Thank you for the map! I was getting confused when the sun was setting over the sea in Kingsport, but Bay of Fundy makes sense!
The exciting college years! I shared an apartment with 10 other students, it was in a decrepit Soviet communal flat, but in a beautiful Art Nouveau building with high ceiling and stained glass windows. It hosts a museum- Rīga Art Nouveau Centre - now. I was also very lucky with my student room in Uppsala, Sweden. It was generally very difficult to find any but I managed to get a nice one in the very center. No furniture though, so I really had to "scare up a few sticks of furniture." But it turned out very nice.
I was born and grew up in Latvia, but for the last 15 years I've been living in Georgia (Eurasian country). So I know what being transplanted feels, but recently I've become more aware that I've put some roots here and feel more at home here than in Latvia.
“Yes, I feel like Byron’s ‘Childe Harold’ — only it isn’t really my ‘native shore’ that I’m watching,” said Anne, winking her gray eyes vigorously. “Nova Scotia is that, I suppose. But one’s native shore is the land one loves the best, and that’s good old P.E.I. for me."
I also spent a year in Uppsala at university! I wasn't in the centre, though - I was out on Flogsta. As someone who went to a very ordinary university in the UK, I treasure that year in those beautiful surroundings.
I have a friend who lives on PEI and I'm always wary of gushing to her about the Anne books, but when I do, she assures me that yes, it is as beautiful as it sounds, and people are very proud of it, and of Anne.
Anne's proposal from Billy is so funny! I feel bad for Jane, stuck in the middle of it.
Tangentially, I always used to feel a bit sorry for Charlie Sloane because I couldn't understand why LM Montgomery was so scathing about him. Coming back now, it's very obvious to me that he is full of "straight white male" energy - the sense that, even if we don't see it directly in the books, he's the kind of guy (from the kind of family) who will skate through life doing just fine, without ever really quite deserving his success. Reading it now, I don't know whether to be more amazed that I didn't notice this before, or that LMM was pointing out this exact thing all those years ago.
(Which, on another tangent - sorry! - reminds me that in the first instalment of LMM's journals, she mentions reading a self-help book that sounds like it has exactly the same kinds of messages as the popular self-help books today. I guess some things - and people - don't change.)
Yes, I think it's striking that I didn't really pick up on what being "a Sloane" meant until he reacted to Anne rejecting his proposal. He assumed it would just be handed to him despite his giving no effort and her showing no interest. And then he didn't forgive her until he found someone else, and even then tried to rub his relationship in her face to make her regret saying no. Gross.
Some mediocre straight white male energy indeed 👌 💯
There were other things which felt surprisingly unchanged, for example:
"Up and down the long grassy aisles they wandered, reading the quaint, voluminous epitaphs, carved in an age that had more leisure than our own."
We think that WE don't have enough time! Anne definitely had more leisure 100 years ago, but Anne thinks that people 100 years ago had even more leisure 😅
And this just cracked me up:
"The States must be an awful place. I hope you’ll never go there, Anne."
I have been thinking the same thoughts about a visit to “the good old P.E.I”. Wouldn’t that be great! I have only been to Toronto briefly but would love to take a trek to the Island. There must be Anne tours. Maybe a meetup of kindred spirits? Will Canada still let an American in? Honestly I wouldn’t blame them if they didn’t. It’s a long way from California, but so lovely to think about.
Also I echo the sentiments about my first college house. Five girls and a big old house- so much fun. Been a long while but brings back happy memories.
Really enjoying this group and loving the books. Thank you all so much. And a special thanks for the map. So nice to have a visual.
Thank you for the map! I was getting confused when the sun was setting over the sea in Kingsport, but Bay of Fundy makes sense!
The exciting college years! I shared an apartment with 10 other students, it was in a decrepit Soviet communal flat, but in a beautiful Art Nouveau building with high ceiling and stained glass windows. It hosts a museum- Rīga Art Nouveau Centre - now. I was also very lucky with my student room in Uppsala, Sweden. It was generally very difficult to find any but I managed to get a nice one in the very center. No furniture though, so I really had to "scare up a few sticks of furniture." But it turned out very nice.
I was born and grew up in Latvia, but for the last 15 years I've been living in Georgia (Eurasian country). So I know what being transplanted feels, but recently I've become more aware that I've put some roots here and feel more at home here than in Latvia.
“Yes, I feel like Byron’s ‘Childe Harold’ — only it isn’t really my ‘native shore’ that I’m watching,” said Anne, winking her gray eyes vigorously. “Nova Scotia is that, I suppose. But one’s native shore is the land one loves the best, and that’s good old P.E.I. for me."
I also spent a year in Uppsala at university! I wasn't in the centre, though - I was out on Flogsta. As someone who went to a very ordinary university in the UK, I treasure that year in those beautiful surroundings.
oh, the famous Flogsta! I met my husband there :)
Oh, amazing!
Great to start the third book. It’s funny that I’m retired now and still remember the first days in college. Stays with one for a lifetime.
I have a friend who lives on PEI and I'm always wary of gushing to her about the Anne books, but when I do, she assures me that yes, it is as beautiful as it sounds, and people are very proud of it, and of Anne.
Anne's proposal from Billy is so funny! I feel bad for Jane, stuck in the middle of it.
Tangentially, I always used to feel a bit sorry for Charlie Sloane because I couldn't understand why LM Montgomery was so scathing about him. Coming back now, it's very obvious to me that he is full of "straight white male" energy - the sense that, even if we don't see it directly in the books, he's the kind of guy (from the kind of family) who will skate through life doing just fine, without ever really quite deserving his success. Reading it now, I don't know whether to be more amazed that I didn't notice this before, or that LMM was pointing out this exact thing all those years ago.
(Which, on another tangent - sorry! - reminds me that in the first instalment of LMM's journals, she mentions reading a self-help book that sounds like it has exactly the same kinds of messages as the popular self-help books today. I guess some things - and people - don't change.)
Yes, I think it's striking that I didn't really pick up on what being "a Sloane" meant until he reacted to Anne rejecting his proposal. He assumed it would just be handed to him despite his giving no effort and her showing no interest. And then he didn't forgive her until he found someone else, and even then tried to rub his relationship in her face to make her regret saying no. Gross.
Some mediocre straight white male energy indeed 👌 💯
There were other things which felt surprisingly unchanged, for example:
"Up and down the long grassy aisles they wandered, reading the quaint, voluminous epitaphs, carved in an age that had more leisure than our own."
We think that WE don't have enough time! Anne definitely had more leisure 100 years ago, but Anne thinks that people 100 years ago had even more leisure 😅
And this just cracked me up:
"The States must be an awful place. I hope you’ll never go there, Anne."
I laughed out loud at the quote about "The States" 🤣
I have been thinking the same thoughts about a visit to “the good old P.E.I”. Wouldn’t that be great! I have only been to Toronto briefly but would love to take a trek to the Island. There must be Anne tours. Maybe a meetup of kindred spirits? Will Canada still let an American in? Honestly I wouldn’t blame them if they didn’t. It’s a long way from California, but so lovely to think about.
Also I echo the sentiments about my first college house. Five girls and a big old house- so much fun. Been a long while but brings back happy memories.
Really enjoying this group and loving the books. Thank you all so much. And a special thanks for the map. So nice to have a visual.
It is so nice to see Anne make new friends, I admit I have raced ahead but enjoyed her excitement of starting something new
I sympathise - every week I seem to race through the chapters and then have to force myself to wait for the following week before reading on.