…Because it’s her birthday today, and because Eva (of Coffee, Classics, and Craziness) is hosting a Montgomery Week this week and I’m quite excited about it.
Lucy Maud Montgomery is one of my favorite authors of all time– her writing is so beautiful and hilarious all in one, and her characters and stories are just… agh. I could ramble on and on about how much I love them, but I figure I’ll save that for the actual tag questions. 😉
Without further ado…
- How did you first discover LMM’s books?
Well, my Grandmommy (who is always bringing me lovely new reading material) got a few paperback copies for me once– I’m wanting to say I was in fifth or sixth grade? It feels like forever ago. The first few I ever owned and read– and immediately fell in love with, naturally– were Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne’s House of Dreams, and Rilla of Ingleside. (I had read a version of Anne of Green Gables as a child, of course, but didn’t grow to love Anne until I got to read the above three.)
- What’s your favorite LMM book?
How can I possibly pick just one? The idea is inconceivable! I do have a soft spot in my heart for Rilla of Ingleside– it’s the one I’ve read the most, I believe– and I just love it. Rilla, Susan, little Jims, Walter (WALTER.), Dog Monday, Gertrude Oliver… AGH. Plus, it’s set during WWI– I’ve learned more about the war in that one book than I ever have in school. Just sayin’. Right now I also love reading Anne of the Island because it’s set in the season of life that I’m just now getting into– college adventures and all. Can I live in Patty’s Place when I head off to school, please? Ooh, and The Blue Castle– I just finished that one last week, and it’s definitely a new favorite. I LOVED IT. Valancy Stirling is amazing. So is Barney Snaith. And even Roaring Abel is cool.
- What’s your least favorite LMM book?
I would probably have to say the Emily of New Moon series is my least favorite. Montgomery’s writing is splendid and delightful as usual; I just didn’t like Emily very much at all. Honestly, I would’ve enjoyed it more had it been from Ilse’s point of view. 😛 It’s rather difficult to enjoy a book when the main character annoys you. I can’t even really describe what it is about Emily that rubs me the wrong way– she just doesn’t feel like a kindred spirit. Give me Anne or Rilla or Sara (The Story Girl) or Valancy (The Blue Castle) any day!
- Who is your favorite character in allllll of LMM’s works?
Ooh, another impossible-to-answer question… Hmm. I think I’ll have to go with Anne. Not exactly AoGG Anne, but Older Anne– the one with the fanciful imagination, the irrepressible sense of humor, the intelligence, the storytelling/writing tendencies, the huge heart for loving others, and the uncanny ability to get herself into scrapes. (Yes, that also sounds like Younger Anne… but she’s more mature, more of a thinker in her other books, and I love that.) Anne reminds me very much of one of my best friends (they’re very much kindred spirits, if not actually the same person), and now whenever I read her books I can’t help but smile at the similarities in spirit.
- What couple is your favorite?
Ooooh, this is hard. I love Anne and Gilbert, of course– who doesn’t?– and before I read The Blue Castle I would’ve said them without a doubt. But now, after meeting Barney and Valancy– they’re just going to have to tie for first place, that’s all. Barney and Valancy are adorable and I squealed and got teary-eyed at various intervals. Plus, THE TRAIN SCENE. That is all.
- What is your favorite quote from LMM (either a quote from one of her books, or from her personal life)?
There are so many I love, but this one is my current favorite:
“There is such a place as fairyland – but only children can find the way to it. And they do not know that it is fairyland until they have grown so old that they forget the way. One bitter day, when they seek it and cannot find it, they realize what they have lost; and that is the tragedy of life. On that day the gates of Eden are shut behind them and the age of gold is over. Henceforth they must dwell in the common light of common day. Only a few, who remain children at heart, can ever find that fair, lost path again; and blessed are they above mortals. They, and only they, can bring us tidings from that dear country where we once sojourned and from which we must evermore be exiles. The world calls them its singers and poets and artists and story-tellers; but they are just people who have never forgotten the way to fairyland.”
― L.M. Montgomery, The Story Girl
- How many LMM books have you read?
At this point? I don’t even know anymore. More than half her books, at least. Anne, Emily, the Story Girl, the Blue Castle, Kilmeny of the Orchard, Chronicles of Avonlea (and Further Chronicles), the Road to Yesterday, At the Altar… How many is that? xD
- Which LMM book would you most like to see made into a movie?
RILLA. Ahem. I can’t emphasize that one enough! But seriously, I think the AoGG fandom is in agreement on that one, yes? It would also be lovely to see The Blue Castle as a movie.
- Have you found a kindred spirit?
Indeed I have, and every day I thank the Lord for orchestrating those friendships! They’re some of my dearest friends, and they fill my life with sunshine and fangirly-goodness and books and music(als) and inside jokes and, most importantly, they always make much of Jesus. Words can’t even begin to express how grateful I am for each of those lovely people. (Pindred Spirits, you know who you are. Love you guys! ^_^ <3)
…And that is all. I had such fun rambling about some of my favorite books and characters; thanks for reading, dear kindred spirits! You’re all lovely.
{love always, Em}
{A Portrait of Grace} 
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer the tag, Em! 🙂 It was delightful, reading your answers.
Everyone wants either Blue Castle or Rilla made into a movie ASAP, and I heartily approve. 🙂
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Oooooh I loved reading this!! The internet needs more L. M. Montgomery, so I love to read anything about her whenever I can and it is an even greater deliiight when the authoress is a dear pindred!
I warmed up to Emily as I read the books {at first she didn’t feel to kind of ‘let me in’ as a friend, if you know what I mean} and then when I read them again last month I absolutely adored her 😀 I can completely see why you wouldn’t though… just, on further acquaintance, I really love her character. OK…. I’ll take any rotten food in the face with full force as I deserve it I know but…. I… almost. like. emily. a. little… more… than… anne.
Phew.
soary! Nah, but they’re co-rulers in my mind, like the high monarchs of Narnia 🙂 Emily just seems to have an extra depth, a little more complicated. And ohhhhhh my Story Girl she is right up there too! I can’t choose. I won’t. =)
…oops… sorry about all my rambling! I agree with your almost every answer and ohhh I’m so glad to have a friend {and more than one! looking at you, Sarah…} that is as smitten with our dear Montgomery as I ❤
GWYN
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Nope, no tomatoes here, for that’s precisely how I feel about Valancy 😉 She and Anne are pretty much tied. And I totally understand your love of Emily– she did have some admirable qualities! I just could never get past that feeling of non-kindred-ness I got from her. DON’T APOLOGIZE FOR THE RAMBLES I LOVE THEM. ❤ The Internet needs more Montgomery!
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Yes to all! And I love how {in passing} you differentiated between the young Anne and the “grown up” Anne. I agree do much! They “both” really inspire me and I love them but her older self has something extra lovely and kind ♡ {I’m rereading Anne of Avonlea at the moment. Oh the beautiful!} Also, VALANCY AND BARNEY. I completely agree! When I was answering these questions in my head, I chose them for the couple too. Anne and Gilbert are precious but as a couple Vacancy and Barney are just…. So wonderful and grinning-foolishly-while-reading-able. I love the idea Eva and Naomi have had of casting “Fisher Bloom” of Larkrise to Candleford as Barney 🙂 Have you any casting ideas for Rilla and the Blue Castle?
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So glad you agree! ^_^ AGH YES. Those two really need a couple name… Barnancy? 😛
I actually had to look up Fisher Bloom, as I haven’t gotten to watch Lark Rise yet, but YES I approve!
For Rilla, I had thought that Jenna Coleman would be lovely… She just has that Rilla-ish humour and spirit in her smile. Naomi and Eva thought that Emma Watson would be much better, but she’s really not how I envisioned Rilla at all– looks more like Faith Meredith to me. What do you think?
Blue Castle… Maaaybe Michelle Dockery as Valancy? Trying to think of pale-and-dark-haired actresses. She’s a bit older, which would make sense with Valancy’s 29-ness, and she’s got that spirit about her that would work nicely for her character. Plus, we already know she looks stunning in ’20’s fashion. 🙂
Barney– I agree with Bloom as a good casting, but I can’t help but think that his hair is a bit too dark? That can be easily remedied though. 😛
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Barnancy it is! or Valarney
hmmm for such an amazing couple they don’t have a very obliging names for meshing!
but I’m not sure apart from that…
{Oh my you must watch Larkrise!} YAY I’m glad you approve! {but yes I think his hair is a little dark as well. The cover I had when I was reading it was the one where he’s in the background and has rusty coloured hair and that kind of sank into my image of him} As for Valancy… Michelle Dockery is wonderful and could do it wonderfully but I can’t help thinking maybe she’s a bit tooo pretty??… at least for the beginning of the book/film.. they could probably make her look a bit less stunning though! The other day I was watching Mockingjay, and Jena Malone plays a character in it {the girl who played Lydia in the “fake Pride and Prejudice” – 2005} and in one scene I was just like “SLANTED EYES! POINTY TEETH! VALAAANCY”. She’s not very classicaly beautiful, but at times she can look really pretty. But as I’ve never seen her in a “nice” role I don’t know if she could do it 😛
Rilla… ohmy Jenna Coleman would be perfect! wonderful idea! She’s so bright and spritey. I thought maybe Carey Mulligan, but I think Jenna would do it better 🙂 I don’t think Emma Watson is quite right either… I love her but she’s a bit too “steady” if you know what I mean. And what of Walter?? I can’t say I agree with Naomi and Eva here either… Eddie Redmayne isn’t my favourite actor and not at all how I imagined him
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See? Precisely. Barney just doesn’t have dark hair, and that’s that. 😛 He would make a nice auburn-haired guy though. Or russet-haired even. Just not *too* dark.
I looked up Jena Malone, and she definitely has the unconventional-pixie-look about her! She’d make a splendid Valancy in appearance at least! ^_^ Hmm… well, if you can, look up pictures of Michelle Dockery as Eliza Doolittle. That’s a role where she’s not all made-up. I think she could pull it off very nicely. 🙂
YAY I’m so glad you agree! And I know exactly what you mean– Emma doesn’t seem to have the *personality* of Rilla. Not as much as Jenna does. (But, I could easily see her as either Nan or Di or both!) Plus, Jenna fits my vision of Rilla near-perfectly. ^_^
Walter… *tries to think of all the pale dark-haired actors she knows and comes up rather empty* How about Matthew Goode? He at least LOOKS more like Walter than Eddie Redmayne does. 😛 (He’s not my favorite either. But then I *am* a bit prejudiced against Marius, the first role I saw him play, anyway, sooo…) But Walter is a VERY important role to get right and mustn’t be trifled with.
Who do you think should play the others?
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{sorry I’m so late in replying to this comment!} I’m glad you agree on the hair issue! {I just love that cover of book, by the way. And the newer watercolour one… siiigh}
I look up the Eliza Doolittle pictures and I agree she could pull it off! {And I’d love to see her do a Candadian accent ^_^}
I agree, I think Jenna looks just like Rilla on the front of my edition, thus how I imagined her {the one with Ken in the background with Rilla looking over her shoulder} As for Walter, my mind is suddenly completely devoid of actors! Looking up pictures of Matthew Goode, he could do nicely though 🙂 I thought Tom Hiddleston for a moment, but he’s probably too old now… {Characters scar their actors for sure! The first time I saw Eddie Redmayne, before Marius, was in Tess of the Durbevilles. yikes. And then Marius didn’t help…}
It’s been too long since I’ve read the book for me to think very helpfully about the more obscure characters… but I was thinking maybe Richard Madden for Ken? I may be remembering him all wrong though {I really need to reread the book!!} Do you have any ideas for him?
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Ooh yes Michelle Dockery doing a Canadian accent would be epic… Only, me being an uncultured American, I can’t for the life of me think of what a Canadian accent sounds like. xD I’ll have to look into that later…
Yes yes yes! I have that edition too. It’s no wonder we share a brain on this. 😉
Ooh you must read it again sometime! It’s such a beauty. See, with Ken, it’s kind of hard to envision him perfectly because I don’t feel like I *know* him as well as the rest. He pops up in the beginning, middle, and end, and that’s it. I looked up Richard Madden, and he could work! But… Would he make a better Jem instead?
What say you about Dan Stevens for Ken? Bonus points since he’s already played a WWI character on Downton 🙂
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Hahaha I’m pretty terrible with knowing how accents sound myself 😛 {sometimes the knowings all right, but don’t ask me to speak in an accent. ever. ;)}
EXACTLY.
So true about Ken… in one sense I wish he was in it a bit more, but then there’s also that slight mysterious thing… and Rilla doesn’t know if he loves her or not and… ahh.
Haha I can probably just picture him well as Ken alongside Jenna Coleman as Rilla because they are a couple in real life xD {no, I’m not proud to know that} and also Cinderella. But Dan Stephens could do him well too! I can also kind of picture *him* as Jem… I think because I saw a dream cast years ago with him so… But I think either would be good 🙂 Maybe we should put those two down as “interchangeable”…
I was thinking perhaps Bonnie Wright for Faith? Or Diana? And what do you think of Una? I wondered if Felicity Jones could do her… but she may be a little old
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{Exactly… A British one’s really the only one I can pull off decently. Other than American-with-southern-roots, naturally. ;)}
Oh yes, I can picture him as Jem too! Though I always expected Jem to look more… ruddy? Brown eyes and some mix between Anne and Gilbert’s hair. I don’t really know who could play him as far as appearance goes though… But yes. Dan Stevens is epic so either would make me happy. 🙂
*frantically looks up Bonnie and Felicity*
Ooh yes! Bonnie would make a perfect Di! They’d have to find someone with similar facial features/expressions for Nan though, to pass off as fraternal twins. ^_^ However, if Bonnie dyed her hair a golden-brown, she *would* make a lovely Faith. But I really like her as a redhead. 🙂
Actually, the mental image in my mind for Faith has always been kind of an Emma Watson type– a bit pixie-like, mischievous, but also golden and strong.
Ooh Felicity Jones is lovely… I think they’d find a way to make her look as youthful as Una. And she’s already got the wistful look down. What do you think of Zooey Deschanel as Una?
And then who on earth could play Susan? 🙂
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