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Original poster

to think that Amy March is one of the most irritating literary characters ever.

344 replies

squoosh · 21/04/2013 17:22

God she annoys me, throwing Jo's book in the fire, being a general brat and then sin of sins marrying Laurie when she had no business do any such thing.

I don't care what the subsequent books may say the Amy/Laurie union was a stupid idea.

They should have left her to drown in the icy river.

OP posts:
LRDtheFeministDragon · 22/04/2013 14:44

Oh, sorry, I had it the wrong way around.

Yes, dog Monday was lovely.

The bit about the little boy who drowned his kitten as a bargain with God to make Walter come back was a bit Shock though.

seeker · 22/04/2013 14:43

I've just downloaded all th Anne books for 49p!

Can't wait for bed time.

MyNameIsAnAnagram · 22/04/2013 14:42

rilla not rills obv!

MyNameIsAnAnagram · 22/04/2013 14:41

Bertha was her first name, rills her middle. Just finished reading them, got the full set for 77p on kindle Grin and yes, sobbed like baby again at Matthews death, joyces death and Walters. Oh and dog Monday waiting for jem at the station for the whole war.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 22/04/2013 13:43

Oh, yes, baby Joyce is so sad. It's awful that they don't let her see the baby after the first few hours - I know it was the received wisdom of the day but it seems so cruel now.

She never really writes about Marilla dying, does she? In Rilla of Ingleside we know Rilla gets fed up about being named after an old woman she never knew before Marilla died, but not much more. Or have I missed that bit?

(Incidentally, I snort like mad at Rilla wishing people called her by her middle name, which was 'beautiful and dignified'. It was Bertha FFS! Grin)

HintofBream · 22/04/2013 13:36

Just checked with Gutenberg, and though my copy is entitled "Patty and Priscilla" their version is called "When Patty Went to College".Keatsiepie you would love this.

HintofBream · 22/04/2013 13:29

Kitchenandjumble and Tanith, easy to see why the BBC had to change the ending of 5 little Aussies, it is indeed very harrowing.
KingscoteStaff, have you read the other books by Jean Webster? "Just Patty", a school story, but American schools of that era were clearly very advanced, they did sociology and all sorts. In it and in its sequel "Patty and Priscilla" where Patty goes to college, some of the "Daddylonglegs " characters fleetingly appear. "Just Patty" is downloadable free via the Gutenberg project.
NeoMaxi, yes, another weepie.

drwitch · 22/04/2013 12:42

has anybody read
the little women letters sort of updating of good wives for modern day

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 22/04/2013 12:42

Oh has anyone read The Wide, Wide World?

Original poster
squoosh · 22/04/2013 12:30

Poor baby Joyce.

I always remember how she describes an elderly Marilla and Rachel waiting anxiously by the newly installed telephone in Green Gables.

OP posts:
seeker · 22/04/2013 12:29

Very good at grief, LM Montgomery,

HumphreyCobbler · 22/04/2013 12:28

I couldn't really believe what I was reading, seeker. I had to go back and look at it again Sad

seeker · 22/04/2013 12:28

Doesn't anyone remember the scene when Anne realises her first baby is going to die? The "wee white lady"?

HumphreyCobbler · 22/04/2013 12:15

I like Fanny Price too. Unusually Mansfield Park is my most re-read Austen. I love all of them though.

gotthemoononastick · 22/04/2013 11:02

My now grown(old) children have never forgotten the beastly Vanilla and worshipped Horrible Hepzibah.Forgotten the book.

mrsshackleton · 22/04/2013 10:59

Is that right about the probate, Kingscotestaff ? Can't understand why GBB don't republish the ones that sold out, how hard can it be when there is clearly a market for them.

I LIKE Amy March. She has spirit and it was a very brave and unusual decision to have her marry Laurie, which makes LW stand out from the crowd.

Original poster
squoosh · 22/04/2013 10:51

Was anyone else a fan of E Nesbit's books? I loved the Bastable series and of course The Railway Children. Nesbit herself had a really interesting and unconventional life.

OP posts:
NumTumDeDum · 22/04/2013 10:49

Remus I second the literary slap for Emma Bovary. I'd forgotten about her. I couldn't enjoy the book because I was so outraged at how selfish she was!

HumphreyCobbler · 22/04/2013 10:35

that is a brilliant review. I agreed with every word, and yet like the author, loved the books too.

Trillz · 22/04/2013 09:19

A hilarious "review" of Clover and In The High Valley - the "What Katy Did" sequels that aren't about Katy.

I didn't know those two books existed until very recently. They are all free for Kindle... Anyone tempted?

Dubjackeen · 22/04/2013 08:38

Agree, Amy shouldn't have ended up with Laurie, although I did like Professor Bhaer Blush for Jo. Amy's daughter is even wetter though as a character, or should that be even more wet...I just reread Little Men, and she is sickeningly sweet and spoilt. Love all those books though.

Tanith · 22/04/2013 08:12

Antonia Forest books are being reprinted by Girls Gone By these days. Some of the reprints are now out of print Smile
www.ggbp.co.uk

They are fantastic books if you can get hold of them - they turn up on Ebay from time to time.

KeatsiePie · 22/04/2013 08:06

THEY HAVE IT AT MY LIBRARY!!!

I am SO EXCITED. I reread DDL so many times. I just remembered the illustrations!! Um, sorry for shouting.

KingscoteStaff · 22/04/2013 07:10

In the Daddy Long Legs sequel, she gets to buy the orphanage!

Antonia Forest books are a nightmare to get. One or two have been reprinted, but Puffin lost the rights somehow and then there was a massive probate row (I think).

Some small publishing house was trying to reprint. I've got Peter's Room in a weird Faber paperback edition, all the 'Term' books in the original Puffin, and Ready Made Family in a hardback copy bought in a library stock sale.

KeatsiePie · 22/04/2013 03:38

Kitchen yes this It's so unfair that Amy gets everything Jo should have is exactly what I thought every time I reread. And the burning of Jo's novel! I never, ever got over that. I was so angry about the family's response to it. She burned Jo's book and everyone is like ohhhh Jo you should forgive her, she's sorry. I wanted awful punishments to ensue.

I didn't know Daddy Long Legs had a sequel! I loved that book. Off to find.