I had to like Valancy because she escaped into books, forbidden books describing nature by John Foster. The ongoing troubles that plague her life, one of which is her mother, had me smiling. The contrast of Valancy’s thoughts to her actions had me laughing. I was charmed and thoroughly enjoyed this book. If The Blue Castle was published today it would be considered a young adult or even a tween book because it is squeaky clean. I enjoyed Anne of Green Gables as a young teen and didn’t know that Montgomery had written a novel for adults.
One of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s only novels intended for an adult audience, The Blue Castle is filled with humour and romance.
As she expands her limited horizons, Valancy undergoes a transformation, discovering a new world of love and happiness. For the first time, she does and says exactly what she feels. Clearly, the publishers never actually read it, because the couple on the front look nothing like Valancy and the love interest.Valancy lives a drab life with her overbearing mother and prying aunt. It's a great summer read if you can get past the horrible cover. But it's a fun fast read, just over 200 pages in most editions. The Blue Castle is Montgomery's only book meant for adults, and it does remind me a bit of what Anne would have been like as a grown-up, though I can't for a minute imagine her as browbeaten as Valancy is in the beginning of the book - so, really, Valancy is like Anne after she takes charge of her own life.Īnyway, this book is funny and charming, and there's a nice little love story, though the ending is a bit unrealistic. (If there are any Heidi and Pollyanna fans out there, please tell me if I should reconsider). I discovered Anne fairly late in life - I never read it as a child because I somehow got it confused with Pollyanna, and I assumed Anne would be a sickly-sweet goody two-shoes. Montgomery, the beloved writer of the Anne of Green Gables series. I don't want to give too much away, but this part of the book is full of wry observations and some laugh-out loud moments. This completely shocks her family and most of the population of her small town, and the reactions of her family members are pretty hilarious. Without telling her family why, she decides to take matters into her own hands and live her life the way she wants, without giving a fig about what other people think. Things get very interesting when something absolutely life-changing happens to Valancy. And Valancy had long ago decided that she would rather offend God than Aunt Wellington, because God might forgive her but Aunt Wellington never would. Valancy would have to look as pleased and interested as if the dress and letter had been hers or else Aunt Wellington would be offended. Aunt Wellington, of whom Valancy stood in abject awe, would tell her about Olive's new chiffon dress and Cecil's last devoted letter.
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