kindredspiritsbuddyread

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

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My sole reason for reading this was the accusation that McCullough plagiarized L.M. Montgomery‘s “The Blue Castle.” And yep, there are an uncanny number of similarities between the two books. Personally, I don‘t think this one holds its own. I told a friend that it went beyond “discount Blue Castle” and became “Temu Blue Castle.” The parts that mirror Blue Castle do it worse—the way McCullough changes certain details of the plot weaken ⤵️

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …both the characters and the story. There are a couple of unique plot threads where Missalonghi differs from Blue Castle, and those were interesting…but overall, I was not a fan. Especially not a fan of the coarse, manipulative “romance” or the preposterous, nonsensical ending. I did want to know how everything turned out in the end, so it did keep me reading—but mostly in a “can‘t take my eyes off the train wreck” sort of way. ⤵️ 2d

BarbaraJean Thank you to the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead-ers who I subjected to this mess. I‘m sorry. Thanks for hanging in there and ranting about it with me! #LMMAdjacent 2d

TheAromaofBooks I'm still not over how bad this one was!! I ranted about it on Goodreads a little the other day 😂 In the process of doing that, part of what I realized was just how much I love Valancy and how taking control of her own life means doing things on her own terms - like actually helping a childhood friend. Missy just started telling people they were ugly and stupid and, literally in her own words, dressing like a whore. Just. Ugh. 1d

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julieclair @BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Yes yes yes! Having just moved into a new house, I haven‘t been spending time on Litsy, so haven‘t participated in the discussion, but your comments above mirror my thoughts exactly! 💯 1d

TheAromaofBooks @julieclair - Oh did you move?? Would you be okay with emailing me your new address? itsthegoodlife15 at gmail 😁 1d

rubyslippersreads Temu Blue Castle! 🤣 1d

33 likes6 comments

BarbaraJean

L. M. Montgomery's Complete Journals, the Ontario Years: 1926-1929 | Jen Rubio

This week we‘ve been reading LMM‘s journals from 1927—and the quote above seems apt! What stands out to you from this week‘s reading? (Other than the convos we‘ve already been having this week!) #LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks

TheKidUpstairs I really should try the Ontario years diaries. I live just down the way from Leaskdale! They have a wonderful LM Montgomery Society and a museum which runs lovely events and afternoon teas through the summer :) 2d

BarbaraJean @TheKidUpstairs How lovely!! It would be so interesting to read these having all the places nearby! 2d

BarbaraJean So often, LMM‘s critiques of religion (or specific sermons!) really resonate with me. I loved her take on Rev. Jackson on p. 152, and her account of the church with the mean usher who threatened to call the police because she stood in the aisle for a bit! (“Oh, no, it wasn‘t dull; but neither was it religion” p. 183-4) ⬇ (edited) 2d

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BarbaraJean “We went up to church tonight & heard the Rev Jackson display the mastery of the art of saying nothing in a sermon fifty minutes long. But I bothered myself very little about the Rev. J. The window was open and a soft rain was falling in the twilight and I thought of many things & felt very near God—but not the Rev. Jackson's God—who, according to the Rev. J.'s report, went into tantrums if anyone took a motor drive for pleasure on Sunday!“ (p152) 2d

BarbaraJean Also, the episode with the poor kitten made me ill, just as it did LMM. I was so glad to read later that she reported the boy to the Humane Society. Reminded me of Beautiful Joe! 2d

TheAromaofBooks I was also glad for the follow up on the kitten story - so horrific! I was also intrigued by the story of the lost item/heirloom that then reappeared later. Overall 1927 did seem much less stressful - still very busy, but not as many nagging worries, plus Ewan must have been well all year as she doesn't talk about his mental health really at all, which is a big change of pace. 2d

TheAromaofBooks I couldn't believe that the reason the church treasurer was on their side was because he had been embezzling money!! 😐 2d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Yes, the “reamer“! I was surprised how she said it was even more meaningful to her than the Woolner jug. I'm continually intrigued/puzzled by the way she talks about/doesn't talk about Ewan. He's such a background character in her journals, unless his mental health is unstable. The only appearance of note here was him being petty about her getting roses from the youth at church! 🙄 And YES, the treasurer—😳 And here I'd been ⬇ 2d

BarbaraJean (Cont'd)... thinking he was just a decent person who saw right through Marshall Pickering. I couldn't believe LMM & Ewan loaned him the money to cover it up!! 2d

lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks It really feels like Ewan is her roommate. They even go on separate vacations. 2d

lauraisntwilder I'm interested in Marigold showing up. I had already read the Anne, Emily, and Pat books (and Tangled Web) before starting the journals. I've noted things along the way that reminded me of one or the other of those. It's been interesting now to have the perspective flipped -- starting with The Blue Castle, I'm reading the novels and noticing her real life coming through, instead of seeing hints of the novels in her journals. 2d

TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder - I agree with the roommate assessment. There are times where they seem like they are comradely (when she talks about them traveling together or someone visiting that they both like), but most of the time it just seems like they are more along the lines of business partners than friends, which is sad. 1d

22 likes12 comments

LitsyEvents

Christmas with Anne: And Other Holiday Stories | Lucy Maud Montgomery

Join us for a #KindredSpiritsChristmas as the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead reads L.M. Montgomery's cozy holiday stories, one per day, Dec. 6-25.
Almost all the stories are available online (I'll post links as applicable), and all but the first four are in the tagged book.
(Dec. 10 is ch. 25 in Green Gables and Dec. 17 is chs. 5-6 in the “Second Year“ of Windy Poplars.)
All are welcome!
Via @BarbaraJean

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LitsyEvents

Emily's Quest | Lucy Maud Montgomery

Via @BarbaraJean

Next up in the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead:
✍🏻One week of LMM's journals
📓Two weeks reading Emily's Quest
✍🏻One more week to finish volume SIX of LMM's journals
🎄THEN: #KindredSpiritsChristmas! (schedule will be posted separately)

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BarbaraJean

Christmas with Anne: And Other Holiday Stories | Lucy Maud Montgomery

Join us for a #KindredSpiritsChristmas as the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead reads L.M. Montgomery‘s cozy holiday stories, one per day, Dec. 6-25.

Almost all the stories are available online (I‘ll post links as applicable), and all but the first four are in the tagged book. (Dec. 10 is ch. 25 in Green Gables and Dec. 17 is chs. 5-6 in the “Second Year” of Windy Poplars.)

All are welcome! Some past participants are tagged—comment if you‘d like to join!

BarbaraJean @AvidReader25, @rubyslippersreads, @quietjenn, @Daisey, @JenLovesJT47, @CogsOfEncouragement, @Prairiegirl_reading, @lauraisntwilder, @sblbooks, @TheAromaofBooks, @julieclair, @kwmg40, @LeahBergen, @Roary47, @LitsyEvents 1w

monalyisha Aw! Count this mood reader who can‘t be counted on “in!” Maybe. Please tag me, anyway. 😜 1w

BarbaraJean @monalyisha 😂 I‘ll add you to the no-pressure (but daily) tag list! 😁 1w

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monalyisha @BarbaraJean You‘re the best! 1w

Jerdencon I like this idea - I‘ll try to find the stories and join too! 1w

JenlovesJT47 Yay I so enjoyed this last year ❤️💚❤️ 1w

sblbooks I'm glad you're doing this again. I've really enjoyed this tradition the past few years. I'm in. 1w

Daisey Thanks for the tag, but I think I will be skipping this year. 1w

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! I tend to bounce in and out of these now that I've read all of them at least once, but keep me on the list for sure!! 1w

BarbaraJean @Jerdencon @JenlovesJT47 @sblbooks Yay! Glad to have you all reading along this year! 🎄 1w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks In past years, I didn‘t remember which stories went with which titles (for the most part—I always remember Aunt Cyrilla and her basket!!), but now they‘re starting to look familiar! Also, I added a couple “new” ones this year (not that weird Merryvale one from last year, but a couple others I hadn‘t seen before)—so keep an eye out on Dec. 8 & 9 😁 1w

BarbaraJean @monalyisha ☺️🤗 1w

AnneCecilie I might join in. It was very cozy reading these stories the first year 1w

BarbaraJean @AnneCecilie I'll tag you! Feel free to pop in and out or whatever works for you. 7d

32 likes14 comments

BarbaraJean

Emily's Quest | Lucy Maud Montgomery

Next up in the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead:
✍🏻One week of LMM‘s journals
📓Two weeks reading Emily‘s Quest
✍🏻One more week to finish volume SIX of LMM‘s journals
🎄THEN: #KindredSpiritsChristmas! (schedule will be posted separately)

I‘ve tagged my small list for #LMMJournals and Emily‘s Quest (Hi Sarah! Hi Laura!), but all are welcome! Let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be.

lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, LitsyEvents

BarbaraJean Wait, also tagging @kwmg40 for Emily‘s Quest! 1w

kwmg40 Thanks, I‘ll definitely be joining for Emily‘s Quest! 1w

BarbaraJean @kwmg40 Yay!! 🎉 1w

TheAromaofBooks Is it weird that I'm excited to get back into the journals? 😂 1w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks If it is, then I'm also weird. 😆 7d

32 likes5 comments

BarbaraJean

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

A couple more (non-Blue-Castle-related) questions:

Does Missy‘s journey ring true for you? Why or why not?

What did you think of the ending, and the reveal about the character of Una?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lauraisntwilder By the end, I didn't particularly like Missy. And that ending was ridiculous. 1w

rubyslippersreads What @lauraisntwilder said. 1w

TheAromaofBooks My other comments have probably revealed that I wasn't a fan of Missy 😂 And her journey did not really make any sense to me, honestly. The whole thing with Una at the end was absurd. And it left me kind of sad because it felt like Missy lost her one friend! 1w

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BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Like you, Sarah—to me Missy's journey didn't make sense. Her changed personality/actions don't make sense in the context of the plot. I hated her lying & manipulation and I hated the ending. The ending doesn't really make sense, either—it's inconsistent with the rest of the book! Una had tea with Missy & Drusilla & Octavia, she signs legal paperwork, but she's a ghost & invisible at the end? 🙄 7d

TheAromaofBooks And somehow now no one remembers her?! It just felt like lazy writing. And I'm still not over the way that we're supposed to believe that John Smith has fallen sooooo in love after whatever it was, two days or something, that he's going to be 100% cool when he finds out that Missy literally lied about EVERYTHING to get him to marry her! 7d

rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Una was right to advise Missy never to tell John Smith the truth. 😆 7d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Oh, I'm pretty certain he's not in love with her. He says pretty clearly (and very coarsely) that he changed his mind about Missy when he discovered she's good in bed. That ain't love... he's fallen sooooo in lust. 🙄 @rubyslippersreads is right, Una was right in her advice! She also should have told Missy to make sure she always puts out. That would be perfectly in line with his character, as written. ⬇ 7d

BarbaraJean Also, HOW does it make sense that John Smith's dead wife, who (according to him) was a terrible person who fought with him, cheated on him, and wouldn't let him “get his leg over“ decides to come back as his little matchmaker? They both thought the other was terrible, so why would she think he's a good match for anyone, let alone poor put-upon Missy Hurlingford? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. 7d

22 likes8 comments

BarbaraJean

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

The main difference between the two books is how the privileged Hurlingfords take advantage of the under-privileged women of the clan. What did you think of this part of the story—as Missy stands up for both herself and the disadvantaged women of the family?

What did you think of The Ladies of Missalonghi in its own right? Does it have merit on its own, apart from Blue Castle?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

rubyslippersreads I actually liked this part. The family menfolk were jerks in both books, but at least here, the women got the best of them. As for standing on its own merits, I wouldn‘t read this again. TBC, on the other hand, I will always reread. (edited) 1w

TheAromaofBooks Ugh, the Hurlingfords were SO unlikable. Who steals from old women?!? So I was glad that the old ladies all got some redemption and seemed to be better set for going forward. 1w

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Yes, I liked this part of the story, too. I enjoyed seeing the men get their comeuppance, and the women be provided for through Missy's efforts. I think it's the part of the book that works the best. My opinion of the book in its own right is still pretty low, however. 7d

15 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

What *differences* do you see between Ladies of Missalonghi and Blue Castle?

How do those differences impact the narrative?

How do those differences impact your view of each book?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lauraisntwilder Missy actually likes her mother. Their poverty is a shared enemy, rather than a basis for dumb rules. Missy is not nearly as likeable or sympathetic as Valancy though. 1w

rubyslippersreads The quality of the writing. This author just does not measure up to LMM. (But then, who could?) And the coarseness. Obviously LMM wrote at a different time, but this book told me more than I wanted to know (especially some of John Smith‘s thoughts). 1w

TheAromaofBooks To me, the biggest difference was how Missy was very manipulative and willing to lie to get whatever she wanted. It made her character arc somewhat unbelievable for me. With Valancy, you feel that she is actually growing as a person, determined to face her fears and live life on her terms. In fact, she becomes MORE honest as a person. We're told that Missy has been living her life as a mouse, but when we meet her she is already being somewhat ⬇ 1w

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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) deceitful and underhanded, so it really just felt like she got better at manipulating people rather than having actual growth. The straight up lying, emotional blackmail, and seduction made her a really distasteful character to me. I'm not nearly as confident that John Smith will be as forgiving of her as she seems to be. I can't imagine starting my entire marriage based on complete fabrications. 1w

rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Valancy honestly thought she was going to die; she didn‘t borrow the idea from a novel. 😏 1w

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads “Coarse” is the perfect word. Reading this so soon after Blue Castle, I couldn‘t help but think what LMM‘s reaction would be. The leeches, Missy‘s lies and manipulation, the coarse comments and descriptions—I felt like McCullough took a lovely, sweet, innocent, well-written story and dragged it through the mud. 7d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks EXACTLY. I don‘t find Missy‘s transformation convincing. The reason for it is supposedly Una, and that really doesn‘t make sense (unless you throw in some backwards continuity based on who Una is revealed to be, but even then, it doesn‘t make sense that Una would manipulate her in that way. Una‘s motivations don‘t make sense, either!) I really felt like the changes McCullough made ⬇ 7d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …make the story weaker and Missy‘s character arc just nonsensical. In Blue Castle, it DOES make sense that a beaten-down, shrinking violet personality would be motivated to stand up for herself and start LIVING because of a terminal diagnosis. McCullough removes that believable motivation and twists the diagnosis around into a manipulative thing that makes Missy, to me, a very unlikable character. 7d

TheAromaofBooks And I just have to say that the line, “Valancy found herself shivering with the rapture of her first kiss“ is far more romantic and gives me that little chest-ping more than ANY of the strange lustful passages in this book. 7d

rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks I completely agree. I have a feeling McCullough never heard the saying “Less is more.” 😏 7d

rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean That‘s just how I feel too. There was really no need for this book to have been written. 7d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks No chest-ping from Missy's “small buff nipples“ and John Smith “getting his leg over“? UGH. 😖 ANYTHING would be more romantic than this “romance“!! LMM's romantic writing and this are like night and day. 7d

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BarbaraJean

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

There are MANY similarities between Ladies of Missalonghi and LMM‘s Blue Castle.

Do you find McCullough‘s defense of “subconscious recollection” convincing (the idea that she read Blue Castle when she was young, but any borrowing was unconscious rather than intentional)?

Or are the similarities just too close to be “subconscious”?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lauraisntwilder The fact that there are so many similarities actually makes me think she didn't do it on purpose. She was a well-known writer by this time, since this came out after The Thorn Birds was already adapted into a miniseries, and I don't think she would have been so blatant if it was a conscious decision. 1w

rubyslippersreads I think it was probably subconscious. It started off like TBC, but veered wildly off course. 😏 1w

TheAromaofBooks First off, how could you FORGET reading The Blue Castle?! 😂 I don't know, I have mixed feelings. Some of this book felt like she had just lifted sections and changed the names. But this was sooooooo much worse than TBC that at some level they don't even feel worth comparing lol 1w

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BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Speculating about this is FASCINATING to me. I can't get over how many details line up. Reading it right after Blue Castle, just I couldn't swallow her “subconscious“ claim. But Laura, your point about her being well-known is a great one and I think you're probably right. And I'm with you, Sarah--it's SO much worse that I can't imagine someone consciously writing such a terrible rip-off!! 7d

BarbaraJean Under spoiler tags is the list I compiled of the similarities between the two books. It's a LOT. 7d

BarbaraJean Spinster MC lives with strict mother & aunt
MC has a large extended family who is prominent in town
MC has a beautiful, stuck-up, rich cousin who‘s engaged
MC has heart “attacks”
MC takes refuge in her imagination and in books
MC‘s strict mother & aunt disapprove of her reading novels
MC begins to rebel against the expectations of her family
MC begins to make scandalous comments at family events
There is a mysterious, roguish outsider in town ⬇ (edited) 7d

BarbaraJean Family/town thinks mysterious outsider has an unsavory past
MC is fascinated by MO; he shows up in her imaginings
MC proposes to MO b/c of diagnosis and asks he not refer to her illness
There‘s a mixup w/ a doctor‘s letter containing a diagnosis
MC discovers her illness isn‘t fatal and wishes for the sweetness of death
MO spent years traveling after a relationship breakup
MO goes by an assumed/changed name
MO turns out to be fabulously rich 7d

TheAromaofBooks Also the whole part where he's like “I was so excited to buy/own my own valley“ instead of island. That whole conversation sounded sooo much like Barney talking about why he bought the island. I think it's the details that make me feel like she purposefully ripped some of it off - the rich/beautiful cousin and the whole bit at the beginning where “if she hurries“ she starts feeling the pain. I don't know, I really went back and forth when I was ⬇ 7d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) reading it! And like we briefly touched on somewhere else - it's kind of similar to the way Anne is similar to Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, so do I only get mad about it when the second attempt is bad?! 😂 7d

rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean I love the list! 7d

rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean I‘m surprised the MO wasn‘t named Bernie Smith. 🤣 7d

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads 😂 😂 It did occur to me that “Smith“ is really close to “Snaith“! Also, a couple of others for the list: both MCs suddenly become attractive when they change their style/color of clothing, both have unusual first names but their families call them by a nickname (although there's a reversal in one preferring the nickname and the other hating it) 7d

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