Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


EMILY OF NEW MOON : CLASSIC

Where books are concerned these days, we notice that the ‘series style’ is in vogue which right now does not seem to want to go. Where L.M.Montgomery is concerned however, she wrote her series way back in the early part of the 20th century……& her works are classics. L.M.Montgomery’s book ‘Emily Of New Moon’ has always according to me been a source of inspiration where writing has been concerned. The book revolves around the character of Emily who loses her father by age seven & is by lot adopted by the spinster clan of her mother’s family at New Moon. The storyline is gentle & careful where details are concerned, making the book a wonderful read.
However, children & teenagers these days don’t fancy the innocent Emily of New Moon……,they prefer action packed dramas between people & creatures that are not real. The modern day fiction characters have dug the grave of many real life characters & Emily is sadly one of them. However, Emily in her sort of coma stage is still quite immortal as her life story is as real as ours…even though she is just a character in a book. Her story is constantly being repeated in society & so she though not remembered today…..can never really be forgotten.

The drama of Emily’s life is unfurled very tenderly by the pen strokes of Montgomery ; Emily’s dreams, wishes, imagination, friends, teachers etc., are the planets which revolve around a true classic story. The author goes also to the extreme of indirectly indicating Emily’s spelling mistakes & how they improve as the years go by………as we turn the page & get mature just like little Emily. Compared to ‘Anne Shirley’ who is a popular character among Montgomery books , Emily is very impulsive but also very secretive like all artists are. Her child like emotions are at times not so child like if the reader sinks deeper into the storyline.

Many situations in the book are quite similar to ‘Anne Of Green Gables’ but the personalities of both the protagonists are different & this difference has been maintained by the author throughout the book which still can capture the readers attention. It is a profound work which captivates a reader where dialogues & emotions are concerned. There are also many ironical parts in the book, none greater than the last chapter where Mr. Carpenter (Emily’s school master) actually mocks Emily’s poems which when WE read them seem outstanding. Indirectly, Montgomery indicates to the reader that poetry is quite a subjective concept which can only be understood by tuning in on the emotional side of the verse.

Many other short stories or tales are carefully introduced into the manuscript by the author like the tale of Isle’s mother, Cousin Jimmy’s sad accident, Teddy’s peculiar mother etc., all which add on to the central theme & not diverting our attention. These short incidents are wholesome which digests into the reader’s system. These characters are shadowy however, & much of their descriptions portray them to be people who have been hurt physically, mentally & even emotionally in the past. Emily’s ‘descriptions’ throughout the narrative at times makes us laugh & at other times makes us ponder over our own hidden phantoms. Like Anne of Green Gables, Emily too makes quite a few mistakes but…they are fewer in comparison.
All in all however I must conclude that ‘Emily Of New Moon’ is a classic which can live on as we grow up…day by day…minute by minute……second by second.




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