Anne's House of Dreams

L. M. Montgomery's most beloved creation Anne. I can't say much that hasn't already been said. I love Anne and aspire to be like her; dream like her; love like her; live like her. She has always been one of the most powerful figures in literature for me due to her joyous nature and ever optimistic outlook on life.

Anne's House of Dreams, the fifth novel in The Anne Series, follows Anne on her journey into matrimony and the responsibilities that come with it.. After her marriage, Anne and Gilbert move to Four Winds Point where Gilbert is to take over the practice of his Uncle. Here Anne and Gilbert set up their 'house of dreams'; a place near the sea shore imbued with its mystery and charm. A new place means new 'kindred spirits' and wherever Anne goes, she is sure to attract many. The first of these is an old sailor by the name of Captain Jim.

"The old captain held out sinewy hand to Anne; they smiled at each other and were friends from that moment. Kindred spirit flashed recognition to kindred spirit."

Next we are introduced to Miss Cornelia Bryant. An inveterate man-hater who can never find anything good to say about any man. Somewhat odd (like the Mr. Harrison of previous novels) she is definitely a kindred spirit - or of the race that know Joseph as she calls it. Anne and her new home have begun to grow into a new and dear family.

What about a romance? Well, to start you off, here is one of Montgomery's flawless descriptions which hints at romance to come....

"The girl of the golden hair and sea-blue eyes was sitting on a boulder of the headland, half-hidden by a jutting rock ....... She was bareheaded, and her splendid hair, more than ever like Browning's "gorgeous snake," was bound about her head with a crimson ribbon. She wore a dress of some dark material, very plainly made; but swathed about her waist, outlining its fine curves, was a vivid girdle of red silk. Her hands, clasped over her knee, were brown and somewhat work-hardened; but the skin of her throat and cheeks was as white as cream. A flying gleam of sunset broke through a low-lying western cloud and fell across her hair. For a moment she seemed the spirit of the sea personified -- all its mystery, all its passion, all its elusive charm."

I love quoting Montgomery. Love it.

The novel has its fair share of romance, happy moments, tragedy and laughter. Be ready to shed a few tears and have a few laughs. Pick up a cup of steaming cocoa, wrap yourself in a warm blanket, and open up Anne's House of Dreams. Enjoy.

Eight Cousins

Eight Cousins, along with its sequel Rose in Bloom, is one of my favorite books by Louisa May Alcott. The depiction of family life and hope that is so pervasive in Alcott's novels doesn't fail one here. That one can always change, be better, be healthier and that love can do wonders is the message in most of her stories. I know that whenever I read her novels, despite the somewhat exaggerated goodness, I too see a better world through her eyes.

Eight Cousins centers around Rose; a young, recently orphaned girl who is thrust into a new world with relatives she barely knows. With the fear of a new guardian and seven new cousins, all boys, whom she has never met, Rose has grown to be constantly ill and tired. Will the arrival of the mysterious guardian and the companionship of her cousins help her heal? Those who have read a novel by Alcott must already know the answer. The novel promises a fun voyage through the ups and downs, surprises, and magic of Rose's new family life.........A MUST READ!

Jane Austen - Revisiting the Past

Going into a bookshop is always a delight. I love looking at the rows and rows of books and imagining that there are innumerable books and classics I haven’t read yet. Maybe there’s another author I can love as much as I love Jane Austen or L. M. Montgomery; or another book as great as Wuthering Heights and Gone With the Wind. It would be the greatest thing if I could discover a new book which moves me as much as To Kill a Mocking Bird.

But until I find such a book or author, I have to read - and what better than the old classics? I can re-read Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte a million times and never get tired of them. These days I am busy in re-reading Pride and Prejudice, my favorite Jane Austen novel. Jane Austen in a letter to her sister wrote,

‘I must confess I think her as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print, and how I shall be able to tolerate those who do not like her at least, I do not know.’

But obviously she did not have to worry, for Elizabeth is one of the most loved heroines of all time.  Her wit and vivacity make her charming, but her vanity and prejudice make her human and more relatable to the reader. It is because of her flaws that we love her, not because of her virtues. Fanny Price and Elinor Dashwood are superior creatures much more morally correct but not more lovable than Elizabeth Bennet, Emma or Catherine Morland. The characters who go through some self-revealing process are the ones that we love the most.

Jane Austen’s style was unique. She was born in the Age of the Romantics but was nothing like them in her style. She actually parodied the gothic and sentimentalist styles of her time in her novel’s Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility. It is easy to see that she had a sense of humor for the absurd. Her novels abound in comical irony. Take Pride and Prejudice as an example. In the novel we have numerous comical characters: Mr Collins, Mrs. Bennet, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Austen aims a lot of the ironic humor at them; sometimes through narration and sometimes through other characters.  Mr Collins seems absurd the moment he is introduced through his letter. Phrases such as ‘bounty and beneficence’ and ‘earnest endeavor’ show us beforehand that he is a pompous fool. And Mr. Bennet later solidifies our opinion,

‘There is a mixture of servility and self-importance in his letter, which promises well.’

The humor intensifies when he makes his visit and declares his intention of marrying one of the sisters. His proposal is especially comical. His reasons for marrying, his belief that a woman refuses an offer of marriage she really wants to accept, and then his suddenly proposing to Charlotte - all amusing.

Mrs. Bennet is another absurd character. We see her from the first page of the novel. Here Austen uses dialogue to reveal her characters. By the end of the chapter we see Mrs. Bennet for what she is and hardly need the narration at the end,

‘The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.’

My favorite scene in the novel is Darcy’s proposal. It is so well written and the dialogue is perfect. The way she uses dialogue and then switches to free-indirect speech, you barely notice the absence of dialogue. Elizabeth’s answer is perfectly worded,

‘You are mistaken, Mr Darcy, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration affected me in any other way, than as it spared me the concern which I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentleman-like manner.’

I can actually imagine Darcy’s expression at the moment. He rightly calls it a ‘reproof, so well applied....’

So, whereas my mission is always to find a new novel, I can always fall back on the classics and enjoy them like I did the first time around.:)