Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery ~Review

So many people were talking about this book and how good it was, that I finally decided I'd better read it.  And then as a couple people inquired what I thought of it, I decided I'd better write up a review as well.  So here it is.

 

Summary

 

This is the eighth, and last, book in The Anne of Green Gables series, and is about Anne's youngest daughter Rilla.  When the story begins, Rilla is a lively young girl of nearly fifteen, who is anxious to leave behind her childhood and experience the joys of being a young--and not unattractive--young woman.  She has dreams of love and romance (particularly in regards to a certain young man named Kenneth) and is looking forward to the forthcoming years with the optimism of youth. 
     But then comes a war.  And with it Rilla's childish dreams of a happy and carefree existence shatter in an instant.  She watches as her brothers and friends leave to perform their duty overseas--watches and waits and hopes.  The war will bring much sorrow, but it will also shape young Rilla into a strong, mature young woman; and as she learns to rise above misfortune--to "keep faith"--she will find that there is still happiness to be found in this world.  And perhaps, in the end, it will prove to be an even greater happiness because of all that was sacrificed to gain it.
 

(Okay.  That was my first attempt at writing a summary for a book review.  I'm afraid it's pretty awful, but I'm going to have to leave it as it is, because I really haven't the time to be overly perfectionistic today.)

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

Rilla of Ingleside is definitely a war story.  It begins with the start of the war and ends with it's completion.  I confess, it was not my favorite book.  Sometimes war stories can be a bit depressing to me, and at one point I was ready to conclude that yes! this was another sad, depressing war story.  But actually, now that I've reached the end, my feelings are quite different.  The conclusion was so hopeful and happy that it helped a good deal in making up for all the preceding sadness; and it really was a beautifully written story.  So...yeah.  Overall, it was a good book. 

 

Things I didn't like so very much:

 

~There wasn't enough dialogue to suit me (by which I mean, real in-depth conversations).  A lot of the talking was done by Susan the maid, and while she is a good enough character in herself, still I really did want to hear more from some of the other characters.  (For example.  It annoyed me excessively the one time when it seemed that Anne and Gilbert were just about ready to have a nice confidential chat, and then Susan came out and started talking.  The moment with Anne and Gilbert was gone, and I must admit, I was quite put out with Susan.)

 

~I didn't feel like I got to know Rilla's family very well.   Gilbert and Anne were in it, but not satisfactorily, if you know what I mean.  And as for her siblings, Walter was the only one who I came close to getting to know, and even that was not quite enough.  (Maybe the book was just too short, I don't know.)

 

~I would have been okay with a little more detail about Kenneth and Rilla's romance.  It struck me that Kenneth was hardly even in the book, and in order to really like a character I feel like I need to see a little more of them.  ;)

 

Things I liked very much:

 

~THE ENDING!  (And no, it was not because I was anxious to get the book over with.  Seriously.  I liked the ending because it was genuinely one of the best parts in the book.)  It was soaringly beautiful.  The words, the descriptions...the joyfulness of the war finally being over and everyone coming home again, and the fact that life really does go on.  Despite the pain and the sorrow, life truly can be happy again.  And that made me SO happy!!

 

~Susan's talk to Rilla about why she believed that Jem was still living.   Talk about emotional!   (Oh!  And I did come close to tears on more than one occasion.  Just sayin'.)

 

~Walter's letter to Rilla.  (Actually, that may have been about the time that I decided this book was too sad, but anyway, the letter itself was really good.)

 

~When Rilla finally learns to love baby Jims.  Up until that point, I was quite put out with her for being so hard-hearted.  (After all, who can't love a baby?)  But it was good to see, in the end, that she really did have some sense.  Haha!

 

~Kenneth's words to Rilla at the end.  "'Is it Rilla-my-Rilla?' he asked meaningly."  Aw.  *contented sigh of happiness*

 

 

...I feel like there was something more I was going to say, but now I can't remember it.  (My goodness.  This feels like a very jumbled sort of review, indeed.)   Ah, well...

 

I need to wrap this up somehow, so I suppose I'll simply conclude with a quote from the book that really stood out to me.

 

"Let us drink," he said, "to the silent army--to the boys who followed when the Piper summoned.  'For our tomorrow they gave their today'--theirs is the victory!"

 

The End.