Discussion Post: The Blythes Are Quoted
Hi everyone! Welcome to our final discussion of the Anne series, on The Blythes Are Quoted. I know some of you didn't manage to get your hands on it, so I tried to make some questions more about the short stories that you can also find in The Road To Yesterday, although I don't know if they have as much Blythes references as the ones in The Blythes Are Quoted. Answer them as you wish, even if you didn't read both! I'll mark the spoilers for TBAQ-specific things.
1. What was your reaction to having one more book in the Anne series? If this isn't the first time you read it, do you remember how you felt when you discovered it? Do you consider it part of the series, or superfluous? Did you like it?
2. My copy's back cover makes a big deal of how this book is darker than the rest of what LMM wrote (Adultery, illegitimacy, revenge, murder, and death - these are not the first terms we associate with L.M. Montgomery.). Did you find it noticeably darker than the Anne series? Darker than other LMM books, if you read them?
3. What about the war? Do you feel that the triumphant pro-war message of Rilla of Ingleside has lessened? (TBAQ spoiler) Did you feel chills as Anne said she was thankful that Walter did not come back?
4. The numerous Blythe references - funny, weird, annoying, interesting? Were you surprised that not everybody seemed to like them and some references were quite venomous?
5. Are you happy to get more info on what happened to our Blythes? Jem and Walter Jr, Gilbert Ford, Di Meredith, Di's mysterious beau... Did you want more?
6. Did you like the format in The Blythes Are Quoted? What did you think of the poems and the vignettes?
7. I won't ask questions about each short story, because that would take ages, but - favorite story? Least favorite? Isn't Some Fools And A Saint super creepy? Any thoughts on how LMM sort of twisted her favorite theme of families reuniting in An Afternoon With Mr. Jenkins, though she played it more straight up in a few other stories? Did you notice any other recurring themes from the series? Why does everybody talk about Susan Baker?
On a mod note, we'll take a break for a few weeks while I go visit the old Island myself! We'll come back on July 31st with The Blue Castle, and I can't wait to see your thoughts on it! In the meantime, if you were late to the party, feel free to check out the discussion post tag to join the discussion on books as you catch up. I'd also appreciate having some help for the discussion posts on the Emily books in August, if anyone wants to come forward. Happy reading!
1. What was your reaction to having one more book in the Anne series? If this isn't the first time you read it, do you remember how you felt when you discovered it? Do you consider it part of the series, or superfluous? Did you like it?
2. My copy's back cover makes a big deal of how this book is darker than the rest of what LMM wrote (Adultery, illegitimacy, revenge, murder, and death - these are not the first terms we associate with L.M. Montgomery.). Did you find it noticeably darker than the Anne series? Darker than other LMM books, if you read them?
3. What about the war? Do you feel that the triumphant pro-war message of Rilla of Ingleside has lessened? (TBAQ spoiler) Did you feel chills as Anne said she was thankful that Walter did not come back?
4. The numerous Blythe references - funny, weird, annoying, interesting? Were you surprised that not everybody seemed to like them and some references were quite venomous?
5. Are you happy to get more info on what happened to our Blythes? Jem and Walter Jr, Gilbert Ford, Di Meredith, Di's mysterious beau... Did you want more?
6. Did you like the format in The Blythes Are Quoted? What did you think of the poems and the vignettes?
7. I won't ask questions about each short story, because that would take ages, but - favorite story? Least favorite? Isn't Some Fools And A Saint super creepy? Any thoughts on how LMM sort of twisted her favorite theme of families reuniting in An Afternoon With Mr. Jenkins, though she played it more straight up in a few other stories? Did you notice any other recurring themes from the series? Why does everybody talk about Susan Baker?
On a mod note, we'll take a break for a few weeks while I go visit the old Island myself! We'll come back on July 31st with The Blue Castle, and I can't wait to see your thoughts on it! In the meantime, if you were late to the party, feel free to check out the discussion post tag to join the discussion on books as you catch up. I'd also appreciate having some help for the discussion posts on the Emily books in August, if anyone wants to come forward. Happy reading!