roll call in the valley…

After a slow and meticulous journey through House of Dreams, I virtually flew through Rainbow Valley at the speed of light. It’s a delightful read and I tend to forget how endearing the characters are, although I would be remiss if I didn’t admit to missing Anne and Gilbert on more than one occasion. Inasmuch as it’s a story about children’s adventures, it’s also laced with shadowy clues toward the coming war. Reading those passages about the piper sends chills up and down my spine – imagine what it must have been like to hear them in person as Walter spoke them in the twilight of Rainbow Valley.

Because yes, Walter is real.

Anyhow

I thought for today’s post I’d highlight a few of my favorite Rainbow Valleyers and what it is about them that fills my heart with joy:

Una Meredith :: What can I say about this girl? I see shades of myself as a kid (the timid part, at least) yet there’s so much more than that. She’s brave and sacrificial, she has deep longings in her tiny heart (if only she could sew and cook, just a little! …and Walter… well, that’s more of a Rilla storyline, but we know…)

Rosemary West :: She’s graceful when many wouldn’t be and she’s more selfless than I could ever be. Her kindness meets maturity in a way that makes her extraordinarily beautiful. I’m always so happy that she ends up with John Meredith and plus, she loves her sister…. need I say more?!

Mary Vance :: Sike! I am inclined to agree with my sister on this one, although I’m glad that she almost always gets put in her place after one of her ridiculous antics. I suppose not all early 20th century orphans are Annes…

Norman Douglas :: I love that he loves a girl with spunk. He’s boisterous and impulsive, yet he’s also generous, willing to change and he has a great sense of humor. I think if I knew old Norman in person we would have a grand time together.

And now it’s time to move on to Rilla… I’m trying to emotionally prepare myself.

-big sis

Rainbow Valley Wrap-up: Uggghhhhh

I’ve been holding out on you.

As I mentioned earlier this week, I have started and finished Rainbow Valley since I last wrote anything substantial.  I was bursting with things to write, but I have so little time!  Plus, as an English major, the last thing I want to do most evenings when I’ve been in class all day is sit down and write about books-even books that I love.

But I’ve had a splendid and (in some ways) restful weekend, so I’m ready to write the first of three installments in my Rainbow Valley wrap up! My reading experience this year with RV was so full and layered that I split it up categorically.  Tonight, we’re dealing with characters in RV that make me say UUGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH.

Maud stepped the annoyance factor up majorly with some of the characters in this installment.  I want to say right at the outset that these characters being annoying in no way makes me like the books less-on the contrary, I love that Maud is able to create such deeply obnoxious people!  Everyone in Glen St. Mary isn’t of the race that knows Joseph and it makes the people that are all the more special.

Okay, without further ado, second place for most frustrating character is…….

*drumroll*

ELLEN WEST.

Come on.  Your sister is in love. With super cool Rev. Merideth. And she says “Ellen…I’m in love! with super cool Rev. Merideth! and he proposed! Whadya say you let me out of that crazy promise I made you ages and ages ago…you know, that whole neither of us getting married/live together forever promise?” and what does Ellen say? “Yeaaaaahhhh…that’s a negative.”

But it doesn’t end there.  When Ellen and Norman Douglas rekindle their old flame, Ellen DECIDES SHE WANTS TO GET MARRIED. Norman asks Rosemary for permission. She gives it-OF COURSE- because she’s splendid. and Ellen can’t even look her in the eye when she says thanks.  She comes around in the end, though..all works out fine..but she still leaves a lingering residue of “oh you’ve gotta be kidding me” in my brain.

Ellen prompted my sister and I to make a vow to NEVER make a vow impeding any future marriages.  We like each other, but not that much. (Oh and as it happens…..I call Rosemary in this sisterly agreement)…

But enough about Ellen.

I pride myself on being able to find redeeming characteristics in people.  Hatred just isn’t a thing I throw around lightly.  However, people and book characters are very different things.

I hate Mary Vance.

CAN’T. STAND. HER.

All she does is cause trouble! She convinces Una that stepmothers are all evil! She tells ghost stories that purposefully scare everyone-and not in the fun way! She chases Rilla Blythe down the main road with a fish! She’s nosy and loud and loves being the one to tell the manse kids that they messed up again!

*cringe* ohhh I can’t stand her.

I know she’s had a hard life. I get it. Mrs. Wiley was a jerk. She had to work a lot and wasn’t treated well. It’s tough. I get it. I feel bad.

EXCEPT THAT I’M ANNOYED OUT OF MY MIND and don’t feel bad at all.

I’ve already gone on long enough, so maybe I should cut this off and cool down.  I would love to hear your opinions of these two or any other thoroughly annoying characters.

Am I a total jerk? Possibly…

A perfect judge of character? Almost certainly…

More on Rainbow Valley coming soon…I promise it won’t be so angry…

-lil sis

in the works…

Dear friends…prepare yourselves! I haven’t blogged in a while, but I’m preparing a few posts as we speak.  I have started and finished Rainbow Valley since we last spoke and I have a lot of thoughts about it that I’m going to categorize and write.  Hopefully coming this weekend.

Keep checking back.  Or follow us on twitter if you’re so inclined (@theannegirls).