Remember, this blog is full of spoilers. Today’s post contains very minor spoilers for Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon and a moderately substantial spoiler for Jane of Lantern Hill.
I reread at least one book by L.M. Montgomery every year. Why, despite the academic accusations of shallow sentimentality that were prevalent in the later decades of Maud’s life, do these stories not just charm but draw readers like me back again and again?
Montgomery’s tales have a depth to them that speaks to the joys and sorrows of life. Her novels and stories are generally innocent portrayals with happy endings, but if you dig deeper, you’ll start to notice that the surface happiness is usually backed by sorrow. Anne is an orphan who lived in abusive situations before she was adopted (by a brother and sister who, at first, did not want her). Emily lost her mother and then had to watch her father slowly die before listing him too. Jane’s parents lost a decade of their marriage due to the scheming of a jealous mother. These are not merely happy stories, even if all turns out well in the end. They are stories of people finding love and belonging that they desperately need.
The topics Montgomery covers are small scale: village life, friendship, love, jealousy, forgiveness, independence. But Maud came from a home where an oral tradition of local legends led color and life to the small happenings that make up day to day life. She inherited these storytelling skills, and it infuses her stories with a familiarity that highlights even further the hidden depth behind outwardly dull or happy or indifferent individuals. Sometimes, the depths of our minds are best explore by going just a little off the familiar path. This is the power of L. M. Montgomery.