Discussion Post: The Blythes Are Quoted

[myr_soleil]

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

Comments

[h_loquacious]

6. Did you like the format in The Blythes Are Quoted? What did you think of the poems and the vignettes?

I liked it in general. The poems did occasionally get a bit repetitive, as did the vignettes. Though I did like Anne and Gilbert teasing each other. There were some random ones that didn't seem as useful. Some of the ones near the end made me sad (even excluding the last one), where Anne is so obviously worn-down and getting depressed.

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?

To start, I would like to say that I've read almost all of them years ago, TRTY, but I remembered none of them, but the one from all the different POVs of the wedding. Not sure what that says about those stories or my memory.

(Spoilers for TBAQ) Some Fools and A Saint kind of goes back to how this book is darker/more different than her other stuff, because it really feels like the wrong people *won* in that one, if that makes sense. Sure the "hauntings" stop, but that family's had their lives ruined for six years and the perpetrator gets to go off and get married. It's not your typical LMM story. That said it was well done. I wasn't convinced it was her until the end.

I really like An Afternoon wtih Mr. Jenkins. I thought it was well done. Because in that story it may have been better off for that little boy to stay with the Aunt's that loved him, especially in that society where a criminal father would have been a serious blot on his name. I really liked that one, because the father wasn't completely villified. It was just so very human somehow. It's one of my favourites. It or the Cheated Child, or Brother Beware. Brother Beware makes me giggle. A lot.

I'm not a huge fan of A Dream Comes True. It was a lot of meh. And the protagonist irritated me. It might be my least favourite. Though the end of "Penelope Struts her Theories" is irritating. I dislike when male characters inform female characters they are marrying them, even if it is for their own good. I don't care. Phrase it in the form of a question (romance novel pet peeve). I also don't like the last one seeing as they have literally JUST MET THAT DAY.

As usual there was a ridiculous amount of matchmaking/orphanned or neglected children. A very heavy focus on the importance of family. I did like how towards the end, there were more women pursuing careers. And I don't know why everyone talks about Susan Baker. Perhaps because she likes to gossip so much herself?

And if you're stuck for people to do Emily discussions, I can be a back-up. I'll be somewhat busy at the end of August, but if you still need people I can do it.

Have fun on your trip! Yay Blue Castle!