#some of the best of Ingleside

[gogandmagog]

And Anne, looking dreamily over the lawn with eyes that, in spite of six children, were still very young, thought there was nothing in the world so slim and elfin as a very young Lombardy poplar by moonlight. 

Then she began to think about Stella Chase and Alden Churchill, until Gilbert offered her a penny for her thoughts. 

"I'm thinking seriously of trying my hand at matchmaking," retorted Anne. 

Gilbert looked at the others in mock despair. 

"I was afraid it would break out again someday. I've done my best, but you can't reform a born matchmaker. She has a positive passion for it. The number of matches she has made is incredible. I couldn't sleep o' nights if I had such responsibilities on my conscience." 

"But they're all happy," protested Anne. "I'm really an adept. Think of all the matches I've made...or been accused of making...Theodora Dix and Ludovic Speed...Stephen Clark and Prissie Gardner...Janet Sweet and John Douglas...Professor Carter and Esme Taylor...Nora and Jim...and Dovie and Jarvis..." 

"Oh, I admit it. This wife of mine, Owen, has never lost her sense of expectation. Thistles may, for her, bear figs at any time. I suppose she'll keep on trying to marry people off until she grows up."  -- Anne of Ingleside, L.M. Montgomery

WIFE’O’MINE. 🥺 DEAREST GILBERT. THIS MUCH in love, after nearly 15 years of marriage. He’s probably 39 here, Anne 37, and still publicly flirtatious, over here suggesting Anne hasn’t ‘grown up’ yet, with a stark undertone of admiration. I’m an enormous sucker for this interaction overall, but then, better and better, it follows with:  

"Well, they say it is only happy women who match-make, so that is one up for me," said Gilbert complacently.

[lifeofmarvvel]

Some Facts and Headcanons about the Blythe kids' appearances

Including how tall I think they are in relation to each other and who they look the most like

Jem

We know that Jem has Anne's red hair but Gilbert's curls as well as his eye color (hazel). He's said to be tall, have Anne's nose, Gilbert's mouth (and probably smile), and "the only one of the family who had ears nice enough to please Susan" (RV)

Pretty much, he's a good mix of Anne and Gilbert

The AoGG wikia also kinda roasts him by adding "Although not as handsome as his brother, Walter, or his best friend, Jerry, Jem grew up to be a good-looking young man" (rip lol, why'd they go with 2 comparisons on his looks in one sentence)

He's also decently tall, though it doesn't specify any comparisons in how tall. I'd say probably a solid 5'10 or 11.

Walter

He's considered the "handsomest of the Ingleside children" with straight black hair, and dark grey eyes.

Given that Anne also has grey eyes (though more green-gray, iirc), and the fact that he doesn't look like any known relative, I feel like there's a chance he looks like either one of Walter or Bertha's siblings (if they had any at any point) or one of their parents, his great-grandparents

As for height, I feel like he was always close in height to Jem growing up, only an inch or two shorter. They end up being roughly the same height by the time they stop growing

Nan

We find out exactly who Nan looks like in the series! During Anne of Ingleside, we find out she looks just like her Grandma Blythe. Consequently, she looks a lot like Gilbert, too -- the most of the daughters to look like him, in fact

She has straight brown hair and brown eyes. Her hair is considered silky, too. Anne appreciates the fact that at least Nan can wear pink out of her daughters

As for height, she's taller than Rilla, but still pretty short. Like, Rilla is barely shorter than her. It's a tough victory but she's not the shortest so  ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

Di

Anne's mini-me! Di has her red hair and green eyes. Her hair is said to have a "swirl to it" so I'm assuming that means she got Gil's curls as well (or at least some waves).

Since she looks so much like Anne, we can likely assume she's also pretty freckled

I like to think she's the tallest of the daughters. Like 5'8 or so, not too much shorter than Jem. While growing up, she was always taller than Nan but not too much -- Nan just stopped growing first

Shirley

Ah, Susan's "little brown boy" aka brown hair, brown eyes, and a darker skin tone than the Blythe kids who got Anne's Very White skin tone. He looks the most like Nan out of his siblings, and is the son that looks the most like Gilbert (just a slight difference in eye color)

We got nothing on his hair texture but I tend to picture him with curly hair too, probably just because of that "pretty close to Gilbert's mini-me" thing I've concluded

Little siblings have a bad habit of being rude and ending up taller than their older siblings. (I say this as an oldest child who has a younger sister that's a good few inches taller than me.) Because of that, I like to think that Shirley ends up the tallest of the Blythe kids. Idk how much taller than Gilbert that would make him, if at all, but he'd be pretty tall, definitely at least 6'2

Rilla

Rilla is a good mix between Gilbert and Anne, just in a different combo than Jem. She has Gilbert's hazel eyes, Anne's freckles, and "ripely, ruddily brown" which is probably exactly what Anne wanted her hair to be when she was younger. So, pretty much, she started auburn/red-haired and turned more brunette as she got older. The red is probably most visible in the summer sun

There also isn't anything about her hair texture, either. I'd say it's either wavy or the type of straight hair that actually does hold heated curls and hairdos better than others

Rilla is the baby and, unfortunately for her, I picture her as the shortest of the family. She's like an inch shorter than Nan. All growing up she probably said stuff like "I'll be taller than both of you!" to the twins and then. it just never happened. Sorry, girl

Fun Facts (aka all this but reworded exclusively)

Jem is the only son with Anne's hair color; he's the only son with Gilbert's eye color

Walter is the only kid with the grey-side of Anne's eyes. He has the darkest hair in the entire family

Nan is the only daughter with brown eyes

Di is the only one with the green-side of Anne's eyes, making her the one with the lightest eyes

Shirley is the only son with brown eyes

Rilla is the only daughter with Gilbert's eyes

None of the children inherited Walter Shirley's blue eyes (probably since the dark-eyed gene is so strong)

None of the children inherited Bertha's blonde hair

And Grandparent Look-Alikes

Jem and Di, because of their red hair, look most like Walter Shirley out of all of their grandparents. Di probably moreso than Jem

We only know John Blythe has brown hair, so it's also possible Nan looks like Grandma Blythe and Shirley looks like John with Gilbert either looking like John or a mix of his parents

Nan is the only grandkid confirmed to look exactly like a grandparent

Walter is an anomaly so who actually knows lol

--

Anyway, I don't really have a reason for posting this other than, hopefully, as a helpful guide to others and as a way for me to make sure my hcs for their appearances are written out so I don't mix up my thoughts in the future. Feel free to add any hc's you might have involving the Blythe kids and their appearances!

[freyafrida]

🌟 WIP titles game: #2 rillacarl, if you don’t mind! 🌟

(I am sooo intrigued that this jumped right over the Shirley story that I spotted on the list, too!)

hi! :))) lmao secretly very glad you asked abt this one bc it's actually almost ready to post and i am BURSTING to talk about it ahahaha

Rilla felt Carl's going keenly. They had always been cronies and playmates…Rilla had never been afraid of his beetles and bugs, though she drew a hard and fast line at snakes. They used to talk together of almost everything and were teased about each other at school…

freyafrida, reading this passage in rilla of ingleside: "well this seems like a more interesting dynamic than rilla and ken's relationship, how about i start shipping them?"

(does RoI also say that she and carl promised not to marry because the idea grossed them out so much? yes. has that ever stopped me? no. also "childhood best friends who promise never to fall in love" is a great romantic comedy set up, SO.)

so yes: this is a rilla/carl friends-to-lovers fic, with a side of fake dating. it's been rattling around in my brain forever and i finally committed to it :D

i mainly like, i think, that rilla's friendship with carl shows a side of her that's totally at odds with how she's first introduced to us in RoI and even in Rainbow Valley: even though she's vain and spoiled, she also isn't afraid of carl's bugs and used to run around rainbow valley with him (which, if they're chasing bugs and rats, probably wasn't a very clean or dainty activity).

there also isn't much indication that she's close with any of her siblings, pre-war -- jem is far older than she is; her relationship with walter is more hero-worship when she's young; there's actually like zero interaction between her and nan/di; and of course asking for canon shirley content is LOL. (although she and shirley SHOULD be closer given that they are so close in age and would've been the only siblings still at home after nan and di went to queen's…….but i digress.) but it turns out carl was her confidant, and that just like…got in my head and made me want more of a friendship or relationship between them. so now u know about my rilla/carl shipping. these are my confessions 🎶

snippet! have two because there is some shirley content here :D

[jomiddlemarch]

Each be other’s comfort kind

In some ways, Jem found being married to Mary née Vance was the easiest thing in the world.

To begin with, if he ever referred to her as Mary née Vance, she cuffed him lightly on the shoulder before she rolled her eyes and then drew him back down for a kiss. 

He’d learned the only place to refer to her as Mary née Vance was their bed.

Which he must refer to simply as their bed, not their marriage-bed or anything of a similar high-falutin’ tone which she would accept from his mother and tolerate from Rilla and would otherwise laugh at almost merrily.

As someone not much given to flights of fancy well before the War had made him watch his friends and fellow soldiers gassed and killed, his brother gone without the chance of a farewell, his mind and body scarred in ways he knew as a physician would never fully heal, he found Mary’s unmitigated pragmatism as refreshing as water in the desert.

It also put his father at ease, as Dad said Mary reminded him not a little of his own mother, though Mary was notably less concerned with the vast quantity of pie the Doctors Blythe could consume of an evening, and her piecrust was arguably the equal of Susan Baker’s, though they’d all agreed not to utter such heresy at Ingleside.

In the privacy of their non-marriage, most ordinary bed, with its soft white linens and goose-feather pillows, Jem was free to tell Mary her pastry was actually better than Susan’s, as she had a lighter hand and her piecrust never once reflected any sense of consternation or outrage over some doings in Glen St. Mary, which could not be said of Susan’s best tarts.

Mary was practical and matter of fact. She had a good head for accounts and was far more intelligent that he, any of the Blythes or Merediths (with the exception of Carl) had ever given her credit for. It was easy to discuss the running of his practice and the economic advantages posed by a move to one of the larger towns, the intellectual stimulation offered by hospital work.

Mary did not worry about leaving Mrs. Marshall Elliott behind and she did listen when Jem spoke of his mother’s broken heart with oblique allusions to Walter’s death and more direct remarks about Shirley’s move to Montreal. Even more, she was willing to allow his mother precedence in ways Faith Meredith would never have countenanced. 

(Who knew what Faith would truly have countenanced? She’d eloped with Bertie Shakespeare Drew shortly after their mutual return from England and had immediately bobbed the golden-brown hair Walter had once referred to as her crowning glory in a sonnet Jem was never meant to see.)

Mary was patient and funny, an impossibly good mimic. She had a seemingly infinite supply of riddles and could curse a blue streak with the fishermen down in the harbor, who respected Young Doctor Blythe all the more for his sharp-tongued wife.

She complained very little, never as much as she ought about what mattered most, and only to the degree she would amuse him about things that didn’t matter at all. 

She was never troubled by his nightmares, by being woken by Jem clutching her tightly, his tears falling onto her neck, salt on his lips when he kissed her.

Mary liked to be read to of an evening, but not poetry. She liked Dickens, which didn’t surprise him, and Eliot, which did. She liked mysteries the best, pulp, which made him chuckle, and Lupin instead of Holmes, but she didn’t press him on nights when anything French was the door opened to memories he couldn’t bear.

She was warm, save for her cold feet. She’d tuck them against his shins and it wasn’t like anything else in the whole world.

She was reliable, steady, quick to take his side. Quick to see his side, even before he did. 

She was pretty and she didn’t count it worth much, without any of the vanity of any of the Blythe women.

She was eminently, exceptionally lovable—except that she was difficult to love.

She shrugged off praise.

She didn’t care for ornaments or nosegays, perfume or sweets or what Rilla called a stunning new cloche just the exact color of blackberry fool. 

She looked after him and their home so well, there was little left for him to do.

He was at a loss, one she was aware of and found entertaining, when Rilla remarked one day how much Rosemary Meredith’s new cat reminded her of Mary.

Then he knew.

Mary liked to have a cup of tea made just so, with plenty of milk.

She liked to end the day sitting with her stocking feet tucked up under her.

She liked to have her hair stroked, even if his hand trembled, which stopped much sooner when he was paying all his attention to the silkiness of her fair hair and the delicate skin at her temple, her throat.

She liked to sleep early on cold winter nights.

And sometimes, when they were together in the shadows, she liked to be called Puss. She liked it exceedingly well.

[walkawaytall]

i would love to hear more about your opinions on LM Montgomery's works 👀

Oh, hi! Thanks for dropping me a note. So, I really have only read her Anne books (and, oddly, have yet to read Rilla of Ingleside). I enjoyed them as a preteen, and Anne was one of several fictional redheads that made me want red hair so badly as a kid :D.

I really started to love the books a lot more as an adult. I was working a job that involved a lot of sort of mindless work, which allowed me to listen to audiobooks and podcasts. I got hooked on LibriVox, which is a site that offers free audiobooks of works in the public domain, read by volunteers. I specifically really liked dramatic readings, and thoroughly enjoyed the Anne books that were available via dramatic reading (as well as Little Women and Pride and Prejudice).

I really enjoyed all of the books, but Anne of the Island and Anne's House of Dreams were my favorite. All the girls at Patty's Place in Anne of the Island reminded me a bit of this house I lived in shortly after moving out of my parents' house for good. I lived there with some women I knew through school and church, and we were all varying levels of friends. It was a really sweet, fun time, and I love being reminded of those years.

But, I'm also all for emotional works, and I think that's why I love Anne's House of Dreams best. I really like Anne and Gilbert together, I like the domesticity of them building a life together after they get married in this new place, and I really like all of the new characters as well. Additionally, I like the way the book handled death and tragedy. Anne's proclamation after the loss of Joyce that, "The thought that it may stop hurting sometimes hurts me worse than all else[...]", is something I think anyone who has lost a loved one can relate to. Some of the plot points are a bit more fantastical than the other books, but I still really enjoy it. I like when things work out in the end, even if there is a great deal of heartbreak in the midst of a story, and I think Anne's House of Dreams does just that.

Oh, and since it's on topic, I thought I might share this YouTube channel that I really enjoyed back when they were actively posting videos. Green Gables Fables is a modern take on some of the Anne books, told via vlog, similar to The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (though, GGF was done by a bunch of students -- it is admittedly much lower-budget and less-polished than LBD, but I still think it's great). I highly suggest watching using the playlists for Season One and Season Two, as these contain vlogs by characters other than Anne that help fill out the story and that are easy to miss if you're not aware of all the characters' account names. If you want to like...grow attached to Ruby Gillis, this may be the series for you!

If you're interested in the LibriVox dramatic readings I mentioned, they are here (I usually used the iTunes subscription option, I think, since I was always taught not to just download random files from websites. Haha...But I also have no idea if that still even works.):

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Avonlea

Anne of the Island

Anne's House of Dreams

The quality of reading varies because these are volunteers, but I really like Arielle Lipshaw, who acts as both narrator and the voice of Anne, so I found them really fun and engaging.

[alwayschasingrainbows]

Whats your fav LMM novel? Please rank from the most you like to the least you like. Thank you 😊.cn.

Thank you for this question! First of all, I am very sorry it took me so long to answer, but I have to say it was a difficult choice for me (Sophie's choice, one might even say).

Before I start, I want to give a little disclaimer: there are some books I haven't read in ages. For example, I was the biggest fan of Anne series back in the days - I read Anne of Green Gables at the age of 8 and I remember loving it so much.

But then, I read other Montgomery's novels and loved them... even more. While Anne's books are still close to my heart, I haven't read them in years, while I still keep coming back to other books. That is something I should definitely change - if I reread Anne series (and Maud's other books) and my rating changes, I'll make a new list!

That being said, Anne of Green Gables is definitely the most iconic Montgomery's book - it is a beautiful, heart-warming tale of coming of age - and Anne herself is the most iconic female character Montgomery had ever created.

Ok, the disclaimer was very long, but I needed to make things clear, for Anne series is only listed as fourth - but not because I don't enjoy it, but because I need to reread it...

Oh, and another thing: I only included the novels, not short stories.

Emily of New Moon trilogy - my absolute favourite. I know many people have issues with these books and I understand this. Still, that's my number one. I must say I was not too satisfied with an ending of Emily Climbs (2nd book) and the last chapter of Emily's Quest (3rd) seems very rushed (although I like the way it ended... generally). All three have the first place ex aequo.

The Blue Castle - very close second. I love this book so much. In my opinion, Valarney is the best romance Maud had ever written. It is a lovely book - full of humour and fantastic characters; the one I keep coming back to each time I need a little cheering up. It never fails to do so. But oh, poor Cissy...

Rilla of Ingleside - it is probably the saddest book Montgomery ever wrote, but it is just so beautiful. Rilla is the heroine that goes through the biggest inner change... My favourite things about this book were: Rilla and Jims's relationship and Rilla's development. I wasn't into the romance there, tbh. Also... Walter... (tearing up).

Anne series - I will rank the books from my most to less favourite among the series: Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Island, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne of Ingleside, Rainbow Valley, Anne's House of Dreams, The Blythes Are Quoted. That being said, I really liked all of them, but I still can't get over Joy (that's why AHoD is so low. I mostly like reading about Anne pre-motherhood, even though I also adore all her children... I know, I just contradicted myself...).

Story Girl and Golden Road - I adore stories about childhood friendships and this one doesn't fail! The only sad thing - Cecily's fate :(. But truth be told, I got the impression that the King children acted a bit young for their age... on the other hand, maybe that's the way things used to be in the past.

Jane of Lantern Hill - another great book! Jane is very different from other Montgomery's heroines - she's so practical! I adore her as a character.

Magic for Marigold - I remember loving this book, but... I haven't read it in ages. I need to change that.

Tangled Web - I have some issues with the book (the racism, marrying close relatives etc.). But on the whole, I enjoyed it. I liked some stories more, some less... and one can get lost among all these Darks and Penhallows (I always get their last names wrong, even though there are only two choices!).

Pat of Silver Bush and Mistress Pat - another series I haven't read in ages. But I wasn't too fond of these books as a child - I couldn't understand Pat too well... But I really liked Hilary. I think I should give the series another try someday... maybe I'll like them more now.

Kilmeny of The Orchard - the only Montgomery's book that I dislike... no sparkling humor. No lovable characters. Ideal Kilmeny... stuck up Eric... and the awful references towards Italians. No sir, thank you. Not me.

Ok, that's my list. I feel the need to say that I find all of Montgomery's books delightful. Even Kilmeny of The Orchard had some lovely descriptions of the nature...

I truly hope that I haven't offended anyone. I am really curious what other Montgomery's fans rating would be...

Again, thank you for this question!!!!

[no-where-new-hero]

Halfway (ish) through the year, what are your five favorite things you’ve read so far?

Thank you, @capablecapybara, for giving me the perfect excuse to drop phase one of my biannual Blake Wrapped for top reads!! I haven't been reading as much this year as last year, but here are the ones that I've loved most:

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden: Haunting, brutal, one of the best novels about WWI that I’ve ever read, even going so far as to make me think of Rilla of Ingleside. Some of the conflict resolution felt a bit quick for me, but the true core of this novel was the two love stories—or I should say, the people-growing-together-against-all-the-odds stories, which was sensitive and honest and held a perfect balance of poetry and stark realism.

White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link: Link is exactly the kind of writer I like, so at this point I’ll read anything she’s written, but this one was my first introduction to her and had the most uniformity of her collections, with a great deal of cleverness (and a DWJ homage!) that made me wish I could do this all the time so easily as she seems to.

The Death I Gave Him by Em. X. Liu: I’ve been following this author for a few years and their debut was very satisfying. Though a Hamlet retelling, it had just enough variations from the source to keep me guessing. The use of multiple formats contributed well to the overall feeling, and the resolution was beautifully done and just unsatisfactory enough to be properly melancholy.

The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix Harrow: More properly a novella, but I can log it on my Storygraph, so it counts. This is Harrow working at her finest; the circularity and repetition and lack of temporality in the story gave a haunting, nightmarish aspect that led inevitably to the only possible ending. I love when stories are so sure of themselves they can deal catastrophic destruction and leave you thanking them for it.

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante: I'm still in the process of finishing the sequels, but this first book absolutely shines on its own, partly because of the way Ferrante captures the intensity and confusion of childhood, told through such hypnotic, compelling prose, but the portraits of Lila and Lenu are intricate enough to make you want to know their fates across their lives. A rare modern classic that lives up to its hype.

Thanks again for sending in this ask!!!

[monstersinthecosmos]

September 3, 1973

Even now, two years since he’s left his parents house, he still thinks about his dad every time he grabs a newspaper.

It was like a challenge to him every day to get through the whole thing. Starting on the 5:30am train to the city in the morning, and he’d chisel away it all day, in between meetings, on his lunch break, the train ride home. If there were a few pages left at the end he’d sit at the empty dinner table after it was cleared, while Daniel’s mother cleaned up. 

And the way he’d pick at the crossword all day, and sometimes humored Daniel by asking for help at the end. He missed some of the pop culture questions and acted like it was the only thing Daniel was useful for. 

He kept lecturing Daniel that he should read the paper, never really acknowledging that he wasn’t done with it until well into the evening. Daniel would read yesterday’s paper sometimes, if it was still lying around. His dad always wanted to read about politics and the war. Daniel searched all the forgotten corners for the weird stuff.

Like today.

He doesn’t get the paper every day. His dad is too old fashioned to know that people can get news from the radio, too. Daniel always listens in the morning, and gets enough of it at the station when he stops by. But he was out of cigarettes this morning and took a walk down to the corner store. Cigarettes and a coffee and the Chronicle was right there at the register.

What’s going on in the world, Dad? he would ask sometimes. Snarky teenager asking a rhetorical question, and his dad would never actually answer. All that bullshit about needing to know what’s happening and he never actually shared. 

Well. Daniel thinks he knows more about the world than most people. He goes out, he talks to people. Incredible how few of them have space for anyone or anything else. 

His eyes scan the front page, naturally seeing the largest headlines first. Giants Win 2; L.A. Loses. The World of Wiretaps. Dramatic Rescue in the Bay.

He sips at his coffee, a little too hot still. He misses his mom’s coffee. 

3 Union Chiefs Vs. Brennan on Economic Policy. New Arrest in Ingleside Cop Slaying. 

The stupid thing is that he’s fine. He’s been fine. He likes his life out here. Coming out west was the best decision he’d made, and he never once felt unsure or homesick or out of place. 

Danish Hotel Holocaust—A Suspect.

And he hasn’t even cared that his dad got mad at him for dropping out. Moving away had released him from worrying about things like that. Gave him the space and perspective to be his own person, to stop worrying what his dad thought. 

I’m not you, he thinks, staring down at the newsprint. He wonders what his dad’s front page looks like today. Labor Day, so he’ll be reading it at home. And his mom will be so tense all day, like she always is when he has a day off, like he sucks all the air from the room.

The index of the paper reads: Comics - 46, Deaths - 29, Entertainment - 36. He hears his mom’s voice in his head again, like the phone call burned it there. Long distance distortion and everything. 

Daniel looks for the smaller print, the weirder stories.

A man claimed to be the oldest human in the world—at age 168—died in the Soviet Union. Page 2.

He makes a mental note to figure out the oldest person in the Bay Area; maybe they’re still sharp enough for an interview.

It’s just that he felt like he was cut loose, like he could be himself now. And he’s fine with it, really and truly fine. Not a person who mopes about it, who wishes his parents were better, who worries about things like this. He doesn’t define himself by it. But she calls him and sounds so sad and it resets the clock. He wonders if he can be his own person without destroying them, and if it’s his problem if they’re destroyed, and if he should feel like a bad son. 

He’s interviewed so many people by now with shady families. Even the guy yesterday. Charlie. Daniel didn’t get all the details but he just wonders how many times they wrote him off, refused to help him. It’s not entirely the same, but Daniel wonders if all families just fall apart when people can’t care anymore, whatever the reason. 

Snake Charmer’s Last Performance, Kuala Lumpur. 

Daniel sets his coffee down, lifts the paper closer to his face. His lips move as he reads over the blurb, the words mumbling out of him.

“One of the highlights of 52-year-old Snake charmer Mohamed Desa Abdullah’s act was to place the head of a king cobra in his mouth. It bit him under the tongue yesterday and he died 30 minutes later.”

Daniel lays the paper on the coffee table. Lights a cigarette. Brushes a strand of hair out of his eyes. 

“Sucks, man,” he says softly. 

[previous day] | [next day]

[impossiblesuitcase]

i really wonder whats your top 5 in movies,series,singers,books

it may seem weird but please

This is hard because I always struggle to rank things I like. It's usually more of a "hey, I like all these things, and I prefer some aspects of them than others." So these lists are not in order of preference, and I won't always be doing 5 of each because I feel bad about picking favourites 😂

Movies:

How to Train Your Dragon - excellent cinema, why are they adapting it. please don't ruin it.

Back to the future - c'mon, it's iconic

Tangled - The disney movie I return to the most

Spiderman far from home - MJ and Peter are just the sweetest in this one

The Princess Diaries - both movies are amazing, but I do prefer the second. I feel like Julie Andrews is my third grandmother because of these movies.

Series (movies? books? shows? I'm not sure so I'll just go with shows.):

Phineas and Ferb is always a fun time.

Miraculous Ladybug is sick and pathetic and terrible but I still thoroughly enjoy it.

H2o: Just add water, baby.

And yes, I do enjoy shows besides kids shows, these are just more fun to talk about 😄

I like K-dramas, some of my favourites are W: two worlds, Exxtraordinary You, Legend of the Blue Sea and Crash Landing on You.

Singers (I'm not sure if you mean singers as in my favourite muscial artists, or who I actually think are the best singers. I will do both.)

I love Dodie Clark's music and songwriting, although she isn't the strongest singer.

Laufey, Marina, Mitski, Taylor, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood can be super fun.

Julie Andrews was such a gorgeous soprano, as was Marni Nixon and the other contemporaries of that time.

And speaking of musical theatre, Ramin Karimloo, Philippa Soo and Lea Salonga are brilliant.

For male singers, those Korean boys have some great vocals.

Books:

The Anne of Green Gables series. Often when I mention this series people say "oh yeah, I read the whole series! The four books are so cute." The full series is actually 11 books and I only know of a few people that dedicated themself to reading all of them because I'm telling you--some parts draaaggg. But I still really love this series and I always get sad when I see the references L.M Montgomery put in reflecting her own life which was much sadder than Anne's. Anne and Gilbert will always be my favourite enemies to lovers ship and when she rejects him and only realises she loves him when he's dying? Impeccable. Plus the eternal classic, "I don't want sunbursts or marble halls. I just want you." 😭 Gorgeous. The last few chapters of Anne of Ingleside are so good, the reminder that even after decades Gilbert still loves her is so sweet.

The Hunger Games is by far the best piece of dystopian YA literature. Suzanne explores themes in way that informs the way we now consume media. Every time I see a media circus against the backdrop of war and brutality I am reminded of Katniss. The series does loose points for me in that I find the love triangle boring, but I can see why it was included.

I recently reread the Percy Jackson series and while some parts are a bit too kiddy for me, I still love Rick's character depictions. Percy is such an interesting, layered character, and when people say it's impossible for men to write an authentic female character, I point to Annabeth Chase. Rick wrote her as a person, not just the female love interest.

Another book series I like, I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, is The Lunar Chronicles🙂

[honeyjets]

Looong Holiday Weekend

Saturday morning @lessjokes and I got up and biked to St. Francis for breakfast and then popped into Beretta for a quick marg before Indy 5 at the Alamo, after which we biked to the friends 'n' fam opening of Jesse's new Enterprise Brewing where we ran into Theresa and Chris and Jane and Dave and Fred. The pilsner is pretty good. I bought some merch from Lauren and made a plan with her to meet up the next day at Stern Grove for Santigold and OGI, then Jess and Jane and I went to dinner at Ryo's new place Kuma on Valencia which was bomb. Then Jess and I went home (me electing to skip the Star Decay show and the Blue Velvet screening in favor of saving up energy for the next day) and she packed up and went to the airport and I watched a movie and went to sleep early. In the morning I caught the 23 out to the concert and hung out with Lauren and her friends on her blanket, and I ran into David and Kaveena and chatted for a bit. Santi was pretty good. Then I caught the M-Ocean or K-Ingleside (first time in a while either way) back to town and grabbed a 12er of Truly to take to Sylvia's backyard birthday BBQ. I arrived at the same time as Dave's friend from Barcelona, so we talked Barcelona for a bit, then I talked to Fred about being teenage punks turned 40ish old guys. I met Rebecca for the first time, she seemed pretty cool. Matt's kid was really funny. I drank a bunch of Trulys and ate a platter of grilled zucchini nobody was touching, and then afternoon turned into a blur. After midnight I walked with Fiona a few blocks, gossiped about the day and then hopped a sharebike home. The next day I took the ferry over to Oakland to meet Jane at the Snail Bar 2-year anniversary party. We had crudite, Colombian hot dogs and shrimp tostadas, all of which were bomb, then I caught a ride back to Jane's place and we caught the sunset on the deck and sobered up and then I drove my car (which I'd left there the previous week after our final dinner at Longbranch before David's retirement) back home and chilled out for an hour before catching the 24 over the hill to the Knockout to meet up with Sylvia, Fiona, Rebecca and Dave for karaoke. I sang "Only You" by Yaz and "When You're Gone" by the Cranberries, thinking of Jess far away, and I ran into my guy @chineseripofff for the first time in years and we hugged a lot and talked about the old days, and we all had to stay til just about closing to see Dave do "The Passenger," which was worth it. Fiona didn't sing but seemed to have the best time out of all of us. Rebecca gave us some cool tips about nightlife in the Excelsior, and then I caught the 49 with her in that direction, forgetting that the 24 I was gonna transfer to didn't run at that time of night, so I ended up walking all the way up Cortland to grab a sharebike. (I wanted this to be one huge paragraph btw but Tumblr is making me break it up...)

The next day was the 4th, so I got up and went Duc Loi to get stuff to bring to @corntard's BBQ. I got a 12er of Topo Chico hard seltzers (which turned out to be not as good as Truly, in my opinion, despite the cooler packaging), King's Hawaiian rolls (because they were out of hot dog buns), two bags of ice, and a coconut water. Mike, Constance and @westerday were there when I arrived, followed by Kate and Sean, Javier and Leti, Dave and Sylvia, and then Sunny and Rebecca and a few others later on. We talked film stuff, the new bike lanes on Valencia, travel, the old days, and probably lots of other topics, ate Korean dogs and taters and a couple big salads, and then the sun was setting and it was time to go. Dave and I strolled by the Make-Out Room but the Healing Gems show hadn't even started yet so we grabbed a booth for two at the LAC and talked about social anxiety and romantic relationships for a while. Upon our return to the Make-Out Room, Stella and Justin and Shannon and Greg were outside smoking and I hadn't seen Stella in a WHILE and she had a bunch of fun news to talk about, so we basically missed the entire Adron set (although we could see it and hear it decently from out front) just catching up. A very well dressed @vicwomg came over to say hi and we talked about the Wednesday night jazz scene briefly. It was cool to have this particular group randomly hanging out after all these years. Stella and Justin had to take off, so I went inside to watch Healing Gems. Sylvia arrived and found me and Dave. Healing Gems were pretty good. Dave and I bought LPs and we sat at a booth and finished our drinks and then I went home. The next day I spent mostly on the couch recovering, but I had a nice FaceTime with Jess and ate some healthy stuff and then went to Doc's to meet up with Dave and Sylvia (yet again) for a drink before Weird Wednesday at the Alamo. Innerspace holds up. Another drink at Doc's after and then home. The next day, another day on the couch, followed by another trip to the Alamo (with Dave and Sylvia again, and Helena) for the premiere of Joy Ride, which fucking RIPS, after which Dave and I caught a car to the Savoy Tivoli for Wesley's 40th birthday party. Mike, Constance, Sunny and a few others I didn't know were there. I talked to Sunny at length about the arc of her special friendship with Veljko, which was pretty entertaining. I met Wesley's friend Rabin who was wearing a kickass hot pink Madonna crewneck. (Hope she's okay.) Then Mike and Constance had to go home, so we took a bunch of photos in the street out front and then they left and the rest of us went to Bow Bow where I sang "Those Were the Days" and "The Wanderer" for Wesley (get it?) and then Wesley did a great performance where he sang "mammas don't let your cowboys grow up to be babies" instead of the real line which was very funny and awfully poignant? Dave (three times I think!) opted to sing songs he didn't know because nobody else wanted to do them. Then a bunch of bros came in and took the place over so we left. Now it's the next day and I'm recharging on the couch (and seeing if my memory still works) before Melanie gets to town in a couple hours and it's time to go out again. Wesley says he's gonna be in the "south Mission" tonight if anybody wants to meet up.

[the-moral-of-the-rose]

I am glad that you found it interesting! Exactly, we have two different timelines - and the events described in Rilla of Ingleside are simply too important to ignore, so of course I agree that the second timeline is the major one. I believe that Montgomery altered it on purpose, to create a story about one girl, instead of two. Besides, she needed a girl who represented women on a "homefront" - who stayed home, instead of going away to study. And... she was just too tired with Anne at this point to choose her as a main character.

I think it would be very interesting to read about twins, too, but the book would have been totally different. I think Rilla symbolizes an "average" girl - the teenager who is smart, but not ambitious or academically gifted; who is pretty but a little insecure about some aspects of her appearance (in Rilla's case, her thinness), who is rather carefree and vain and imperfect.

Montgomery created Anne (and maybe Nan and Di in RV and RoI, too) so that the reader (mostly young girls) could aspire to be this way; ambitious, intelligent, clever, with high standards, deep and pure thoughts. Anne was like this from the very beginning, although it was, at first, "covered" by the layers of talking and temperamental spirit.

But Rilla (who indeed undergoes a huge personality change) never becomes another Anne. She represents what most women of the time were - loving, kind, brave, broken by war but somehow, also made stronger by it.

Rilla was supposed to be a symbol of girl who "kept faith". I believe that's why Montgomery chose the youngest and most spoilt of Anne's children (although of course, Rilla wasn't really spoilt) to make her relatable to most girls. Rilla is never going to get an education - she never aspires to become a great teacher or a writer - she isn't really ambitious. Maybe there is a message: you don't need BA to be brave or strong or kind. You don't need anything. All of us are like Rilla and all of us can become Rilla.

I do believe that a book set in the "first" timeline would be very interesting too and it could cover more than one pov: of Anne and Gilbert (parents afraid of the life of their sons), Nan and Di (teenage girls trying to keep normal, trying to keep learning while navigating the biggest change of their lives), Rilla and Shirley (growing up in the times of the war). Perhaps Montgomery even considered writing it this way - but decided against it? Tangled Web had been told from many povs, and each story is shortened and a little... weaker heard, in a way? Which is totally fine, because the best aspects of Tangled Web are comedy and a study of personalities, and both are delivered just fine. But maybe Montgomery felt that a war book would be stronger if it was focused on a single heroine?

Montgomery is known for playing with a timeline a little. For example, she set a timeline in Emily Climbs - a timeline that suggests war ought to happen in the years of Emily's Quest - but it somehow... isn't mentioned. Or even, doesn't seem to affect the lives of characters. The end of the series is just... timeless (as is a whole novel - The Blue Castle).

Last but not least - yes, Marshall Elliot shaving off his beard and cutting his hair after eighteen years is an epic scene!

Rilla of Ingleside created a new timeline...

Anne's House of Dreams mentioned a historical event - a federal election: “Mistress Blythe, the Liberals are in with a sweeping majority. After eighteen years of Tory mismanagement this down-trodden country is going to have a chance at last.” (AHoD).

From Wikipedia: "The 1896 Canadian federal election was held on June 23, 1896, to elect members of the House of Commons of Canada of the 8th Parliament of Canada. Though the Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Charles Tupper, won a plurality of the popular vote, the Liberal Party, led by Wilfrid Laurier, won the majority of seats to form the next government. The election ended 18 years of Conservative rule."

It wouldn't be surprsing, but... it was also the year in which Jem Blythe was born! The election took place few weeks after his birth: "When Anne came downstairs again, the Island, as well as all Canada, was in the throes of a campaign preceding a general election." (AHoD).

So... according to this timeline, Walter was born a year later (1897), then the twins (1899), Shirley (1901) and Rilla (1903).

The point is... at the outbreak of the war, Walter would have been only 17 years old, the twins 15, Shirley 13, Rilla 11...

Shirley would have been too young to participate in the war and Walter would have barely turned nineteen at the time of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette in September of 1916...

Someone in one of my older posts noticed that puff sleeves fashion suggested that Anne of Green Gables took place in 1880s rather than 1870s... so it would make sense!

I wonder why Montgomery chose Rilla as her teenage heroine (according to the original chronology, Rilla should have been only 11 years old), while there were 15-year-old twins...

Can you imagine Nan and Di as the main characters of the war book? Two young girls at Queen's, trying to come to terms with rapidly changing world? Rilla and Shirley at Ingleside, growing closer in such trying times? Teenage boys - Jem and Walter - who had to choose if they wanted to sacrifice their life at even younger age - at eighteen? Walter, never reaching the age of twenty (or maybe - dare I hope - coming back home safely)? Anne and Gilbert in their 40s, trying to collect all the broken pieces that was once their family?

It would have been equally good, in my opinion. I wonder... why Montgomery felt she had to suddenly change a whole chronology?

Side note: of course, I love Rilla of Ingleside. But I am just curious... (Nan and Di of Ingleside would be a good book, too!).

@diario-de-gilbert-blythe @gogandmagog @pinkenamelheart @valancystirling48

[kehlana-wolhamonao3]

My favourite books of her are Blue Castle, Rilla of Ingleside, Jane of Lantern Hill and Tangled Web - so yeah, mostly books nobody outside of hardcore LMM fans never heard about.

My favourite pairings are Valancy and Barney (OTP forever), Jocelyn and Hugh (they are such a hot mess but I love them) and Anne and Gilbert. I like the couples where passionate love is mixed with deep friendship and shared sense of humour (mostly because that is how my own marriage works).

I actually think the racial slur is excusable in the context of the character who uses it. It's an old sailor from early 20th century, being sexist and racist is a believable part of the package for me. It's awful to read, but makes it more realistic to me - as awful as it is, people did use such slurs at the time without much thought. LMM never had her more sympathetic characters using such language and I don't think it represents her own views.

Jane's father is one of my absolutely favourite characters and I think the main reason he didn't fight more for Robin was his warm trauma and feeling that he wasn't good enough for her due to everything he went through. He is able to get together with her when he healed and reconnecting with his daughter and building a bond with her was part of this healing process.

LMM is terrifyingly accurate in describing the horrors of emotional abuse and being raised by narcissistic guardians - and the damage it does to people.

I completely and utterly disagree with opinions that the heroines getting a happy marriage as their ending means LMM was just bowing to convention and was somehow demeaning for some of the characters. In my personal belief a happy, lasting bond with another human being is not the ultimate goal, necessary, but one of the best things which can happen to a person. What's wrong with having love and a best friend as your partner in life?

I find it interesting that for all LMM being a pastor's wife and clearly toeing the line of the conventional morality of her surroundings, none of her main characters are deeply religious.

So, L.M. Montgomery fans - gotta know do you have any hot or mild takes on Character's or story lines? I'm getting a renewed interest in the Fandom thanks to the #bluecastlebookclub ...

[mrsdoctordear]

The Slighting of Marilla Cuthbert

The marvelous, nostalgic, and hilarious Anne of Green Gables series has given me the most fulfilling experiences that I have ever had as a reader. Each book has something to love and to relate to, as do the timeless characters, all endearing and admirable in their own set of ways. For the most part, I have no bad words to speak of the series. However, there is one aggravating slight against one of my favorite characters that has bothered me immensely.

A major flaw in later installments is the almost nonexistent inclusion of Marilla Cuthbert. It’s maddening that a woman nearest and dearest to Anne’s heart is cut almost entirely from the pages of her adult life. We are given no real glimpse into her relationship with Anne as she ventures into motherhood after Anne’s House of Dreams, which marks the last of Marilla as a speaking character. Her final lines come in this brief interaction with Anne after her first son, James Matthew, is born:

“Oh, Marilla, do you think—you don't think, do you—that his hair is going to be red?”

“I don't see much hair of any color," said Marilla. "I wouldn't worry about it, if I were you, until it becomes visible.”

This is as far as Marilla’s counseling to Anne on motherhood goes. Imagine the missed opportunities in this area; Anne could have now and again come to Marilla for advice on how to handle her children in this or that, for while she never birthed any children of her own, Marilla did raise three orphans, after all. Nostalgia could have been kindled in a laugh over one antic or another of Anne’s or Davy Keith’s (let’s face it—Dora Keith would have no such antics to speak of). Yet none of this occurs or is even hinted at, not even in Anne of Ingleside, which starts with Anne spending a week in Green Gables. A whole week, and Marilla herself does not enter into the picture once, while even Rachel Lynde is given a line or two to speak:

“It's real good to have you home again, Anne, that's what. It's nine years since you went away, but Marilla and I can't seem to get over missing you.”

As if robbing us of any further mother-daughter moments was bad enough, we hardly get a glimpse into Marilla’s relationship with Anne’s children. Only an objective sentence or two are dedicated to this subject, which with more effort could have easily evolved into tender and touching moments of little arms reaching up to their ‘Aunt Marilla’ to be held, being spoiled with sweet treats from her kitchen, or enjoying her recollections of their mother as a little girl. These things surely happened off page, but the closest we come to seeing any such interactions are through the childrens’ memories of a recent trip to Avonlea in the beginning of Rainbow Valley, which is pleasant, but very brief:

“A visit to Green Gables was always considered a great treat. Aunt Marilla was very good to them, and so was Mrs. Rachel Lynde … The twins had their mother's old porch-gable room, and Aunt Marilla used to come in at night, when she thought they were asleep, to gloat over them. But they all knew she loved Jem the best.”

We are at least given the pleasure of Anne confirming Marilla’s love for her ‘grandchildren’ with this dialogue from a few pages before:

“Marilla does spoil them terribly. Jem, in particular, can do no wrong in her eyes.”

In the very least, it would have been preferable to have some dialogue between Marilla and the children to expand upon the sweetness that exists beneath the surface of these recollections.

Worst of all is the way in which Marilla’s death is shrugged off, only brought to light by a hastened, impersonal acknowledgment in Rilla of Ingleside from young Rilla Blythe, no less—a character who knew Marilla hardly at all:

“Rilla-my-Rilla"–a little pun on her real name, Marilla. She had been named after Aunt Marilla of Green Gables, but Aunt Marilla had died before Rilla was old enough to know her very well…”

Here no closure whatsoever is provided for her death where we should have had plenty—after all, she was a crucial and beloved character in the series. This has left us with many unanswered questions. How old was Marilla when she died? What became of Green Gables? Was her live-in best friend Rachel Lynde still alive when she passed away? And perhaps most importantly, how did Anne handle her loss?

I will make this excuse for L. M. Montgomery—it is realistic that Marilla becomes a minor (though more like nonexistent) character in the later books, because as one grows up, they depart from the circle of loved ones in which they grew up to start their own life filled with family and friends of their own. But this does not sever ties with their old family completely, and they revisit them occasionally, if not often in the case of close-knit families, which Anne and Marilla were.

The Anne of Green Gables series is for the most part thankfully lacking in flaws and ranks very near the top of my comfort fictional worlds. But because Marilla Cuthbert has become one of my all-time favorite fictional characters, and I’m sure is considered the same for many others, this injustice towards her is all the more upsetting and is something I’ll always regret with the books.

[shirbertshitposts]

I haven’t watched the Sullivan films in a while, well I did watch the first half of the first one a few months ago, but I’ve forgotten some of the scenes and like *deep sigh* choices were made that I Do. Not. Get.

Specifically I was just reminded of Sullivans adaptation of how Anne and Gilbert finally become friends and it involves Gilbert caressing Anne’s cheek and calling her carrots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh3eb4DZTLw

Let’s break that down. 

Anne has been holding a grudge against Gilbert for FIVE YEARS because he called her carrots and the moment she finally accepts his friendship Sullivan thought oh Gilbert should call her carrots but affectionately and she won’t get mad this time...like bitch what? Anne was deeply upset not only when Gilbert called her carrots but also when Rachel Lynde called her carrots. Clearly she takes deep offense to this seemingly innocent characterization of the color of her hair. Why would anyone ever want to bring that up again knowing that? In the books Anne is still sensitive about the color of her hair well into adulthood, so much so that here is a quote from 15 YEARS into Anne and Gilbert’s marriage, in Anne of Ingleside 

"Oh, it is too bad my hair is red," said Anne icily.

Gilbert thought he was wise in dropping a dangerous subject. Anne, he reflected, had always been a bit sensitive about her hair.

Also have you ever had someone you JUST became friends with lovingly caress your cheek? That’s weird as hell. You’d probably slap their hand away. There is literally a scene in Anne of the Island, at which point in the story Anne and Gilbert have been best friends for two years already, where Gilbert touches Anne’s hand and she immediately rejects his touch.

Gilbert suddenly laid his hand over the slender white one lying on the rail of the bridge. His hazel eyes deepened into darkness, his still boyish lips opened to say something of the dream and hope that thrilled his soul. But Anne snatched her hand away and turned quickly. The spell of the dusk was broken for her.

In the Anne of Green Gables scene of them becoming friends they say non-offensive things to each other and shake hands. You know like friends would, because they’re friends now. There’s not supposed to be romantic tension between them yet. 

Here is the Anne of Green Gables scene this is supposed to be based off of:

Halfway down the hill a tall lad came whistling out of a gate before the Blythe homestead. It was Gilbert, and the whistle died on his lips as he recognized Anne. He lifted his cap courteously, but he would have passed on in silence, if Anne had not stopped and held out her hand.

“Gilbert,” she said, with scarlet cheeks, “I want to thank you for giving up the school for me. It was very good of you—and I want you to know that I appreciate it.”

Gilbert took the offered hand eagerly.

“It wasn’t particularly good of me at all, Anne. I was pleased to be able to do you some small service. Are we going to be friends after this? Have you really forgiven me my old fault?”

Anne laughed and tried unsuccessfully to withdraw her hand.

“I forgave you that day by the pond landing, although I didn’t know it. What a stubborn little goose I was. I’ve been—I may as well make a complete confession—I’ve been sorry ever since.”

“We are going to be the best of friends,” said Gilbert, jubilantly. “We were born to be good friends, Anne. You’ve thwarted destiny enough. I know we can help each other in many ways. You are going to keep up your studies, aren’t you? So am I. Come, I’m going to walk home with you.”

Marilla looked curiously at Anne when the latter entered the kitchen.“Who was that came up the lane with you, Anne?”

“Gilbert Blythe,” answered Anne, vexed to find herself blushing. “I met him on Barry’s hill.”

“I didn’t think you and Gilbert Blythe were such good friends that you’d stand for half an hour at the gate talking to him,” said Marilla with a dry smile.

“We haven’t been—we’ve been good enemies. But we have decided that it will be much more sensible to be good friends in the future. Were we really there half an hour? It seemed just a few minutes. But, you see, we have five years’ lost conversations to catch up with, Marilla.”

Yes, Anne blushes in the scene but I think it’s more out of embarrassment that she’s been so mean to someone who is willing to do something so nice for her. She is embarrassed that she held onto her grudge for so long. And look at the way Gilbert speaks to her. It’s just friendly. Gilbert literally uses the word friends three times. I mean it’s a little bit funny that he doesn’t let go of her hand after shaking it, but he’s not flirting with her here. Even though he is in love with her, he is not actively flirting with her in this scene because he knows she wouldn’t be receptive to it. She has just accepted his friendship. It took them five years to get to this point. He wouldn’t want to jeopardize that in any way after it took them so long to get there. Gilbert is receptive to Anne’s response to him and he knows the boundaries he can’t push with her. In the later parts of Anne of Avonlea and the beginning of Anne of the Island we him struggle with trying to push their relationship towards romance but Anne responds negatively each time so he keeps toning it back until the fateful first proposal where he can’t take it anymore and ignores all Anne’s signals telling him to stop and just steam rolls ahead declaring his love. And that ends badly for both of them.

Also let’s talk about how in the Sullivan scene Gilbert rode up on a fucking horse literally like a hero out of a romantic story. The WHOLE CRUX OF ANNE BEGINNING TO REALIZE SHE LOVES GILBERT IS HER SAYING THAT ROMANCE ISNT LIKE A GAY KNIGHT RIDING DOWN

Here is that quote from Anne of Avonlea

For a moment Anne’s heart fluttered queerly and for the first time her eyes faltered under Gilbert’s gaze and a rosy flush stained the paleness of her face. It was as if a veil that had hung before her inner consciousness had been lifted, giving to her view a revelation of unsuspected feelings and realities. Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one’s side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music, perhaps . . . perhaps . . . love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath.

Ahhhhh what the fuck

WHAT THE FUCK

I would say why would Sullivan do this when there is so much textual support against it in the later books but I bet that motherfucker hasn’t even read most of the later books because they butchered Anne of Avonlea and Anne of Windy Poplars and the Continuing Story is not based on any of the books at all so clearly they give no fucks i guess???

Why do the adaptations insist on making Gilbert into a romantic hero when the whole conflict of Anne and Gilbert’s relationship is that he isn’t one. He’s just a regular boy who becomes Anne’s best friend, so she doesn’t realize how much he loves her and that the way she loves him isn’t purely friendly.

[gogandmagog]

Do you think you can expound on what you meant by LMM showing her hand/Dean being condemned by cat aversion? I was skimming the Emily tag and came across your post. Just curious!

I’m sooo cracking up and embarrassed right now, because while I do fr believe that... I’m not exactly sure I can wholly defend it. Or even remotely ask anyone else to consider getting onboard with that kind of intense inferring. But I’m going to do my best to have a go at it (🥴) and attempt to explain where my head was at with all that, while also letting it be a lesson to myself to not just be out here saying things sometimes, lol.

Also as a small sidenote: I tried to find the post you might be referencing, and I’m all but certain it must’ve been a very old conversation with @no-where-new-hero, but it must’ve also predated my searchable tagging practices because alas, I cannot find it. So… I’m already sorry-in-advance if I veer off into unrelated areas or miss the ‘ask’ mark completely. But I think you mean that at some point I said Maud “showed her hand” early in the Emily series by having Dean Priest say that he wouldn’t keep a cat. I’ll double check, but I think his exact quote is: “I like cats but I never keep one.”

Which, to a casual reader... doesn’t mean a whole lot. Yet when I look back at this, as a non-casual reader, after many re-reads and a little bit of Maud experience, I do kind of now recognise that as a tell. At least it’s a proper LMM red flag. Especially when we experience and feel the depth of cat symbolism and heavy-handed cat presence in the Emily series. And of Emily. How Emily is repeatedly and often assigned a cat-like nature + appearance in the narrative and by other characters in the book. She’s told at school that she has cat ears, and she’s even nicknamed “puss” by Cousin Jimmy. Emily’s Wind Woman purrs. It’s everywhere in Emily. If we advance even a bit further, into broad and ancient symbolism, we can also reflect on timeless and universal cat symbolism… the cat alignment with femininity. The same way dogs are aligned and representative of masculinity.

So when we consider all of this and juxtapose Dean’s statement against Montgomery’s men that did get their girls, I think it speaks even louder. Teddy had Smoke and Buttercup. Barney had Good Luck and Banjo. Cats are so important to Maud and her stories that she has Gilbert (the son of a cat lady, eventual owner of the First Mate, and saviour of Ingleside housecat the Shrimp) mention them in his finally-accepted proposal to Anne. He says, “I dream of a home with a hearth-fire in it, a cat and dog, the footsteps of friends—and you!” (Which P.S. is even a veeeery interesting order, in my veeeery-stretched opinion. A cat, then a dog. The feminine before the masculine. You before me, Gilbert says.)

To me... Emily is the cat that Dean will never keep. Much later, when their engagement is dissolving, he says, “… Perhaps that is why I couldn’t keep you.” Which is lowkey full circle. (If you squint.)

[onlymollygibson]

Anne of Green Gables Fanfic Recs

@itspileofgoodthings‘ Anne of the Island post has got me in an Anne of Green Gables sort of mood, so I thought I’d share a few of my favorite Anne fics rated T or below.  This list is by no means comprehensive, and if you like these, I suggest you take a look at the Anne of Green Gables fics on fanfiction.net for more like them.  Now, usually I’m an AO3 kinda girl, but for whatever reason, ff.net has a thriving community of Anne writers that have turned out some absolutely fantastic stories. 

By a Simple Twist of Fate by kslchen My absolute favorite AoGG fic right now.  A modern AU of Rilla of Ingleside, focusing on Rilla/Ken, in which Ken is the heir to the British throne, but it’s so much more than that.  It’s a deep dive into Rilla as a character that allows her to stay true to her LLM characterization while still being a thoroughly modern person.  Featuring the extended Shirley/Blythe family living their best lives, including Jem and Faith as doctors, Shirley as a college dropout turned successful Silicone Valley ap developer and Di as a microbiologist/lesbian icon. Also, thanks to modern medicine, Joy and Marilla and Anne’s mother are alive! This fic updates every Wednesday.    Through the Dark Clouds Shining by kslchen  Same author, totally different flavor, still absolutely amazing.  Rilla becomes a nurse and goes to Europe during WWI.  The level of historical research is phenomenal and the characterization maintains the  flavor of the characters in the book but goes much deeper.  Warning on this one for in an in depth look at exactly how terrible WWI was.   Catching Moonlight by Catiegirl Tropes treated seriously.  What if Anne and Gilbert were accidentally in a compromising situation and had to get married? Super fun, sometimes angsty, but also really fluffy, domestic and sweet. This author has several other excellent stories as well.  The Redmond Diaries by katherine-with-a-k This link is for the first year, however this incredibly skilled, knowledgeable and prolific AoGG fic writer has written all four Redmond years.  She also has tons of other wonderful Anne/Gilbert fics, all written with a wonderful attention to detail, extensive knowledge of Victorian era culture and a hilarious take on Sloanishness.  The Land of Heart’s Desire by Mrs. Von Trapp   What if Anne had not been adopted by Marilla and Mathew?