Discussion Post: Anne's House of Dreams

[myr_soleil]

Hi everyone! Welcome to our discussion post for one of my favorite books, Anne's House of Dreams. I hope you liked it as much as I did, and I can't wait to hear what you think!

Comments

[h_loquacious]

1. Did you like the book? Do you like the setting of Anne married, or did you miss having her in school?

I don't miss having her in school. We got a lot of her in school, and if I wanto tread that I can go read one of the other books. I do really like this book. I've always really liked it, but I think I liked it more rereading it this time than I ever have. It's different than the others somehow; it's achy-er. I feel like there's a lot more suppressed emotion on the page somehow. Not just sadness either, but all sorts.

2. How about those new characters? Leslie, Captain Jim, Cornelia, Susan, Jem, Owen - did you like their addition?

I love the new characters. Captain Jim is my favourite (I just love him), then Cornelia, but I really like most of them. They're a really well thought out set of characters. Susan, I admit takes a little while for me to warm to. She really does seem like an outsider at the start. But then I love her in Ingleside.

3. What do you think of Gilbert in this book? Is there finally enough Gilbert for you? Do you like seeing what happens after the main couple gets married?

I like the balance of Gilbert in this one. I'll always love seeing more Gilbert, but I think he's used really effectively here. I do like seeing Anne and Gil's marriage. I think it's ridiculously sweet, and very realistic. And I love that he calls her Anne-Girl.

4. Which love story did you prefer - Captain Jim and lost Margaret? Leslie and Owen? Cornelia and Marshall Elliott? Anne and Gilbert?

Anne and Gilbert of course. I like leslie and Owen, but it's just so tragic and painful it can't be my favourite. Captain Jim and Margaret is romantic, but too sad to be my favourite. Anne was right when she said Captain Jim was born to have a big family and it's so sad that something that senseless destroyed all that. Cornelia and Marshall make me giggle.

5. Is Cornelia a feminist ("Now you know, Anne, I always take the ground that us women ought to stand by each other.") or just sexist ("We've got enough to endure at the hands of the men, the Lord knows")?

A little of both? It is a bit hard to make the distinction. Especially since you get the feeling that a good chunk of what she says is probably all talk.

6. "Some people might think that a Redmond B.A., whom editors were beginning to honor, was 'wasted' as the wife of a struggling country doctor in the rural community of Four Winds." Do you think Anne is wasted as a housewife?

Of course not. It's her choice. It's so very obviously her choice, and she's happy.

7. Imagine you don't know how "Dick's" operation turns out. Do you think Gilbert should have told Leslie about the operation?

Yes. Much as it pains me. I just, it's too much like playing god otherwise.

[h_loquacious]

8. "But there was something in the smile that had never been in Anne's smile before and would never be absent from it again." How terrible is that? How much did you cry at Joyce's story? Be honest.

Oh, this... this is always so terrible. Especially considering later. But it makes sense, from what we know about Anne, and what I would imagine it's like to lose a child (let's hope I never find out). I didn't cry at Joyce's story. That's more a quiet sadness thing for me, probably because I know what's coming. The thing that actually causes pangs (though no tears) for me in this book is Captain Jim. Just some of the things he says sometimes. Like when he hears that Owen's mother, the schoolmaster's bride's daughter has died years ago: "Well now it doesn't seem right that I'd be alive to hear that." Just, GUH. There's something about Captain Jim that gets me.

9. Canadian readers: how annoyed are you that the Blythes are intensely Conservative? (By the way, even if it later messes with the Rilla of Ingleside timeline, it seems the election depicted in this book is Sir Wilfrid Laurier's, after 18 years of Conservative governments.)

First of all, amused by the subtle implication that most of us are probably not going to be Conservative ourselves (though from a numbers perspective, I suppose that's fair). It doesn't annoy me too much. I guess I don't worry too much about fictional characters politics. I'm also not sure what being such an ardent Conservative then meant vs. being one now. What I find a little stranger is that in Green Gables Gil is described by Anne as being a Grit. Though I suppose it's possible he just switched affiliations as matured and actually learned about politics. The 18 years of Conservative governments amuses me, mainly because now PEI almost always goes Liberal (though I'm actually not 100% sure what it is now, but everything is unusual after the last election; I'm still mentally readjusting).

And I have read approximate years for these books somewhere. Now I want to go look them up and see how they coincide with that election.

[empressearwig]

That Gilbert calls Anne Anne-Girl all the way through the entire series makes me SO HAPPY. It's just so sweet. I kind of hate pet names, but I love that one.

It's different than the others somehow; it's achy-er. I feel like there's a lot more suppressed emotion on the page somehow. Not just sadness either, but all sorts.

I hadn't thought about it in exactly these terms, but yeah, that is what it feels like. Anne suppressing her happiness for Leslie's sake, Owen and Leslie trying not to feel what they feel, etc. And just there's so much happiness that isn't said, like it's not okay to be that happy. Actually, isn't that in this book? Someone, maybe Marilla, says that it's not right to be so happy? I can't remember now.

[h_loquacious]

I'm very particular abou pet names, but Anne-Girl has always been one of my favourites. It's sweet without being too saccharine and ringing false in any way. It's just perfect.

Mrs. Lynde definitely does at the start. She feels the need to try and
temper Anne's happiness because she thinks the universe (or the gods) frown on mortals who are too happy. Marilla might do it to, but Mrs. Lynde definitely does.

[empressearwig]

Ah, it's definitely Mrs. Lynde I was thinking of then. It's in a scene with Marilla, right? I just got who said what mixed up.

[h_loquacious]

Marilla's definitely around. She was probably standing right there, but I can't remember the exact details now. Some of it's in the narration, not actual speech.

[katayla]

What I find a little stranger is that in Green Gables Gil is described by Anne as being a Grit. Though I suppose it's possible he just switched affiliations as matured and actually learned about politics

This has always bugged me! I don't know much at all about Canadian politics, but I guess I know enough about politics in general that someone switching parties stands out to me!

And I really love what you're saying about Captain Jim here. There's so much about him that makes me sad, even as he seems to be a pretty happy person in general.

[h_loquacious]

Well, I think it helps that he's described as being a Grit at what, 16? Presumably before he knew much about it beyond how his father voted. And, um, I don't know what it was like back then, but it's definitely not uncommon to switch parties in Canadian poltics now. (See most recent election results, esp. Quebec and the Toronto region.) In other words, people do it.

The other one of Captain Jim's lines that really gets to me is when he says that breaking a promise to a child seems like a pretty dastardly thing to do, to him. I don't know. I love him, the gallant old sea captain. I think part of what's so poignant about him *is* that he's generally so happy and you can't help wishing he'd gotten his happily ever after with his Margaret. If you liked him less, it would ache less.

At least that's what I think.

[katayla]

I think part of what's so poignant about him *is* that he's generally so happy and you can't help wishing he'd gotten his happily ever after with his Margaret. If you liked him less, it would ache less.

Yes. He's one of those people who makes you want the best for him.

[spyglass_]

Just some of the things he says sometimes. Like when he hears that Owen's mother, the schoolmaster's bride's daughter has died years ago: "Well now it doesn't seem right that I'd be alive to hear that."

That may be my favorite Captain Jim line, which is possibly weird. I really love him in general.

Anne-Girl is one of my favorite nicknames for anyone ever. It just fits so well, and it's not too over the top that it would put me in a diabetic coma or anything.

[h_loquacious]

Well, then we shall be weird forever. Because I love that line too. Also when he says it's kind of dastardly to break a promise to a child. Oh, and almost every time he says "Mistress Blythe." I don't know. I like it.

Anne-Girl is one of my favorite nicknames for anyone ever. It just fits so well, and it's not too over the top that it would put me in a diabetic coma or anything.

I said basically this exact thing. :) This is the type of nickname I can get behind.

[myr_soleil]

"Well now it doesn't seem right that I'd be alive to hear that." Yes, that quote really got me this time, too, I'm not sure why. But yes, it seems like such a traumatizing experience to Anne, but it makes so much sense if you read the hints at how happy she is that she's going to be a mother. Oh man, poor Anne.

Also, you're right, I shouldn't have assumed about the Tory thing ;) Though I guess I phrased it like that because Anne as the character we know seems very far from the current Tory politics. But yes, it bothers me too that Gilbert is suddenly this big Conservative. I guess it's possible he decided that even though his family was Liberal, he preferred the Conservatives, idk. (Or maybe LMM just forgot.) And yes, PEI is still very red, although I think Charlottetown voted Tory.

And there's a chronology , based on the dates of Rilla which are obviously the most set in stone (it mentions the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand right in the beginning). It doesn't really work for the Laurier election, but then I always figured LMM didn't really mean to set the first books so far back, and it just ended up what way because she wanted Anne's children to be in the war.

[h_loquacious]

That quote isn't in reference to Anne though. Not really, though I suppose it could be, thematically, given that Captain Jim probably looked on the schoolmaster's child as his own. He's specifically talking about Alice Selwyn there, not Joy.

Maybe LMM did just forget that Gilbert was originally a Liberal. Which is odd since she's usually pretty good at the continuity. I suppose if you consider that the Tory's are supposed to have the more conservative family and social values, *maybe* it makes mroe sense? I don't know. I don't know enough about politics at that time.

Yeah, that's the chronology I've seen. It amuses me very much that there are also maps.

[myr_soleil]

Oh, yes, I put my comments to both bits in the same paragraph, but I knew it was about Alice Selwyn! Poor Captain - it must be so hard when you lose all of your friends little by little, and then even the kids you bounced on your knees.

I like the maps! They help me plan my trip ;)

[h_loquacious]

Oh I know. I really, really love Captain Jim. And it just reminds of me of when you meet people who are the last of their generation. And Canada is still full of these small towns that are like that, where some people live long enough to watch all their friends die. Sigh. It's sad, no matter how happy they are, and how many new friends they make.

Oh, I like the maps too. I just makes me happy somehow that those maps exist.

[kindness_says]

8. JIM'S BOOK OPEN TO THE LAST PAGE. HIS CONCERN FOR THE FIRST MATE. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

9. What's the numbers? is Canada more Liberal now? are younger people more Liberal? what? -sooo curious- I don't know if your Conservative party is anything like ours but for some reason I'm just like, "Well, they're so upstanding and Christian, I suppose it's only to be expected..." even though, I mean, obviously the whole Democratic party aren't heathens or anything (although I am).

Oh, is Gilbert a Grit as a kid? Is he really, or is Anne just saying that because she hates him? XD