The Blue Castle

Author: L. M. Montgomery
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publishing date: 2014
Pages: 249


Valency Stirling of nine and twenty years has never lived. She has tried to obey her mother and please all her family relatives with whatever she did, and for the fear of them, she forgot to live her own life. From her very early age Valency has been escaping to her Blue Castle. A place in mind filled with her dreams and wishes. When she's back in reality, she's facing her future as an old maid with no hope for happiness at all. But then something happens. Something that makes Valency reconsider her ways. Maybe, maybe there still might be a scope of hope for her. Maybe her wishes could come true after all...

"Who would endure life
if it were not for the hope of death?"

The heroine of this novel is a bit older than Anne of Green Gables, but she's just as charming. Though in a completely different way. Unlike Anne she's really quiet and most of the time she endures insults from others with a subdued stance. I could so easily relate to Valency Stirling. She kept all her feelings, wishes and hopes to herself, and she tried so hard never to dissapoint her family. But no matter how much she tried, she never made them happy. And that's the thing with trying to please all people around you. It's simply impossible. I know this so well. In many aspects I am like Valency myself, and I know what it is like to don't live up to the expectations of your family circles. If one is not careful enough, one might end up living for them and not for oneself. But I am lucky to have such lovely people for my parents, who never judge me and who always stand for me. Valency didn't have anybody like that in all her extended family, which must have been so unbearebly lonely. The story is about her trying to squeeze the opportunity and get the best of her life while there's still time...

"Thirty seconds can be very long sometimes.
Long enough to work a miracle or a revolution."

I love the idea of finding love when there seems to be no hope for it. And I like that even a bit older girl can be a heroine of a beautiful swoon worthy romance. Because even though I am not living in eighteenth nor nineteenth century, I sometimes feel like it's too late for romance at my age. It might seem ridiculous to some people, but it's not that funny when you've been alone for almost a decade. Therefore, Valency was a kindred spirit. I knew exactly how she felt and I rooted for her to find her happiness at last. L. M. Montgomery had written the most splendid, tender and sweet love story that was a pleasure to read from the first sentence to the very last. The Blue Castle is a funny, witty, beautiful and touching novel, in which every fan of Jane Austen's work, will find the biggest delight.

Rating: 5/5

Comments

  1. I didn't have an interest in the blue castle until I saw a review of it and mostly because the covers of most of Montgomery's books always have such awful covers, they usually puts me off. I have ordered my copy which is the same as the edition in your photos - I think this one at least has a decent cover.

    have a lovely day.

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