Discussion post: Emily of New Moon

[myr_soleil]

Hi everyone! Welcome to our discussion of Emily of New Moon. I hope some of you had the time to read it - I feel like the schedule was a bit shorter for this series! As always, feel free to come back to older discussion posts if you read the books a little later, discussions are always welcome! Now on to the questions.

Comments

[katayla]

1. First, as usual, did you like the book? If it's a reread, does it hold up to what you thought on your first reading(s)?

I really love it! I think it actually holds up even better for me than the Anne books, but that might be because I identify with Emily more.

2. What did you think of Emily? Of her elven ears, her need to write, etc.? Did you find her as compelling as, say, Anne or Valancy?

Ha, well, I guess I answered that above, a bit? I really love her. There's this part:

A real sense of humour was born in her at that moment. Never again was she to feel quite so unmixedly tragic over anything
(p. 271 in my edition. In "On the Bay Shore.")

And it's so simple, but it makes me smile because I KNOW that feeling. I know what it was to grow and have everything be so tragic and then, at some point, to get the point where you can sort of see it from outside yourself.

And writing . . . yeah, I know that dream.

3. Did you ever feel something like the flash? (I know LMM did. She describes something pretty identical in her journals.)

[empressearwig]

Heh. I don't think he's really too creepy, though "waiting" for a 12 year old is one of those things that strikes me a little differently reading this as an adult.

BUT SHE'S TWELVE. Haha, as an adult I can't get past that, especially given the other books. Though you're right, I do love the sentiment that understanding is incredibly important and valuable. But she's twelve.

(And maybe if it weren't for his fits of jealousy over a boy Emily's own age, it wouldn't be as creepy. But it is.)

[katayla]

IT IS. IDK what I'm trying to say! Maybe that I don't think he's motivated by just the creepy?

[empressearwig]

I actually agree that he's not motivated by creepy things, but the end result is still creepy. I sort of wish he'd been a little younger, like 20 to Emily's 12. I still would have found it creepy, but not to the degree that I do.

[empressearwig]

1. First, as usual, did you like the book? If it's a reread, does it hold up to what you thought on your first reading(s)?

I do think it holds up, but unlike the Anne series where I feel like they're of more or less the same reading level throughout, this book feels sort of immature to me? I don't know, I'm not sure that's the best explanation for what I mean, but it just feels different than the others to me. And because of that, it's the one that I reread least.

2. What did you think of Emily? Of her elven ears, her need to write, etc.? Did you find her as compelling as, say, Anne or Valancy?

I think Emily is very compelling. I've never really felt the need to put L.M. Montgomery's heroines up next to each other, because I think they stand on their own merits extremely well. And I love her ears.

3. Did you ever feel something like the flash? (I know LMM did. She describes something pretty identical in her journals.)

Sadly, I have not.

4. Compare Emily and Isle's friendship to Anne and Diana's. Would you prefer the constant

[katayla]

I think Diana and Anne's relationship is one to aspire to, but I'm not sure it's actually possible.

Yeah. I feel like in real life, you need the rough patches for a truly deep friendship? I mean, it doesn't have to be Emily/Ilse style bickering, but never disagreeing isn't always a good thing.

[empressearwig]

Yeah, I agree with that. I mean, I really love Diana and Anne's friendship and I hate comparing them, I just don't know how you'd ever really have a friendship with any depth if you never have anything to work through.

[h_loquacious]

I do think it holds up, but unlike the Anne series where I feel like they're of more or less the same reading level throughout, this book feels sort of immature to me? I don't know, I'm not sure that's the best explanation for what I mean, but it just feels different than the others to me. And because of that, it's the one that I reread least.

I agree that it feels different to the others. I thought that too, but I wouldn't have said immature. It's almost more emotional, perhaps because Emily herself is always flying off the handle, and not in the way Anne does. When Anne does it, it's usually played for comic effect. Not so with Emily, so maybe it comes off a bit more, I don't know, almost melodramatic? I don't reread these books as much either, though having reread them now I'm not sure why.

Creepy. Although, my view of that is colored by having read the other books, I admit.

Ugh! Yes, maybe that is why I find him so extraordinarily creepy. Well, that and the possessiveness thing. I know what happens and it is just, NO.

[h_loquacious]

1. First, as usual, did you like the book? If it's a reread, does it hold up to what you thought on your first reading(s

[empressearwig]

You know, I completely forgot that Dean knew her father. That makes it even worse.

[ext_3762715]

"But whatever. I will always like Valancy best"

I can't like Valancy more because she's too much of a spiteful, unbalanced person.

[ext_3762715]

1. I love it.
2. Definitely.
3. No.
4. I dunno. Both are different, equally valid form of friendship
5. I like them both
6. Dean is pretty sneaky and shady
7. Ilse's mother definitely went through some abuse. And it doesn't matter whether or not I believe in phenomenons like the second sight. It's fiction.
8. I'm thankful the grandma isn't as bad as Jane's grandma
9. Dunno, never watched it.