lmmontgomery

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

Happy Saturday, Kindred Spirits! Here's our weekly #LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead check-in!

What are your thoughts on this week's reading?
What stands out to you:
From LMM's year at Prince of Wales College?
From her time teaching in Bideford?
Any observations, favorite sections or quotes?

Reminder: Next week, we'll pause the journals & pick up our first #LMMAdjacent book: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. We'll discuss Chapters 1-15 on 5/25.

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks

lauraisntwilder When Maud was in Charlottetown, I missed her beautiful descriptions of the countryside near Cavendish. We've gotten to see more of her personality in this section, I think. The trick involving Jack S. and Mary C. was funny and reminded me of how often gossip plays a role in her books, one way or another. 18h

TheAromaofBooks I don't know why I'm surprised at how often LMM's journals sound like her heroines haha Reading these has made me realize that while I frequently get impatient with rhapsodic descriptions of the countryside in fiction, I've always enjoyed it in LMM's books, and I think it's because she isn't writing what she thinks someone who loves the countryside/nature would say - she's literally writing what she, the author, feels, and her genuine love for ⬇ 8h

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) nature and ability to see beauty all around her really comes through. It always feels genuine, and her journals show that it really IS genuine - her description of the snow on Dec. 6,'84 - “Earth looked like a cold, chaste bride in her silver veil, waiting to be waked by her lover's kiss to warmth and love and passion.“ Even though it's a bit flowery, I still loved this whole passage. @lauraisntwilder 8h

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BarbaraJean

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

Happy Weekend, Kindred Spirits! This week we read through June 30, 1893, including the later part of LMM‘s stay with her father, her journey back to Cavendish, and her studies and social doings back at home.

What are your thoughts so far?
Was there anything that surprised you in this section?
What glimpses do you see of LMM‘s future writing?
Any observations, favorite sections or quotes?

#LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks

BarbaraJean I was surprised there wasn't more about her stepmother. From the bios, her time in Prince Albert seemed much harder than she portrays it. Same with her journey home; in the bios it sounded like she was left to fend for herself much of that journey, traveling alone for a while, which was scandalous/unsafe for a young girl at that time. Here, it sounded like she was accompanied the whole way, other than one overnight train. ⬇ 1w

BarbaraJean It makes me wonder how much she left out at the time vs. how much she cut out later. It's been said that she “razored out“ pages—I wish there were notes in the text showing where those missing pages fall! @lauraisntwilder You noted how much this reads like one of her books—that rang true for so many scenes this week! The Mr. Mustard proposal & the cow escapades could have come right out of Anne. And she uses the Well & Dave memories in Story Girl. 1w

lauraisntwilder I have been surprised by so many things. I agree that the step-mother seemed glossed over, but then, she barely mentions her harsh Grandfather Macneill and rarely mentions her grandmother at all. She hasn't mentioned Christmas at home, only concerts and school performances, then straight to New Year's. That feels telling to me--were all her friends occupied and she was alone with her grouchy grandparents? Surely they would go to Park Corner? 1w

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lauraisntwilder Love the details about Austin, at school, which was very Gilbert/Anne. And the description of her Uncle John, who will later try to steal her house out from under her and his own mother, who "was not then, anymore than now, noted for his consideration of other people's rights or feelings." Scathing and prescient! 1w

TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean - I may have missed it, but has she ever mentioned her own birthday at any point? That seems like the kind of thing she would make a fuss about, as someone who likes to assess where she is and where she's going. She definitely seems focused on the positives. In fairness, a lot of things/chores we would consider “drudgery“ were just a part of every day life there, and not worth describing, I suppose. I don't ⬇ 6d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) journal much about my daily chores either haha Like Barbara, I wonder where the missing entries are, and whether they had some harder/more complaining content. She glosses over her stepmother, but reading between the lines you can tell she has a hard time of it - just the simple fact that she had to give up school to stay home and do work speaks volumes for the kind of life she was living there, considering how important education is ⬇ 6d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) to her. I've really enjoyed all these random memories and stories - I don't know why I'm surprised to see what a storytelling knack she has, but I have been pleasantly surprised at how entertaining these have been. One gripe I actually have has been with the excessive amount of footnotes (not LMM's) - some explaining archaic words would be fine, but seriously a footnote to explain why they were hunting 4-leaf clovers just felt ⬇ 6d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) condescending 😂 And I feel like a glossary of characters would have been way more helpful than constant footnotes. Telling me how this person is related this one time doesn't actually help me remember them 15 pages later. But those are minor quibbles with the layout. I'm enjoying the journals themselves a great deal. 6d

lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks You know, you're right, I don't think she has mentioned her birthday. If she has, definitely not every year. And yes, to your footnote gripe! ? I didn't need a note for every resident of Prince Albert, especially when I already know she's never going back! I did think the (unnecessary) footnote about the northern lights was pretty though, specifically the phrase "a curtain of light." 6d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks I just checked, and no, there aren't descriptions of Christmas or birthdays, at least through 1893. I agree, Sarah: she seems like the kind of person who likes to look back & kind of take stock (she does that several times in a New Year‘s entry), so it‘s curious that those events aren‘t narrated or reflected upon in her journals. It does make sense that she wouldn‘t detail daily chores, etc. ⬇ 5d

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) the balance feels VERY tilted towards “gadding about” and social events, but naturally so. I think I just assumed there would be more grumbling about grumpy grandparents & awful stepmother! There was one point where she said that her grandparents seemed opposed to any kind of gathering of young people, which cracked me up—based on the events she recorded it seemed kind of like that‘s ALL she was doing: gathering with other young people.😂 5d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks YES about the footnotes!! Some are a delight. But I am so tired of footnotes with irrelevant details about people who just aren't important to LMM. I don't care how they're related to her, where they used to live, where they move later—if they're never/rarely mentioned again! I started ignoring the people footnotes for that reason, but then found it annoying to have to go back to find an earlier footnote when ⬇ 5d

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) ...it became apparent that someone I overlooked turned out to be important. It would be so much more helpful for footnotes to fill in context about how/why the person is or becomes significant in her life. And leave out the footnote otherwise! I should have started making a character list like I do when reading Russian novels...😆 5d

TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder - I was actually thinking the same thing about a character list! 😂 For this book, a character glossary seems like it would be much more helpful than all these dadblamed footnotes LOL

I guess part of the reason I've been a little surprised about the lack of complaining has been because the biographies we've read have spoken with such confidence about how miserable she was living with her grandpa, how he was a ⬇ 4d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) terrible person, how he constantly held her back, etc. etc. If that information didn't come from her journals, then where did the biographers get it? At this point he just seems like a shadowy background character. Even when she was leaving for Charlottesville I don't remember her saying anything like “Grandpa doesn't want me to go,“ although she does mention that her Grandma was the one who drove her. Grandpa even has come to visit at ⬇ 4d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) least once? I'm not trying to say that he wasn't actually against her furthering her education, etc., but I definitely don't feel like it's been mentioned at all so far. 4d

lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean I have to assume she talked about her grandparents in her letters. Rubio interviewed a lot of people for the bio, so maybe they told her the grandparents were hard to live with? It feels like she's writing down what she wants to remember and she wouldn't need to be reminded that Grandpa is a jerk. 4d

lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean The absence of any good memories with her grandparents says a lot, too. Like Christmas and birthdays. If they were pleasant or she took a nice evening walk with her grandmother or something, I feel like it would've been mentioned. 4d

TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder - It's true, all of her “good times“ are taking place NOT at home! 4d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder Yes, I've wondered the same about where Rubio & others got the info that her grandparents were so difficult & her grandfather was against her education. The only inkling I've seen is in this week's reading, when she says he won't take her to interview for schools or let her have a horse to go herself. I think Laura must be right that it's in her letters or from Rubio's interviews. It could be in later journals ⬇ 2d

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) ...if she refers back to her growing-up years then. Didn't one of the bios suggest she exaggerated how bad things were? That exaggeration has to be somewhere! It would make sense if there are future journal entries where she reminisces/complains about the past. Regardless, you're both right that what's left out is very telling, when her best moments are NOT at home! And especially because home and family are such a focus in her books. 2d

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BarbaraJean

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

“How I do love books! Not merely to read once but over and over again. I enjoy the tenth reading of a book as much as the first. Books are a delightful world in themselves. Their characters seem as real to me as my friends of actual life.”
—L.M. Montgomery, January 12, 1893

#LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks ❤ ❤ ❤ 1w

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BarbaraJean

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

“Dear old world you are very lovely and I love you. I am glad to be alive in you.”

I LOVE that what becomes a future Anne quote is taken almost directly from 17-year-old LMM‘s journal!

#LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks ❤ ❤ ❤ 1w

lauraisntwilder This diary reads like one of her books so far. 1w

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder The cow escapades earlier this week felt so much like an Anne and Diana adventure! 1w

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BarbaraJean

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

“I had a charming time all through except for a scare I got with one of David Macneill‘s cows, and having to skulk about the woods for nearly an hour while the Baptists were going through the lane to Sunday School…”

The image of LMM “skulking about the woods” to avoid the Baptists just cracked me up. And the cow! I really want more detail in this entry!!

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks

BarbaraJean Clearly I posted too soon, as there is more detail about avoiding savage-looking cows in the October 22 entry. 😆 2w

TheAromaofBooks I'm so surprised that a country girl like Maud has such a terror of cows! I marked the passage I was reading today because I was a bit horrified at her casual attitude towards fence breaking as well! 😂 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I know, right?! But it was both LMM and Lu! That comment: “I don‘t know how it is that we have got to be such cowards over strange cows.” 😂Partially in their defense as regards the fence-breaking: at least some of it was done because of their “deadly fear” of cows.🤣 Although THAT made me worry that the cows would get out!! 2w

33 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

Weekly check-in for #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - our first with the #LMMJournals!

I have to apologize for breaking up the reading so oddly—it wasn't until I finished up my own reading that I saw I'd completely missed a natural break at the end of 1890 and kept us going into 1891 for a grand total of 2 pages. 😂

How is your reading going?
What are your thoughts on this week's reading?
Any observations, favorite sections, or quotes?

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks

BarbaraJean I loved the superstition of counting 9 stars over 9 nights, and the questions with Nate over which boy/girl they liked best—such drama! Then this quote from July 26, 1890: “The fact is, Nate is absurdly sentimental these days—or would be if I would allow it. I hate that sort of thing. He has just spoiled our lovely, old comradeship completely. He is so nice when he is sensible and so horrid when he isn't!“ SO much like Anne's words about Gilbert! 2w

BarbaraJean I was also struck by the fact that LMM calls Bulwer-Lytton her favorite author at one point (July 31, 1890), since there's a contest for BAD writing named after him! “Since 1982 the Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest has challenged participants to write an atrocious opening sentence to the worst novel never written.“ https://www.bulwer-lytton.com/

Maybe we should add a Bulwer-Lytton book to our #LMMAdjacent list? 😂 2w

TheAromaofBooks I also saw similarities between Maud/Nate and Anne/Gilbert. It made me wonder if Maud ever looked back at that relationship and wished she had allowed it to grow into something more. I feel so bad for her being so homesick!! 2w

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TheAromaofBooks We talked a little on the other post about whether or not (or how much) editing LMM did of her own journals when she recopied them. Like you said, so much of this genuinely sounds like a girl in her teens, being silly and dramatic, convinced that everything that happens is SO IMPORTANT. it's amazing how perspective is something you literally just have to earn with age! As you get older, waiting a year for something doesn't feel as crazy. 2w

TheAromaofBooks However, some of what I wondered were small things, like when she was getting ready to leave for the west and saying that's she determined to absolutely love her step mother and get along wonderfully - more small sentences that cast herself as the mature, reasonable person in a situation. Not necessarily big scene edits, but small insight edits. Personally, I don't think I could bear to go through and copy out by hand my numerous teen/20s ⬇ 2w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) journals! Oh the horrors! 😂

Overall, I'm finding this so readable and engaging. I'm very glad that we've already covered a couple of biographies to give me a background/overview of her life and some of the major characters, though. That framework is helping me just be able to read these as they come instead of being confused about the background. 2w

rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean I think “9 stars over 9 nights” is mentioned in Emily of New Moon. Nate also reminds me a bit of Perry, in that Emily only wants him as a chum, but Perry feels quite different. (edited) 2w

rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Having read the biographies helps me too, as does having read the YA novel

Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery

rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean He was her favorite author when she was 15; I wonder how long that lasted? 😏 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I wonder that about Nate as well! YES, having read those biographies has definitely been helpful, and also Maud, as @rubyslippersreads mentioned (which I think you skipped--there's lots of Nate and Will in that one!). It‘s fascinating to see what feels emphasized here vs. what has been emphasized elsewhere, both in the biogs and fictionally. I'm waiting for the VERY SIGNIFICANT absence of Edwin Simpson in later volumes. 😏😂 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I hadn‘t thought about little insertions like that, but that sounds VERY plausible!! Kind of a self-justification for some of her other comments about her stepmother—LMM could be emphasizing that it wasn't her fault; she really did intend to make that relationship work. I agree with you, I could NOT bear to copy out my teenage journals. I don‘t know if I could manage to even re-read mine! It is a credit to LMM‘s skill as a writer⬇ 2w

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) that these are so engaging and entertaining, especially coming from a 15/16-year-old. LMM knows how to recount a good story, and I can't just chalk it all up to later revisions! 2w

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads I had forgotten the “9 stars” in Emily of New Moon! I remembered it from reading Maud, but now that you mention Emily, I vaguely remember it there as well. LMM weaves in SO many little pieces from her own life into her fiction. I like that comparison of Nate to Perry. I‘m really curious about how LMM writes about both Nate and Will, and like @TheAromaofBooks, if there may have been later editing with her descriptions ⬇ 2w

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) of both of them and her assertion that she thought of them as just good comrades.

When I skimmed through the footnotes in Vol. 1, looking for what books and authors she referenced, I noticed that she mentioned Bulwer-Lytton several times! But yes, I do have a feeling her taste grew a bit as she got older… 2w

lauraisntwilder I'm a little bit, since I traveled out of state (and I drove) for my nephew's college graduation. I've been enjoying the entries so far and I agree, reading the other bios first was helpful. 2w

TheAromaofBooks I definitely think that even if she edited/added tiny bits to these later, it was just that - tiny bits. The bulk of this feels authentically her age, and it's obvious that she already has a real knack for writing, sketching characters, descriptions, storytelling, etc. I know that she honed her skills over time and worked very hard on every book, but it's also obvious that she has an inborn talent for writing. 2w

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Thanks for checking in! Hope you had a great trip for your nephew's graduation. 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I agree--the tone throughout is far too teenage girl for it to have been wholly rewritten (although that's exactly what my urge would be in copying out old journals with an eye towards posterity!). It definitely demonstrates her skill with descriptions and storytelling, from a young age. It was certainly her prerogative to curate, but I'm SO curious about what she might have left out, with all the talk of “razored out“ pages! 2w

lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks For me, her descriptions of the natural world seem too perfect for a teenager, BUT she was reading Sir Walter Scott and Undine, etc. And she was also starting to get published at this point. I think you're right--she was just a natural. 2w

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BarbaraJean

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

“I love books. I hope when I grow up to be able to have lots of them.”

💜📚💜 Kindred spirit, indeed!! I started this tonight and it‘s delightful so far—and I LOVE all the pictures included! #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yes!! All the photographs are a wonderful bonus! I love it when photos like that are interspersed with the text instead of in random bunches of several pages at a time like many nonfiction do. 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Me too--I think it was the Rubio biography that had them in bunches like that. I'd much rather have them like this. I really appreciate the way they're approximating how LMM would paste pictures and the like into her journals. 2w

TheAromaofBooks As I'm reading, I find myself wondering how much editing LMM did when she recopied these journals and how much of it is actually what she wrote at this age. I don't know why I'm surprised that this has been so readable, considering I enjoy her fiction writing so much haha 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Haha—me too! If it were me, I would find it really difficult to refrain from trimming embarrassing sections, bad writing, etc. I was struck by several sections that sound VERY much like a girl of 15/16, though. I marked down the New Year‘s entry on Dec. 31, 1899, and the concert description on July 1, 1890 as she waxes poetic about the future nostalgia they will all feel when looking back. 😂 @lauraisntwilder, @rubyslippersreads ⬇ (edited) 2w

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) Both of those passages read to me like things I wrote in my journal as a teen, thinking my words would sound so terribly prescient and wise in future years. I had to laugh at both of these—they sounded so affected, with such an over-self-consciousness of future readers. But I remember doing the same thing! (edited) 2w

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BarbaraJean

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

Hello, Kindred Spirits! Here is an UPDATED schedule for May/June. Since the #CHILDRENSCLASSICREAD2024 with @TheBookHippie will be reading Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm in MAY, I shuffled our schedule around so we can join in the excitement and read it together.

We'll start the Complete Journals on May 1 - which is next week!! 😱 I'll post a weekly check-in/discussion post on Saturdays.

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals #LMMAdjacent #LMMReread

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, sblbooks, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

BarbaraJean Preview of coming attractions: We'll start Volume 2 of the Complete Journals in July/August, and will also re-read Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea. 4w

julieclair Yay! Very excited for all the LMM-adjacent reads! 😃 4w

TheAromaofBooks Thank you for the update!! This looks great. I can't believe May is next week...!!!!! 3w

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LitsyEvents

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

Repost for @BarbaraJean

May 1 begins the next #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead iteration! We‘ll read the Complete Journals interspersed with LMM-adjacent books & LMM rereads. The pace is ~100 pages per week, with Saturday check-ins to chat about the week's reading.

#LMMJournals #LMMAdjacent #LMMRereads

See original post at https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2725037

BarbaraJean Thank you for sharing!! 1mo

27 likes1 comment

BarbaraJean

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

Just a reminder: May 1 begins the next #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead iteration! We‘ll read the Complete Journals interspersed with LMM-adjacent books & LMM rereads. The pace is ~100 pages per week, with Saturday check-ins to chat about the week's reading.

I‘ve tagged those who were interested, but all are welcome! Comment if you'd like to join—for some or all! Re-reads will pop up in Vol. 2 of the journals. #LMMJournals #LMMAdjacent #LMMRereads

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, LitsyEvents

BarbaraJean @sblbooks I have you down for Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm once we get to it in June! 1mo

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! I'm really stoked about this!!! 1mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Meeeee toooo!!! 1mo

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julieclair Yay! I would like to be tagged for the Adjacents and Rereads, please. If it‘s easier, feel free to tag me for the journals as well. 1mo

BarbaraJean @julieclair I can definitely tag you just for the adjacents and rereads! Looking forward to having you join in! 1mo

julieclair Thanks! Looking forward to it! 1mo

lauraisntwilder I just got my copy of the Complete Journals Vol. 1 and it's beautiful! Whatever editorializing Rubio did in her bio is partially forgiven (by me, at least!) because of the obvious amount of care that went into this. 1mo

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder I know, right?! The photos and all the notes look fantastic. I looked at Vol. 1 of the complete journals on Internet Archive and that glimpse convinced me that I wanted to read the complete journals instead of the selected, and it made up my mind that I wanted to buy each copy as we go! 1mo

lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean Exactly! I haven't even started it yet and I'm already so impressed. 1mo

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