A captivating and often ‘laugh out loud’ funny social commentary from Anne of Green Gables author.
What a magic of adventure! Valancy felt as if she had exchanged her shop-worn soul for a fresh one, fire-new from the workshop of the gods.
Plot in a Nutshell
Valency Stirling is 29 and officially considered an old spinster. Her mother and cousin live under tight regimented rules and enforce the same for “Doss”, as they insist on calling her. Her family are intrusive and small minded and incredibly set in their ways. Life is dull but at night she retreats to a castle of dreams – the Blue Castle.
All of this changes when Valency receives a medical diagnosis that changes her outlook on life. She rebels, initially by challenging the very rigid status quo and becoming bolder, first by taking a job, and then by taking a husband. In his house on an island on a lake she finally finds her Blue Castle.
Thoughts
It was hard for me not to read this with Anne in mind. It is for an older audience and is the only novel written by Montgomery that is not set on Price Edwards Island
The writing style is rich particularly her descriptions of nature. These are lush and evocative and vivid in their telling. They also hold a key part of the narrative. Early in the novel Valency retreats into nature with her favourite, and almost forbidden nature author. Later in the novel she becomes an adventurer in her own life, experiencing these things first hand. This telling is so wonderful and immersive I almost wanted to run off to a cabin in the woods.
It might almost be sacrilege, but on some readings I have found Anne’s whimsy a little … much. Not so here, other than the unfortunate name, Valency is a fascinating read. Initially she seems so trapped in her life. Whether this is by her unwed status or her uptight and judgemental family she is cautious and self-policing. Then when freed from those shackles, whether by her diagnosis or the impactful words of her favourite author on fear and freedom she becomes a wonderfully three-dimensional character determined to live and experience life. The pace and determination in which she does so makes it clear that she has had a rich interior life all along.
There is, an almost Austen, sense of humour running through the novel. The Stirling clan are awful in a very recognisable way, controlling, judgemental, and far too concerned with appearances, but they’re shown with enough sharpness that they become almost absurd. Valency’s responses to them, first in her own head and then especially once she finds her voice, are some of the book’s best moments. Valency is dry, scathing and often very funny.
The romance is also an interesting part of the story for me. Barney is clearly an important character and yet we don’t really learn a great deal about him. His purpose seems to help unlock Valency’s prison and enable her to see the world. She loves him but doesn’t necessarily know him. There is something quite subversively feminist in this, especially against this small town setting.
An easy book to slip into but one with strong messages about living your dreams, the power of independence and a warning to hypocrisy and judgement.