rilla of ingleside discussion post

[imaginary_lines]

And here it is, the moment we've all been waiting for!

I can honestly say that this book is my favorite of the series and I am honored/nervous about presiding over the discussion. If I miss anything you want to talk about, correct me and I'll add it!

1. as was pointed out last post, Rilla of Ingleside (according to wiki) is the only Canadian novel

Comments

[myr_soleil]

1. Well, I wouldn't say it changes the way I read the book but I certainly find it very interesting, like I'm reading something that could be a history manual. (Also, I checked out "World War I in literature" or something on Wikipedia, and was outraged not to see Rilla prominently featured, haha.) The fact that it was released so soon after the war... I do wonder if people felt like "oh hell no, I am not reading about this hell we just finally got through". I wonder also if it was written during the war? Maybe planned out, but at the same time, you can't really plan a book like that without knowing how the war ends. It's also super interesting that LMM decided to write it so soon, like it was a way to exorcise her demons.

2. It doesn't have that much to do with Anne! But the last three books are pretty similar in that. It doesn't necessarily feels like an ending, which is probably explained by The Blythes Are Quoted... but at the same time all the children are grown up and most of them already set in their lives. I was surprised to

[myr_soleil]

9. Nope. What, just because he's romantic and a poet? Haha, man, us girls are unlucky if that's the case. Honestly I don't think Walter was much interested in any one. (It always strikes me as very odd that he writes poems to Faith

[beth_shulman]

I always felt so bad for Rilla, that she couldn't keep her letter.

Although I do wonder what their married lives must have been like. I mean, they barely knew each other.

I really feel like they liked the idea of each other? Or maybe there's a whole lot of backstory we just weren't told.

[katayla]

but then I never felt that Anne was especially attached to Shirley, so maybe she didn't mind!

HAHAAHAHA. That's sad, but it really did feel that way! Poor Shirley!

And I could raise a war baby, no problem... but I couldn't give it back after! ;)

That's what always gets to me! She has to give him back? I would never able to do that! :P

It always strikes me as very odd that he writes poems to Faith.

Yeah, that always stands out to me. I don't exactly feel like we were supposed to read that as romantic interest? But it's just weird.

(Although I do wonder what their married lives must have been like. I mean, they barely knew each other.)

I wonder about that a little, too. But they did exchange a lot of letters? And I guess they saw each other a lot growing up. It's just the romantic part of their relationship was so very new when he left.

[myr_soleil]

I mean, it was probably just LMM who didn't know what to do with this character... but since we never see any scene between Anne and Shirley, it's hard to fathom what their relationship was like. And they did miss those early months of bonding.

Plus that poor kid has to leave his "mother" to go with two strangers? I mean that's pretty harsh! But she doesn't think twice about it, so why not.

I think maybe the poems were just odes to Faith's beauty which was apparently legendary. Idk. It makes me very sad for Una if he did indeed have a crush on Faith!

Yeah, the letters probably helped. Plus many people married without knowing much about each other back then. I mean - I love their story, and it always gets me, but I always get a little "whu?" when Ken realizes he loves her because she looks like a madonna or somesuch. It seems a little soon! But it doesn't bother me enough not to thoroughly enjoy it, haha.

[katayla]

Yeah. Anne didn't really take care of him--wasn't able to take him--for a long time.

I think maybe the poems were just odes to Faith's beauty which was apparently legendary.

I think that's kind of how I read it? Like, it's more that she just made a good subject? And maybe even the fact that she was Jem's girlfriend? Jem and Walter were close, so maybe it was his way of sort of trying to understand that relationship? IDK.

And I suppose the war made relationships move more quickly in general? Ken was going off to possibly die, so maybe that sort of sped things along, haha.

[h_loquacious]

It always strikes me as very odd that he writes poems to Faith.

I did a double take after reading that, but given that they grew up together and she was supposed to be spectacularly beautiful and Walter always loved all beauty, it makes sense. I don't imagine the poems were all that romantic if you know what I mean.

The only one that annoys me is Whiskers-on-the-moon proposing to Susan, I don't know, it just doesn't really work for me.

That one makes me giggle, but it is rather out of left field.

(Although I do wonder what their married lives must have been like. I mean, they barely knew each other.

Totally agree! They grew up together, but given the age difference how well could they have known each other (and I say this having grown up with male cousins of approximately the same age. I know it's not the same thing, but my point is I don't feel I know them from *that*). I've never been completely sold on the Ken/Rilla romance to be honest.