Emily of New Moon
Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery is a really great book that I think is great for kids. If you recognise the author's name, that is because she was also the author of Anne of Green Gables. Not many people know that she wrote the Emily series, but in my opinion I actually like it better than the Anne of Green Gables series. There are three books in the Emily series, but today I would like to focus on the first one.
Emily of New Moon is about a girl named Emily who is orphaned and sent away to live with her Aunt's and Cousin in a house called New Moon. Her mother was a Murray, and the Murray family was one of the greatest families and the richest at that time. Her mother had eloped with her father, and therefore her family never talked to her afterwards, but because of the Murray Pride, they took in Emily when her father died. Emily is a very imaginative girl, and when her father died she would write letters to him and tell him about everything that was happening to her. This is a really cool part of the book because you get to see things through her eyes. I love this book for so many reasons, but I will list 4 below:
1. "The Flash"
No, the Flash in this book is not a DC superhero. In this book the flash is something that Emily experiences at some of the best and worst times of her life. I will use a quote from the book to describe it, because I think it will do it better justice.
"And then, for one glorious, supreme moment, came 'the flash'.
Emily called it that, although she felt that the name didn't exactly describe it. It couldn't be described - not even to father, who always seemed a little puzzled by it. Emily never spoke of it to anyone else.
It always seemed to Emily, ever since she could remember, that she was very, very near to a world of wonderful beauty. Between it and herself hung only a thin curtain; she could never draw the curtain aside - but sometimes, just for a moment, a wind fluttered it, and then it was if she caught a glimpse of the enchanting realm beyond - only a glimpse - and heard a note of unearthly music.
This moment came rarely - went swiftly, leaving her breathless with the inexpressible delight of it. She could never recall it - never summon it - never pretend it; but the wonder of it stayed with her for days. It never came twice with the same thing. Tonight the dark boughs against the far-off sky had given it. It had come with a high, wild note of wind in the night, with a shadow-wave over a ripe field, with a greybird lighting on her window-sill in a storm, with the singing of 'Holy, holy, holy' in church, with a glimpse of the kitchen fire when she had come home on a dark autumn night, with the spirit-like blue of ice palms on a twilit plane, with a felicitous new word when she was writing down a 'description' of something. And always when the flash came to her, Emily felt that life was a wonderful, mysterious thing of persistent beauty."
I think I just got the flash reading that!
2. The characters
I could say so much about all the characters in this book, but I would not want to spoil it too much. The characters in the book are really unique, and very interesting and exciting. Stern Aunt Elizabeth, kind Aunt Laura, queer Cousin Jimmy, spirited Ilse, artistic Teddy, can-do Perry... The list goes on and on. All I know is that everyone who reads this book will find characters that they will love.
3. New Moon
New Moon, the place where Emily goes to live, is very quaint and the descriptions of it are beautiful. The New Moon Murrays are really old fashioned, but that is one of the things that adds charm to the place.
4. Emily
Emily is one of my favourite book characters, because she is so interesting. She never ceases to amaze with what she will do. She loves to write, and getting to read her writing is very interesting and I really love it. She also changes throughout the book, which adds a lot of interest to the book.
Overall I absolutely love this book and it gets a 9/10 from me. I would recommend it for ages 10 and up.
1. "The Flash"
No, the Flash in this book is not a DC superhero. In this book the flash is something that Emily experiences at some of the best and worst times of her life. I will use a quote from the book to describe it, because I think it will do it better justice.
"And then, for one glorious, supreme moment, came 'the flash'.
Emily called it that, although she felt that the name didn't exactly describe it. It couldn't be described - not even to father, who always seemed a little puzzled by it. Emily never spoke of it to anyone else.
It always seemed to Emily, ever since she could remember, that she was very, very near to a world of wonderful beauty. Between it and herself hung only a thin curtain; she could never draw the curtain aside - but sometimes, just for a moment, a wind fluttered it, and then it was if she caught a glimpse of the enchanting realm beyond - only a glimpse - and heard a note of unearthly music.
This moment came rarely - went swiftly, leaving her breathless with the inexpressible delight of it. She could never recall it - never summon it - never pretend it; but the wonder of it stayed with her for days. It never came twice with the same thing. Tonight the dark boughs against the far-off sky had given it. It had come with a high, wild note of wind in the night, with a shadow-wave over a ripe field, with a greybird lighting on her window-sill in a storm, with the singing of 'Holy, holy, holy' in church, with a glimpse of the kitchen fire when she had come home on a dark autumn night, with the spirit-like blue of ice palms on a twilit plane, with a felicitous new word when she was writing down a 'description' of something. And always when the flash came to her, Emily felt that life was a wonderful, mysterious thing of persistent beauty."
I think I just got the flash reading that!
2. The characters
I could say so much about all the characters in this book, but I would not want to spoil it too much. The characters in the book are really unique, and very interesting and exciting. Stern Aunt Elizabeth, kind Aunt Laura, queer Cousin Jimmy, spirited Ilse, artistic Teddy, can-do Perry... The list goes on and on. All I know is that everyone who reads this book will find characters that they will love.
3. New Moon
New Moon, the place where Emily goes to live, is very quaint and the descriptions of it are beautiful. The New Moon Murrays are really old fashioned, but that is one of the things that adds charm to the place.
4. Emily
Emily is one of my favourite book characters, because she is so interesting. She never ceases to amaze with what she will do. She loves to write, and getting to read her writing is very interesting and I really love it. She also changes throughout the book, which adds a lot of interest to the book.
Overall I absolutely love this book and it gets a 9/10 from me. I would recommend it for ages 10 and up.
Makes me want to read it :)
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