A biographical book ... I read earlier this year ... that
has been a-lingering for me to do a brief overview of Lucy Maud Montgomery's
(1874 - 1942) life ... the author behind the sparkling eyes of Anne of Green
Gables.
Not having read Anne of Green Gables, nor yet knowing
anything of Montgomery - this was another fascinating journey into early Canada
... dealing with Maude Lewis, the artist (in the film I'd seen at the start ofthe year) 'Maudie' and Lucy Maud Montgomery ... I was getting my Mauds muddled
...
Apart from the story ... we learn of her early life on
Prince Edward Island, Lucy's prolific output, her life as she travels the
female path trying to get recognition for her writings and thoughts, the male
dominance and down-putting ... that was considered the woman's place in that
era ...
 |
| Lucy Maud Montgomery's birthplace |
... and the part I found really interesting, as I know just
about nothing of the publishing world, was the introduction to this world in
Canada and in the USA back in the early 1900s ... where the chauvinist world
came to the fore ... to Montgomery's detriment.
 |
| Leaskdale Manse - Ontario years |
This biography by Mary Henley Rubio has many acclaimed
acknowledgements - which to my mind are completely true ... and I'd say
understatements ... it's a really exceptional biography - and if any of you
haven't read it ... I'd recommend you check it out.
Rubio has been so thorough ... researching all Montgomery's
letters, essays, correspondence in general, diaries et al ... once the book is
written - it is long, but well worth the read, she goes into an epilogue on
each of the main players ... which ties up loose ends, but explains things and
gives us that overview on the book's contents ...
 |
| First Edition ... written in Canada - but published in the States ... |
... then Rubio goes into 'Acknowledgements' ... a number ...
then 'EndNotes' at the completion of her publication ... subdivided by the
different location eras in the book ...
... then she gives us her 'Select Bibliography' ... which as
she remarks is selective ... and finally we have an index ... bliss - I do like
indexes to refer to ...
 |
| A photo taken in 1935 |
Mary Henley Rubio's book has been highly recommended ... and
I add to that - for the various reasons given above - apart from the fact that
Montgomery wrote one of the more successful books that has stood the test of
time ...
If you haven't read it ... I hope you'll go looking for a
copy ... as I was riveted ... especially the literary forays she made, and
tried to make in the world of male dominance ...
Wikipedia's entry: Lucy Maud Montgomery
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
33 comments:
Hari OM
Another to add to my wishlist! I read AofGG at school and the BBC put on an excellent production of it in the 1970s. YAM xx
My grandmother introduced me to Anne of Green Gables. I read most of the books in the series--I got a little lost in the later novels. I know next to nothing of the author, though. Not surprising that she'd've dealt with discrimination at that time in history.
Once again I forgot to comment - so I know when you've all been kindly commenting ... now I'm back from Vancouver ... I must sort this out: next on my list!! Thanks for being here though ... cheers H
And again forgot to tick the comment me box .. bother - that will teach me - to get on with things ... and get the commenting aspect sorted out ... !!
Oh I loved Anne of Green Gables. I was only in late primary school/early high school (1958-61) when the book was given to all the students to read. But the warm memories have lasted the last 58 years.
i watched Anne of Green Gables a couple of times. it was on the Public Broadcasting channel. it was better the second time because i saw stuff i missed the first time. cool story.
I loved Anne of Green Gables. I am now watching a Netflix series called Anne with an E. It is wonderful. I would really enjoy reading about the author.
Sadly her experiences were mirrored by many authors. Writing under a male pseudonym was one way women sort to sidestep the chauvinism, with limited success. I do love a good biography so thank you.
I would adore this book, I know I would. Thanks for telling me about it. One of my blogging friends is related to her so that gives me an added reason to learn more about her!
@ Yam - I'll have to find a version and watch some time - the library might have one, or even read the book?! This biography is well worth reading though ...
@ Liz - grandmother's are great for introducing us to books aren't they. I think you'll pick up lots of interesting information re Montgomery and the various books she wrote ... if you can get a chance to read it.
@ Hels - for some reason I've never read the book ... I sort of missed out That's great the warm memories live on ... after you read Anne of GG in your early years ...
@ Lenny - oh that's great you've seen the film ... I must look out for it - perhaps from the library. So pleased you were happy to see it a 2nd time and to notice things you'd missed earlier ...
@ Arleen - I really enjoyed this book ... seeing as I knew nothing about Canada, or her books ... so I learnt loads. I hope you will get to read it ... I don't have Netflix - but know there are plenty of good films and series to watch at some stage ...
@ EC - yes, you're right and I suspect the discrimination was happening all through the 1900s too ... but the biography really 'told the story' about the difficulties she faced in the industry - it's an interesting read ...
@ Kay - that's great ... and wonderful if you can read it, particularly if you know someone (a blogger) related to Montgomery ... and then 'chat' to her about it ...
Thanks so much to you all for visiting ... I will now need to read Anne of Green Gables myself!! Cheers and enjoy the weekend - Hilary
We been to her home and the setting. People from all over the world come there. On the day we visited there was a wedding going on. The party had all just flown in from Japan....
Im also a big fan of Laura Engels Wilder who live briefly in our town....
I just recently read Anne of Green Gables for the first time, and I can see how it has stood the test of time. The biography sounds quite good. I shall add it to my list. And yes - indexes are bliss!
I read Anne of Green Gables when I was at school but I think I would like to read it again as I do not remember the story at all. Interesting post as always, well done Hilary. Happy Sunday Diane
Sounds like a good read, I have read Green Gables. In Royal, Nebraska one can eat at the Green Gables Café while exploring the Sandhill region to the west.
If you’re happy to read it in ebook, it’s available on Project Gutenberg, but I would be surprised if your library doesn’t have a copy.
I have read Anne of Green Gables multiple times since I first discovered her as a child. I was never so keen on the sequels but I reread them all a few years ago after we visited PEI. I haven’t read a full biography of LM Montgomery but I know enough about her to appreciate that her life was hard and she was nothing like the cheerful, blithe spirit of Anne.
Biographies and autobiographies can be so fasinating, and it's a great way to learn about a person's backstory. Another one that I need to add to my list. Hugs...RO
@ TB - I gather it's incredibly 'touristy' ... but I'd like to visit that side of Canada sometime and fit a visit in. I didn't mention Laura Ingalls Wilder ... but an author I should read too ...
@ Joanne - oh good that you're adding this book to your list ... I so enjoyed the read and lessons learnt ...
@ Diane - thanks ... I'd better read Anne of GG, I think ...
@ Steve - I gather the area has a great deal of prehistory - which they 've incorporated into the Park and museum ... but interesting to find one eating at Green Gables Cafe - someone must have loved the name or the book ...
@ Sue - thanks for the nudge to Project Gutenberg ... but I prefer a book - though must look at ebooks properly ...
@ Anabel - I'll give Anne a go ... and wonderful you've been able to visit PEI. Her life wasn't easy - was it ...
@ RO - thanks ... this had lots about the publication industry in the early days of the late 1800s to early 1900s ... and makes interesting informative reading ...
Cheers to you all - enjoy the rest of your weekends ... and thanks for visiting and commenting - Hilary
What an informative post. Thank you. Unfortunately, we're still dealing with the male dominance thing.
Wow! I didn't know about this book, but since I love Anne so much, I will geta sample of it on my Kindle as soon as I finish writing this. And it is called rabbit brush.
You posts are always so informative and a delight to read. It looks like I have some catching up to do on the other parts.
I'm so happy to see the recommendation (and thank you!). I love to read. It's funny to see more than one Maude here, that's not a name you hear often.
Hilary, what I like are the pics and background of the houses these people were born in and raise. Mine was leveled by a tornado.
That sounds like a terrific book. I enjoyed the first three of the Anne books, and though I own the remaining ones, have not gotten to them. From what I understood, Montgomery wanted to end the series long before her publisher wished her to stop.
This is great! You need to read Anne of Green Gables. You won't be disappointed.
Hope you had a great trip.
Teresa
@ Sandra - thank you ... and yes we are still dealing with the male dominance thing ... but I so enjoyed reading up about this period in the publishing business ...
@ Inger - I came across this in a 2nd hand bookshop - and am so glad I bought it ... as I knew next to nothing about Montgomery or her book of Anne of GG ...
Thank you re the rabbit brush - thought it was!
@ Truedessa - many thanks ... they've been interesting books to read ... and so I hope you enjoy the other posts ...
@ Rosey - that's great ... I'm sure you'll enjoy this informative book ... and yes Maud/e is a delightful old fashioned name: and I struggled with both of them and both of them coming from the east coast of Canada ...
@ Stephen - that's good ... I try and bring something of the post to life visually - which obviously I've succeeded. Thankfully my home is still standing ... so am sorry to read about your family home's tornado destruction: I hope the family were no longer in residence ...
@ Lynda - it is such an informative read .. and I'm sure you, as an editor, would find it fascinating. Yes, Montgomery was pushed about by many men in the publishing industry, yet followed her own path - but please give it a read ...
@ Teresa - I had a lovely trip over to Vancouver. I'll go to the Library and get Anne of GG out to read ... I will!!
Cheers to you all - thanks so much for your interested comments ... it's lovely having the interaction - Hilary
Sure sounds like it delves into her indeed. I've never read the books, but I seen the Anne of Green Gables play in PEI years ago.
I loved Anne of Green Gables as a girl...sounds like I should give the book a re-read! Thanks for the reminder.
I love Anne of Green Gables and the new series is superb - this would be a very interesting read - these women were real trail blazers weren't they ... thanks for all the info Hilary x
Although I am aware of Anne of Green Gables I have never read it, not sure why. I can imagine the difficulty she would have had publishing such a book in a male dominated world.
Sounds a fascinating biography too. You are certainly learning a lot about Canada.
@ Pat - I really must read Anne of Green Gables ... as I found this biography so interesting ...
@ Elizabeth - a pleasure: that this has reminded you to have another look and re-read of Anne ...
@ Fil - I haven't seen the tv series on her ... but probably will when I get back to the UK, as I'll be more interested then; yes the authors of times gone by ... really did open up the world for us ...
@ Jo - I think I'd better read Anne and Little Women, which I've also never read ... and her forays into the publishing world in the late 1800s and early 1900s is very interesting ...
I am learning lots about Canada ... it's being amazingly interesting ...
Thanks so much for your comments and interest - cheers Hilary
I must read this book. Anne of Green Gables is my favorite book of all time. I just gave a copy to my 9-year-old great niece (who didn't seem excited about it, but maybe in time...)
Hi Lynn - it was a really good read about her travails through the publishing world; I still have to read Anne of Green Gables ... some catching up to do ... but I'm sure your niece will become a great reader - sometimes (like me) it takes decades to get to read some sensible books!! Cheers Hilary
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