*pops in to catch up and attracted by recent conversation*

So far of I've read of Heaven: I'm really appreciating the Biblically-sound truths throughout the books. It's so nice to read a theological book with a trustworthy author...

Oh, okay, Queen S. So, is the statue of the Eagle something prominent in the book? Is there much spirituality? [sorry for all the questions--all I know of the book is that it's about a gladiator and a slave.] Haha, I think I am expecting some Christianity probably because in my mind, gladiators tie in with the New Testament epistles time, thanks to a book called Twice Freed...

If you had Anne Shirley and Jo March switch places, would the stories be the same?

In my opinon, it would be different. Anne comes off more girly than Jo does, so that might change things. Also, like someone on page 59 mentioned, Anne is more dreamy in things like fairy tales, where as Jo dreams of her aspirations and achievements in the future as an author. Anne seems like Beth and Jo put together. (and a tad of Amy, too.)

RE: Emily Starr/L.M. Montgomery.
I believe Montgomery said that though she was raised in an Anne-like atmosphere, the Emily books were kind of her autobiography. For the Emily books I really enjoyed the first, and found my personality alot like Emily's, but I can't say I enjoyed the second two. Like WW said, the references to the supernatural...those were a bit over the edge for me. I appreciated the moral values in the Anne books that sometimes the Emily books didn't really stand up to, for me.

Who I like better..... Anne and Emily are both individually different and nice, but Anne has a sort of child-likeness that I admire, so I'd have to say Anne. (I like Ilse and Di kind of the same throughout the books, but something Isle says in the last book makes me go "eeeeh...." Otherwise, in the first book, she's very likable.) To add, in the Emily books, Emily's uncle whose name slips my memory--he was very nice, as well.

From choosing the series in general, again, I'm loyal to the Anne series. The series are so varied in enjoyable tastes, humour, lovely prose, etc.

Has anyone else read Magic for Marigold by Montgomery?

Anne seems like Beth and Jo put together. (and a tad of Amy, too.)

Sorry, but sooo often when the names "Jo" and "Amy" come up together here, I'm totally thinking of hobbits and wisdom, rather than Little Women.

Anyway, to keep on topic: I began reading Heaven a couple of years ago, and unfortunately had to set it aside for a time, but am picking it back up again. It is awesome and so Biblically-sound. Not only does it make one so eager for our heavenly home, but it changes one's perspective and view of life here on this earth as well.

And, back a bit, Mel posted she is reading Eric Metaxes' hefty Dietrich Bonhoeffer biography, as am I. In fact, I PMed her after I read her post, and we found out we were, at that time, beginning the exact same chapter (although you're probably ahead of me by now, Mel). It is such a compelling book. Bonhoeffer reminds me of a modern-day William Wilberforce in some sense, and his steadfastness, logical, wise mind, his passion for truth and what is right blows me away ... to the point of huge risks to his life. There are a strong handful of historical people I would like to have good, long chats with in heaven: Bonhoeffer is definitely one of them.

I've read almost all of Montgomery's works; but I don't like her writing style. I think some of the Anne books (especially Anne of Green Gables) are very well written, but all her others seem very cliche, same plot, same characters, over and over . . I read them because they're very easy to read.
My brother has gone on a John Buchan craze, and is getting loads of his books from the library. So I'm trying to read some of them. Right now reading through Adventurers all, and then I have two more. I liked the first book I read of his (that had four different shorter stories in it), but I find it sort of painful to read any of the others.
Oh, and just read Lemony Snickets The Composer is Dead.

If you had Anne Shirley and Jo March switch places, would the stories be the same?

Very, very, very different. To me, Anne is almost more of an...Amy-ish character then Jo? More girly, and more of a bubbly person, and Jo is more serious and while she is dramatic (cutting off her hair) it's...different somehow.

I definetly prefer Emily over Anne, maybe just because I have more of an "Attachment" to her. In some ways I'm glad there's never been a film made based on her books because I just don't think they could capture it.
I was completely, utterly, totally, OBSESSED with the Emily trilogy when I was 13-14. Read them over and over and over. I liked the mysteriousness of everything, and maybe now I'd find them incredibly melodramatic in a bad way....I suppose I should reread them and find out but I'm terrified of hating them.

edit: since the topic is turning to Little Women: Who's your favorite character, who are you most like and why, and do you agree with who ended up with who?

To answer my above questions: I think I'm a funny mixture of Jo and Amy...I can relate to a lot of Jo's emotions about life, but I definetly have Amy's passion for beautiful things, art, and living the "good life" whereas Jo would probably be comfortable living in an attic I'm absolutely nothing like Beth, and very little like Meg.

My favorite character is sometimes Amy, sometimes Jo. Just depends on my mood. I feel like Jo is a more developed character, and that I'd probably like Amy more if we got to know her better.

I am one of the people who don't think Jo + Laurie would be a good match. Of course when I was 13 and first read it I was brokenhearted they didn't end up together, but now it makes sense. And while the personality of the professor makes sense for Jo, I'm still not happy with the description of him being "40's, balding and fat". I mean, seriously? I don't really like the idea of quite young women marrying quite older men, it just seems a little weird. I wish he was younger, and I wish Lousia Alcott could have described him more flatteringly for her readers.

I am very, very much like Amy. Like, when a place near me was going to do Little Women the musical, my entire family were like "Oh, you are totally going to be Amy!". No kidding. And guess who I was? Amy. But I have some of Jo in me, I think. I'm ambitious. I want to do great things, be "astonishing".
I don't think Jo + Laurie would have been good. But how I wish it would have been! That always makes me so stinking mad.

When I was younger, I liked Jo somewhat (meaning, that while I liked all the girls, Jo I liked a little bit more), but now that I've grown older Meg has been my favourite. I think I'm more like her than Jo, anyway, because we're both eldest girls/big sisters, so I can identify with her much more than the others.

FF, thanks for looking into that! I think I will need to reread with that in mind.

No prob, altho' twas not that much I did. For my part, I shall have to do a re-read with the thought in mind that

I'm currently re-reading North and South at the moment, it's been some time since I last read it, so I am very much enjoying it. I had forgotten how deep and beautiful (at least to me) the prose is, and Mrs. Gaskell's writing style in general. I feel I should re-read Wives And Daughters next, but we'll see.

Haha, Jo, I hadn't noticed that!

I agree with you about Heaven. It really shifts perspective.

Aww, Elanor, perhaps give Anne of Green Gables another chance? They are a little simple to read, but I feel that through rereads, one comes to appreciate the descriptions and little details and all. But, then again, it kind of depends what you like reading.

Fanny, I was reading Little Women the other day and was wondering who Meg reminded me of, now I've figured who!

Who's your favorite character, who are you most like and why, and do you agree with who ended up with who?

My favourite character from the four girls: a hard tie between Beth and Jo.

For who I am most like, mostly Jo and Amy, but some qualities of the other two. (and this is only in my opinion of myself.) The only quality I see myself like Meg is that I like beautiful things, etc and I often kind of manage organizing and cleaning with my sister, which I found like Meg.
With Jo...I enjoy reading-- especially a book that will make me cry, I love to write and am ambitious, I often can say something out of anger, I do like dressing well but often just can't suite fancy clothes, like Jo.
For Beth, I don't know... she's probably the sister I'd like to be most like in her humility or how she does not complain often, but I know I haven't quite gotten there yet. What I see is that she is extremely introverted, as I can tend to be, and doesn't talk much, which is what I'm like. With the flower garden descriptions, Beth's appealed to me.
And Amy.. I have the younger-sister attitude of hers. And of course, I like pretty things. I can't say exactly what makes me most like Amy, but she does remind me of myself sometimes.
So... I find myself alot like Jo and Amy, somehwat like Beth, and a little like Meg. [/ramble]

I don't agree with who ended up with who. Sometimes I feel like Louisa May Alcott only did that to surprise her audience. (and she does it again in Jo's Boys! That was another let-down, but not very bad.) I mean, I do see how Jo and Laurie could not have been a good pair, but still! However, I'm not so sad about it as I used to be. . After reading the sequels, Prof. Bhaer is nice and does suit Jo, but my opinion is the same as Val's in the description of him (at least something nice. We don't want a flashy hero or anything, "simple and honest-faced" and the same age as Jo would have been great. ) and the age difference.

Aww, Elanor, perhaps give Anne of Green Gables another chance? They are a little simple to read, but I feel that through rereads, one comes to appreciate the descriptions and little details and all. But, then again, it kind of depends what you like reading.

hehe, you know how many times I've read them all? When I was younger and first read through them all, I couldn't tell the difference between any writing, and I would never have considered any kind bad. Now I've learned a little bit, and . . well, I already posted my opinion. But they're sweet, and Anne of Green Gables is a really good book.

Has anyone else read Magic for Marigold by Montgomery?

Surprise! I read it a couple years ago on a Montgomery binge. At the moment, the only scene I remember with clarity is the scene where they are discussing what to name little Marigold and the great grandmother has scathing remarks about several suggestions.

Emily's uncle whose name slips my memory--he was very nice, as well.

Yes, indeed. I think I like Anne better than Emily, but I'd much rather live at New Moon.

I think I identify most with Meg from Little Women, though maybe personality-wise I'm closer to Jo. I think I'm a bad judge of my own character though, so I wouldn't be surprised if someone pipes up and says, "But you're so Amy!!!" Or Beth.

I PMed her after I read her post, and we found out we were, at that time, beginning the exact same chapter

That was so funny. I finished it up two days ago. I need to go back and find all the quotes I wanted to write down... I think there's a little more to take away from Bonhoeffer than the one Metaxes wrote for Wilberforce.

For my monthly dose of light reading, I'm rereading a few Black Stallion books (and I was shocked to learn that The Black Stallion's Filly and The Black Stallion's Courage are not meant to be back-to-back... shocked, I tell you!) and the first four or five books in Jude Watson's Jedi Apprentice series.

I find I like L.M. Montgomery's writing style better than her characters. Is that odd? I do like Anne, but she annoys me sometimes. I need to reread the whole series and also read the Emily books. I don't have enough tiiiiiiime this summer.

Let's see... I've read the latest Artemis Fowl (The Atlantis Complex), which was just ok; Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger which was surprisingly religious and I liked very much for reasons I can't entirely explain; a self-explanatory book called The Ancient Myths which I found useful but not that enjoyable; E.L. Konigsburg's Silent to the Bone, which was good; and I reread The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo, which is not my favorite of hers but still quite lovely. Oh, and I've started *drumroll* The Hunger Games. I've read the first one and have the second waiting for me. I think I'll start it this weekend. All I can say is, I can definitely see why they're so popular.
Oh, my brother checked out the Attolia books from the library, so I'll be rereading those. I also need to read A Conspiracy of Kings.

Harry Potter fans: I'm sure you've all seen this.
Oh, and if you're a Hunger Games fan, you might like to find out what your Hunger Games name is. Mine's Lexmet A. Flymoss.

*sees all the talk of Anne of Green Gables and Little Women*

I find I really have to be in the mood for either of these series. As far as Anne of Green Gables goes I like the last book (Riilla of Ingleside) the best by far. I don't really know why, but I think being set in the war and having more of a story makes it better than the others. I find Anne's "imagining and dreaming" of the earlier books a bit painful at times. Having said that though, I do usually enjoy Anne of the Island. Little Women is ok although I don't like Jo's Boys much at all. Has anyone read An Old Fashioned Girl? I like it a bit better than Little Women.
I think I read one of the Emily books YEARS ago down at the flying doctor clinic while I was waiting to see the dentist - that gives you an idea of how quickly I read it. I very vaguely remember not liking it too much. One Montgomery book I did like when I was younger is Jane of Lantern Hill. Its a nice story I also quite like Mistress Pat (haven't read the other books in the series) although the long drawn out manner in which the book is written is a bit annoying

I'm currently re-reading North and South at the moment, it's been some time since I last read it, so I am very much enjoying it. I had forgotten how deep and beautiful (at least to me) the prose is, and Mrs. Gaskell's writing style in general. I feel I should re-read Wives And Daughters next, but we'll see.

I love, love, love North and South!!!!!!!!!! It's an awesome book Wives and Daughters is good too although I don't like it as much as N&S. I think Elizabeth Gaskell has an ability more than any other victorian writer (including Dickens and Austen) to make the reader "suffer" with the book characters. The suffering in some of her books is so intense. I just read for the first time "Sylvia's Lovers" the other day - a really wonderful book but not for the faint hearted. Actually, I haven't finished it yet as I promised my sister that I would let her finish it before I did (it's her book). It's set during the Napoleonic Wars and is a really well worth it read (at least as far as I've read the book it is )

Currently, I'm reading Vanity Fair and really enjoying it I'm finding Thackery's comments about the society around him rather funny - and so true, even in relation to today's world.

ps. From your sig and avatar would I be right if I said that you were a big North & South fan, Elanor I love the BBC version too and I love your sig and avatar

Thank you for the New York Times heads up about Pottermore, mar_girl. And it is nice to meet you online. I agree with you also that Anne in L.M.Montgomery's Anne of Green Gable's series could be annoying at times, especially when sometimes some people didn't get admitted to her coterie of friends because 'they knew not Joseph' or something like that. Though I am well aware of Joseph's career in Genesis and elsewhere, I felt a little annoyed by the use of the expression to tell the truth. It suggests to me that some people for some reason not really explained were not up to Anne's criteria for friendship.

On the whole, however, I ended up relating much better to Anne, who had been orphaned, than I did to Jo March, marvellous though I thought she was when I was still at school, when Louisa May Alcott's books arrived under the Christmas tree along with Susan Coolidge's What Katy did. And though I cried heaps over Beth's death, I still think that the imaginative Judy Woolcot, from Seven Little Australians, who died at a forest picnic, was really more my sort of girl. To this day I couldn't remember offhand if 'Little Mother Meg' was a sequel to Little Women or Seven Little Australians and had to look it up.

Due to the limits of our local library then, I never got even close to completely finishing the whole Anne of Green Gables series until my own daughters were growing up and started to read those books, themselves. I don't know how I could have failed to realise that Meltintalle meant LM Montgomery by referring to 'Montgomery'. Senior moment, probably.

Unfortunately I have never read the Emily Starr series, but my all time favourite of those of LM Montgomery's writings I did read as a child was Jane of Lantern Hill. I could really understand Jane's predicament about her parents and how torn she must have felt when she visited her father on Prince Edward Island. However, I haven't seen that book around in years.

So, is the statue of the Eagle something prominent in the book? Is there much spirituality? [sorry for all the questions--all I know of the book is that it's about a gladiator and a slave.] Haha, I think I am expecting some Christianity probably because in my mind, gladiators tie in with the New Testament epistles time, thanks to a book called Twice Freed...

I'd say so. The eagle isn't a statue. It is the headpiece and the most important and representative bit of a Roman army standard - the emblem of a legion. When in Tolkien, we are told 'the eagles are coming', that is a term loaded with meaning in a military sense, even though in the Hobbit and in LOTR, the eagles coming to the rescue were literally eagles. So this particular Roman 'eagle' plays a very prominent part in the story.

I can understand your making the connections you do, since it was early in the history of the Roman Empire when Christianity was first established. And yes, gladiators were part of that world also. But to study Ancient Rome or to learn Latin is to realise that it wasn't until well after the 79 AD fall of Jerusalem that Christianity played an important part in Roman affairs. By the time Constantine accepted Christianity as Rome's state religion after the battle of Milvian Bridge in the fourth century AD, there had even been one Christian emperor, even though Christians were often persecuted for refusing to give the commonly accepted obeisances to the god-like Roman Emperor.

I hope you can see The Eagle soon, wagga! I only mention the U.S. release date to explain why I haven't seen it yet. I will try to post in the movies thread when I do

So do I, and thank you again for bringing it to my attention. I saw an online trailer in which the amount of people in Roman getup confirmed it was the film of the book, Eagle of the Ninth. But when I asked the local videostore, they hadn't heard of it. They said it probably won't come to Australia for another six months, which is usual. My enquiries will proceed.

By the way, has anyone read 'What Katy did'?

Okay, I see, Elanor.

Surprise! I read it a couple years ago on a Montgomery binge. At the moment, the only scene I remember with clarity is the scene where they are discussing what to name little Marigold and the great grandmother has scathing remarks about several suggestions.

Hehe, well, should I be surprised, since you've read nearly every book?! That's neat you've read it! Yeah, the grandomther was...interesting. The book was cute.

I agree with you--Montgomery's New Moon really enchants me, I'd love to live there. The sweet simpleness, yet mystery of the place is fascinating. But I'm kind of tied to loving Avonlea.... I can't choose!

mar_girl, most of the time, I read Montgomery's books for her writing style more than the characters or plot. (except for Anne of Windy Poplars! That has some unique people...)

Eowyn of Lantern Waste, I've read an Old Fashioned Girl. I like it almost equally to Little Women, Part First. (like someone said on here a while ago, AOFG really can apply to the youth of today. ) I'm curious, what did you think of the second part of An Old Fashioned Girl in comparison to the first?

(*feels really bad because she compares far too much with books... I have to stop this habit * )

Waggawerewolf27 [off topic, but when I was studying Australia last year in Geography, I saw "Wagga wagga" and was quite excited I saw part of a NWer's username. ] Interesting point... I never really thought futher on Anne's categorizeing of who's of the race of Joseph...(what does the term mean, anyways? I never could figure out.) I'll have to go back and read about that.

Thanks for answering my questions on The Eagle of Ninth! That clears things up alot. (and thank-you for the history! )

I got books at the library today!

What I put on hold that came: A Tale of Two Cities. I tried reading it a year ago, but found out I got the abridged version, and anyways, could not connect head or tail of what was going on, so I gave it back. I've decided to give it another try, with a non-abridge copy.
Then I found Uncle Tom's Cabin, and was much delighted. 'tis my first time reading it. Along with those, two historical fictions, one on WWII the other on the Civil War. I was expecting the WWII one to be good because they said it was pretty dark/realistic, but I saw some stuff that might make it less enjoyable for me (sappy, I'm presuming out-of-place content. ) but the Civil War one looks nice.
And then a reread of The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. And also by her, By the Shores of Silver Lake (I think that's the correct title.) I did not recall the picture or the title, so I'm guessing I missed that one in the series. Anywho, greatly anticipating those. I love the Little House books because they're written like fiction, but are true and historically accurate and make my heart happy. ^^

Eowyn of Lantern Waste, I've read an Old Fashioned Girl. I like it almost equally to Little Women, Part First. (like someone said on here a while ago, AOFG really can apply to the youth of today. ) I'm curious, what did you think of the second part of An Old Fashioned Girl in comparison to the first?

And then a reread of The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Yeah, I agree that AOFG can be applied very well to today's young people. In answer to your question about the first and second parts I probably like the second part a bit better although I'm not a huge fan of the book per say so that doesn't say a great deal.

I've read The long Winter too and I really like it Uncle Tom's Cabin andis A Tale of Two Cities are great books too and a really good read It seems like you have a lot of great reading coming up

And though I cried heaps over Beth's death, I still think that the imaginative Judy Woolcot, from Seven Little Australians, who died at a forest picnic, was really more my sort of girl. To this day I couldn't remember offhand if 'Little Mother Meg' was a sequel to Little Women or Seven Little Australians and had to look it up.

I haven't read Little Mother Meg for ages but I remember really enjoying it. Did you like "The Family at Misrule" (don't you just love the title of their home - Misrule just soo fits it in many respects). When I was about 12 or so I absolutley LOVED it. Nowawdays I prefer Mary Grant Bruce's books to Ethel Turner although they are probably aimed at a younger audience Have you read the Cub series by Ethel Turner. I loved the first one but not so much the second one and I haven't actually read the third although I would like to one day

I find it annoying that Lousia May Alcott seems to condemn dressing prettily and even having fun seemingly, even if that fun is perfectly innocent. I don't know if I'm misjudging Alcott in saying this - its been awhile since I read the book - but it seems that way to me a bit. While I totally agree with the tenor of the book which says that spending one's whole life thinking of nothing but what to wear or how to do one's hair is totally wrong, I think Alcott has a tendency to go too far the other way and sort of indicate that dressing in anything other than a brown drugget is wrong.

I completely agree! When my mom read me Eight Cousins, and later I read Little Women, Jo's Boys, and An Old Fashioned Girl, I enjoyed them, but didn't really pick up on the things you mentioned. Then I went back quite a few years later and reread them. Ummm, yeah. I like dressingly prettily, and I don't think that just because you dress in the latest fashions means you're stupid or a nitwit or a helpless female like Lousia May Alcott made out through her characters. I remember one scene in Eight Cousins where Uncle Alec (that's his name, right?) turned down an outfit Rose's female relations wanted her to try, which included all the latest fashions of high heels, tight skirts, and a whalebone corset. I also remember him freaking out about her getting her ears pierced (granted, this was probably a little more shocking back then then it would be now). So yeah..I think you can dress up in the latest styles, and still have a mind of your own

Oh! And I do prefer A Old Fashioned Girl to Little WOmen, actually. I've always like the "best friends end up together" storyline. And it definetly can be applied somewhat to the "youth of today".