On Prince Edward Island, where Anne Shirley grew up in the sea-sprayed town of Avonlea, there was no shortage of wonderful stories. There was the case of Ludovic Speed, who wouldn't propose to the woman he had courted for fifteen years until Anne devised a plan to "speed" him up . . . if it didn't backfire and break his heart. But no one could blame mischievous Anne for the hilarious battle of the sexes that erupted when a man-hating woman and her cat got quarantined in the same house with a woman-hating bachelor and his dog. From sprawling Penhallow Grange, where a family waits nearly forever for two quarreling lovers to break their stubborn silence, to the tumbledown farm of Old Man Shaw, who awaits the retum of his beloved daughter, L. M. Montgomery has written twelve tales of secret hopes and hidden dreams, filled with enchantment and humor.
Lucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author, best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908.
Montgomery was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911. She had three children and wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. She died in Toronto April 24, 1942 and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.
In addition to her 20 novels, Montgomery wrote over 500 short stories. This collection contains 12 stories, all set in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, Canada, home of her most famous character, Anne Shirley of Green Gables fame (that's Anne with an e please). LMM stories and characters are of a certain ilk that seem out of place for young readers in the 21st century, but they were loved dearly by the readers of her era. There is a segment of adults today that still love these stories (me included) and if you have a sentimental bone in your body, you will probably like them too.
When I was about thirteen or fourteen, one of my best friends gave me a DVD copy of Road to Avonlea: The Journey Begins, and I was very excited. It looked just like my kind of thing and I was sure I would like it. I did, and watched it a few times over the years, but for some reason I never cared or thought to watch more of the famous show. I wasn't too much of a TV/movie person back then, and I think I was only vaguely aware that there even was a complete series of Road to Avonlea.
But about a month or so ago, I found that beloved DVD again while I was looking for something good to watch, and settled on it since I hadn't watched it in a while. I was hooked in a way I had never been before, and hurried to borrow the complete first season from the library. I'll admit that I went into it expecting to be diverted, but I never thought I would fall so completely in love with it!! I'm helplessly addicted now, and since the weather is mostly cold and rainy here, I do little else than binge-watching and reading LMM.
I've found myself wishing more than once to have discovered this wonderful series sooner, or had grown up watching it (like everyone else here!), but in a way I'm glad I didn't because I wouldn't have the same sort of delight and appreciation I have for it now if I had. There is something about watching and reading classical children material at an older age that I find quite magical. It makes you feel so young again, brings you hope and reawakens your dreams. I love that.
In Chronicles of Avonlea, a delightful collection of twelve short stories about the inhabitants of Avonlea and other nearby villages, we meet lovely new characters and relive many stories that inspired various episodes on Road to Avonlea. Reading Montgomery feels like coming home; you know you'll feel all cozy and warm and peaceful, and spend wonderful hours dreaming about her glorious descriptions of nature and her fascinating characters. Whether it's a tale of estranged lovers finally reconciling, a grown-up daughter coming home to her loving father, or a young boy playing a heart-wrenching tune on his violin for his dying neighbour, each story will make you dream, sigh, and wonder.
(And make you want to watch Avonlea, but that could be just me, too! I'll write down the corresponding episodes besides the title of the short stories, for those who might be interested. Some have been very loosely adapted, taking only a general idea and a few character names, but others have been quite accurate. The ratings I've included are for the short stories only.)
Includes:
1. The Hurrying of Ludovic **** (Season Two, Episode 11, It's Just A Stage)
2. Old Lady Lloyd (Season One, Episode 5, Old Lady Llyod)
3. Each in His Own Tongue (Season Two, Episode 3, Aunt Hetty's Ordeal)
4. Little Joscelyn *** (Not featured, but similar to Old Lady Lloyd)
5. The Winning of Lucinda ** (Season Two, Episode 5, Old Quarrels, Old Love)
8. The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's **** (Season One, Episode 3, The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's)
9. Pa Sloane's Purchase *** (Season One, Episode 9, Malcolm and the Baby)
10. The Courting of Prissy Strong ** (Not featured)
11. The Miracle at Carmody **** (Not featured)
12. The End of a Quarrel (Not featured)
My two favourites by far were Each in His Own Tongue (which made for one of the best episodes ever on RTA -- I mean, THAT VIOLIN PIECE! THAT ENDING! I never cry at movies, but ohhh was I tearing up then!!) and The End of a Quarrel, but in reality they were all good if for nothing else than the gorgeous writing and beautiful setting and atmosphere. The Winning of Lucinda wasn't a favourite because it seemed to me to be very inconclusive, but they did a magnificent job adapting it into the show and made for another beautiful episode that made me tear up. The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's was very funny and touching, and also really enjoyed Old Lady Lloyd. LMM really had a way for portraying the elderly! She always made them so interesting, and full of wisdom and knowledge and stories, most of them with tragically romantic pasts of lost loves or youthful disappointments. The Courting of Prissy Strong was my least favourite because it was the only one which didn't really end well, and I though it overall a little far-fetched. But overall, it was a decidedly wonderful and enchanting little book, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to Montgomery and Road to Avonlea fans alike!
Now while like with ALL short story collections I have ever read, period, I have of course and naturally not enjoyed each of the featured tales in L.M. Montgomery's Chronicles of Avonlea equally so, I do have to with considerable pleasure proclaim that in particular with this collection, that especially with Chronicles of Avonlea, there have also and fortunately not been ANY tales that I have actually in any manner actively despised, there have been no inclusions that have made me massively angry, disgusted or frustrated enough not to want to continue reading. And while indeed the first featured story of Chronicles of Avonlea, while The Hurrying of Ludovic, and interestingly enough this is also the only tale where Anne Shirley, where Anne of Green Gables plays an active and primary, prominent role and part, is just a wee bit too much romance and lovemaking for my personal reading tastes, I have still managed to more than adequately enjoy the story, mostly because even though Anne Shirley's rather annoying propensity to and for matchmaking is definitely prominently and indeed also somewhat for me frustratingly featured, one does still not really get all too much hit over the proverbial head with this so to speak (in other words, L.M. Montgomery fortunately still spends ample enough time with her characterisations and descriptions of place so that the thematics of lovemaking, of Anne Shirley trying to "hurry" Ludovic Speed along in his courtship of Theodora Dix, while yes perhaps a trifle annoying to and for those of us with scant interest in these types of tales, this all is nevertheless somewhat mitigated and rendered more easily digestible and readable).
But honestly, truly (but of course also in my humble opinion), the featured tales of Chronicles of Avonlea, they absolutely do glowingly and brightly feature L.M. Montgomery at her delightful storytelling best (narratives, anecdotes of passion, emotion, sadness, happiness, triumph and tragedy, and often also sweetly and appreciatively imbued with both slyly sarcastic and sometimes even wildly laugh out loud humour, a marvellous and wonderful palette and tableau of both descriptiveness and generally also more than enough action and reaction for those readers who tend to crave and need the latter). And even move importantly (at least to and for me), with regard to Chronicles of Avonlea, the vast majority of L.M. Montgomery's literary characters (both primary figures such as Old Lady Lloyd, Felix Moore, Angelina "Peter" McPherson and secondary/tertiary characters like hired hands, servants and the like) they also are for the most part totally and all-encompassingly well enough developed, finely nuanced and three dimensional, with basically and happily no annoyingly one dimensional stereotypical personality renderings ever to be found.
Furthermore, I also very much have enjoyed and appreciated that except for Anne Shirley actively appearing as a matchmaker in the The Hurrying of Ludovic, in ALL of the other accounts where she is mentioned, such as for example in Little Jocelyn and in Each in His Own Tongue, Anne is only ever playing an explanatory, inactive and absolutely supporting role, with L.M. Montgomery giving other characters, other figures their dues and their stories and experiences (for as much as I have always enjoyed and loved the Anne of Green Gables series, Chronicles of Avonlea has in fact and indeed also been such a wonderful personal reading pleasure precisely because while reading about the same locales as in the Anne series is lovely, with places such as Avonlea, Carmody, Kensington and the like being featured, it has definitely been both fun and massively rewarding to read stories about other Avonlea and surrounding areas individuals and worthies and not simply more tales featuring Anne Shirley, the Cuthberts, Rachel Lynde, Diana Barry and so on and so on). Highly recommended, and for those of you who have watched and enjoyed the Road to Avonlea television series, especially in the first two seasons, quite a goodly number of the featured episodes are actually and often even quite heavily content and sometimes even title wise based on Chronicles of Avonlea.
"Do you remember that story Anne Shirley used to tell long ago of the pupil who wanted to be a widow because if you were married your husband bossed you and if you weren't married people called you an old maid? Well, that is precisely my opinion. I'd like to be a widow. Then I'd have the freedom of the unmarried, with the kudos of the married. I could eat my cake and have it, too. Oh, to be a widow!"
A collection of heartwarming tales set in Anne's neck of the woods. Though she has a speaking role in only one of the stories, her spirit and humor are present in all. A great many of the tales involve curmudgeonly old-timers of both sexes either falling in love for the first time, or rekindling the embers of long ago romances . . . a theme that never fails to bring a smile to my face.
The Chronicles of Avonlea centers around all the people who were in Avonlea during the time when Anne came to Green Gables.
There are twelve chapters, and each chapter is a short story about one, or a group of people. Anne does make a cameo appearance in a few of the chapters.
I'm not a fan of short stories and I did struggle to stay interested however with just one book to go I'm determined to read every book Anne has featured in.
"...it had always been a matter of principle with me never to do anything a man asked me to do if I could help it. I was noted for that." "...an antipathy to men and dogs was one of my strongest characteristics. I was noted for that." "I have no tact. I am noted for that." "I am not often a dismal failure when I make up my mind to do a thing. I am noted for that." “It is my duty and I never shirk my duty. I am noted for that."
---Self character sketch by the main character in Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's
Chronicles of Avonlea (1912, Louis Coues Page), first in the Chronicles of Avonlea series by , is a collection of a dozen standalone short stories set in Prince Edward Island in the literary world of . (See my review of Anne of Green Gables here.) I decided to reread this book because of an upcoming trip to PEI, and I had a delightful time doing so.
I question whether LMM ever considered this book part of a series, but ŷ has it listed that way. I agree that it is logical to label it as such, even supposing it wasn't the author's original intent.
Rating: 5 stars Narrator: 5 stars
Titles with descriptions pulled straight out of Wikipedia:
"The Hurrying of Ludovic": Anne Shirley is behind Ludovic Speed's proposal to Theodora Dix after their very long courtship. "Old Lady Lloyd":Old Lady Lloyd, thought to be very rich, encounters the daughter of her former beau and tries to help her. "Each in His Own Tongue": Reverend Stephen Leonard attempts to stifle his son Felix's gifted violin-playing, which he sees as unholy. "Little Joscelyn": Aunty Nan hears of Joscelyn Burnett's return to Prince Edward Island and greatly desires to hear her old friend sing. "The Winning of Lucinda": Lucinda and Romney Penhallow's longtime feud is resolved. "Old Man Shaw's Girl": Mrs Peter Blewett attempts to destroy Old Man Shaw's hopes regarding the return of his beloved daughter Sara ("Blossom"). "Aunt Olivia's Beau": Olivia Sterling is courted by Malcolm McPherson. "Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's": Severe man-hater Angelina "Peter" MacPherson is quarantined for smallpox with Alexander Abraham Bennett, a misogynist who has not allowed a woman in his house for years. "Pa Sloane's Purchase": Pa Sloane rashly buys a baby at an auction and must deal with the consequences. "The Courting of Prissy Strong": Stephen Clark courts Prissy Strong despite her sister Emmeline's strong opposition. "The Miracle at Carmody": Avowed atheist Judith Marsh and her sister Salome attempt to raise young Lionel Hezekiah. "The End of a Quarrel": Peter Wright and Nancy Rogerson meet again, many years after a quarrel over his grammar broke them up.
This is a lovely book of short stories which I hadn't read in more than 20 years. Yet, I can remember much of it! Granted, it was a beloved book, read multiple times when I was a tween and/or teen. But still. I don't have the greatest memory. I'm amazed at it's sticking power. These stories are so sweet - and clever! The narration by Grace Conlin was very well done! She has narrated a couple of other L.M. Montgomery books as well.
Christian elements: In the eleventh story (see the description above), one character is preventing the other two from going to church. I find the conclusion quite touching. Then again, I probably find all of LMM's stories touching, and the author manages it without depriving me of the HEA (happily ever after) I so desire!
Is it clean/chaste? Of course! Super-chaste, as are all of LMM books and stories!
*
The bottom line: This book is full of sweet, touching short stories. I recommend this book to anyone, even one as young as a grade school student. The only exception might be those who are bored without a lot of action. I look forward to rereading more by this author, and am already reading .
Niezwykle rozczulający zbiór opowiadań - przepełniony radością, humorem, rodzinnością i miłością. Moimi ulubionymi były: „Stara Dama� oraz „Kwarantanna w domu Aleksandra Bennetta�.
I am a big fan of L.M. Montgomery and not just because of her novels. I absolutely adored her short stories which is something when you're a nine year old girl. Now I am 38 and this twelve story collection helped me avert an incoming book slump. Originally published in 1912, this returns readers to the famous fictional island town.
Avonlea's favorite red-haired orphan, Anne Shirley makes several appearances in both person and in conversation, but the tales largely focus on other characters in the Avonlea community and surrounding areas. For readers(like myself) who watched Road to Avonlea several of the tales here were put in the show. Short stories, such as Old Lady Lloyd, The Quarantine at Alexandrer Abraham's, Aunt Olivia's Beau and Old Man Shaw's Girl found themselves in the Sullivan production with some tweaks.
As is my practice, I shall list and individually rate each of the stories.
The Hurrying of Ludovic.> 5 stars Everyone in Avonlea knows that Ludovic Speed has been courting Theodora Dix for years, but he isn't living up to his family name. Frustrated and feeling that he's never going to ask her to marry, Theodora asks for assistance from friend, Anne Shirley.
Anne's plan is absolutely insane but like any Avonlea tale, it works its magic. One of my favorite pieces in the collection.
Old Lady Lloyd 5 stars A reclusive spinster is assumed by many to avoid the townspeople because she believes herself to be better than others. But all that's about to change when she seeks to help the daughter of a former beau.
Also one of my favorite stories on the collection, Montgomery really reminds readers that there is more to a person's life than what we perceive it to be.
Each in his own tongue 4 stars A minister is reluctant to have his grandson pursue a passion for music because he considers it unholy.
I think one of Montgomery's greatest talents as a writer was how she showcased the generational gap between elders and children and what they could learn from one another.
Little Joscelyn 3.5 stars Aunty Nan learns of Joscelyn Burnett's return to Prince Edward Island. The talented singer was once a love deprived little girl who brought so much joy to Nan and she desperately wants to see her again.
Coming on the heels of two other stories which had to to with an elder and youth, I thought it was a good story and the ending is tear jerking but I just didn't like it as much.
The Winning of Lucinda 4 stars
Lucinda and Romney Penhallow's longtime feud is resolved.
Another part of Montgomery's magic was talking about family feuds and lover's quarrels. Growing up in a small community, I just gravitated to this type of storyline. One of my favorite Montgomery novels A Tangled Web would be about another branch of the Penhallow family.
Old Man Shaw's Girl 4 stars Old Man Shaw waits in anticipation for his daughter's return from Montreal, but Mrs. Peter Blewett(remember her?) tries to sabotage Sara's return by saying she will no longer love her island home.
I felt this was always a great reflection of life in Atlantic Canada, young people who head to Montreal, Toronto or the West and the people back home fearing that home will pale in comparison to their new lives.
Aunt Olivia's Beau 3.5 stars Aunt Olivia Sterling's beau, Malcolm Macpherson returns but will the spinster be able to look past his faults before it's too late.
Again lots of Montgomery humor in this tale with a dramatic ending!
Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's 2 stars
Severe man-hater Angelina "Peter" Macpherson is quarantined for smallpox with misogynist Alexander Abraham Bennett. It's not only his dog and her cat that feel the tension.
I think it's an okay story. Montgomery tended to feature men and women in her stories that didn't necessarily hold much respect for each other.
Pa Sloane's Purchase 2. 5 stars Pa Sloane buys a baby at an auction.
It's a silly tale, but I enjoyed the sweet ending.
The Courting of Prissy Strong 3.5 stars
Stephen Clark renews his courtship of Prissy Strong despite her sister Emmeline's disapproval.
Montgomery was clearly fascinated with tales about couples who had to sneak around despite the opposition of their family members. This one has humor and lots of drama with a very startlingly ending.
The Miracle at Carmody 1 star
Avowed atheist Judith Marsh and her sister, Salome attempt to raise young Lionel Hezekiah.
Rating a Montgomery story with a 1 star is rarity, but I just didn't care for this one.
The End of a Quarrel 4 stars
Peter Wright and Nancy Rogerson meet again, many years after a silly quarrel broke them up.
Montgomery finishes off strongly with a short story about how sometimes we can get so upset about the silliest things.
All in all, just great reading from one of my favorite authors.
What a great feel good spring read. I remember last year this time when I binged the whole Anne of green gables series. Can’t believe I never saw this ones til now!!
I like her so much more as a short-story writer than as a novelist. All of her works communicate the conditions/foibles/quirks of insularity-if you ever think of the dating pool where you live as small, imagine what it's like on an island, and back in a time where people didn't travel "just because". But the humor that emerges, especially in the last 7 stories, where she often uses a first-person narrator, is five times better than anything in her novels. Reading these, I recognized situations and story lines from the novels, and it would appear that some of them served as a base for later novels, even if the characters had different names: the two sisters, one of whom forbade the other to marry, the uncontrollable but adorable young boy, ladies on a ladder, etc.
5 stars. This is a great companion to & The stories span these years and cover the villages around Avonlea, as well as Avonlea itself. There’s a couple of stories where Anne makes an appearance, but mostly she’s either mentioned or not at all. It’s very interesting to see her from different people’s point of view! These stories are mostly hilarious, although a few are just sweet. They’re full of Montgomery’s amazing characters—true to life, full of comedy and sorrow and love. It isn’t as good as the Anne books, but it’s a great read.
Individual stories: I. 4.5 stars (4/10 hearts). This is a fun romantic comedy, with Anne Shirley as one of the main characters. Ludovic Speed belies his name by taking fifteen years to court his intended lady, and realizing that Theodosia would like to get on with things, Anne suggests a practical trick to “hurry� Ludovic along, with as principal actor a friend of Mr. Stephen Irving�
Ludovic is an amusing, loveable old fellow, and Theodosia is so practical and full of fun. Arnold Sherman is quite an interesting person too. Of course Montgomery’s writing is epic—and the whole story is just light and enjoyable!
II. 5+ stars (6/10 hearts). This is quite a bit longer than the other ones, but beautiful and very sweet. Old Lady Lloyd, known as Margaret Lloyd thirty years ago, has been living as a total recluse ever since her family lost its money and her parents died. Rather than humble her pride and admit the loss of her social position, the Old Lady lives alone in her lonely house set away from the road. Life has grown very bitter when Sylvia Gray comes board at the Spencers� house, near the Old Lady. Old memories are reawakened, old sentiments fanned to life, and as spring, summer, and fall work their magic, the Old Lady’s tired, unhappy old soul experiences its own transformation�
The plot is slow-paced and gentle, very well done, with such a satisfying end. Sylvia is such a darling, the Old Lady is very loveable, and all the Spencervale people are so nice. The descriptions, and the beautiful portrays of the different seasons, are some of my favourite parts of the story. It’s just a heartwarming, delightful little piece of writing.
III. 4.7 stars (5/10 hearts). This is one of the deeper, darker stories of this collection� and I love it. Young Felix, a musical genius, is the orphan son of a beautiful-souled woman and a shallow violinist. His grandfather, terrified the boy will turn out like dead son-in-law, removes the child’s violin and insists he must become a minister. When Felix is caught sneaking away to play on disreputable old Abel Blair’s fiddle, his grief at his grandfather’s dismay leads the minister to exact a promise Felix will never touch a violin again. How will Felix hold up against such torment, and will the minister ever come to realize that music can be used to minister as well as to entertain?
The characters in this story are varied and fascinating. Felix, such an innocent yet wise young boy, with peculiar insight into the souls of those around him; Abel, sin-stained but unrepentant, yet kindly hearted in spite of all his folly and stubbornness; Reverend Mr. Leonard, considered saintly (and overall a good man!) yet demonstrating real unkindness and lack of wisdom; Janet, demure yet blunt; poor Maggie, tragically disabled; and Naomi, immoral and broken� each one is alive and captures the imagination, and they are all flawed and human, while having each their own good points.
The plot, although short, is very well done. I am always heartbroken for poor Felix and disapproving of Mr. Leonard, saddened by Abel and pitiful of repentant, terrified Naomi. The climax, so dramatic and passionate, is one of my favourite of Montgomery’s. I love how she wove in the music, and I love the message� that gifts can be used to minister for the Lord as much as it can be used to minister for the Devil; and that God is Love and always forgives when we truly repent and seek His forgiveness.
Content: a woman has a child out of wedlock (it seems she trusted someone to marry her but he abandoned her after she became pregnant).
IV. 5 stars. This is such a dear, dear little story. It’s old Auntie Nan’s last summer, and little Joscelyn, the child she boarded one wonderful summer years ago, is back in P.E.I, holding a concert a few miles away. Couldn’t Auntie Nan attend? Mrs. William Morrison, her daughter-in-law, says she’s too fragile and the whole project is too impractical. But Jordan Sloane, the hired man, has a different idea. Can he and his pony Dan spirit Joscelyn over to Auntie Nan in time?
Auntie Nan is such a darling old soul, Jordan is a heart of gold, and Joscelyn is delightful. The comedy brought out by Mrs. William and Jordan is excellent and a great balance to the poignant sweetness of the plot. It’s one of Montgomery’s best as far as writing and description go, I think. <3
V. 5 stars. I love Montgomery’s mixture of comedy and romance, and this is one of her best. Lucinda Penhallow, family belle, and Romney Penhallow, successful lawyer and her cousin, are in love and haven’t spoken in thirty-five years. The cause? A quarrel, where Lucinda swore never to speak to Romney again, and he promised that at the first word she did, no matter how insulting, he would beg her pardon� but not until then. Everyone has given up on them by now, but no one reckoned on George Penhallow’s kindhearted, blundering second wife�
Lucinda is one of my favourite Montgomery heroines because she’s just so real. I think she’s an idiot, but she’s a loveable and understandable idiot. And the same applies to Romney. I love the beautiful little bits of romance, like Lucinda’s eyes and frosty diamond and the moonlight walk� and finally, the humour is epic. I don’t condone Lucinda’s atavism but I have to admit it’s a very realistic ending. XD
VI. 5 stars. I love this little story for its beautiful descriptions, and lovely characters, but most of all, for its message. Old Man Shaw, who has always been considered a failure by his neighbours because of his lack of ambition, has only one treasure: a daughter he calls Blossom. She’s been taken to Montréal for three years by a wealthy aunt, and Old Man Shaw has been eagerly preparing for and anticipating her return, until a neighbour poisons his mind with the suggestion that perhaps Blossom has been tainted by worldly wisdom and will be discontented with quiet country life�
Old Man Shaw may not have “improved� his farm into a profitable business, but he provides all he and Blossom can need. He may not have much worldly stock, but he has health and happiness and memories, all more precious than Mrs. Adair’s glamour of fashion and culture� And Sarah herself is amazing. It’s a very encouraging, comforting, happy sort of read. <3
VII. 4 stars. This is a cute, fun little story. Aunt Olivia is a bred-in-the-bone old maid, but an old suitor in the shape of the “splendidly manly� Mr. Malcolm MacPherson turned up, and she’s promised to marry him. But Mr. Malcolm MacPherson can’t and won’t be tidy, and Aunt Olivia can’t and won’t accept the slightest divergence from her finicky ways�
I frankly got a little irritated at those eavesdropping girls and poor Aunt Olivia, but I love her final realization that love conquers all. As for Mr. Malcolm MacPherson, he’s just awesome. ;)
VIII. 5 stars. This is peak comedy. Miss Angelina-Peter MacPherson is an old maid noted for her antipathy to men and dogs, for never doing anything a man asks her to do, for having no tact, for her decision, for doing things thoroughly, for never shirking her duty, and for not often being a dismal failure when she’s made up her mind to do a thing. Alexander Abraham Bennett is an old bachelor noted for living in absolute filth, keeping a brute of a dog, and hating women. What happens when a quarantine keeps them under the same roof for a month?
The antics of Alexander Abraham and Miss MacPherson still crack me up! Mr. Riley and William Adolphus make for two excellent furry sidekicks, and I love how the doctor and policemen add to the humour. Also it was fun to see Anne as a little girl but from the eyes of someone else... and Mrs. Allan, though I always get a little annoyed at Miss MacPherson for the cavalier way she speaks of her . ;)
IX. 4 stars. Pa Sloane’s vice is his inability to not bid at auctions� and to come home with absolute junk that he paid good money for. Ma Sloane wants to chaperone him to the little auction at the Garlands� but a neighbour’s baby has colic and keeps her away. Will a stern order keep Pa from bidding, or will he make the most incredible purchase of his life?
Pure comedy, besides being very sweet and wholesome—but also a touch poignant in nostalgic memories and the sad reality of early deaths and baby orphans. Little Teddy is a doll and Pa & Ma are both hilarious� also, poor Josiah. XD
X. 4 stars. This is a fun, kinda cute little story. Cranky, domineering big sister Emmeline Strong won’t allow her sweet, helpless little sister Priscilla to be courted by the man of her dreams, Stephen Clark. The only ones who can help Prissy and Stephen out are her neighbours, kindly meddlesome Rosanna and her husband Thomas, who has a reputation to uphold as church elder. When Anne Shirley gets involved, will the foursome, aided and abetted by saintly Reverend Leonard, manage to circumvent Em’line and marry Prissy off?
Rather a short story for the collection, but a humorous piece with good strong characters—pun not intended! It’s not much more than a rom-com of sorts, but I still enjoy it.
XI. 4 stars. This is an interesting and heartwarming little tale about how God answers unspoken prayers. Salome Marsh’s darling is little Lionel Hezekiah Smith, the six-year-old orphan that she and her sister are raising, but he’s also born mischief for getting into scrapes. Judith proclaims herself anti-God and allows none of her household to have anything to do with church, but when Salome realizes Lionel Hezekiah has little time left to get a good christian foundation, she wonders if she can possibly follow her conscience and return to church for his sake�
The characters in this little story are very likeable. Judith, although stern and bitter, is honest and kind, and Salome, if weak, is very sweet, while Lionel Hezekiah is as adorable as he is a mischief maker. I enjoyed seeing the Carmody people again, and the ending was so pleasant!
XII. 4 stars. Well, this is a sweet story� not much too it, but an enjoyable, tender little romance of second chances and wisdom learned behindhand but not too late. When Nancy returns from a decade-long exile from Avonlea, her cousin tries to fish out the reason behind the long ago lovers� quarrel that prompted Nancy’s departure and nursing career. Nancy hasn’t thought about her former fiancé in years, but back in the quiet old garden where they courted, she begins to wonder if grammar is really a rock worth splitting on�
Excellent writing, as usual, and splendid characters. Peter is a very nice fellow and Nancy is quite fun—I wish she’d shown up more in the Avonlea stories! Although I’m not nearly her age, I related to her feelings of being left out—not fitting in with the old or the new generation� of being behind� of wanting one’s own home and finding a career unsatisfactory� She’s got a lot of good points to make, does Nancy Rogerson.
A Favourite Quote: “‘See to it that you never make your music the servant of the power of evil—never debase it to unworthy ends. For your responsibility is as your gift, and God will exact the accounting of it from you.’� A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “[T]he harbour was veiling itself in a wondrous twilight splendour. Afar out, the sea lay throbbing and purple, and the moan of the bar came through the sweet, chill spring air with its burden of hopeless, endless longing and seeking. The sky was blossoming into stars above the afterglow; out to the east the moon was rising, and the sea beneath it was a thing of radiance and silver and glamour; and a little harbour boat that went sailing across it was transmuted into an elfin shallop from the coast of fairyland.� A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘We are going to keep this baby in spite of any number of uncles in Manitoba. Have I made this sufficiently clear to your understanding, Mr. Spencer?� “‘Certainly, certainly,� stammered the unfortunate man[,] ‘but I thought you didn’t want him—I thought you’d written to his uncle—I thought—� “‘I really wouldn’t think quite so much if I were you,� said Ma kindly. ‘It must be hard on you. Won’t you stay and have tea with us?� “But, no, Josiah would not stay. He was thankful to make his escape with such rags of self-respect as remained to him.�
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5 étoiles & 5/10 coeurs. Le premier livre: C’est un excellent compagnon pour "Anne des Pignons Verts", "Anne d’Avonlea" et "Anne quitte son Isle". Les histoires sont situés entre ces années et dans les villages autour d’Avonlea, ainsi qu’Avonlea elle-même. Anne fait une apparition dans quelques histoires, mais la plupart du temps, elle est seulement mentionnée ou pas du tout. C'est très intéressant de la voir du point de vue de différentes personnes! Il y a un juron(imprimé avec des blancs au lieu de mots) et quelques points avec lesquels je ne suis pas d'accord; mais c'est très bien. Ces histoires sont pour la plupart hilarantes, bien que quelques-unes ne soient que belles. Ils regorgent des personnages extraordinaires de Montgomery, fidèles à la vie, pleins de comédie, de chagrin et d'amour. C’est une excellente lecture. Le deuxième livre: Ce livre est beaucoup plus dramatique que le premier. Les histoires peuvent même sembler sombres la première fois que vous les lisez. Personnellement, je l'aime autant que le premier volume. Le cadre est tout aussi magnifique et, comme toutes les histoires de Montgomery, humour, douceur et tragédie se mêlent, même si la tragédie a le dessus. Un bon compagnon pour les trois premiers livres d'Anne.
Contenu: Une histoire parle d'un fantôme ("Le Retour d'Hester"); certains embrassements ; mentions d'être ivre; probablement des jurons.
عصرها� بهاری که هوای تازه رو نفس میکشید� به صدای آواز پرندهه� گوش میدی� و یه نوشیدنی گرم دارید تنها چیزی که خوشیتون رو کامل میکن� یک داستان کوتاهه� که لبخند به لبتون بیاره و چی بهتر از داستان مردم اونلی؟
I have read this collection of short stories by L.M. Montgomery - the author of such beloved children's classics as and - more times than I can count. But despite that fact, and no matter that I know what's coming, I never seem to be prepared for the emotional impact that some of these "Chronicles of Avonlea" have upon me. I always laugh when reading The Hurrying of Ludovic and The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's, thrill in sympathy at Each in His Own Tongue, and weep with Old Lady Lloyd and Little Joscelyn. Familiarity does not seem to lessen the power of these tales, nor does my awareness of their overt sentimentality detract from their appeal, and I return to them from time to time, always with a feeling of coming home. The treasures found in The Chronicles of Avonlea include:
The Hurrying of Ludovic, in which Anne Shirley plays a role in bringing the courtship of Ludovic Speed and Theodora Dix to a happy conclusion...
Old Lady Lloyd, in which a lonely old woman, reduced to poverty but too proud to ask for help, finds someone to love...
Each In His Own Tongue, in which the loving but stern Mr. Leonard discovers that his grandson's gift for playing the violin is just as much a gift from God as his own call to the ministry...
Little Joscelyn, in which elderly Aunty Nan has her fondest wish granted, when "Little Joscelyn," all grown up and a world-famous singer, comes to visit her one last time...
The Winning of Lucinda, in which an fifteen-year-old quarrel between Lucinda and Romney Penhallow is most unexpectedly resolved...
Old Man Shaw's Girl, in which a father and daughter are joyfully reunited...
Aunt Olivia's Beau, in which Mary and Peggy Sterling witness the reunion of their old-maid aunt with Mr. Malcolm MacPherson, her suitor from years before...
The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's, in which a man-hating, cat-loving woman, and a woman-hating, dog-loving man are unexpectedly stuck with each other due to a smallpox quarantine...
Pa Sloane's Purchase, in which the elderly Pa Sloane returns from an auction with a most unusual "purchase"...
The Courting of Prissy Strong, in which a long-abandoned courtship is resumed between Stephen Clark and Prissy Strong, despite the vehement objections of Prissy's older sister...
The Miracle at Carmody, in which Judith Marsh decides that she does believe in God after all, when her sister Salome's lameness is cured...
And finally, The End of a Quarrel, in which Nancy Rogerson and Peter Wright get a second chance at love, and this time don't let bad grammar stand in their way...
Addendum: Not unexpectedly, my latest reread of Chronicles of Avonlea, for our August discussion, over in the L.M. Montgomery Book-Club to which I belong, has only confirmed my love for these stories. Their humor, both broad and subtle, was just as appealing as ever, and their sense of pathos just as moving. I was particularly struck, this time around, by the importance of religion in so many of Montgomery's stories, and by the truly respectful and intelligent way in which issues of the spirit are handled in her text. It's not that the ubiquity of religious belief - usually of an unbending Presbyterian sort - in the society Montgomery is depicting had escaped me before, but it occurred to me, as I was reading, that her work stands above so many other popular stories in which religion plays an important role because there is no hidden didactic aim in her writing (she is not writing to convince you of anything), there is no hateful, smug sense of superiority (the one true atheist, Judith and Salome Marsh's father, in Miracle at Carmody, is described as a loving and thoughtful man), and there is no sense of religious authority being above challenge, or incapable of error (even the saintly Rev. Leonard, in Each in His Own Tongue, discovers that he is wrong, and that the sinful old reprobate, Abel Blair, is right). I think that it is this quality, this way of treating religion seriously, as a meaningful part of people's emotional and intellectual lives, rather than just as a "practice," but without descending (usually) into any sort of treacly sentimentality about it, or displaying any unctuous piety, that spoke to me so strongly, as a girl, and still does. This is akin to the sort of religious upbringing I had. How lovely to discover that I am kindred spirits with L.M. Montgomery in yet another way!
Chronicles of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery Chronicles of Avonlea #1
We are back with our favorite red head from Avonlea. Anne makes several appearances in both person or in conversation.
This book is slightly different from the actual Anne of Green Gables series. This is a book of 12 short story of the town of Avonlea. It also introduces some town folks that Anne talks to or have helped.
The Hurrying of Ludovic- Ludovic has been courting Theodora for years and has not yet popped the question. He finally does with a little help from Anne.
Old Lady Lloyd- old lady Lloyd is an old lady who everyone believes she is rich recluse. Turns out she is broker then broke and very lonely.
Each in His Own Tongue- a young boy is gifted at the violin. However his grandfather does not approve of his gift.
Little Joscelyn- Aunt Nan is very fond of little Joscelyn. Her dying wish is to see her one last time.
The Winning of Lucinda- 15 year old Lucinda had a quarrel between Romney and Lucinda.
Old Man Shaw's girl- a sweet story of how a father and daughter finally reunited.
Aunt Olivia's beau- Peg and Mary witness the reunion of their old maid aunt with Malcolm. Who was her suitor from years before.
The Qurantine at Alexander Abraham's- smallpox outbreak forced some unlikely people to be quarantined together.
Pa Sloane's Purxhas- PA Sloane has returned from an aution with an unusual item.
The Courting of Prissy Strong- A long abandoned courtship has begun again despite a mean sister intervening.
The Miracle at Carmody- Judith Marsh is not a believer of God till a her sister was cured
The End of a Qurrel- Nancy and Peter get a second chance of love. Rainting: 4 stars 🌟
If you like Montgomery (and I do!) you’ll like this book. Most chapters are stand alone stories about people from Avonlea and it’s just a fun, feel good, easy read.
2024 reread - lots of thwarted love and dramatic stories. Still a fun read! lol
Затишна feelgood-література початку ХХ століття така затишна і така feelgood, що одразу після неї припекло відпоювати себе перевіреним фентезі. Що само по собі неймовірно цікаво, адже романи Люсі-Мод Монтґомері про Енн Ширлі - це справді приємне читання. Але оповідання - то вже інший коленкор і концентрат, і коли цих оповідань пачечка, то разом вони створюють дуже химерний ефект двоїстого світу.
Світ "Ейвонлійських хронік" - це мальовничий світ бухточок, квітучих садів, веселих людей, курйозних збігів, наречених, які миряться після 15 років сварки (іноді після 20, але частіше все ж таки після 15, любить авторка цей строк), стареньких, які помирають, лиш коли сягають злагоди зі світом і Богом, а ще трішечки, ледь скраєчку - світ Енн Ширлі.
Але також світ "Ейвонлійських хронік" - це світ злиднів, з яких тяжко викараскатися ("А як батько невдало вклав гроші, тоді ми втратили все"), світ, в якому молоді жінки помирають як не пологами, то від сухот, світ, де не вийти заміж замолоду - це значною мірою перекреслити подальше життя (з іншого боку - це гарантія, що не помреш в пологах), світ, де діти й онуки готові пожертвувати собою заради старших, де портова повія вважає, що гріхи її страшніші за гріхи вбивць, - такий дуже реалістичний відбиток не дуже приємної епохи. От тільки "Ейвонлійські хроніки" - це не про соціальний реалізм. Це про приємне й затишне читання заледве не святочного формату. Ефект виходить абсолютно бронебійний, тільки сльозу хочеться пустити не від замилування, і трохи не там, де на те натякав сюжет.
I just reread this book for the 10th or 20th time, and I love it as much as when I was 12 reading it for the first time. The author was an extraordinary storyteller, and this book of short stories were extra poignant this year. I need the sweetness and simplicity that these stories offer and have offered to generations of girls and women more this year than in previous years.
This was the last of my rereads of the Montgomery books, and it is always with a sad heart that I finish them. But still rereading these books, I feel like I have learned valuable lessons that make me a kinder, more compassionate person.
I can't believe it's been six years since I read this book last! It feels more recent than that. I love these tender, poignant stories, the humor, and the quiet pathos. "Old Lady Lloyd" has a special place in my heart. Montgomery's thirst for redemption is strong in these stories, and it is good to be in her hands.
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From "Each in His Own Tongue" "His soul is full of music. It'll torture him to death—or to worse—if you don't let it have way." "There is a devil in such music," said Mr. Leonard hotly. "Ay, there may be, but don’t forget that there's a Christ in it, too," retorted old Abel in a low tense tone.
3.5/5 ... So fun! I'm not normally a fan of short stories but this is L.M. Montgomery... enough said! How fun to have little Anne cameos as well as characters from other stories, some of which I haven't read yet.
Individual story ratings: - The Hurrying of Ludovic 5/5 - Old Lady Lloyd 3/5 - Each in His Own Tongue 4/5 - Little Jocelyn 5/5 - The Winning of Lucinda 5/5 - Old Man Shaw’s Girl 4/5 - Aunt Olivia’s Beau 4/5 - The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham 3/5 - Pa Sloane’s Purchase 2/5 - The Courting of Prissy Strong 4/5 - The Miracle at Carmody 3.5/5 - The End of a Quarrel 4/5
This is an odd little collection of short stories set in and around Avonlea. Anne (her of Green Gables) doesn’t star in any of them but does make the occasional brief cameo.
The stories are all on the theme of love and all have happy endings so there’s not much in the way of drama here but (with one exception, which I hated) make for pleasant, easy reading.
Si vous n’aimez pas les nouvelles ça sert à rien de lire ce roman pour lui donner ensuite 2/3 étoiles parce que «les nouvelles c’est pas votre style».
Pour les autres, c’est une petite pépite qui confirme le génie de LMM : sur des nouvelles de parfois 10/15 pages, elle a été capable de me faire ressentir énormément d’émotions, je me suis sentie tellement investie dans toutes ces petites histoires d’amour, de pardon, de sororité, de maternité, c’était vraiment doux et beau.
Finir Anne avec ces chroniques permet de dire adieu à l’univers de façon moins brutale, nous n’avons plus Anne mais nous avons encore sa présence et Avonlea pour prendre une dernière cuillère de bonheur.
When I was in my teens and twenties, I thought these stories were middling—good enough, but not my favorite of hers. Now that I'm a bit older, I feel that I can appreciate them fully. Just what I needed this week.
I have loved the Anne books for years. I had never read this collection of short stories before this year, though! I wish I had! They are spo delightful. They are all either humorous or sweet. I also found this collection to be seasonally appropriate, since many of them take place in the Autumn months. I
I can't wait to read the next collection, "Further Chronicles of Avonlea,"!!!
مونتگمری عزیز من... هر داستان و کتاب و مجموعه و رمانی که از مونتگمری میخون� بیشتر به این پی میبر� که چقدر مونتگمری باهوش و ازون بیشتر دانا بوده. وقتایی که دارم داستان هاش رو میخونم� فقط کالسکه ها و لباس ها و پیراهن های پفی یاد من میارن که این یک داستان قرن نوزدهی کلاسیکه. اسم این کتاب البته بجای ماجراهای اونلی باید میبو� ماجراهای پرنس ادوارد چون از وایت سندز و اسپنسر ویل و کلی روستاهای دور و نزدیک اونلی هم داستان داشت. فقط توی داستان اوله که آنی بعنوان یه شخصیت حضور و دیالوگ داره. توی بقیه داستان ها فقط یه یادی ازش میش� یا مثلا خیلی زیبا توی یکی از داستان ها خانوم قصه می دوه میر� به یک دختر خانومی یاداوری بکنه و خب به علت شباهت لباس و موهای اون دخترخانم میزنه رو شونه ی آنی و بهش میگ� کالسکه بدون اون حر��ت میکن� D: از این که بگذریم، مونتگمری غیر از روایت صمیمی و توصیفات قشنگ_ و صد البته شخصیت پردازی های فوق العاده_ طنز قوییی� داره :) خیلی قدرت میخوا� که شما داستان یک خانم و آقای متنفر از هم و مغرور قرن نوزدهمی رو بخونی و در عین جدیت ماجرا یکهو با یک دیالوگ از خنده غلت بزنی :) خلاصه که اگر آنی شرلی رو خوندین و دوست داشتین این کتابم خوندنش میتون� براتون قشنگ باشه که در عین خوندنش، شخصیت های آشنا مثل خانوم و آقای الن، دکتر اسپنسر، ریچل لیند و دایانا بری میان و رد میش� و دوازده تا داستان قوی و قشنگ و طنز و دوست داشتنی از پرنس ادواردیا میخونی� :)
پ.ن: من نسخه ی ترجمش رو خوندم هاا. منتهی با این اپ نسخه ی گوشی بیخو� گودریدز نتونستم برم اضافه� کنم. و از سایت و فیلتر شکن و این حرف ها هم که بگذریم🚶♀️🚶♀�
This stories are all so dear, with that unique flavor of sweet homes and high-bred souls that only L.M. Montgomery can conjure. My favorite among them was Each in His Own Tongue, I wept on the redemptive deathbed scene, but all of them had true kindred spirits among their characters and I was thrilled to pieces when Anne Shirley appeared in them. Some characters had enough potential for a book of their own, like little Felix Moore in Each in His Own Tongue or Sara in Old Man Shaw's Girl. I'm off to read the Further Chronicles.