Hello, again!
It is time for the last discussion on
Emily of New Moon for the Read-Along Amber at
Seasons of Humility hosted! I am a little late to the party, but I enjoyed it all the same!
For Amber's post click
HERE, and for Julie's click
HERE.
Watch out, Spoilers are about! If you haven't read Emily of New Moon - by L. M. Montgomery, read no more of this post!
Emily of New Moon ~ Chapters 25-31
Discussion Format: your favorite quotes, general impressions, and five questions to answer for each week's reading
Favorite Quotes:
1.
'Great-Aunt Nancy and Caroline Priest were wont to colour their grey days with the remembered crimsons of old...'
2.
"And I can pray in my mind--I'm sure God can hear thoughts as well as words. It is nice to think that He can hear me if nobody else can."
(Oh, this is so true!)
3.
'The light on the water began to turn warm gold and rose.'
4.
'"I don't think it would hurt you to be as polite to me as you are to other people."
"I'm telling you your faults so you may correct them," said Aunt Ruth frigidly.
"It isn't my fault that my face is pale and my hair black," protested Emily. " I can't correct them."
"If you were a different girl," said Aunt Ruth, "I would--"
"But I don't want to be a different girl," said Emily decidedly. She has no intention of lowering the Starr flag to Aunt Ruth. "I wouldn't want to be anybody but myself even if I am plain."'
(Yes! I love this!)
5.
'There was on line in it she tasted two or three times:
The haunting elfin music of the air.
"I think that line is very good," said Emily. "I wonder now how I happened to think of it."'
6.
'Life was delightful, growing richer every hour, like an unfolding rose.'
7.
"'Dreams that seem too bright to die.'"
General Impressions:
We start off still at Wyther Grange. Things have turned to being the same each day until Emily's incident! There we meet Dean Priest. Oh, he is so great! I love how he is like a second father to Emily. He, unlike many others, understands her! I think he is incredibly sweet. And Tweed, I love his dog!
'"I believe," thought Emily, "that a dog is better than a cat when you're in trouble."'
I love different perspective and trying to understand people, but it is hard. For Emily, few people understand her: Her father and Dean. Others understand parts of her: Aunt Laura, Cousin Jimmy, Grea-Aunt Nancy, etc. We have to think about how many people might understand parts of us, and if we understand parts of others.
'To love is easy and therefore common--but to understand--how rare it is!'
Whoohoo! Miss Brownell is gone! It took long enough. Mr. Carpenter... I'm not sure what I think of him. I feel like I would take him too seriously on everything.
About Aunt Elizabeth. I can totally understand why she read Emily's letters to her father. Growing up with siblings you read their diaries, letters, etc., it's just what you do. My excuse was always, like Elizabeth, "I have a right to know what they are thinking." or "I'll know them better." One day, like Elizabeth, you realize that you were wrong, and you stop, as easy as that.
'"No matter. I'll keep my word to the child," said Aunt Elizabeth stubbornly.'
I'm glad that I can finally like her! But part of that makes me so, so, sad! I'm glad that Aunt Elizabeth loves Emily, it really makes me happy, but I'll miss the letters to her father.
These last chapters are all about growing up. Now, when it comes to that subject, either the author can do a great job, and I'll love and accept it, or the opposite. With this... I'm not sure yet. I want to read more in the series, so I'm not completely hating it, but I feel like L. M. Montgomery got some things incorrect. Like writing to her father. That was so sweet and special, and if it were the case with me I would never grow out of it. It just isn't possible.
That being said, I can see her getting rid of her old writings. It makes me so sad, because I know that if her mother was there then Juliet would save every last one.
'Every time she read her little hoard of manuscripts over she found some of which the fairy gold had unaccountably turned to withered leaves, fit only for burning. Emily burned them,---but it hurt her a little. Outgrowing things we love is never a pleasant process.'
Discussion Questions:
1. What did you think of Emily's first meeting with Dean Priest (and the near-death experience that brought it about)?
Honestly, that is the sort of thing that I would do. I'm kind of frustrated that it all happened just for some flowers, but I'm also glad of that because if those flowers hadn't been there Dean wouldn't have found her. Oh well.
2. How would you feel about having Mr. Carpenter as a teacher? Do you agree with his teaching methods and how he critiques Emily's works?
I love how he has the students act things out! Being homeschooled, that's what my mom would have us do and it is so much fun. You definitely remember things better! So yes, I guess I would have to agree with his teaching methods.
3. Were you surprised by the truth about what happened to Ilse's mother? How did this chapter ("When the Curtain Lifted") make you feel?
There were so many emotions in this chapter. Oh, what a relief about her! I mean, I am so, so, so sad that that is what happened, that my fears about the well came true, but it removed the tainted picture they had all painted of her. It is amazing how Emily thought of when she was delirious, without knowing the truth she spoke! And I am so happy that Dr. Burnley is now a better man.
4. Which scene in this book was the most adorable (or romantic) to you?
In the whole book? There are too many to count or decide!
5. What was your favorite part of Emily's story? What are you hopes or predictions for what will happen to her in the rest of the series?
One of my favorite parts was how she always writes, through everything that happens she writes. I can't wait to see where she goes with that! And, the romantic in me can't wait to see where the love triangles go! I know this will probably be wrong, but my prediction is that Perry will end up with Ilse, and Teddy will end up with Emily. Who knows?
Thank you so much for hosting this read-along, Amber! I thoroughly enjoyed it!
And thank you to all who read this! Do you have a favorite scene in this book?
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