It sounds like you don't mind unlikable characters as long as they're interesting, which seems perfectly reasonable to me. If a character is both unlikable and boring, well, there's no entertainment value there either way! So what's the point of reading about them?
I never liked Davy. I always felt so sorry for poor Dora, who always tries to do everything right and yet everyone prefers her horrible obnoxious brother. So maybe I would have liked him if it weren't for the invidious comparisons with his poor sister? But then mischievous scapegrace boy is a hard character to sell to me most of the time, so maybe not.
All my other Anne-loving friends are all "GILBERT BLYTHE <3 <3 <3," which makes it a bit awkward because the most I've been able to muster for him is "Well he's okay I guess. Could be worse." So I'm glad to meet someone else unenthusiastic about him!
Poor Dora. :(( She tries so hard! And the result of her trying so hard is that Anne and Marilla both conclude that Davy "needs" them more, because why would a well-behaved six-year-old need love and attention? She's so well-behaved! Obviously everything must be fine; just let her coast for a while. And Davy's just one of those characters you can tell the author likes A LOT better than you do, like Neelix on Voyager.
It's gratifying to re-read & find that Dora isn't actually being neglected. But all the little conversations about how much more "lovable" Davy is break my heart. It makes me sad that we never (or seldom? I haven't finished my re-read yet) get a letter from Dora to Anne, though we get more than enough from Davy.
I know, I know, I take bit characters in LMM novels way too seriously. :/
Ugh, Gilbert. He's not as bad as that annoying narrator guy from Kilmeny of the Orchard and that's all I feel like saying for him today. No, that's not fair; there's nothing wrong with him except terminal smugness, but I definitely don'
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Gene Stratton Porter's The Girl of the Limberlost also had a naughty little boy character who the author clearly liked far more than I did. I want to read more about moths and Elnora's difficulties with her bizarre mother! Not about this annoying child! So maybe it's an early twentieth century literature thing.
I like to think that once Dora left Green Gables, she found people who loved and appreciated her as she was, and therefore felt no need to write Anne. Although probably she dutifully sent a Christmas card or two, which Anne barely notices because she always did favor Davy. :(
DAMN IT my browser just crashed and with it my ~1000-word comment on Gilbert. IT'S FOR THE BEST in this best of all possible worlds (as Gilbert says when Anne tries to get him to feel sorry for Leslie).
I am amending my original comment because I feel I'm being too hard on Gilbert. Really, if Anne's happy, I'm happy. That's the important thing!
The next thing I say about Davy and Paul will be positive! I may have to think about it for a while, though.
I think the problem with Gilbert is that he is a character whose sole existence is to be Anne’s dream man. You never get a sense that he has independent interests. He is a doctor, but there are never any indications to why he has chosen that job. To me it feels like Montgomery needed a man with ideals as Anne has ideals. And as Gilbert never really acts on it, she had to give him a job where ideals is implied. The other choice would have been a priest, and Anne wouldn’t have made a very good wife for a priest. The only other books by Montgomery I have read are the EMily-books, and I find it striking how much her love interests have their own passions, independent of Emily. Teddy would have been an artist no matter whom he married. Dean likes to travel and read and Perry, even if he is never a serious love interest, has his ambition and drive to be something else. And even if he claims it’s all for Emily, he would have had that drive even without her.
I think the only reason I can tolerate Gilbert in the books is that Jonathan Crombie's performance was pretty likable (and Crombie was specifically not basing his Gilbert on the books so that probably went long way
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JOUGETSU! Hi! I haven't gotten to Anne of Green Gables yet (saving it for last because it's the best) but there was a striking moment at the end of Island, when Diana's first child is born, and Diana resolves that his first memory of her will be a sweet one, because her own first memory of her mother is of the latter slapping her face for something or other. :( "Of course I probably deserved it, and she was a good mother," she says.
I didn't remember that line about Diana being too bookish, but I'm looking forward to rediscovering my grudge against Mrs. Barry. Did she keep Diana from going to Queens/continuing with her schooling in the book, or was that just in the TV movie?
I was shocked when I opened up Rainbow Valley this morning and Anne & Gilbert were returning from a trip to Europe! I understand why LMM wouldn't want to write Anne Abroad, but I'm sorry just the same that it doesn't exist. I always complain about the later Annes but if there were seven more I would read them all. One thing I have been enjoying is the way
( ... )
Ouch, I forgot that line about Diana's first memory of her mother. I remember as a child being disappointed that Anne didn't stay in Avonlea and her children be besties with Diana's. As an adult I realize that probably would've been pretty boring as Montgomery clearly felt she exhausted the Avonlea story beats and moving Anne away created more drama.
Found the line!
"This is my little girl, Diana," said Mrs. Barry. "Diana, you might take Anne out into the garden and show her your flowers. It will be better for you than straining your eyes over that book. She reads entirely too much-" this to Marilla as the little girls went out-"and I can't prevent her, for her father aids and abets her. She's always poring over a book. I'm glad she has the prospect of a playmate-perhaps it will take her more out-of-doors."Sullivan casts the blame on Mrs. Barry for Diana joining the Queen's class, but the book just says "Diana Barry did not, as her parents did not intend to send her to Queen's." Considering her earlier denouncing of too much book
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*HUGS*
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Honestly, he's not even that bad, in the grand scheme of things. I JUST HATE HIM. >:(
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I never liked Davy. I always felt so sorry for poor Dora, who always tries to do everything right and yet everyone prefers her horrible obnoxious brother. So maybe I would have liked him if it weren't for the invidious comparisons with his poor sister? But then mischievous scapegrace boy is a hard character to sell to me most of the time, so maybe not.
All my other Anne-loving friends are all "GILBERT BLYTHE <3 <3 <3," which makes it a bit awkward because the most I've been able to muster for him is "Well he's okay I guess. Could be worse." So I'm glad to meet someone else unenthusiastic about him!
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It's gratifying to re-read & find that Dora isn't actually being neglected. But all the little conversations about how much more "lovable" Davy is break my heart. It makes me sad that we never (or seldom? I haven't finished my re-read yet) get a letter from Dora to Anne, though we get more than enough from Davy.
I know, I know, I take bit characters in LMM novels way too seriously. :/
Ugh, Gilbert. He's not as bad as that annoying narrator guy from Kilmeny of the Orchard and that's all I feel like saying for him today. No, that's not fair; there's nothing wrong with him except terminal smugness, but I definitely don' ( ... )
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I like to think that once Dora left Green Gables, she found people who loved and appreciated her as she was, and therefore felt no need to write Anne. Although probably she dutifully sent a Christmas card or two, which Anne barely notices because she always did favor Davy. :(
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I am amending my original comment because I feel I'm being too hard on Gilbert. Really, if Anne's happy, I'm happy. That's the important thing!
The next thing I say about Davy and Paul will be positive! I may have to think about it for a while, though.
Reply
How annoying!
I think the problem with Gilbert is that he is a character whose sole existence is to be Anne’s dream man. You never get a sense that he has independent interests. He is a doctor, but there are never any indications to why he has chosen that job. To me it feels like Montgomery needed a man with ideals as Anne has ideals. And as Gilbert never really acts on it, she had to give him a job where ideals is implied. The other choice would have been a priest, and Anne wouldn’t have made a very good wife for a priest. The only other books by Montgomery I have read are the EMily-books, and I find it striking how much her love interests have their own passions, independent of Emily. Teddy would have been an artist no matter whom he married. Dean likes to travel and read and Perry, even if he is never a serious love interest, has his ambition and drive to be something else. And even if he claims it’s all for Emily, he would have had that drive even without her.
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I didn't remember that line about Diana being too bookish, but I'm looking forward to rediscovering my grudge against Mrs. Barry. Did she keep Diana from going to Queens/continuing with her schooling in the book, or was that just in the TV movie?
I was shocked when I opened up Rainbow Valley this morning and Anne & Gilbert were returning from a trip to Europe! I understand why LMM wouldn't want to write Anne Abroad, but I'm sorry just the same that it doesn't exist. I always complain about the later Annes but if there were seven more I would read them all. One thing I have been enjoying is the way ( ... )
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Found the line!
"This is my little girl, Diana," said Mrs. Barry. "Diana, you might take Anne out into the garden and show her your flowers. It will be better for you than straining your eyes over that book. She reads entirely too much-" this to Marilla as the little girls went out-"and I can't prevent her, for her father aids and abets her. She's always poring over a book. I'm glad she has the prospect of a playmate-perhaps it will take her more out-of-doors."Sullivan casts the blame on Mrs. Barry for Diana joining the Queen's class, but the book just says "Diana Barry did not, as her parents did not intend to send her to Queen's." Considering her earlier denouncing of too much book ( ... )
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