The Blue Castle in Never too Late to Read Classics

May 13, 2019 Manybooks rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: l-m-montgomery, families, abuse, book-reviews, romance

Although L.M. Montgomery's 1926 The Blue Castle is considered by many if not even most to be first and foremost a romance (and thus certainly not really my favourite type of reading genre), I have indeed and for the most part very much enjoyed reading about Valancy Stirling and Barney Snaith and indeed mostly because fortunately The Blue Castle is in my opinion not simply a romance and that well, from where I stand, the romance between Valancy and Barney (although it is of course sweet and delig Although L.M. Montgomery's 1926 The Blue Castle is considered by many if not even most to be first and foremost a romance (and thus certainly not really my favourite type of reading genre), I have indeed and for the most part very much enjoyed reading about Valancy Stirling and Barney Snaith and indeed mostly because fortunately The Blue Castle is in my opinion not simply a romance and that well, from where I stand, the romance between Valancy and Barney (although it is of course sweet and delightful) is actually rather secondary to Valancy's rebellion against her family and how she upon hearing some shocking medical news (which in the end does turn out to be erroneous) decides to finally (at the age of twenty-nine) actively push back against the Stirlings, to live for herself, think for herself, to please only herself and to no longer in any manner care what all and sundry members of her overbearing family think (and if and whether her thoughts, words and actions might offend or shock them).

And albeit that the members of the Stirling clan have as they are presented and appear within the pages of The Blue Castle perhaps been a bit exaggeratedly drawn and conceptualised by L.M. Montgomery, considering that especially Valancy's mother at times rather uncomfortably reminds me of far too many members of my own "nearest and dearest" and that yes many (especially established and so-called old stock) families do have the unfortunate and nasty tendency to consider that its members acting and behaving comme il faut and according to the standards of civilisation and society is both necessary and mandated (even if this is contrary and anathema to said members' natures, even if this is both emotionally and physically stifling them), yes The Blue Castle has been a wonderful reading tonic for me so to speak (and I have to admit that I have found myself often rather living vicariously in Valancy, laughing at and enjoying her rebellion against her family, that she makes and takes her own choice about whom to marry and actually even personally asks Barney Snaith to wed her, that she is for most of The Blue Castle totally unrepentant and enjoying her hard fought and earned independence).

But truth be told (and finally), I still cannot even with my massive personal enjoyment of The Blue Castle consider a four or five star rating, as the conclusion of the novel (both that Barney Snaith and his estranged father end up seeing eye to eye, end up on good terms again and especially that Valancy Stirling and her family also reconcile, that everything is suddenly totally positive for all concerned, not to mention Barney being a millionaire's son and thus very wealthy) all of this is not only much too unbelievable and fairytale like for my own and personal reading tastes (and rather deus ex machina to boot), I also would definitely much rather have had Barney and Valancy live their married lives away from, totally at permanent odds with their respective clans (and indeed especially with the Stirlings). For it does kind of personally chafe and smart a bit that L.M. Montgomery kind of (at least in my opinion) rather caves in and sells out so to speak to society's dictums and attitudes regarding family and family obligations with her ending to The Blue Castle, when she has Barney and Valancy (while of course and fortunately remaining married to one another) also returning to the fold so to speak, to their respective families and so-called standards of civilised society. ...more

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Jun 01, 2008 Becca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, middle-reader

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I wasn't sure at the beginning of this book, but I'm really glad I stuck with it.

While this is definitely in Montgomery's style, I do enjoy her "adult" writing much more than I thought I would. I did glaze over at a few of the descriptions, but her dialogue was spot on.

I felt that the omni-present writing worked well for such a book. I think it would be handled differently if it was written now, but I still enjoyed what she did with this.

SPOILERS:
I had predicted that Barney was the writer that V ...more

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Jun 24, 2024 Brianna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, classics, 2024-reading-challenge

The Blue Castle has got to be the most exquisite story I have read in a long time - certainly the best I have read so far this year. Such a delight from start to finish - and what a mighty punch it packs for such a tiny little book! Montgomery weaves together a seemingly impossible tale and yet effortlessly makes you believe in it. It reminds me of Remarkably Bright Creatures in that one would think it ought to be categorized under Magical Realism - except that everything that occurs is, in fact ...more

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May 03, 2020 Jenna Scribbles rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I’m so glad I stumbled across this book. Not a teen or children’s story. It has Montgomery’s wit and emotional text. Lovely.

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Mar 10, 2021 Alyson Howlett rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: older-elementary-3-6-want-to-read

I loved this book. The audiobook version is amazing. (I would have never chosen it by the cover picture on goodreads. I’m glad my library’s copy had a different cover.)

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