More Montgomery

As you know, the books that I was reading for Canada Reads did not come in to the library all at once. Instead, they arrived one at a time, with no warning save an e-mail from the library indicating they were ready to be picked up. (Or from a friend - which was great!) And, as we know, one of them did not arrive until just now - I actually picked up Essex County today. Stay tuned.

So what did I read while the Canada Reads books arrived in dribs and drabs? I found that I couldn't really get in to any books, because the Canada Reads books could arrive at any time and I didn't want to have to tear myself away from something really good to read the Canada Reads book. I wanted to give each book the time it deserved. So, this is a perfect time for short stories! You don't get into them the way you do a novel, but they can still help you pass the time while you wait for the other books to come in.

I've posted on here before about how I don't really like short stories, but I realized that's not really true. I like short stories; just as long as they're written by Agatha Christie or Lucy Maud Montgomery! Yes, while we all know Ms. Montgomery as a most celebrated authoress, she was also a very prolific short story writer. And now her short stories have been gathered together in several little volumes for our delight and edification.

(Side Note: according to her journals, Lucy Maud Montgomery went by Maud in the family and was never really called Lucy. Knowing that, it feels weird to be writing out Lucy as her name, because it wasn't really. Although if you look at how she's credited in the books, it's as L. M. Montgomery, which feels better to me than writing out her whole name. And then, of course, she married the minister MacDonald and changed her name - although not on her books. At any rate, if I slip into Maud instead of Montgomery, you'll know who I'm talking about.)

Most of the short stories are collected into books on various themes: these story collections are edited by Rea Wilmshurst. However, there is an older collection of short stories called The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories in which the stories are selected by Catherine McLay. I enjoy the stories in the "theme" series better.

The stories in The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories are still good; I just really enjoy all the different variations on a theme that Montgomery was able to express. Of course, she was not writing the stories to theme, but it is interesting to see how many ways Montgomery can deal with orphans, or ghosts, or weddings. The stories in The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories are arranged chronologically and are mostly about love. I don't like all the stories, but some are pretty good. I quite like the story "Kismet" - it is one of Montgomery's earlier efforts and it is in a different style than her usual writing.

The "theme" series, edited by Rea Wilmshurst, makes for interesting reading. Montgomery wrote a lot of short stories (in addition to novels) and her range and variation of plot and character are amazing. She did recycle ideas: many of the short stories end up as chapters in her later novels, but her literary output was astonishing. It also opens a door into an interesting world: Canada prior to and during the First World War. Most of her stories were written around this time period. I enjoy the thematic grouping of the stories because it allows the reader to see Montgomery's talent to write about similar situations while still making each story unique.

I generally group the short stories alphabetically by title in my bookshelf, as opposed to order in which the collections were published. It makes more sense for me this way, so that is how I'll discuss them here. I don't read every story - some I just don't like, and some are recycled novel chapters (or became recycled into novel chapters) so I don't read those either. However, there still are some excellent reads.

Across the Miles: Tales of Correspondence is a number of stories told mostly by letter or by diary. In these days of virtually instant communication, it is hard to remember that nearly 100 years ago, the main means of communication was by letter. Letters - whether sent immediately, or delayed some years - are the focal point of the stories in this collection. I enjoyed a number of these stories: mostly about women - both young and old - and love. However, my favourites are "Aunt Caroline's Silk Dress" and "The Growing Up of Cornelia". Both stories are about young women: the first about two poor sisters and a special silk dress, the second the diary entries of the youngest of four sisters in a wealthier home.

After Many Days: Tales of Time Passed is about separation from family and home. Again, in those days of limited communication, family members who moved far away from their home could easily lose touch with the rest of the family. Some of the families are separated due to family disagreements. This collection is not one of my favourites, but there still are a few stories that I really enjoy: "The Bride Roses" about a long estrangement between two families and a special rose tree and "Elizabeth's Child" about a young lady who helps to reunite her estranged family.

Against the Odds: Tales of Achievement features one of Montgomery's few stories about the Prairies ("How We Went to the Wedding"). She did spend some time out west with her father and stepmother, but returned home to live on her beloved island with her grandmother. These stories are relentlessly positive and cheerful: no matter how bad things seem, you just have to work hard and you can make it better. Of course, you have to keep in mind the audience of the early 1900's and the publications: Montgomery wrote for a number of Christian publications. I really like the story: "My Girl Josie" about a young woman with a passion for acting and her restrictive grandparents, but the collection contains one of my favourite Montgomery stories: "The Strike at Putney". First published in 1903, the story deals with a group of hardworking church women at a rural church. They are delighted when a noted missionary is able to come speak at the church on a Sunday evening. The minister will be away, there will be no church service, and as the turnout is expected to be quite large, the ladies hope to hold the talk in the church itself. However, the elders of the church refuse: no woman should stand in a pulpit! What can the good church ladies of Putney do? Why, strike, of course! This funny story is a good example of Montgomery's gift for characterization and humour. It is one of her best.

Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans is an especially touching collection to those of us who loved Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. Montgomery examines orphans both young and old in this collection, and their stories are interesting reading. While blended families may be seen as modern, in fact they are not. However, in Montgomery's day, the blending was usually due to an untimely death rather than a divorce. I like "The Running Away of Chester" about a plucky boy and his cruel step-aunt, and "Penelope's Party Waist" - which is very similar to "Aunt Caroline's Silk Dress", above, featuring two poor sisters.

Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea reflects Montgomery's love of the ocean. Florid descriptions of the ocean feature strongly in a number of tales, which the reader can skip as needed. (Which I now often do as I've read the story often enough before.) (Although her descriptions are very lovely, sometimes a paragraph on a sunset is a little much.) I really like "Four Winds", which features another of Montgomery's handsome young ministers and beautiful, aloof women. "The Waking of Helen" is an interesting story with a dark twist at the end. Montgomery is not all sweetness and light, as we shall see.

Among the Shadows is Montgomery's walk on the dark side. She was not an entirely happy person herself, but it didn't come through in many of her stories. This is a collection of her stories about death, drunkenness, and ghosts. I quite like "The Closed Door", about a group of young children and a mysterious house on a mysterious afternoon, and "The Tryst of the White Lady", about a family with a ghost. The story "The Red Room" is another departure from Montgomery's usual style, and is written in almost a Gothic style. It is an interesting little story. It too is one of her earlier works.

Finally, with At the Altar: Matrimonial Tales the collection focuses entirely on stories of love, and stories that end, quite literally, at the altar. It is nice to read a number of stories about love affairs that work out in the end and I enjoyed quite a few in this collection. However, I like "The Pursuit of the Ideal", about Freda and her best guy friend who loves another, and "The Dissipation of Miss Ponsonby", about two sisters who help their old-maid neighbour find a second chance at love. Another story here not written in the usual Montgomery style is "An Unconventional Confidence" about a Girl and a Young Man, and afternoon trapped in a pavilion by a rainstorm. It was published in 1903, and shows similarities to earlier works such as "Kismet", being written in a slightly more impersonal style.

So, whenever you need a small dose of Montgomery, just grab one of her short story collections, and you will be entertained for an afternoon - or until your next Canada Reads book comes in! A quick note now about the photo below: I usually include my cats in my book photos, but when time came to take the photo, not a cat could be found! I suspect they've gotten wise to my little game of taking their photo with a pile of books, and were hiding. Or they were sound asleep under the bedcovers, and I didn't want to disturb them.

And, finally, it's my 100th post today! Thank you to all my readers and commenters: I enjoy our "virtual book club" and our discussions on-line. I have some particularly interesting books coming up, so keep reading for my next 100 posts.