Dani257's Full Review: L.M. Montgomery - Emily of New Moon: Library Editi...
I belong to a mailing list that discusses the works of L.M. Montgomery. Everyone has a handle, and mine is The Emily Fanatic. The reason is, because I've found a soulmate in the character of Emily Byrd Starr.
Emily isn't nearly as well known as Anne of Green Gables. Even people who have never read the books at least recognize the name, whereas I doubt the same could be said of Emily. I find this a shame, because, although Anne is delightful, Emily has always been the one for me.
Emily of New Moon is the first book in the trilogy which is also comprised of Emily Climbs and Emily's Quest. Here, we meet Emily when she is eleven years old. She lives in a small town in Prince Edward Island, with her father, Douglas Starr. Unfortunately, we learn in the beginning of the book that her father only has days to live. This is a devastating blow, because Emily is not only losing her dearest friend, but will have to live with her mother's family, The Murrays,who she has never met. The Murrays, a proud people, disowned her mother when she dared to marry a poor journalist like Douglas Starr. After much haggling among her aunts and uncles, as if Emily is no more than a piece of furniture, her future is settled. She will live with her Aunts Elizabeth and Laura, and her cousin Jimmy at New Moon farm.
That's about as far as I'm going to go with a plot summary. That's because Emily of New Moon isn't really a plot book. It's a slice of life, spanning about two years of Emily's life. So, if you want action, and a neatly tied package, look elsewhere. That isn't to say that the book is boring, but that this is a character driven book, rather than a plot driven one.
Okay, I bet you're wondering what makes Emily so special. First, on a strictly egotistical level, I've never met a character so much like me, unless it was Francie Nolan from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Or, better yet, Emily is me, and the me I would love to become. I liked Anne, but she never struck me as real. Her one major fault, her temper, was only shown a few times in Anne of Green Gables. later on, you rarely ever see it. In the books she always seemed like this charmed character, who won over nearly everyone. Emily on the other hand, is a flawed human. She has a temper as well. It doesn't manifest itself in flashy ways like breaking slates over someone's head, but in her making cutting, cruel remarks to people. She is also sensitive, and prone to take things too seriously. (ahh, nice person to model yourself after, I bet you're thinking.) But, to counter her faults, she has a gift. many gifts actually. The gift of seeing beauty. In the Bible there is a verse about seeing through a glass dimly. But, at times, Emily has the power to see beyond the glass and glimpse even more of the wonders of the world. She calls this 'The Flash'. She also has the gift of writing, which is another reason why I love her. Emily was born to write, and nothing can stop her. It isn't that she merely likes it. She has to do it.
Those of you who've read the Anne books are probably thinking Emily sounds a lot like her. It's true, they do share many traits, as do most of L.M. Montgomery's main characters. But, whereas Anne managed to win over almost everyone she met, this isn't the case with Emily. I'm going to skip ahead to the last book of the series, because the passage in it is perfect. "Many people liked her, many disliked her. No one was ever wholly indifferent to her." I find someone who has a few enemies to be much more interesting than someone without. And, even in the first book, Emily has her share. A cruel teacher, who can't understand a child who is different from the run of the mill children she teaches. A classmate who pretends to be friend, but is really a snake in the grass. Even among her own relatives she has to struggle. Her Aunt Ruth detests her. Her Aunt Elizabeth looks upon her as no more than a duty.
But, Emily isn't without friends. (she would either be sad and pathetic, or an insufferable little creature, and Emily is neither) Aunt Laura may be too timid to stand up to Aunt Elizabeth all the time, but she is a kind soul who loves Emily. Even better, Cousin Jimmy comes the closest to understanding her. As a child, he had an accident which resulted in brain damage, but his heart is completely intact.
Among her schoolmates, Emily finds a few friends. Ilse Burnley, who is one of the most vibrant characters in literature is Emily's best friend. She is just as likely to throw something at you one minute and give you the shoes off her feet the next. I've always found their relationship much more realistic than Anne and her friend, Diana. People who never fight just don't seem real. Ilse and Emily fight, but you know that there is nothing they won't do for each other. Besides Ilse, there is Perry Miller, a hired boy at New Moon, and Teddy Kent, a boy who shares Emily's creative bent. He is an aspiring artist.
There are two adults in Emily's life who have too much importance to leave out. Mr. Carpenter, a teacher who sees Emily's talent and pushes her to do her best. Gruff, and not one to flatter a person, he brutally critiques her writing, but tells her honestly that she has talent. This is just the kind of person every writer needs. He is also an innovative teacher, which makes the pedestrian townspeople very nervous. The other person is Dean Priest, a distant relative. Dean is like Emily. To know him is either to love him or hate him. I happen to love him. He is a bitter man, friendless because he has a twisted shoulder and a cynical outlook on life. But, in Emily, he finds a friend. Some people have objected to the friendship of a grown man with a young girl, but I feel it is a case of 'like unto like'.
Although I said this isn't strictly a plot book, there are problems Emily must solve. The main one is winning over Aunt Elizabeth. Montgomery allows us to sympathize with both Emily and Elizabeth. Elizabeth may have no real understanding of children, but neither is she a monster. Also, Emily must struggle to grow as a writer, and face the stigma this entails. (One being that fiction writing is lies, and therefore sinful)
Another element, that sets this apart from Anne is a sort of darkness in the book. There is a mystery involving Ilse's mother which Emily is determined to solve. I won't go into detail, but it is a tragic tale. Another gift of Emily's, second sight or clairvoyance, helps her in this.
Don't think this book is without lightness. Emily may be special, but she is also a little girl. The book is set in the early 1900's (I believe, there is no actual date stamp) but human nature hasn't changed that much. She loves to pretend, to play. She makes funny errors that people make when they're young. She also has spunk and loyalty.
The biggest complaint I can make is the book is very descriptive. This is true of all of L.M. Montgomery's books. Nature was very important to her, and she made sure to describe it in great detail. Some may see this as a plus, but I'm a city gal. To me, what happens and the characters it happens to are much more important than a tree or a sunset, no matter how magnificent. Yes, I'm an artistic Philistine.
This book is pretty long for a children's book. (As is this review:))My copy comes in at 339 pages. So, this isn't a book for a reluctant, or even a casual reader. It's for someone who loves to curl up with a book and live through the characters. An adult can enjoy this as much as a child. (I actually feel that way about any good children's book) I personally first read this when I was in my late teens.
One last comparison between Emily and Anne. In one of the discussions on the list I'm on, we decided that Anne was sunlight and Emily was moonlight. She may not light up everything with a bright light, but there is a soft beauty. A beauty of shadows, mystery and an inner glow. That's exactly the feel you get from her and from the book.
Emily Starr never knew what it was to be lonely--until her beloved father died. Now Emilys an orphan, and her mothers snobbish relatives are taking he...More at Christianbook.com
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