I

Complacencies of the peignoir, and late
Coffee and oranges in a sunny chair,
And the green freedom of a cockatoo
Upon a rug mingle to dissipate
The holy hush of ancient sacrifice.
She dreams a little, and she feels the dark
Encroachment of that old catastrophe,
As a calm darkens among water-lights.
The pungent oranges and bright, green wings
Seem things in some procession of the dead,
Winding across wide water, without sound.
The day is like wide water, without sound.
Stilled for the passing of her dreaming feet
Over the seas, to silent Palestine,
Dominion of the blood and sepulchre.

( Why should she give her bounty to the dead? )

--Wallace Stevens, "Sunday Morning"

Take a poll of most L.M. Montgomery fans about the likeableness and believability of her main male characters. Go on, I dare you. And you know what I think the results would be? Undying love for Gilbert Blythe, some admiration for the younger Blythes, infatuation with Barney Snaith, boredom with Teddy Kent, and feelings of indifference towards many of the others.

Therein lies what I believe to be Montgomery's strength - and weakness - when it comes to her portrayal of the opposite sex. She was good at writing about average boys with good manners and some special talents. But when creating more exceptional individuals, her success rate falters. Barney Snaith was a hit, with his hidden past, secretive ways, and droll sense of humour. Teddy Kent was not. While interesting as a school-age character, he became flat and dull later on, especially in Emily's Quest.

With the exception of Jane Stuart, Montgomery's best heroines are a little eccentric and whimsical - different from the normal folks surrounding them. I would argue, though, that Montgomery's most effective male characters both juxtapose and compliment their respective heroines by their (mostly) average, unassuming personalities.

Dean Priest and company? Alas, there are no happily ever afters for you.


Addendum:
1. I would include Anne Shirley, Rilla Blythe, Emily Byrd Starr, Valancy Stirling, and Jane Stuart in a list of L.M. Montgomery's best heroines.
2. As much as I love Ilse Burnley, she's probably more of a secondary character than the main heroine.
3. Patricia Gardiner does not make the list because she has some phobic distrust of change. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PAT?
4. Likewise, Kilmeny Gordon and Marigold Lesley are not on my list because I frankly can't remember much from either of those books.
5. Tangled Web is brilliant, but there are too many memorable characters for me to pick one (or even ten!) as main characters.
6. I have a different problem classifying The Story Girl and The Golden Road: while the stories Sara tells are great fun, I don't think the children's characters are given enough depth.
7. Don't forget, there are now online e-texts of most of L.M. Montgomery's works. If you're feeling particularly snarky, try A Tangled Web. It's great ... except for a racist line on the final page, which I very much recommend skipping. (I know that other people during her lifetime thought the same way, but it still disappoints me.)

Title: Coda
Characters: Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, Jacob Black
Genre: drama, one-shot
Summary: A Bella/Edward oneshot. 'Once, I wanted nothing more than to stay with him for all eternity. But a lifetime is more than enough for me.'

Notes: No, I haven't finished reading Deathly Hallows yet - I got to a certain part, and was so utterly devasted that I was not able to continue. So here's a Twilight one-shot that I'd been writing sporadically in my Chemistry notebook. I thought that delving into Bella's mind would help me like her better as a character (Jacob is my favourite), but ... meh. Didn't work. Anyone familiar with western Montana will realize that I've horribly bungled its geography, so my deepest apologies. Enjoy (if you dare)!

( 'I want you to stay just as you are,' he whispers in her ear. And for once in her life, she does not argue. )

I'm home!

Or rather, I have been home since the end of June, but a most horrid combination of jetlag, work, Cymbeline, and a chemistry class at DBCC have kept me from my laptop. But since I never got to check my email while in England, four people who left comments didn't get postcards. *blushes* Don't worry, though - I'm still going to send you something. Maybe a homemade postcard from my photos?

A detailed account (with photos!) to come. Also, I just finished reading Twilight and New Moon by Stephenie Meyer, and am itching to discuss them like a Good English Major. Who else on my flist has read them?

And have a happy Independence Day!!

On hiatus until June 19, when I shall hopefully still be alive and have some nice pictures to share.

See you all in June, and have a wonderful summer!

If you would like me to send you a postcard while I'm in England, leave a comment with your mailing address here. I'll be visiting Bath, Haworth, Castle Howard, Haddon Hall, and small little villages that I can't remember - not to mention London and Stratford-upon-Avon for my Shakespeare class.

Be warned, though, that sometimes I write postcards as though they were sent from historical/fictional characters, like Gilbert Blythe or Anne Brontë. It's an uncontrollable impish urge that can't be curbed.

(All comments are screened.)

I have a confession to make: my real name is Leonora Hamilton, I'm 75 years old, and I like to hang out with a sketchy-looking chap named Leo.

(Three shows down, two more to go.)