The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Sam Spade is a street-smart protagonist with a nose for solving crimes and an eye for the ladies, but nothing touches his heart of stone.  Not even the quest for a black statue of a falcon that is a priceless treasure, and the beautiful damsel in distress it brings into his life.

What starts as a simple surveillance job becomes a mystery that leads to some dead bodies, that the police are eager to pin on Spade.  Spade isn't the man to be played, and he shows his ruthless nature, and keen intelligence hiding under a deceptive facade.

I listened to this on audio, narrated by William Dufris. He does an excellent job and really seems to enjoy himself in the process.  Unlike some narrators, he manages a very good female voice that doesn't remind me of a man in drag.  He also makes each character sound distinctive, and the nature of those characters oozes out to the listener.

I personally found Spade to be a jerk. But he's not all bad. He is adept that saying what a woman wants to hear, and with casual endearments delivered in a silver tongue, but meaning none of it, but he can also be quite mean to the women in his life.  I wouldn't exactly call him a thug, but he has no problem using his physicality as an asset when it's necessary.  The fact that he's a good detective is very apparent.  And strangely enough, deep down there is a strange sense of honor that won't allow him to look the other way, even when he longs to.  He also seems to be motivated by a need for no one to think they can take advantage of him.  He's even willing to allow people to think the worst of him so long as he can keep his tough guy reputation.  You get the impression that San Francisco is his city, and he knows how to maneuver his way through its deep waters.  He is a true detective in the sense that nothing gets past him, and while he sometimes struggles to control his emotions, he never allows them to compromise his intellect. 

Bridget O'Shaugnessey is one of those heroines who seems helpless and sweet, but it's also apparent she is more than capable of taking care of herself, like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.  The fact that she's deeply involved in this falcon affair is a big sign that she's no Pollyanna.  While part of you really wants to like her and fall into her honeytrap, the other part knows that she's not exactly what she seems.  I didn't blame Spade for being wary of her and not believing any word she says.

Gutman and Cairo are conveyed in such a way that it's impossible to think of them as caricatures.  Their descriptions are so distinctive, almost misleading. However, as I kept reading, I realized that their menace lurks under the surface. Wilbur is truly a scary character, a young psychopath capable of extreme violence and kept on a very short leash. While Wilbur is like a trigger, I'd rather know who my enemy is instead of being faced with an amiable man who is all smiles while he's plotting my demise, like Gutman. Or squishy dandy who seems like he'd jump if you shooed a fly.

I was a bit surprised at the raw content in this novel.  Plenty of swearing, although not the big swear words that slip so casually off the tongue nowadays in media. While the sexual elements are alluded to, there is no question that something is going on between the sheets, and that Spade has a certain reputation. 

Hammett's writing is terse and tends to be heavy on dialogue, using it as a tool to reveal crucial information about its character.  His imagery is clear and bold.  While some of his adjectives are a bit clunky, I really enjoyed the auditory stimulus of his descriptors.  He conveys Spade as a very physical man, but that is merely a smokescreen for his keen intelligence, and one of his best assets, the ability to cause his enemies to underestimate him.

I think that there is a lot to learn about writing detective fiction from this book.  Hammett makes it look easy, but it's not.   Less is more is a lot harder than it seems, and my favorite authors are those who get it right. I recommend listening to this.  It's very easy on the ears.



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The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It took me about seven months to finish this book. I listened to it at night on Kindle via text-to-speech.  "The Moonstone" is a mystery involving the theft of an enormous Indian diamond called The Moonstone which is fated to be cursed.  The mystery is who stole it the night of Miss Rachel Verinder's birthday. She had shortly received the diamond as a bequest from a deceased uncle, carried by the dashing young Mr. Franklin Blake on his travel to England.

According to Wikipedia, this is the first English detective novel. It's also an interesting use of the Epistolary format, including varied narratives, most interestingly that of the Gabriel Betteridge, the trusted house steward of Lady Verinder, Rachel's mother.  I don't know if Collins intended for Betteridge's point of view to be so hilarious but it was.  Most hilarious is his obsession with the novel Robinson Crusoe. He takes the same amount of inspiration and guidance from this book that people might take from The Bible.  He's also really opinionated and not afraid to express his opinion.  Miss Clack's narrative is more ironicly humorous. She is a very puritanical woman who is constantly trying to foist off her Christian pamphlets on others, but demonstrates few Christian virtues in other ways. 

Interestingly enough, the true detective, Sergeant Cuff, seems to have the smallest narrative. I can't help but think this was done on purpose.  If he was around to solve the mystery for most of the book, I think it would have ended a lot sooner.  I liked his appreciation for roses, not quite what you would expect from a gruff police investigator. 

What is sad is the narrative of Rosanna Spearman, a misunderstood and unfortunate young woman who was unlucky enough to fall in love with a man who was completely unattainable in every way, despite her efforts to protect him from what she viewed as his own crime.  This part made me feel deeply for Rosanna, merely a victim of chance and circumstance.

Franklin Blake is a character that one is automatically predisposed to believe the worst about. He's the definition of 'amiable rogue' and 'dilettante.'.  However, he is revealed to have a depth of character that one wouldn't expect at first glance.

Miss Rachel Verinder herself has no narrative, but she is seen through the eyes of other characters.  I felt that she was probably the least interesting of the major characters.  She reads as quite typical of a young woman of her class, but she is clearly a decent and kind woman.

There is a bit of a romance in the story that I found sweet and appealing, not distracting.  It ties into the story and it reveals much about two of the characters.

To be honest, I probably could have gleaned a lot more from this book if my reading had not been so episodic. However, I do appreciate Collins' skill with writing a clever detective story, and his use of so many narratives, having done so cohesively.  While each narrator has a different voice, it all comes together very pleasingly.  He seemed to take a lot of time develop the characters, even the less important ones. 

Social issues I felt that this novel touches on (My opinion, mind you, since I made an effort not to read up on The Moonstone before writing my review.):

*Social Strata--Boundaries between the social classes and where they intersect intimately in some ways, but most doors are largely closed between the classes.  You do see that the middle class seems to be absorbing the upper class as society changes.
*The roles of women in society
*The change in society in which the landed gentry's way of life is dying in favor or the middle class development.
*Imperialism and appropriation of treasured objects from colonized lands

Readers who want a more thorough and expert analysis of this book can look to these resources:

The Moonstone Wikipedia page

SparkNotes The Moonstone page



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The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Author/Illustrator), Richard Howard (Translator)

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to this as an audiobook with Richard Gere and Haley Joel Osment, and it was a very good listen. This book is like a dream. You can't expect it to make sense literally. It seems as though it is primarily metaphor and symbolism. I can imagine that a person stuck in the desert might imagine something like this, as his brain is fevered by the heat and lack of water. I haven't been near death, but I imagine that one does go to a different place when one is directly confronted with their mortality.

It's very sad, and I think that it makes me deal with my feelings about death. Right now, I'm having to do that a lot with the recent losses I've suffered. The angst hit me head on, but I can also see the beauty in this short and dreamy story.

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The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett

The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I will freely admit that part of why I read this book was that I enjoyed what I have seen of the movie so much. I actually didn't get to watch all of it, as I caught it on Turner Classic Movies after it started and wasn't able to watch the whole movie. I made a note that I wanted to read the book and get the whole movie set on DVD at some point. Additionally, I am interested in the roots of the detective novel. You can't explore detective fiction without reading Dashiell Hammett. So here we go....

I liked this book. It starts out very well. I was instantly drawn into the story from the first sentence. The writing is crisp and ripe with that heady atmosphere of the early 20th Century (1930s). There is a cynicism apparent in the characterization and the dialogue that speaks of its noir tone. That makes sense in light of the fact that it takes place during The Great Depression and right at the end of the Prohibition years. I was quite surprised at the frank elements of sex, drug/alcohol abuse, and crime, and a hint of police corruption (clearly I haven't read much pulp/noir classic fiction). Sadly, the 'n' word was used, which I could have done without. I have to say I appreciated the unsympathetic portrayal of human nature more than the actual mystery. Hammett's lens of humanity (via Nick) is not at all rose colored, but it's very astute and the characters were well-drawn. Overall, this was very good. While it did have some good twists and turns, it was rather anticlimactic in the end.

Nick Charles is a suitably amiable narrator. He seems experienced and wise to the ways of the world, nobody's fool. Yet he isn't completely jaded or lacking in integrity and honor. People seems to like him and open up to him, but he's not a man to take advantage of. While Nick is now retired from private investigation, his acquaintances draw him into a case unwillingly. I think Nick's nose for a mystery leads him the rest of the way. Nick proves that his investigative skills have not weakened in his retirement. I must say that I enjoyed the fact that Nora's a very perceptive woman with a good brain for investigation as well, even though she serves in the capacity of a part-time sidekick to Nick. Available to give a helping hand and a word to point him in the right direction. Hammett teaches me how to write a novel in which the mystery is tag-teamed by two instead of where the main character works alone and always knows more than anyone else.

This novel had me laughing a lot initially. Hammett's writing was quite witty, albeit cynical. Nick and Nora definitely like their booze, and have strong opinions on good quality alcohol. Their constant drinking was a source of humor to me, although I did wonder what effects it had on their liver.

Not one of the characters in this book is what I would consider well-adjusted, outside of Nora, and possibly Nick. Nora as seen through Nick's eyes doesn't reveal a whole lot about her except that she is very observant and has a nurturing nature (shown in the way she cared for and fussed over Dorothy). She also seems to lack patience for gossipy types, considering her dislike of Tip, a hostess in their social circle. She clearly loves Nick and feels comfortable with him to say what she thinks. She doesn't coddle him, although she does see to his comfort and is affectionate. She keeps things real with him and tells him the truth when he needs to hear it. I enjoyed their banter. Nora seems like a woman of her times, but is neither overly submissive or dominant in a way that would be unlikely for her times. In comparison to other women in the book, she comes off as the ideal mate to a seasoned man of the world--attractive, accepting, intelligent, socially graced, and fun-loving. I found it amusing how captivated the police detective, Guild was with Nora.

Mimi, the ex-wife of the missing man that starts the case that this novel revolves around, is a negative contrast. She is calculating and emotionally unstable. Her cruelty towards her daughter and her tendency to manipulate others cancels out her clearly considerable beauty and physical charms. Nick's narrative suggests that she is envious of her daughter (who is described as gorgeous and beautiful for her young years by few of the male characters). Despite these negative traits, she's not quite the quintessential femme fatale one expects to encounter in noir fiction. Dorothy herself was hard to read. She seems to lack emotional stability, but that makes sense in light of the abuse she suffers with her mother, and the fact that she probably gets far too much and unwanted attention from men for her young age. She latches onto Nick and Nora as a substitute parental unit, as they represent stability that she has lacked in her family life. Other characters also have a rather vivid life, despite the shorter length of this novel. As any good mystery writer, Hammett gives the reader a healthy list of suspects from which to choose the culprit, and I didn't guess who it was until Nick reveals the murderer.

As I said earlier, I found the denouement rather lacking in tension, which did dim my enjoyment a bit. Additionally, this book falls into periods of expansive dialogue towards the end that felt a bit tedious. Despite those shortcomings, this was still an enjoyable book. I would have to agree that this book is quite different in feel from the movie. I wonder if that is because of the Movie Codes. I don't think they could have gotten away with putting some of the more frank elements in this novel in the movie version, so they played up the witty banter and humorous elements from the novel.

All in all, I enjoyed my first exposure to Dashiell Hammett. I felt truly immersed in this time period and I liked Nick and Nora as main detectives. I like reading about main characters who are married, and this is definitely one to recommend to readers who enjoy this theme. I will be reading The Maltese Falcon in the near future.

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The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins

The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I liked this story. It was multifaceted in that it was not just a haunted house story, but also a murder mystery.  Collins builds the suspense and the feeling of curiosity that keeps the reader engaged.  I found the writing to be far from dated. The language was not antiquated, but felt almost modern in some ways. The print for my copy is rather small, and that's the only reason I didn't read it faster.  Yesterday, I kept saying, I'll read to this point, and to that point, before I knew it, it was quite late and I had to put the book down to go to bed. 

I didn't find the prose melodramatic. Instead, I found that Collins is matter of fact in describing horrors. It's merely in reading of such things that the horror is evoked.  I was quite suprised at the horrible things that had occurred, and it wasn't do to that Campy Gothic or Victorian Penny Dreadful tendency to use outlandish language to evoke a dark, sinister tone.  I liked his subtle but hilarious humor, particularly in the part in which Francis Westwick goes to the room in question.  I was laughing out loud on that part.

The Haunted Hotel starts out in an curious manner, with a false narrator. Which is quite brilliant.  This beginning narrator never makes another appearance, and I was left to wonder how this plot thread would end up in the titular place.  Further reading shows Collins' tendency to continuously introduce new point of views, leaving it up to the reader to see how it ties together.  As I consider this novella, I wonder if this was not his way of revealing the intriguing character of the Countess through different eyes.  So one cannot easily make of their mind about her. (view spoiler)[ I have to admit that I felt sympathetic to her up to almost the end of the story. While what she does is completely heinous and terrible, I felt that her allegiance to her awful brother was no small factor in her moral failing.  In the end, she seemed to merely live down to everyone's expectations of her, instead of reaching higher.  Instead of staying true to what I felt was an inner cord of strength, she followed that fatal path to destruction. So I admit that in the end, I still pitied her despite her actions.  I was in no small way surprised that she actually was guilty. I thought perhaps she was just a victim of a bad reputation.  My feelings towards the Countess make me admire this story more for the clever way in which it was written.   (hide spoiler)]

Now an impatient reader will wish for Collins to get to the point, but I rather enjoyed the journey.  I found the characters interesting, all of which evoking sympathy to some extent (except the Baron, who I found totally repugnant).  Collins has a way of writing characters that is quite appealing to me. Even the lesser important characters come to life and earn their screen time when they come into the scenes.   I enjoyed the roundabout way of presenting a story that was actually quite chilling in parts.  I appreciated how intricately the mystery builds to a satisfying climax for this reader. 

In the end, I was impressed with this novella by Mr. Collins. I will read more of his work because I think he has a way of writing mystery and suspense that is timeless, drawing me into his writing and not easily letting me go. His characters have impact and come to life for this reader, not sacrificed to a greater goal of evoking horror or terror, as can sometimes happen in this genre. I for one recommend this story to fans of classic/gothic horror and suspense.

Read out of The Haunted Hotel & Other Stories.



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The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Lost World is a classic work of action/adventure that has a lively feel that made for a very fun read. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, best known for his Sherlock Holmes stories, has a way of writing an engaging tale. For readers who fear reading books published prior to the later 20th century out of the desire to avoid dry, stale language, I would offer up this book. Although it shows the sentiments, good and bad, for the period in which it was written, the writing tone could easily be as modern as a work published in the recent years. It doesn't have much of a dated feel to this reader, except in one way that I will address later. Mr. Doyle takes the scientific debates of the later Victorian, early Edwardian period, and gives us vivid characters to speak for the different viewpoints, making what could be a dry discussion of evolutionary biology and the various proponents or antagonists therein, and instead crafting a diverting read.



Challenger:



Challenger is by far the most hilarious character in this story. He is completely pompous and arrogant, assured that he knows everything, and of his utter superiority in every way. He is oblivious to the idea that anything should shake his massive self-confidence. Although he is right a lot of the time, sometimes he's very, very wrong (or his way of analyzing and approaching things is just skewed), not that he lets that bother him much. Mr. Doyle created an iconic figure here, so it doesn't surprise me that he wrote other stories about Challenger. He's too good a character to let go of.



Summerlee:



Summerlee is mostly a foil for the more vibrant, and sometimes often obnoxious Challenger. He doesn't come off quite as vivid as either Challenger or Roxton, but he adds to the scope and detail of this story with his acerbic, strong, but not bull-like in the way of Challenger, personality. He turns out to be a very valuable member of the exhibition, both for his counterpart role as the voice of reason to the more bombastic Challenger, but also for his scientific knowledge and rationality in the face of very eye-raising events in the Lost World.



Roxton:



Goodness, I did love this character. I have seen and encountered those in popular media who exhibit the Great White Hunter stereotype, but Roxton didn't strike me that way at all. He's an alpha male in all the good ways. He wasn't one-dimensional, only driven by the hunt and sport (as I feared), although those were important things to him. He's a man's man, but he's also a thinker and a doer. He is a man who lives life to the fullest, and doesn't let fear or 'can't dos' stand in the way. He is a lot more compassionate and crusading that I expected. I thought he would be self-serving and superior. That's not him at all. Roxton is another iconic, larger-than-life character, that no doubt fueled many of the adventurer types that have populated later literature and cinema/television stories in this genre. In his own way, Roxton is also a foil for Challenger. Challenger is convinced of his self-importance, and ever ready to take credit for what he does. Roxton likes the thrill and the challenge. He claims his trophies, but it's not about the right to brag. It's about the doing for him. His very apt, if "school of hard knocks" wisdom saves the day many a time on this journey.



Malone:



Malone is the point of view of this novel. We see everything through his eyes, and his wry observations make for some very humorous moments. Doyle also uses Malone to convey the wonder of the Lost World. He describes both the dangerous and fearsome aspects of the lost world, and the rare and eye-opening beauty in a way that pulls me into the narrative head first. Malone and Roxton seem to be contrasted in ways in that Malone is a bit more of the thinker, who wishes he was the doer. He has quite a case of hero worship for Roxton, but Malone proves to be very valuable on this expedition, both as a source of information, and by his own feats that save and protect the various members on the expedition. He turns out to be a character that one should not underestimate or dismiss.



You take the good with the bad:



When it comes to older books and stories, one prepares to see some rather disappointing exhibitions of racism come into play. As a reader of classic and pulp literature, I have had it hit me very badly with some authors, and others where I was surprised at how enlightened their attitudes seemed. For the most part, this wasn't as bad as it could have been in that sense. However, it did bother me and made me wince how the one Negro character was referred to as 'our faithful' and as though he was an unintelligent object or possession pretty much every time. I found it very patronizing and offensive. His speech was very stereotyped (poor English and using the word 'Massa'), and showing slavish devotion to his white 'betters'. He was even referred to as being as intelligent as a horse. You could take that in the manner in which it was intended (which I did), as the man being less intelligent than white men, or you could take that as Doyle believing horses are smart cookies. Out of this whole book (which I had mainly favorable reactions to), this aspect left a bad taste in my mouth. It seemed as though the views of the South American natives were more enlightented than the black man. Yeah, that smarts. Also there is a tone that speaks of the inherent superiority of the white man and Europeans. I'm not beating up Doyle. I'm telling it like it is and how it affected me as a reader of color. I realize that this were the prevalent thoughts of the time. But this is not something that makes me a happy camper. Thus, it dulls the shining light of this story somewhat for this reader.



On the good side....:



The science, botany and zoology, exhibited in this story seemed quite knowledgeable, showing that Doyle did attempt to do his homework. I am no dinosaur expert, but I did recognize many of the older names for dinosaurs which probably came into common knowledge around the period in which this was written. This story also conveys a detail about the South American rainforests and tropical environs that made for a seemingly credible read. I felt like I was along for the journey, but immensely glad that I was just reading this book on my Kindle when it came to encountering vicious carnivorous species and the rather vile apemen.



End Verdict:



The Lost World is a piece of classic literature that no respectable adventure fan should go without reading. If you enjoy movies like Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider, or any other of the many treasure hunting/lost world expedition movies and tv shows, then take a little time to explore one of the forefronts in this genre of literature. I give it a thumbs up.







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The Messenger by Robert W. Chambers

The Messenger by Robert W. Chambers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I read this one with the Classic Horror Lovers group (albeit late), and I enjoyed it. Mr. Chambers took the time to establish the mood, the setting, and the characters. I like the way each person was given particular traits that brought the characters to life. He also established the Breton setting very well. The people are steeped in superstition, which the protagonist (Dick) frowns and dismisses. However, he would be wise to heed their warnings.



The scenes in which the 39th skull, the skull of the Black Priest, somehow continues to find it's way uphill out of the mass grave were quite scary. Also, when the masked priest shows up outside the window of Lys, Dick's wife. As were the climactic scenes and near the finish. I was sure that Dick and his wife were a goner. Oh, that last scene was quite creepy.



I liked how Chambers kept me guessing. He built up my expectation for tragedy, learning that Dick and his wife were so in love, and expecting a happy event. I was scared to keep reading, because I was sure the Black Priest was going to carry off poor Lys. I liked that Lys hung fast to her faith and didn't fear death, and her faith seemed to inspire Dick. Her actions, which seemed really superstitious, helped to save the day, which I am grateful about.



I have to say I enjoyed Mr. Chambers' writing, although some of the history aspects were a tad dry. I like his ability to build tension, and his romantic/melodramatic elements. I will be reading more of him.



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The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde

The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Now that was a good ghost story. It was refreshing. I loved the humor, but there was also pathos. I kind of liked the old crusty Canterville ghost, even though he was kind of evil. I loved how the Otis children turned the tables on him. And how Virginia felt sad for Sir Simon, and helped him to get closure.



This is the second story I've read by Oscar Wilde, and I must say, I am very impressed with his writing. His work has a depth, but an airy lightness to it, and a hard to define beauty to it. Honestly, I can't find the words to really explain how I feel about it. I think that he managed to put so much into this short story, and I was very pleased with the result. I can't believe I waited so long to read Oscar Wilde. Shame on me.



If you have not read The Canterville Ghost, I highly recommend doing so. It is free online through various sources.



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The Beckoning Fair One by Oliver Onions

The Beckoning Fair One by Oliver Onions

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Hmm. I didn't enjoy this story that much. I can see why it's influential and respected as a ghost story. But, it's not my cup of tea. I think that the malevolent ghost aspect is interesting and appreciated, but I didn't care much for the execution, or the ending. I can see how this motif has been used in latter works. Definitely respect Oliver Onions for that. I also respect him for having such a dark aspect to this story.



Let's be real here. I like upbeat endings. I can enjoy some books that end negatively, but I didn't like this ending. I felt bad for Elsie. She genuinely cared about Paul. I wanted her to kick some ghost you know what. And Paul, well he just seemed to give up the ghost (no pun intended) and let the spirit suck him dry, practically. Nope, I didn't like that.



My other problem was how long and meandering it was. That doesn't tend to be my favorite kind of writing. I didn't think that Mr. Onions did much to build up the tension. It was awful vague, more suggestive and 'is it really happening or is Paul Oleron off his rocker?' But we know that's not the case.



Again, I can see why this is well-respected, and it was a pretty good story. Just not my thing. Man, I feel really bad for poor Paul and Elsie. What a downer--and no good scare with it. Bah!!!



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The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What a delightful book! Who could not love this story about a woman who gains the courage to break free from the smothering yoke of her family and to make the most of the life she has left?



This book was hilariously funny in some parts, always inspirational, and sometimes pretty sad. It was intensely readable, and I loved Valancy and Barney. I could empathize very deeply with Valancy's situation, and I cheered her on when she stopped being afraid, and decided to be true to herself. Life is too short to be hemmed and caged by others expectations. If you can't be happy with who you are, then what is the point of living? It took a life-changing event to get Valancy to see this, and I was glad she did.



The romance was lovely in this book. I liked how Valancy and Barney's relationship started and would always be built on their friendship. There was a deep, romantic love there, no doubt. But, the person that one chooses as their life partner needs to be one that they can be happy to be around, and comfortable enough to not feel the need to fill the silences, but to cherish them. They found a connection as soulmates through the doorway of respect for each other and friendship. A great way to start a great lifetime love, in my opinion.



The metaphor of the blue castle spoke to me. We all need a blue castle in our lives, a place where we can go to feel true happiness, a retreat away from the disappointments and expectations of the world, and others' judgments and requirements for us. As I read this book, I wondered where my blue castle was. I got the answer to that question, and it made me smile.



This book gave me some wonderful hours of entertainment, but also encouraged me to life my life to its fullest. In the end, the quiet, shy plain Valancy is a huge role model to readers who find themselves in a similar situation to hers. This is my first book by L.M. Montgomery, and I'm eager to read more of her.



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