2009, I bought it immediately and devoured the first 40 pages.
Then I stopped. Because it was unbelievably boring.
So seven years later, I re-read the Anne of Green Gables series and decided I really wanted to know what happened to my favourite characters after the series ended. Who married who? How would they deal with World War 2 after all the hearbreak of Rilla of Ingleside? It didn't matter if it was boring. I would push through it because I needed that information.
And guess what? I didn't even get it.
Because this book isn't about the Blythes, or the Merediths, or anyone we care about in the slightest. It's a collection of kind of cute stories about random people in the Glen, who all seem to worship the Blythes and constantly compare themselves and everyone around them to the Blythes. Honestly, I can't believe I'm saying this, but by the end of this book I was sick of hearing about the stupid Blythes. IF THEY'RE SO AWESOME YOU CAN'T GO TWO SENTENCES WITHOUT MENTIONING THEM, WHY AM I NOT READING ABOUT THEM?
And for awhile, I pushed through these stories, because I figured that once I got into the second part, which was set after the end of the series, it might be a bit more Blythe-oriented and I might get a bit more information. Except that still didn't happen. What did I get instead? More small town drama and Glen gossip that I frankly could not care less about. 522 pages and did I learn a single thing that could not have been inferred from the last book? NO. But hey, it's a good thing I know how those random twins got to renovate that house and whats-his-name got to pick which relative he got to live with.
And then there were the poetry sessions. Oh, those poetry sessions. I looked forward to them, because, you know, they were the only scenes with Blythes in them. But the poetry just didn't stand out to me. I never felt like I was reading Anne or Walter's writing, it was always L.M. Montgomery's poems. I heard her voice. I couldn't tell the difference between Anne and Walter's poems. It was always just L.M. Montgomery's works to me. Not theirs. And then there would be awkward, forced dialogue between the characters as they commented on her poems, that frankly read like bad fanfiction.
So yeah. Maybe my expectations were just too high, and maybe some Anne of Green Gables fans will enjoy this. I'll admit that some of the short stories were amusing. But you can also rest assured that you're not missing anything in terms of information about the characters in the series if you skip this book.
A bit of background information: I'm a huge Anne of Green Gables fan. I was obsessed with the series when I was a kid. Anne of the Island was the first book I ever read on my own. It is the reason I read as much as I do today. I re-read it almost once a year. For a long time, I struggled to find any other books that appealed to me because this series was just SO GOOD. So when I saw this book on the shelves back in 2009, I bought it immediately and devoured the first 40 pages.
Then I stopped. Because it was unbelievably boring.
So seven years later, I re-read the Anne of Green Gables series and decided I really wanted to know what happened to my favourite characters after the series ended. Who married who? How would they deal with World War 2 after all the hearbreak of Rilla of Ingleside? It didn't matter if it was boring. I would push through it because I needed that information.
And guess what? I didn't even get it.
Because this book isn't about the Blythes, or the Merediths, or anyone we care about in the slightest. It's a collection of kind of cute stories about random people in the Glen, who all seem to worship the Blythes and constantly compare themselves and everyone around them to the Blythes. Honestly, I can't believe I'm saying this, but by the end of this book I was sick of hearing about the stupid Blythes. IF THEY'RE SO AWESOME YOU CAN'T GO TWO SENTENCES WITHOUT MENTIONING THEM, WHY AM I NOT READING ABOUT THEM?
And for awhile, I pushed through these stories, because I figured that once I got into the second part, which was set after the end of the series, it might be a bit more Blythe-oriented and I might get a bit more information. Except that still didn't happen. What did I get instead? More small town drama and Glen gossip that I frankly could not care less about. 522 pages and did I learn a single thing that could not have been inferred from the last book? NO. But hey, it's a good thing I know how those random twins got to renovate that house and whats-his-name got to pick which relative he got to live with.
And then there were the poetry sessions. Oh, those poetry sessions. I looked forward to them, because, you know, they were the only scenes with Blythes in them. But the poetry just didn't stand out to me. I never felt like I was reading Anne or Walter's writing, it was always L.M. Montgomery's poems. I heard her voice. I couldn't tell the difference between Anne and Walter's poems. It was always just L.M. Montgomery's works to me. Not theirs. And then there would be awkward, forced dialogue between the characters as they commented on her poems, that frankly read like bad fanfiction.
So yeah. Maybe my expectations were just too high, and maybe some Anne of Green Gables fans will enjoy this. I'll admit that some of the short stories were amusing. But you can also rest assured that you're not missing anything in terms of information about the characters in the series if you skip this book.
June 29, 2011
This claims to be the “rediscovered last work of L.M. Montgomery”, and while it does have a lot of never before published content, that may be overstating things. Most of the short stories in this book were already published in the short story collection, The Road to Yesterday. There are a couple new short stories but the majority of the new content is a framing devise: the Blythes sharing poetry together and having brief discussions. The book is divided into two parts, a before WWI section and an after WWI section, and the second half is much darker and sad. The poetry in the first part is all by Anne, but in the second it is by Walter Blythe (written before his death) and also much sadder ones by Anne. I have never been a huge fan of L.M. Montgomery’s poetry so although this is decent poetry, I don’t find it transcendent or amazing.
What I find particularly irksome about this book is that in order to make this be part of the Anne series, there is this constant references and quoting of the Blythes, and quite honestly, part way through the book I was like “OMG, shut up about these perfect Blythes!” Most of the stories would be better without any mentions of the Blythes. What I do really like is the stories that employ multiple character perspectives, these allow Montgomery to employ her sarcasm and commentary on people’s foibles. The definite story highlight is A Commonplace Woman which delves into some surprisingly dark subject matter. Some Fools and a Saint is also a neat story, a well told mystery that also examines the darker side of human nature.
What I find particularly irksome about this book is that in order to make this be part of the Anne series, there is this constant references and quoting of the Blythes, and quite honestly, part way through the book I was like “OMG, shut up about these perfect Blythes!” Most of the stories would be better without any mentions of the Blythes. What I do really like is the stories that employ multiple character perspectives, these allow Montgomery to employ her sarcasm and commentary on people’s foibles. The definite story highlight is A Commonplace Woman which delves into some surprisingly dark subject matter. Some Fools and a Saint is also a neat story, a well told mystery that also examines the darker side of human nature.
June 19, 2023
This book was the perfect capstone to the Anne series! A mix of poems written by Anne and her son Walter, short vignettes of conversations in the Blythe household, and short stories about the surrounding villagers of Ingleside and Glen St Mary (and how Anne, Gilbert, and the rest of the Blythes live rent free in the minds of all their neighbours).
I was hesitant to read this book because it was published posthumously (which I'm always wary of as an estate money grab) and because I had heard it was very different in tone from her other work. Thankfully I did decide to give it a go anyway because I really truly enjoyed this as a unique way to end the Anne series... it was beautiful to get those glimpses of the Blythes' lives through the 1920s, 30s, and 40s and I found the slightly darker/more serious tone welcome as some of Montgomery's earliest short stories can be a bit saccharine even for me who loves her writing style.
I was hesitant to read this book because it was published posthumously (which I'm always wary of as an estate money grab) and because I had heard it was very different in tone from her other work. Thankfully I did decide to give it a go anyway because I really truly enjoyed this as a unique way to end the Anne series... it was beautiful to get those glimpses of the Blythes' lives through the 1920s, 30s, and 40s and I found the slightly darker/more serious tone welcome as some of Montgomery's earliest short stories can be a bit saccharine even for me who loves her writing style.
July 13, 2019
I liked every short story in this book. I even liked the poetry! Some of the stories/poems were darker than Montgomery’s typical books, but that’s life and they were still perfect (made all the more so with each mention of Anne and Gilbert). A must-read for any Montgomery fan!
September 9, 2021
✯ [3/5] ✯
Okay It was cute, but I am not a big fan of poetry so It wasn't my favorite. Still sad that it ended, even If I have some more tales to go.
Okay It was cute, but I am not a big fan of poetry so It wasn't my favorite. Still sad that it ended, even If I have some more tales to go.
September 30, 2023
I only recently learned this book existed (shout out to the Worst Bestsellers/Material Girls crossover episode) and decided to re-read the whole series before checking this out. Worthwhile endeavor! Start to finish! This felt like it could have been L.M. Montgomery's Tumblr if she hadn't died in 1942. I kind of skimmed some of the poems but always loved the little family chatter after each poem. It's giving early fanfiction where your characters comment on the work. Love it.
Some of the short stories felt a little same-y especially the way they all quote Susan Baker but also I enjoyed the cozy vibes. A fun artifact!
Some of the short stories felt a little same-y especially the way they all quote Susan Baker but also I enjoyed the cozy vibes. A fun artifact!
September 21, 2016
What a melancholy book. (There will be some spoilers here for the story of the Blythe family: be warned.) A collection of stories in which the Blythes are more or less tangential – "quoted", bracketed by post-Great War snippets of Blythe conversation and poetry by Anne and Walter. Actually, in a fair number of them the Blythes are loathed, which feels strange – and, to LMM's credit, is not necessarily an indicator of whether we ought to like the character doing the loathing. Some are bad 'uns – but not all.
Oh, Walter.
There are some strange patterns in the stories collected in The Blythes Are Quoted. Those who don't like Anne ("Uncle Stephen did not like the Blythes ... he said he did not like educated women" … "Nobody in the Brewster clan, it seemed, approved of the Blythes" … "Miss Shelley could not conceive of Mrs. Blythe cherishing bitterness for thirty years. She liked her but she thought her too shallow for that.") and who feel slighted by them ("I hinted it to Dr. Blythe ... and such a snub as he gave me! And Dr. Blythe can give snubs when he wants to, I can assure you.") As I said, it's unsettling to run into this attitude.
Then there is an alarming theme of animal abuse, looked at completely differently than we do now ("Even if you'd taken the money and burned the binder house I'd have wanted you" – this to someone who killed a dog and a cat and chickens and a goat; "'what [they] did to the kitten' ... That memory was intolerable") – and, on a similar track, fox farms. In three separate stories foxes are mentioned as a commodity. Odd.
There was also a sort of a theme of unresolved questions. "Epworth Rectory. I don't think that mystery has ever been solved." "Susan, to herself:-'I could tell them the story of that fiddle if I liked. But I won't. It's too sad.'" (Thank you, Susan – there was enough sadness in this book as it was.)
There are still all the things I've always loved about L.M. Montgomery's writing: humor ("Chrissie felt much better. 'In about twenty years or so I'll be pretty well over it,' she said") and pathos (not always a bad thing) and solid story-telling. But this is the dark side, keeping uppermost in my mind throughout the book that Lucy Maud took her own life. Grief and haunting and regret and pain … there are still happy endings. But the interspersed Blythe reminiscences and conversation are a reminder that "happily ever after" never takes into account wars and the deaths of children. It was surprisingly hard to read … I don't think The Blythes Are Quoted is going to be part of my semi-annual LMM-reread.
Oh, Walter.
There are some strange patterns in the stories collected in The Blythes Are Quoted. Those who don't like Anne ("Uncle Stephen did not like the Blythes ... he said he did not like educated women" … "Nobody in the Brewster clan, it seemed, approved of the Blythes" … "Miss Shelley could not conceive of Mrs. Blythe cherishing bitterness for thirty years. She liked her but she thought her too shallow for that.") and who feel slighted by them ("I hinted it to Dr. Blythe ... and such a snub as he gave me! And Dr. Blythe can give snubs when he wants to, I can assure you.") As I said, it's unsettling to run into this attitude.
Then there is an alarming theme of animal abuse, looked at completely differently than we do now ("Even if you'd taken the money and burned the binder house I'd have wanted you" – this to someone who killed a dog and a cat and chickens and a goat; "'what [they] did to the kitten' ... That memory was intolerable") – and, on a similar track, fox farms. In three separate stories foxes are mentioned as a commodity. Odd.
There was also a sort of a theme of unresolved questions. "Epworth Rectory. I don't think that mystery has ever been solved." "Susan, to herself:-'I could tell them the story of that fiddle if I liked. But I won't. It's too sad.'" (Thank you, Susan – there was enough sadness in this book as it was.)
There are still all the things I've always loved about L.M. Montgomery's writing: humor ("Chrissie felt much better. 'In about twenty years or so I'll be pretty well over it,' she said") and pathos (not always a bad thing) and solid story-telling. But this is the dark side, keeping uppermost in my mind throughout the book that Lucy Maud took her own life. Grief and haunting and regret and pain … there are still happy endings. But the interspersed Blythe reminiscences and conversation are a reminder that "happily ever after" never takes into account wars and the deaths of children. It was surprisingly hard to read … I don't think The Blythes Are Quoted is going to be part of my semi-annual LMM-reread.
July 25, 2016
I can't even find the words....
This is LMM's 9th Anne book that was not published until 2008.
What an experience it was for me to read this over the last week or so.
Again.... I just can't find the words.
“We lost our son, Anne, as did many others, but we have our memories of him and souls cannot die. We can still walk with Walter in the spring.” Gilbert to Anne
― L.M. Montgomery, The Blythes are Quoted
This is LMM's 9th Anne book that was not published until 2008.
What an experience it was for me to read this over the last week or so.
Again.... I just can't find the words.
“We lost our son, Anne, as did many others, but we have our memories of him and souls cannot die. We can still walk with Walter in the spring.” Gilbert to Anne
― L.M. Montgomery, The Blythes are Quoted
July 31, 2024
It’s been a long time coming…I feel like this took me over a year to finish (ops 🙊). I absolutely LOVED this book. It’s no secret that I’m an Anne of Green Gables fan, so call me biased, but this was a top-notch read.
The book was comprised with a bunch of poems and short stories that take place where—or at least in close proximity to—the Blythes live in Ingleside. Though not the centre of the short stories, I loved how the author creatively interconnected Anne and Gilbert Blythe subtly into the stories without taking away from the main characters in that narrative.
One of my favourite aspects of this book was all the small details I got about the Blythes’ lives. For instance, I discovered that the Blythes are Presbyterians! Additionally, I forgot how sharp and witty Gilbert Blythe was as a character. His sarcastic and quick humour shone through the parts that he was in.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! Would highly recommend anyone to read it… even if you’re not an Anne of Green Gables Fan.
The book was comprised with a bunch of poems and short stories that take place where—or at least in close proximity to—the Blythes live in Ingleside. Though not the centre of the short stories, I loved how the author creatively interconnected Anne and Gilbert Blythe subtly into the stories without taking away from the main characters in that narrative.
One of my favourite aspects of this book was all the small details I got about the Blythes’ lives. For instance, I discovered that the Blythes are Presbyterians! Additionally, I forgot how sharp and witty Gilbert Blythe was as a character. His sarcastic and quick humour shone through the parts that he was in.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! Would highly recommend anyone to read it… even if you’re not an Anne of Green Gables Fan.
May 24, 2023
3.5 stars
The Blythes are Quoted was the last book L.M. Montgomery wrote before her death. It was meant to be the last book in the Anne of Green Gables series but wasn't published in entirety before years after her death. It is a collection of short stories about people surrounding the Blythes and Anne Shirley's and her son's poetry.
When I started The Blythes are Quoted, I was surprised by the difference of atmosphere. These stories are filled with death, jealousy and darker tones compared to earlier Anne books. That's why it took a while for me to get settled into this book and start enjoying it. In the end I actually ended up loving the more somber tones and how Montgomery touches on hard topics like a death of a parent and struggles in marriage and the past.
Was it necessary addition to the whole story? Yes and no. The stories and the poems especially get quite repetitive and I think 500 pages of same themes repeted was necessary. However, I loved the little glimpses we get to see to the future of Blythe family. The poems and the short stories tied up together the whole course of the series and we get mentions of Anne and Gilbert's earlier years. So while this wasn't as cosy and heartwarming as Anne books as whole, I'm glad that I got this conclusion for the story.
The Blythes are Quoted was the last book L.M. Montgomery wrote before her death. It was meant to be the last book in the Anne of Green Gables series but wasn't published in entirety before years after her death. It is a collection of short stories about people surrounding the Blythes and Anne Shirley's and her son's poetry.
When I started The Blythes are Quoted, I was surprised by the difference of atmosphere. These stories are filled with death, jealousy and darker tones compared to earlier Anne books. That's why it took a while for me to get settled into this book and start enjoying it. In the end I actually ended up loving the more somber tones and how Montgomery touches on hard topics like a death of a parent and struggles in marriage and the past.
Was it necessary addition to the whole story? Yes and no. The stories and the poems especially get quite repetitive and I think 500 pages of same themes repeted was necessary. However, I loved the little glimpses we get to see to the future of Blythe family. The poems and the short stories tied up together the whole course of the series and we get mentions of Anne and Gilbert's earlier years. So while this wasn't as cosy and heartwarming as Anne books as whole, I'm glad that I got this conclusion for the story.
May 8, 2017
Oh, how I've missed PEI- the dear old red soil, the bluffs and the beaches, the sunlit woods and the cheerful meadows. I believe I purchased this book on PEI, after a long day of running along the cliffs and filling my heart with poetry. The sheer volume of sentimentality reading this book has flooded my soul with...
The Blythes are Quoted takes place half after Rainbow Valley, and half after Rilla of Ingleside. It is mostly a collection of short stories in which- you guessed it- the Blythes are quoted. Unlike the previous books, which let us live with the Blythe family, this one focuses on what the rest of the island thought of them- and my, are they the most quoted family in town! Interspersed with these stories are poems by Anne, Walter, or both, read aloud to the family, and with each of the family's mental and verbal responses recorded. After WWI the poetry takes a darker turn, as is remembered. Like all of L.M.'s work, sometimes the stories take a distressing turn towards the eerily supernatural- but other than that, this is the same beloved Blythe family.
The Blythes are Quoted takes place half after Rainbow Valley, and half after Rilla of Ingleside. It is mostly a collection of short stories in which- you guessed it- the Blythes are quoted. Unlike the previous books, which let us live with the Blythe family, this one focuses on what the rest of the island thought of them- and my, are they the most quoted family in town! Interspersed with these stories are poems by Anne, Walter, or both, read aloud to the family, and with each of the family's mental and verbal responses recorded. After WWI the poetry takes a darker turn, as is remembered. Like all of L.M.'s work, sometimes the stories take a distressing turn towards the eerily supernatural- but other than that, this is the same beloved Blythe family.
December 1, 2016
This is an interesting mix of stories and poems -- the stories involve people who know Anne and Gilbert Blythe's family, but they aren't actually in the stories. The poems are by Anne and her son Walter, and we get to hear the family's thoughts and reactions for them, which was by far what I liked best about the book.
Most of the stories have happy endings of one sort or another, but many of them also delve into the ideas of disillusionment, despair, regret, spite, and the constant misunderstandings between generations. The tone of the poetry overall was one of regret and loss, a wishful look back at a happier time.
This is not a cheerful book. It's an interesting book to study -- I enjoyed thinking about what Montgomery must have been trying to say with the collection, and I'm glad I read the book. But overall it has a feel of disenchantment that did not appeal to me.
Most of the stories have happy endings of one sort or another, but many of them also delve into the ideas of disillusionment, despair, regret, spite, and the constant misunderstandings between generations. The tone of the poetry overall was one of regret and loss, a wishful look back at a happier time.
This is not a cheerful book. It's an interesting book to study -- I enjoyed thinking about what Montgomery must have been trying to say with the collection, and I'm glad I read the book. But overall it has a feel of disenchantment that did not appeal to me.
January 28, 2021
Świetna książka, bardzo mi się podobała. Ta część poruszała czasem takie wątki, że o ile "Anię z Zielonego Wzgórza" można czytać w wieku nawet 9 lat, tą już w wieku nastoletnim. Uważam że to świetna książka, pełna humoru, wątku romantycznego, znanych nam dobrze bohaterów i tych nieznanych jak to w każdej książce Montgomery. Mi bardzo się podobała i z czystym sumieniem mogę ją polecić.
December 31, 2022
Dec, 2022: Read aloud this time and I’m glad I did so. You notice so much more darkness and prickliness, even a palpable anger that WWII is upon the characters and the sacrifices of WWI were clearly for naught. I have always been sorry that Montgomery did not live through WWII, choosing the dark troubling days of 1942 as her last. Somewhat oddly, the Gilbert of the vignettes is very religious and always labeled as Dr. Blythe, and I assume he is perhaps a reflection of Montgomery’s own husband, if the Reverend Montgomery had not been mentally ill.
Actually, this is worth a thought: Montgomery had taken her new woman character from the 19-aughts and mashed her into a submissive housewife and model mother in the books published during WWI, and that Anne was very unhappy as a result. The submissive Anne of the House of Dreams (which Gilbert buys with Anne having no input!!!) is disappointing to readers, and in Rainbow Valley and Rilla of Ingleside she is more of the ghost of motherhood and service than the full bodied girl we loved. She’s unreal and her politics are incomprehensible, to be honest. In Anne of Ingleside we get a much darker take on community life that continues in The Blythes are Quoted. But here we get the tragedy of the smug Dr. Blythe and the Anne who has been grieving for years - and I don’t think she is just grieving Walter. There is the whole world upheaval of the post-war period and Anne, like Montgomery herself, is angry things did not go how they were supposed to. I feel this so deeply now that I am in my forties and I see women my age and older who thought that suppressing their intelligence and desires in order to be a perfect wife and mother, and supporting governments that did not value women while ostensibly supporting families, are so very, very angry. I like this Anne and I wish the character was allowed to push through grief to object to what was going on in the world and more specifically to the paternalistic sexist drip her husband became.
The slips in time are still somewhat irksome. And Montgomery seems to have been so very unhappy during this work, so jaded about humanity, so hurt by the post-war and post-Depression changes in life, that this is a tougher read than one would expect, having read the stories in Road to Yesterday. It’s very complex, but not in the formulaic structural complexity of other 1930s/40s works parodied so well by humorists of the time and beloved of sweeping tragic romantic films. It’s complex because there are no answers for what spoiled totally the optimism of the pre- and post-WWI period, the changes in priorities, the differences in rural life, once so prized and now viewed so differently. Montgomery is slightly more open here to her own personal tragedies being perhaps unfair and scarring. She, who had often been open to the New, was now wary of the New but also suspicious about glorifying the past. The characters are more comfortable, can view their past situations as more difficult than they believed at the time, but they long for the forgotten past and for a promised better future that never arrived without loss.
I did not realized I’d finished reading it before - and I’m so glad I read it again. It deserves study.
Jan, 2012: The introduction calls this, the last book by L.M. Montgomery, "splintered," and that seems to me the best description - there are all sorts of sharp bits and things that aren't quite right along with Montgomery's usual short-story-romance-tropes. The best of this edition (which is the first that uses all the bits of the book, in the order Montgomery laid them out, rather than just the stories which were published in the 70s as The Road to Yesterday) is the sense of continuation-of-Anneness. There are little vignettes with the Blythes, poems by "Anne" and "Walter" and short stories with the Anne characters and grandchildren shoehorned in. Despite the arrangement of the book into before-WWI and after-WWI there are several nonsensical dates, especially noticable in the final story "The Road to Yesterday" where characters in their late twenties in the second World War yet talk about being childhood friends with Anne's grandchildren, who could at most have been in their late teens/very early twenties in 1942.
The short stories themselves are not particularly special, especially since the Rea Wilmshurst compilations began coming out (Akin to Anne, Along the Shore) that highlight the repeated plots and tropes tht Montgomery used. What I liked best were the vignettes with Anne, Gilbert, Susan, and some of the children that offer a little dialogue after rather bad poetry that Anne is ostensibly reading to the family. It is clear that Montgomery was very upset by the beginning of the Second World War and the sheer waste of life that was WWI - and she shares this through Anne, whose ongoing grief twenty years after Walter's death is possibly symbolic of that larger grief. It is also apparent that she was working on changing her own writing style to better match the trendy styles of the late 30s/early 40s, and that she wasn't entirely successful. The dialogue isn't her best (which is disappointing when you recall her best) and the characters don't seem entirely able to fit into the post-Depression world, or maybe they do but Montgomery can't describe them. Anne of Ingleside (1939) has always seemed intentionally dark to me, but these stories and vignettes seem dark despite intentions. Montgomery has lost (as so many people did after WWI, the Great Depression, and the beginning of WWII) her conviction that the world could be a better place on an individual level.
Worth reading for the Anne fan and for someone who wants to think about changes in writing styles from the 1900s through the 1940s, and maybe even for someone looking for the effects of depression on creative work (this book was delivered to her publisher on the day of Montgomery's death, which may have been a suicide).
Actually, this is worth a thought: Montgomery had taken her new woman character from the 19-aughts and mashed her into a submissive housewife and model mother in the books published during WWI, and that Anne was very unhappy as a result. The submissive Anne of the House of Dreams (which Gilbert buys with Anne having no input!!!) is disappointing to readers, and in Rainbow Valley and Rilla of Ingleside she is more of the ghost of motherhood and service than the full bodied girl we loved. She’s unreal and her politics are incomprehensible, to be honest. In Anne of Ingleside we get a much darker take on community life that continues in The Blythes are Quoted. But here we get the tragedy of the smug Dr. Blythe and the Anne who has been grieving for years - and I don’t think she is just grieving Walter. There is the whole world upheaval of the post-war period and Anne, like Montgomery herself, is angry things did not go how they were supposed to. I feel this so deeply now that I am in my forties and I see women my age and older who thought that suppressing their intelligence and desires in order to be a perfect wife and mother, and supporting governments that did not value women while ostensibly supporting families, are so very, very angry. I like this Anne and I wish the character was allowed to push through grief to object to what was going on in the world and more specifically to the paternalistic sexist drip her husband became.
The slips in time are still somewhat irksome. And Montgomery seems to have been so very unhappy during this work, so jaded about humanity, so hurt by the post-war and post-Depression changes in life, that this is a tougher read than one would expect, having read the stories in Road to Yesterday. It’s very complex, but not in the formulaic structural complexity of other 1930s/40s works parodied so well by humorists of the time and beloved of sweeping tragic romantic films. It’s complex because there are no answers for what spoiled totally the optimism of the pre- and post-WWI period, the changes in priorities, the differences in rural life, once so prized and now viewed so differently. Montgomery is slightly more open here to her own personal tragedies being perhaps unfair and scarring. She, who had often been open to the New, was now wary of the New but also suspicious about glorifying the past. The characters are more comfortable, can view their past situations as more difficult than they believed at the time, but they long for the forgotten past and for a promised better future that never arrived without loss.
I did not realized I’d finished reading it before - and I’m so glad I read it again. It deserves study.
Jan, 2012: The introduction calls this, the last book by L.M. Montgomery, "splintered," and that seems to me the best description - there are all sorts of sharp bits and things that aren't quite right along with Montgomery's usual short-story-romance-tropes. The best of this edition (which is the first that uses all the bits of the book, in the order Montgomery laid them out, rather than just the stories which were published in the 70s as The Road to Yesterday) is the sense of continuation-of-Anneness. There are little vignettes with the Blythes, poems by "Anne" and "Walter" and short stories with the Anne characters and grandchildren shoehorned in. Despite the arrangement of the book into before-WWI and after-WWI there are several nonsensical dates, especially noticable in the final story "The Road to Yesterday" where characters in their late twenties in the second World War yet talk about being childhood friends with Anne's grandchildren, who could at most have been in their late teens/very early twenties in 1942.
The short stories themselves are not particularly special, especially since the Rea Wilmshurst compilations began coming out (Akin to Anne, Along the Shore) that highlight the repeated plots and tropes tht Montgomery used. What I liked best were the vignettes with Anne, Gilbert, Susan, and some of the children that offer a little dialogue after rather bad poetry that Anne is ostensibly reading to the family. It is clear that Montgomery was very upset by the beginning of the Second World War and the sheer waste of life that was WWI - and she shares this through Anne, whose ongoing grief twenty years after Walter's death is possibly symbolic of that larger grief. It is also apparent that she was working on changing her own writing style to better match the trendy styles of the late 30s/early 40s, and that she wasn't entirely successful. The dialogue isn't her best (which is disappointing when you recall her best) and the characters don't seem entirely able to fit into the post-Depression world, or maybe they do but Montgomery can't describe them. Anne of Ingleside (1939) has always seemed intentionally dark to me, but these stories and vignettes seem dark despite intentions. Montgomery has lost (as so many people did after WWI, the Great Depression, and the beginning of WWII) her conviction that the world could be a better place on an individual level.
Worth reading for the Anne fan and for someone who wants to think about changes in writing styles from the 1900s through the 1940s, and maybe even for someone looking for the effects of depression on creative work (this book was delivered to her publisher on the day of Montgomery's death, which may have been a suicide).
January 4, 2024
This is the final book in the Anne of Green Gables universe. It breaks my heart to have to say goodbye to this series, I have so much love for Anne and Rilla that I’m not sure how I’ll move on.
This work of LM Montgomery is unlike the rest of the series. While it deals with the same issues, these issues are put at forefront so readers are forced to acknowledge them. While The Blythes are Quoted is nowhere near as good as Rilla of Ingleside, it is definitely one of the better books in the series. Additionally, the afterword text explained so much about LMM and why so many of the Anne books were frankly, incredibly mid. I am honestly considering reading more LMMs work and the biographies written about her.
This work of LM Montgomery is unlike the rest of the series. While it deals with the same issues, these issues are put at forefront so readers are forced to acknowledge them. While The Blythes are Quoted is nowhere near as good as Rilla of Ingleside, it is definitely one of the better books in the series. Additionally, the afterword text explained so much about LMM and why so many of the Anne books were frankly, incredibly mid. I am honestly considering reading more LMMs work and the biographies written about her.
August 27, 2024
Beznadzieja. Bez przerwy sprawdzałam, ile stron zostało do końca. Ile można czytać niekończący się spis zalet rodziny Blythe?? Bo pan doktor to taki rozsądny facet, Ania - najlepsza gospodyni świata, a ich dzieci takie schludne i obowiązkowe! Tych pochwał są dziesiątki, może nawet setki: dosłownie każda postać, która choć na chwilę pojawia się w książce, musi w swojej wypowiedzi zawrzeć porównanie do mieszkańców Złotego Brzegu. Jedyne osoby, które nie wielbiły Blythe'ów, były a.) chore psychiczne, b.) złośliwymi starymi pannami, c.) osobami nietrwałymi w swoich poglądach. Ten dziwaczny zbiór achów i ochów o trzystu stronach całkowicie zepsuł mi przyjemność (ostatecznie nieprzyjemność) czytania :/
May 19, 2025
I’m calling it quits. I started this over a year ago and can’t bring myself to read all the stories as much as I love Anne Shirley. This collection of stories isn’t actually about the Blythes, but rather people who know them. Every single story mentions them multiple times and it’s very repetitive. Interspersed with the stories are poems and I totally skipped every single one, not being a person who likes poetry. I’ll keep this in my personal library just because the cover is pretty and I have every book in the series, but I can’t see myself picking it up ever again.
May 6, 2021
There’s no denying how war shaped this book both in tone and content. Although it still feels like Montgomery’s writing at heart, there is a particular kind of sadness and/or cynicism undergirding much of it. I enjoyed most of the short stories well enough, but much preferred the interspersed sections of poetry and Blythe family dialogue.
January 1, 2023
Zajęło mi to za dużo czasu. Kupiłam książkę chyba w 2011, przez lata zaczynałam. Teraz ja przemordowałam. To nie jest Montgomert, Ania jaką bym chciała. Tu prawie nie ma Ani... szkoda. Ale jestem szczęśliwa że wreszcie znika z mojego TBR.
March 17, 2020
3.5/5 stars
The Blythes Are Quoted is the ninth Anne novel and is told in two parts, the first taking place before World War I (and prior to Rilla of Ingleside) and the second taking place after World War I (and after Rilla of Ingleside). The novel is a collection of short stories and vignettes in which Anne is reading poetry to her family, either written by herself or by Walter (Walter’s poems are in the second half only).
The tone of the novel is bleaker, more dramatic, and more scandalous than any of the other novels I’ve read by L.M. Montgomery (and I’ve read 23/25). It should also be noted that none of the short stories feature the Blythe family (or the Meredith family) as main characters, and the novel is aptly title because often the characters in the short stories are quoting or talking of the Blythe family. The short stories were pretty miss for me, the only one I particularly enjoyed being Brother Beware. In contrast, I really did enjoy the vignettes, I loved having a bit of insight into the everyday life of Anne and her family before and after the events of Rilla of Ingleside and getting a peek into what has become of her children. I’m not much of a poetry reader, but I could appreciate most of the poetry in this novel. My heart really goes out to the mothers of this time period, especially those who had to watch their sons go to war and then their grandsons soon after.
The Blythes Are Quoted is the ninth Anne novel and is told in two parts, the first taking place before World War I (and prior to Rilla of Ingleside) and the second taking place after World War I (and after Rilla of Ingleside). The novel is a collection of short stories and vignettes in which Anne is reading poetry to her family, either written by herself or by Walter (Walter’s poems are in the second half only).
The tone of the novel is bleaker, more dramatic, and more scandalous than any of the other novels I’ve read by L.M. Montgomery (and I’ve read 23/25). It should also be noted that none of the short stories feature the Blythe family (or the Meredith family) as main characters, and the novel is aptly title because often the characters in the short stories are quoting or talking of the Blythe family. The short stories were pretty miss for me, the only one I particularly enjoyed being Brother Beware. In contrast, I really did enjoy the vignettes, I loved having a bit of insight into the everyday life of Anne and her family before and after the events of Rilla of Ingleside and getting a peek into what has become of her children. I’m not much of a poetry reader, but I could appreciate most of the poetry in this novel. My heart really goes out to the mothers of this time period, especially those who had to watch their sons go to war and then their grandsons soon after.
March 21, 2025
March 2025 reread:
I enjoyed this immensely. The alternation of stories, poems, and interludes with the Blythe family was delightful. Granted, I sympathize a bit with characters who declare they do not want to hear another word about the Blythes! What are they, the royal family? I have always balked at the suggestion throughout the Anne series, and LMM's work in general, that an imaginative person naturally is popular and wise as well.
I still do not like Anne in this one. I know her devastation about Walter has understandably shadowed her life, but the point of her character is that she is able to keep her joy and zest despite her suffering. Perhaps LMM is saying that war can crush even the most valiant of spirits.
Still, some of LMM's best work lies in this book. The stories feel less set up than many in other volumes, wonderful though they still are. Brother Beware is one of my favorites and reminds me of The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's.
Now I must reread the whole Anne series.
***
2010
This book should really be called 'Cynical Anne and the Merry Blythes.'
Don't get me wrong-I love the book as a whole, but I really don't like Anne in it. All she does is sigh and say things any world-weary woman might say. I know losing a son would be terrible and haunting, but Anne has lost the things that once made her so lovable and inspiring-her cheerful, dreamy optimism and fanciful speeches. From Anne of the Island on she gets increasingly 'normal.'
But on the whole this book was highly enjoyable. I liked the stories and the poems, and it's interesting because I tended to like Anne's poems more than Walter's, finding hers more fluid and less redundant. And I also liked reading all the references to the Blythe family and the interludes between the poems. It's really mostly 'others are quoted about the Blythes'.
The Blythes are Quoted is definitely one I will revisit. Though dear Anne is gone, the others characters, old and new, make up for that. But I do wish there had been some mentions of Marilla and Rachel Lynde, as well as Diana Wright.
I enjoyed this immensely. The alternation of stories, poems, and interludes with the Blythe family was delightful. Granted, I sympathize a bit with characters who declare they do not want to hear another word about the Blythes! What are they, the royal family? I have always balked at the suggestion throughout the Anne series, and LMM's work in general, that an imaginative person naturally is popular and wise as well.
I still do not like Anne in this one. I know her devastation about Walter has understandably shadowed her life, but the point of her character is that she is able to keep her joy and zest despite her suffering. Perhaps LMM is saying that war can crush even the most valiant of spirits.
Still, some of LMM's best work lies in this book. The stories feel less set up than many in other volumes, wonderful though they still are. Brother Beware is one of my favorites and reminds me of The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's.
Now I must reread the whole Anne series.
***
2010
This book should really be called 'Cynical Anne and the Merry Blythes.'
Don't get me wrong-I love the book as a whole, but I really don't like Anne in it. All she does is sigh and say things any world-weary woman might say. I know losing a son would be terrible and haunting, but Anne has lost the things that once made her so lovable and inspiring-her cheerful, dreamy optimism and fanciful speeches. From Anne of the Island on she gets increasingly 'normal.'
But on the whole this book was highly enjoyable. I liked the stories and the poems, and it's interesting because I tended to like Anne's poems more than Walter's, finding hers more fluid and less redundant. And I also liked reading all the references to the Blythe family and the interludes between the poems. It's really mostly 'others are quoted about the Blythes'.
The Blythes are Quoted is definitely one I will revisit. Though dear Anne is gone, the others characters, old and new, make up for that. But I do wish there had been some mentions of Marilla and Rachel Lynde, as well as Diana Wright.
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