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Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories: 1905-1906
Lucy Maud Montgomery, (always called "Maud" by family and friends) and publicly known as L. M. Montgomery, (1874-1942) was a Canadian author, best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables (1908). In 1893, following the completion of her grade school education in Cavendish, she attended Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown. Completing a two year program in one year, she obtained her teaching certificate. In 1895 and 1896 she studied literature at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After working as a teacher in various island schools, in 1898 Montgomery moved back to Cavendish. For a short time in 1901 and 1902 she worked in Halifax for the newspapers Chronicle and Echo. She returned to live with and care for her grandmother in 1902. Montgomery was inspired to write her first books during this time on Prince Edward Island. Her works include: The Story Girl (1911), Chronicles of Avonlea (1912), The Golden Road (1913), Anne of the Island (1915), Anne's House of Dreams (1917), Rainbow Valley (1919), Further Chronicles of Avonlea (1920) and Rilla of Ingleside (1921).
250 pages, Paperback
First published July 29, 2009
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About the author
L.M. Montgomery
1,861 books13.2k 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 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 4, 2020
Please do note that this here and frustrating one star rating is not in ANY manner, in ANY way meant to be a negative or critical comment on L.M. Montgomery's fiction, on her writing in and of itself (as for the most part, the included stories featured in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories: 1905-1906) generally deserve from three to five stars), but solely on the annoyingly and supremely user-unfriendly way in which Dodo Press has presented and published them.
Now when I first became aware of the Dodo Press Montgomery short stories series (six books in all) I was excited, because from the presented titles it appeared as though the tales would hopefully (and I was actually counting on likely) be arranged chronologically. However, while the short fiction contained in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories: 1905-1906 are indeed those stories penned by L.M. Montgomery from 1905-1906, the actual tales and anecdotes themselves seem to have been arranged rather in random (and therefore not in chronological) order. So if you were, if you are looking forward to finally being able to read L.M. Montgomery's short stories in actual order of time specific appearance, this fact will make your desire considerably more difficult to achieve.
However and the above having been said, what I personally find even more problematic with regard to this here compilation (as well as with ALL of the other volumes in the Dodo Press L.M. Montgomery Short Stories series), is the lack of ANY type of usable table of contents. For while both the stories and their dates of appearance are listed (albeit in random order) at the beginning of the book, Dodo Press somehow and strangely has then not deemed it necessary to also supply the actual starting pages for the stories. And therefore, if you desire to read a particular story, or if you are actually trying to read the tales chronologically (in order of actual date of appearance), you will need to guess on which page a given piece of fiction in fact and indeed commences. And truthfully, I really do not even remotely understand why Dodo Press could not have arranged the stories by year and month of appearance, and it is simply unacceptable that the table of contents is so user-unfriendly (as not supplying the starting pages of the stories, sorry, but for me that is an almost unforgivable and massively anger-producing shortcoming and makes Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories: 1905-1906 really only enjoyable and useful if you basically start at the beginning and then read straight through, as trying to flip through pages upon pages to guess where a certain and particular tale starts is both tediously time consuming and really also totally annoying).
And furthermore, the Dodo Press L.M. Montgomery short stories collections are also not going to be of much if ANY use to and for those readers wishing to utilise the books for academic (read research) based purposes, as there are neither introductions nor is any of the source material listed. Now presented introductions would have been beneficial (appreciated), but also not really absoultely required, but Dodo Press should really have listed the diverse magazines, journals etc. in which these stories originally appeared. Now I still enjoyed the reading time spent with and on Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories: 1905-1906, but the set-up is certainly a major disappointment, and I feel that I should at least warn other fans of L.M. Montgomery's fiction about the many shortcomings of this particular series. And while I do now realise that Dodo Press has probably just taken these stories from free online sites such As Project Gutenberg, that still does NOT in any way excuse the user unfriendly print format I have encountered.
And yes, I could just as easily (and of course also much more cheaply) have downloaded the featured L.M. Montgomery tales from Project Gutenberg and then formatted them myself. However, since I obtained this Dodo Press series as traditional paper format printed books (and they were also a much appreciated gift), I can and do (or at least I should be able to) expect a reader and user friendly format, and this simply does not ever materialise. And potential readers should also be aware that ALL of the Dodo Press books of L.M. Montgomery's short stories do seem to have the exact same issues, are similarly constructed (random chronological order, a patently unusable table of contents and with no publication information, period). And frankly, if you are indeed actively interested in L.M. Montgomery's short fiction, you should probably either download them from free online sources (there are many possibilities, from Project Gutenberg to even various Kindle and other e-book freebies), or much better yet (in my humble opinion), seriously consider the late great Rea Wilmshurt's spectacular collection (the eight books might not contain every short story L.M. Montgomery ever penned, but the individual tomes are extensive, thematic, beautifully structured, and ALWAYS do include an introduction as well as the relevant source materials and available publication information).
Now when I first became aware of the Dodo Press Montgomery short stories series (six books in all) I was excited, because from the presented titles it appeared as though the tales would hopefully (and I was actually counting on likely) be arranged chronologically. However, while the short fiction contained in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories: 1905-1906 are indeed those stories penned by L.M. Montgomery from 1905-1906, the actual tales and anecdotes themselves seem to have been arranged rather in random (and therefore not in chronological) order. So if you were, if you are looking forward to finally being able to read L.M. Montgomery's short stories in actual order of time specific appearance, this fact will make your desire considerably more difficult to achieve.
However and the above having been said, what I personally find even more problematic with regard to this here compilation (as well as with ALL of the other volumes in the Dodo Press L.M. Montgomery Short Stories series), is the lack of ANY type of usable table of contents. For while both the stories and their dates of appearance are listed (albeit in random order) at the beginning of the book, Dodo Press somehow and strangely has then not deemed it necessary to also supply the actual starting pages for the stories. And therefore, if you desire to read a particular story, or if you are actually trying to read the tales chronologically (in order of actual date of appearance), you will need to guess on which page a given piece of fiction in fact and indeed commences. And truthfully, I really do not even remotely understand why Dodo Press could not have arranged the stories by year and month of appearance, and it is simply unacceptable that the table of contents is so user-unfriendly (as not supplying the starting pages of the stories, sorry, but for me that is an almost unforgivable and massively anger-producing shortcoming and makes Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories: 1905-1906 really only enjoyable and useful if you basically start at the beginning and then read straight through, as trying to flip through pages upon pages to guess where a certain and particular tale starts is both tediously time consuming and really also totally annoying).
And furthermore, the Dodo Press L.M. Montgomery short stories collections are also not going to be of much if ANY use to and for those readers wishing to utilise the books for academic (read research) based purposes, as there are neither introductions nor is any of the source material listed. Now presented introductions would have been beneficial (appreciated), but also not really absoultely required, but Dodo Press should really have listed the diverse magazines, journals etc. in which these stories originally appeared. Now I still enjoyed the reading time spent with and on Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories: 1905-1906, but the set-up is certainly a major disappointment, and I feel that I should at least warn other fans of L.M. Montgomery's fiction about the many shortcomings of this particular series. And while I do now realise that Dodo Press has probably just taken these stories from free online sites such As Project Gutenberg, that still does NOT in any way excuse the user unfriendly print format I have encountered.
And yes, I could just as easily (and of course also much more cheaply) have downloaded the featured L.M. Montgomery tales from Project Gutenberg and then formatted them myself. However, since I obtained this Dodo Press series as traditional paper format printed books (and they were also a much appreciated gift), I can and do (or at least I should be able to) expect a reader and user friendly format, and this simply does not ever materialise. And potential readers should also be aware that ALL of the Dodo Press books of L.M. Montgomery's short stories do seem to have the exact same issues, are similarly constructed (random chronological order, a patently unusable table of contents and with no publication information, period). And frankly, if you are indeed actively interested in L.M. Montgomery's short fiction, you should probably either download them from free online sources (there are many possibilities, from Project Gutenberg to even various Kindle and other e-book freebies), or much better yet (in my humble opinion), seriously consider the late great Rea Wilmshurt's spectacular collection (the eight books might not contain every short story L.M. Montgomery ever penned, but the individual tomes are extensive, thematic, beautifully structured, and ALWAYS do include an introduction as well as the relevant source materials and available publication information).
May 10, 2019
Always a pleasure reading Montgomery. However, in some of her stories she repeats almost the same formula, which somewhat dampens the effect, but still, a great and enjoyable read.
April 13, 2018
As you might be aware, Lucy Maud Montgomery is one of my favourite authors and I have set myself the challenge to read all of her works. I have read quite a few already and I really enjoy her writing. It is sweet yet covers so many grave issues, the characters are for the most part very endearing and often have a secret side or trait of character that we discover in the story. I just love it.
Somehow I was a bit disappointed by this short story collection. A couple of stories were quite unique, but most of them seem to be a repeat of a set story line with slightly different characters and settings. Maybe she was having a bad year then.
Somehow I was a bit disappointed by this short story collection. A couple of stories were quite unique, but most of them seem to be a repeat of a set story line with slightly different characters and settings. Maybe she was having a bad year then.
October 1, 2024
5 stars. I love how Montgomery writes stories that are so sweet and funny and happy. Most of the stories in this collection would fall in that category. Even the few romantic ones are funny (except for “The Wooing of Bessy,” I think!). There’s some very good thoughts in here, like “Clorinda’s Gifts”—what a lovely reminder! This is another collection I wouldn’t mind letting younger siblings read, with perhaps a little editing & the removal of one story.
I. A Correspondence & a Climax
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
II. An Adventure on Island Rock
4 stars. Mr. Richard Lawson is planning to sell his Newfoundland, Laddie… the only friend of little Ernest Hughes, the orphan hired boy. Nothing Ernest can say will change his mind, but perhaps an adventure of Mr. Lawson’s nephew Ned on the treacherous Island Rock will alter the course of Laddie’s destiny as well as Ned’s…
This is a sweet, heartwarming little story, which reminds me a little bit of How Don Was Saved. Dog lovers, here’s another dog story free of death and full of excitement.
III. At Five O’Clock in the Morning
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
IV. Aunt Susanna’s Birthday Celebration
3.7 stars (4/10 hearts). Poor old Aunt Susanna feels pretty much good for nothing… until Anne Douglas and Gilbert Martin, who were just made for each other, have a terrible lovers’ quarrel and both leave town. Can Aunt Susanna’s wisdom of eighty years suggest a way to bring the two young fools back together?
This is maybe the ancestor to Anne Shirley + Gilbert Blythe’s romance? Although thankfully, both Anne & Gilbert in THAT series have more sense than the two in this story. However, it's a sweet little second-hand romance. Most of all, I love Aunt Susanna (she reminds me a little of Aunt Jamesina) and the epistolary style of the story. So well done!
V. Bertie’s New Year
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
VI. Between the Hill & the Valley
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
VII. Clorinda’s Gifts
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
VIII. Cyrilla’s Inspiration
5 stars. I always think this is a Christmas story… perhaps I confuse it with Clorinda’s Gifts, or no, probably with A Christmas Inspiration. But it’s not, it’s just a sweet, simple little story about a rainy afternoon and a bunch of young women who decide to cheer up their fellow boarders by writing them a good, happy letter.
It’s such a heartwarming tale, and carries such a good message!! I just love it. The girls are so sweet and fun, and all the minor characters captivate me somehow...
IX. Dorinda’s Desperate Deed
4.7 stars (5/10 hearts). Dorinda’s family is struggling desperately, and Uncle Eugene has never offered a cent of the inheritance money he was supposed to share with them. Dorinda’s mother is certain it would be of no use to ask, but Dorinda will not let herself be frightened by Uncle Eugene’s probable hatred…
Once again, a tale about a crotchety but rich old man/uncle and a brave, enterprising young person, reminding me slightly of Elizabeth’s Child and a couple other tales. Dorinda is an amazing girl, so bracing and inspiring, and the whole story is just adorable and funny. And I loved her family!
X. Her Own People
4.7 stars (5/10 hearts). Young Constance Foster is seething in bitterness and hatred. The school year has ended and she intends to hunt up a horrid old boarding-house and mope until autumn. But Miss Channing insists she must go to beautiful Pine Valley and try to open her heart. Constance has no intention of doing anything of the sort, but she falls in love with the place in spite of herself, and perhaps it will prove to carry even more lovely surprises…
Aww... this story. <33 It’s so sweet! I’ve loved it since the first time I read it in Akin to Anne. I really like Constance, despite her gloom… she’s somewhat relatable to me, in my depressive moments… and as for Aunt Flora & Uncle Henry, they’re just so wonderful! And Miss Channing, I mustn’t forget her—she’s darling. I love the setting, the descriptions, the message… and
XI. Ida’s New Year Cake
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XII. In the Old Valley
5 stars. An old, successful businessman returns to his home valley, pondering over how it—and he—have changed since he left decades ago. There’s little left in life for him, because he has spent all of himself for gold and left nothing for love. But what if a faithful old friend remains in the old valley?
I mix this one up with The Redemption of John Churchill, I think, but I love it so much. It might be my favourite Montgomery short story ever. <33 It is simply beautiful, and so full of truth! Such a good message, and such awesome characters. It’s small, but so good.
XIII. Jane Lavinia
5 stars. Jane Lavinia’s being raised by her Aunt Rebecca, and along with all the little annoyances of an artistic spirit rubbing against a practical one, there’s no love to smooth the bumps—on Aunt Rebecca’s side anyways. So when the opportunity comes for Jane Lavinia to pursue her artistic ambitions, she jumps at the chance…
Sweet Jane Lavinia! I love her so much. This story is written so well and the plot is excellent. It’s just perfectly heartwarming. <33
XIV. Mackereling Out in the Gulf
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XV. Millicent’s Double
3.5 stars (3/10 hearts). A very simple, short, fun little story about two girls who look like enough to be twins, and the surprise that occurs when they prank a friend by pretending Worth is Millicent.
XVI. The Blue North Room
5 stars. I confuse this one with Missy’s Room but it’s even better. I absolutely LOVE the amazing family relationships, the excellent message, the great humour, and the awesome plot—as well as the vivid characters! Montgomery at her best with this tale of poor siblings taking in a lonely old aunt despite the cost.
XVII. The Christmas Surprise at Enderly Road
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XVIII. The Dissipation of Miss Ponsonby
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XIX. The Falsoms' Christmas Dinner
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XX. The Fraser Scholarship
4 stars. A very short story but with a great message. Elliott is a brick.
XXI. The Girl at the Gate
1 star. Ghost story... not for me.
XXII. The Light on the Big Dipper
4.7 stars (5/10 hearts). Mary Margaret is alone on the island with little sister Nelly… but the lighthouse is flying an emergency signal and the storm is blowing up! Mary Margaret’s story reminds me a little of Natty of Blue Point. She’s is such a cute, smart little thing! I love the message of the story and the whole thing is so sweet and good.
XXIII. The Prodigal Brother
4.5 stars (4/10 hearts). Miss Hannah has waited for her brother’s return for two decades, always convinced he’d come back rich and famous to take her away. Her neighbours do their best to disabuse her… until her brother returns. Aww, how sweet it is... didn't end how I expected it to, but it was perfect. :) Should really be a better known story!
XXIV. The Redemption of John Churchill
5 stars. John Churchill’s been in the penitentiary, and no one wants anything to do with him. Eaten with bitterness, John determines to leave and probably go to the dogs, but first he has to see his son—though the boy probably hates him, right?
Such a touching story about redemption and true love! <3 Little Joey was a sweetheart and I'm so glad John listened to him.
XXV. The Schoolmaster’s Letter
4 stars. The first time I read this, I found it gorgeous, imaginative, dreamy, & romantic. Now, I think it’s a little bit overdone. The schoolteacher, at any rate… I’d get really annoyed getting those kind of sickly-sweet Victorian love letters. The schoolteacher and Una were a lovely pair though.
Content: 1 kiss mentioned.
XXVI. The Story of Uncle Dick
4 stars. Wonderful old Uncle Dick is likely the forerunner of Captain Jim in Anne’s House of Dreams, I think, and he reminds me just a little of the Awkward Man in The Golden Road somehow… There was also a bit of Kilmeny of the Orchard feel to the story. Anyways, his garden sounds absolutely phenomenal. And his romance is sweet and sad. He and his Rose were a wonderful pair. It’s a very sweet, quiet, delightful little story. <3
XXVII. The Understanding of Sister Sara
4 stars. So Beatrice is a goose, and so’s her young man. But Sara is amazing. Montgomery has several stories about much older sisters raising or living with younger sisters, and this one is really good. It’s a cute, funny little story with a great heroine. ;)
XXVIII. The Unforgotten One
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XXIX. The Wooing of Bessy
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XXX. Their Girl Josie
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XXXI. When Jack & Jill Took a Hand
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
I. A Correspondence & a Climax
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
II. An Adventure on Island Rock
4 stars. Mr. Richard Lawson is planning to sell his Newfoundland, Laddie… the only friend of little Ernest Hughes, the orphan hired boy. Nothing Ernest can say will change his mind, but perhaps an adventure of Mr. Lawson’s nephew Ned on the treacherous Island Rock will alter the course of Laddie’s destiny as well as Ned’s…
This is a sweet, heartwarming little story, which reminds me a little bit of How Don Was Saved. Dog lovers, here’s another dog story free of death and full of excitement.
III. At Five O’Clock in the Morning
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
IV. Aunt Susanna’s Birthday Celebration
3.7 stars (4/10 hearts). Poor old Aunt Susanna feels pretty much good for nothing… until Anne Douglas and Gilbert Martin, who were just made for each other, have a terrible lovers’ quarrel and both leave town. Can Aunt Susanna’s wisdom of eighty years suggest a way to bring the two young fools back together?
This is maybe the ancestor to Anne Shirley + Gilbert Blythe’s romance? Although thankfully, both Anne & Gilbert in THAT series have more sense than the two in this story. However, it's a sweet little second-hand romance. Most of all, I love Aunt Susanna (she reminds me a little of Aunt Jamesina) and the epistolary style of the story. So well done!
V. Bertie’s New Year
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
VI. Between the Hill & the Valley
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
VII. Clorinda’s Gifts
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
VIII. Cyrilla’s Inspiration
5 stars. I always think this is a Christmas story… perhaps I confuse it with Clorinda’s Gifts, or no, probably with A Christmas Inspiration. But it’s not, it’s just a sweet, simple little story about a rainy afternoon and a bunch of young women who decide to cheer up their fellow boarders by writing them a good, happy letter.
It’s such a heartwarming tale, and carries such a good message!! I just love it. The girls are so sweet and fun, and all the minor characters captivate me somehow...
IX. Dorinda’s Desperate Deed
4.7 stars (5/10 hearts). Dorinda’s family is struggling desperately, and Uncle Eugene has never offered a cent of the inheritance money he was supposed to share with them. Dorinda’s mother is certain it would be of no use to ask, but Dorinda will not let herself be frightened by Uncle Eugene’s probable hatred…
Once again, a tale about a crotchety but rich old man/uncle and a brave, enterprising young person, reminding me slightly of Elizabeth’s Child and a couple other tales. Dorinda is an amazing girl, so bracing and inspiring, and the whole story is just adorable and funny. And I loved her family!
X. Her Own People
4.7 stars (5/10 hearts). Young Constance Foster is seething in bitterness and hatred. The school year has ended and she intends to hunt up a horrid old boarding-house and mope until autumn. But Miss Channing insists she must go to beautiful Pine Valley and try to open her heart. Constance has no intention of doing anything of the sort, but she falls in love with the place in spite of herself, and perhaps it will prove to carry even more lovely surprises…
Aww... this story. <33 It’s so sweet! I’ve loved it since the first time I read it in Akin to Anne. I really like Constance, despite her gloom… she’s somewhat relatable to me, in my depressive moments… and as for Aunt Flora & Uncle Henry, they’re just so wonderful! And Miss Channing, I mustn’t forget her—she’s darling. I love the setting, the descriptions, the message… and
XI. Ida’s New Year Cake
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XII. In the Old Valley
5 stars. An old, successful businessman returns to his home valley, pondering over how it—and he—have changed since he left decades ago. There’s little left in life for him, because he has spent all of himself for gold and left nothing for love. But what if a faithful old friend remains in the old valley?
I mix this one up with The Redemption of John Churchill, I think, but I love it so much. It might be my favourite Montgomery short story ever. <33 It is simply beautiful, and so full of truth! Such a good message, and such awesome characters. It’s small, but so good.
XIII. Jane Lavinia
5 stars. Jane Lavinia’s being raised by her Aunt Rebecca, and along with all the little annoyances of an artistic spirit rubbing against a practical one, there’s no love to smooth the bumps—on Aunt Rebecca’s side anyways. So when the opportunity comes for Jane Lavinia to pursue her artistic ambitions, she jumps at the chance…
Sweet Jane Lavinia! I love her so much. This story is written so well and the plot is excellent. It’s just perfectly heartwarming. <33
XIV. Mackereling Out in the Gulf
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XV. Millicent’s Double
3.5 stars (3/10 hearts). A very simple, short, fun little story about two girls who look like enough to be twins, and the surprise that occurs when they prank a friend by pretending Worth is Millicent.
XVI. The Blue North Room
5 stars. I confuse this one with Missy’s Room but it’s even better. I absolutely LOVE the amazing family relationships, the excellent message, the great humour, and the awesome plot—as well as the vivid characters! Montgomery at her best with this tale of poor siblings taking in a lonely old aunt despite the cost.
XVII. The Christmas Surprise at Enderly Road
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XVIII. The Dissipation of Miss Ponsonby
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XIX. The Falsoms' Christmas Dinner
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XX. The Fraser Scholarship
4 stars. A very short story but with a great message. Elliott is a brick.
XXI. The Girl at the Gate
1 star. Ghost story... not for me.
XXII. The Light on the Big Dipper
4.7 stars (5/10 hearts). Mary Margaret is alone on the island with little sister Nelly… but the lighthouse is flying an emergency signal and the storm is blowing up! Mary Margaret’s story reminds me a little of Natty of Blue Point. She’s is such a cute, smart little thing! I love the message of the story and the whole thing is so sweet and good.
XXIII. The Prodigal Brother
4.5 stars (4/10 hearts). Miss Hannah has waited for her brother’s return for two decades, always convinced he’d come back rich and famous to take her away. Her neighbours do their best to disabuse her… until her brother returns. Aww, how sweet it is... didn't end how I expected it to, but it was perfect. :) Should really be a better known story!
XXIV. The Redemption of John Churchill
5 stars. John Churchill’s been in the penitentiary, and no one wants anything to do with him. Eaten with bitterness, John determines to leave and probably go to the dogs, but first he has to see his son—though the boy probably hates him, right?
Such a touching story about redemption and true love! <3 Little Joey was a sweetheart and I'm so glad John listened to him.
XXV. The Schoolmaster’s Letter
4 stars. The first time I read this, I found it gorgeous, imaginative, dreamy, & romantic. Now, I think it’s a little bit overdone. The schoolteacher, at any rate… I’d get really annoyed getting those kind of sickly-sweet Victorian love letters. The schoolteacher and Una were a lovely pair though.
Content: 1 kiss mentioned.
XXVI. The Story of Uncle Dick
4 stars. Wonderful old Uncle Dick is likely the forerunner of Captain Jim in Anne’s House of Dreams, I think, and he reminds me just a little of the Awkward Man in The Golden Road somehow… There was also a bit of Kilmeny of the Orchard feel to the story. Anyways, his garden sounds absolutely phenomenal. And his romance is sweet and sad. He and his Rose were a wonderful pair. It’s a very sweet, quiet, delightful little story. <3
XXVII. The Understanding of Sister Sara
4 stars. So Beatrice is a goose, and so’s her young man. But Sara is amazing. Montgomery has several stories about much older sisters raising or living with younger sisters, and this one is really good. It’s a cute, funny little story with a great heroine. ;)
XXVIII. The Unforgotten One
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XXIX. The Wooing of Bessy
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XXX. Their Girl Josie
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
XXXI. When Jack & Jill Took a Hand
Click the title to see my review on the story’s page.
January 8, 2023
L.M. Montgomery is a genius. Probably many people have said that, but I mean it. I've been absorbing all her short stories over the past four days, and though I like the 'him-her' ones best, they're all fantastic.
In the later ones there's hints of Anne's House of Dreams and Anne of Avonlea, and even an entire chapter from Anne of Green Gables, but I don't mind. And wouldn't it be funny if that 'short story' is what prompted all of Anne?
The stories are from 1899 to 1928, and there are certain threads that pass through all of them. There's the Christmassy stories— making Christmas cheerful for someone who can't afford it, women-haters or man-haters who become reconciled to the opposite sex in time, old maids getting married, long-lost loves that come back, orphans who find a family member after all (rich, at times), and all sorts of absolutely delicious things.
In the later ones there's hints of Anne's House of Dreams and Anne of Avonlea, and even an entire chapter from Anne of Green Gables, but I don't mind. And wouldn't it be funny if that 'short story' is what prompted all of Anne?
The stories are from 1899 to 1928, and there are certain threads that pass through all of them. There's the Christmassy stories— making Christmas cheerful for someone who can't afford it, women-haters or man-haters who become reconciled to the opposite sex in time, old maids getting married, long-lost loves that come back, orphans who find a family member after all (rich, at times), and all sorts of absolutely delicious things.
May 20, 2011
More lovely short stories.
"books make very excellent comrades for people who know how to treat them"
"while friendship doesn't take the place of the love of one's own people, still it is a good and beautiful thing. Besides, there are other unhappy people in the world--try to help them when you meet them, and you'll forget about yourself."
"My dear child, the average woman is quite good enough for the average man. If she can cook his meals decently and keep his buttons sewed on and doesn't nag him he will think that life is a pretty comfortable affair."
"books make very excellent comrades for people who know how to treat them"
"while friendship doesn't take the place of the love of one's own people, still it is a good and beautiful thing. Besides, there are other unhappy people in the world--try to help them when you meet them, and you'll forget about yourself."
"My dear child, the average woman is quite good enough for the average man. If she can cook his meals decently and keep his buttons sewed on and doesn't nag him he will think that life is a pretty comfortable affair."
September 7, 2015
These tend to get a little repetitive in that she uses the same basic storyline fairly frequently while changing some of the details. Still a pleasant read when I am in the mood for stories that end happily ever after.
December 16, 2020
I'd read most of these before (I found it because I wanted a reread of Clarissa's Christmas story), but they were all enjoyable in Maud's way.
November 20, 2015
"Hayden, I thought you said you were taking a Montgomery break?"
Yes, well, I then found out about the Lucy Maude Montgomery Week being hosted by Eva, and I decided to go ahead and finish all six short story collections-after all, I was already half through already, and it would make a good post for the blog event.
See, a very legitimate excuse.
One thing about this book that is different from the collections thus far is the names-- you can definitely tell that Montgomery is coming into Anne-writing-time. We have a couple named Anne and Gilbert, a place named Ingleside, and even a character named Josie Pye. This one is also a little bit longer, so there are more stories.
My favorite stories were "The Dissipation of Miss Ponsonby" (in which you'll see a story very similar to one episode in a later Anne book), "The Redemption of John Churchill," "The Unforgotten One," "The Wooing of Bessy," and "When Jack and Jill Took a Hand."
So while none of the stories blew me away, there were a quite a few--more than most of the other collections--that were a bit "different" than the others and stood out to me.
Yes, well, I then found out about the Lucy Maude Montgomery Week being hosted by Eva, and I decided to go ahead and finish all six short story collections-after all, I was already half through already, and it would make a good post for the blog event.
See, a very legitimate excuse.
One thing about this book that is different from the collections thus far is the names-- you can definitely tell that Montgomery is coming into Anne-writing-time. We have a couple named Anne and Gilbert, a place named Ingleside, and even a character named Josie Pye. This one is also a little bit longer, so there are more stories.
My favorite stories were "The Dissipation of Miss Ponsonby" (in which you'll see a story very similar to one episode in a later Anne book), "The Redemption of John Churchill," "The Unforgotten One," "The Wooing of Bessy," and "When Jack and Jill Took a Hand."
So while none of the stories blew me away, there were a quite a few--more than most of the other collections--that were a bit "different" than the others and stood out to me.
January 5, 2013
It is really fun to see character names (Anne, Gilbert, Walter Shirley), and even place names (Ingleside) pop up in these short stories. You really get the sense that these were LMM's practice stories for writing the Anne series, and each one of these short stories is every bit as lovely as her longer books. If you're looking for something simple to check out at the end of a long day, these are delightful to read in bed.
December 30, 2011
I've been listening to these on Librivox. Some of the readers are great and some aren't. But I've been enjoying them. I really like seeing which snippets of stories ended up in which book and which name ended up with which character.
April 4, 2016
You can tell that Montgomery had a collection of names and plots that she revisited often, since many of the storylines and characters in these short stories will be familiar to anyone who has read her full-length novels. A quick and easy read of old fashioned stories.
June 18, 2018
A lovely trip back to a simpler time
If you would like to escape for a little time to a world where gentlemen courted ladies by walking them home from church, this is your book. And since it is in short story form, it is good to read just before dozing off... Sweet dreams!
If you would like to escape for a little time to a world where gentlemen courted ladies by walking them home from church, this is your book. And since it is in short story form, it is good to read just before dozing off... Sweet dreams!
March 2, 2012
Not bad...became very predictable towards the end though.
February 10, 2012
Really sweet, well written and interesting. Although after awhile the tragedies began to be a bit predictable.
July 25, 2013
I took a break from reading these short story collections but like the others, this was an enjoyable read and amusing to see what she came back to/reused in future stories.
January 7, 2014
I still love reading an L.M. Montgomery book once in a while. She's really predictable, but I just love her writing. She was my favorite author in middle and high school.
July 29, 2017
These are great old fashioned stories. I enjoy listening to them!
January 6, 2023
Definitely not my favorite collection. A lot of dragging romance and overdone stuff, but there were some fun stuff, too.
August 16, 2023
Another sweet collection of short stories. As with most writers with a huge bibliography, you can see a lot of these themes and story beats in other short stories of Montgomery's and you definitely find some of these reworked into chapter segments in her various novels later on. While there was nothing surprising in any of these stories, I still really enjoyed them. Especially because so much of her writing is set at the seaside, and I was actually vacationing at the seaside as I read this, so it helped to bring my mind to the right place.
July 30, 2020
The author of Anne of Green Gables was a prolific writer as well as a talented one, and this collection of stories from 1905-1906 was her largest. I was delighted to narrate this audiobook edition and again immerse myself in the beauty of the Canadian Maritime Provinces and the gentleness of Montgomery's vision.
May 10, 2021
As lovely as usual.
I enjoy these old fashioned stories. Sweet happy endings. Though I do wonder what happens when they have to live real lives...but then they are all from normal real families so I suppose they will do.
I enjoy these old fashioned stories. Sweet happy endings. Though I do wonder what happens when they have to live real lives...but then they are all from normal real families so I suppose they will do.
June 22, 2021
Montgomery's short stories are like the flowers that are always included in them.
kindle
July 26, 2023SKW to BHW
September 23, 2023
Loved reading these when I was little and fun to read them again
May 29, 2024
Another sweet collection of short stories, mostly centered on love, finding family, and happy endings.
January 22, 2023
Delightful! I always adore her short story collections!
June 21, 2019
Lovely work
I was wonderful! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty! I am too lazy to think up twenty words for its praise, but it's wonderful!
I was wonderful! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty! I am too lazy to think up twenty words for its praise, but it's wonderful!
January 26, 2022
These are uplifting short stories that are very enjoyable.
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