Old Rose and Silver

by Myrtle Reed

The novel follows the lives of Rose and her widowed Aunt, Madame Francesca Bernard, along with young visitor and cousin Isabel, whose lives are changed by the return of an old friend and neighbour Colonel Kent, and his grown son, Allison.

Genres: Classics, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

Paperback

First published January 1, 1909

About the author

Myrtle Reed/Mrs McCullough (1874-1911) was an American author, the daughter of Elizabeth Armstrong Reed and the preacher Hiram von Reed. She sometimes wrote under the pseudonym of Olive Green. She was born in Chicago, where she graduated from the West Division High School. In 1906 she was married to James Sydney McCullough.

She wrote under her own name, but also published a series of cook books under the pseudonym of Olive Green, including What to Have for Breakfast (1905), One Thousand Simple Soups (1907) and How to Cook Fish (1908).

Myrtle was a diagnosed insomniac with prescribed sleeping drafts. She died August 17, 1911 of an overdose of sleeping powder taken with suicidal intent in her flat, called "Paradise Flat" at 5120 Kenmore Ave., Chicago, Illinois. The following day, her suicide letter, written to her maid, Annie Larsen, was published.

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Sober Second Thought - July 13, 2018
Perhaps it is last night's New Moon acting on me or perhaps it is just my habit to reconsider a one-star rating. I have unearthed a couple of articles which have convinced me that I have been unfair to Myrtle Reed. I will leave the one-star rating for posterity while also admitting that the work of this author deserves a second look. Here, for anyone who might be interested, are links to said articles.

Hell in Paradise Flat - article published in Chicago Magazine in April 2006 (published online June 7, 2007)
Biography of Myrtle Reed from Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume III: 1607-1950, P-Z (Book available to borrow at Open Library)

My "Review" - July 11, 2018
What do you get when you blend a mediocre story with a really bad audio narrator? Hmmm. One star!

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the joys of reading old books is that every once in a while you stumble upon a forgotten gem. I was browsing the public-domain treasure-trove of the Kindle store, and picked up Old Rose and Silver (published 1909) because it looked rather interesting from a few reviews. From the very first pages, I knew I was going to love it.

Rose Bernard, at age forty, has a happy and well-filled life living with her beloved aunt, but still feels the vacancy left by never having known true love. It looks like she may have an opportunity to discover it at last, when her aunt's old and dear friend Colonel Kent and his grown son, Allison, return from abroad to be their neighbors. But heartbreak lies ahead for Rose as she witnesses Allison's growing attraction to her much younger and shallow cousin Isabel. I won't detail the twists and turns of their story, which take directions both tragic and uplifting; I'll leave you to discover this book's delights for yourself.

It's a simply beautiful book. It's filled with vivid, appealing characters, wonderfully romantic, and gorgeously written—every word and every line is meant to be savored. The past and present sorrows woven through the characters' lives make it deeply poignant, yet there is plenty of joy and some delightful humor. Rose's aunt, Madame Bernard, is an utterly charming, wise and tender elderly lady whom you can't help but love, and a pair of supporting characters, a wildly unconventional young twin brother and sister named (believe me!) Romeo and Juliet add a large dose of quirky fun, yet are also responsible for some of the plot's most significant twists. It's a wonderful read, definitely one of the best books I've discovered so far this year.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great old romance! My favorite passage is "The heart of a man is divided into many compartments, mostly isolated. Sometimes there is a door between two of them, or even three may be joined, but usually, each one is complete in itself. Within the different chambers his soul sojourns as it will, since immeasurably beyond woman, he possesses the power of detachment, of intermittence...in the heart of a woman there are few chambers and still fewer doors. Instead of business-like compartments, neatly labelled, there are long, labyrinth passages, all opening into one another and inextricably bound together. To shut out one or even part of one, requires the building of a wall, but it takes a long time and the barrier is never firm. At a single strain of music, the scent of a flower, or even one glimpse of a path of moonlight lying fair upon a Summer sea, the barriers crumble and fall. Through the long corridors the ghosts of the past walk unforbidden, hindered only by broken promises, dead hopes, and dream-dust...for the hands of women are small and slow to build and the hearts of women are tender beyond all words."

[Chrisanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Sentimentalism at it's best ... with some good drops of wisdom in the sugar. Enough to create a debate if you read this for book club.

Aunt Francesca (whom I loved before but especially after that ship comment) graciously allows her young(er) relatives Rose and Isabel to live with her, as they are all, for varying reasons, alone in the world. When her neighbor Richard Kent and son, Allison*, return from a triumphant musical performance tour in Europe, feelings emerge in all parties. The issue is that Allison is 30. Rose is 40. And Isabel is 20.

There is no doubt which coupling the author wants the reader to favor. And I could almost buy it. But either way its a gap. And the author obviously felt that it had all been wrapped up appropriately, but I disagree. To borrow some phraseology, I wanted comeuppance, dash it! I wanted a newly discovered codicil or a dishonest business partner. Even a 1995-Pride-and-Prejudice-esque final glance at the "Wickhams" would have been enough. If the rest of the story is so sentimental you might as well go all the way.

Also... the dogs. I just couldn't stomach any part of the story with those dogs.


*To be added to the list of Kimberly, Ashley, Beverly, Madison, and Hilary---all those female names that were originally male.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

🖍️ Lovely story with just as charming writing and believable plot. I enjoyed this.

📕Published in 1909.

જ⁀🟢The e-book version can be found on the Project Gutenberg website.
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎

🖋️ About Myrtle Reed: Born in Norwood Park, Illinois September 27, 1874. She passed away at her apartment 5120 N. Kenmore, Chicago (suicide) August 17, 1911 and was buried at Graceland Cemetery. 🪦Some more information about Myrtle Reed can be found on this link at Find a Grave.

[Jennifer Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan

I love her homey tales if good honest people who tried to work out their problems. She writes in a clean style

[Emilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a beautiful, old fashioned read. My heart was full upon the all-too-soon conclusion.

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

The prose is amazing, poetic, soulful, but the characters are duller than an old bread knife.

[Grace Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet book written in 1902 by then best selling author. I love these old books and this a love story with some wit and interesting characters. Great author, poetic and tells a good story.

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Victorian love story. Easy to read, well written.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story of "old" Rose and young Silver. Rose is 40. Allison, our hero, is 30, and Isabel (Silver) is 20. Youth and beauty versus maturity and grace, all watched over by dear Aunt Francesca who is full of kindness and wisdom.
Favorite quotes: "Sometimes I think it's better to feed the soul and let the body fast."
"It all came back, but, mercifully without pain. Were it not for this divine forgetting, few of us could bear life. One can recall only the fact of suffering, never the suffering itself. When a sorrow is once healed, it leaves only a tender memory, to come back, perhaps, in many a twilight hour, with tears from which the bitterness has been distilled. ...In the midst of sorrow, the joy comes back, not reproachfully , but to beckon us on, with clearer sight, to those which lie on the path beyond."
"...joy, in reality, is immortal, while pain dies in a day."
"...down in the wild garden, she brushed aside the snow...'How indiscreet,' she thought, then added to herself, 'but what sublime courage it must take to blossom now!'"
And my favorite: "I am glad to think that I've helped you a little when you came to a hard place, for the most any one of us may do for another is to smooth the road."

[Jane Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely old romance published in 1911. "Old Rose" is a single woman approaching forty. Rose is lovely and musically gifted, patient and kind. "Silver" (Isabel) is a young lady, flashy and beautiful, but immature and superficial. Allison is a musically gifted young man, caught between his attraction for both women. Myrtle Reed writes in a very musical/lyrical style which is appropriate given the story is centered around music. This edition is beautifully bound in a soft periwinkle blue cover with a silver trellis with climbing pink roses. It was the cover and the title that attracted me to the book. There is a lovely color picture with tissue to protect it. Each page contains one to three words in the right/left margin which captures the essence of that portion of the story. The story moves along quickly in a nice rhythm as the characters interact, become familiar and make choices. It was of course, somewhat dated in how women are viewed today but none the less a nice read on a snowy winter day. I will keep this book for my permanent library.

[Thom Swennes · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most popular themes for a work of fiction is love. This premise was a staple in literary works in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s. Old Rose and Silver by Myrtle Reed relays the many faces of love. Although love is experienced by almost every human being, it is uniquely different in each case. Rose Bernard, at forty, is well on her way to remaining a confirmed spinster. The love that she had always looked for had always eluded her. When she finally finds this allusive love he is in love with another. The Crosby twins (Romeo and Juliet) add refreshing color and zany humor. As a spectator to their spontaneous, erratic, compulsive and childish antics glue the whole story together with honey. The story is an undiscovered diamond and should be brought into the light. I highly recommend it to everyone that has loved or ever wants to love.

[DancingLawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful prose. I found myself stopping to reread passages that were so breathtakingly stirring that I could not move on. If you are a musician, the vivid description of Rose accompanying Allison on his violin..her experience...stunning, really.

I had first searched for OLD ROSE AND SILVER years ago after it was mentioned by a favorite author, Jan Karon. Then, later, there it was in Kindle format, and free!
Published in 1909. Fiction. About Rose and her aunt, and the neighbors who are part of their lives.

I enjoyed this work of Myrtle Reed's so much that I went on to read her other books and to learn more of her life.

[Zeta T. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing compares to At The Sign Of The Jack O Lantern that I've yet read by Myrtle Reed. Old Rose And Silver did make me laugh at the end though. I started feeling like I was watching a bit of vaudeville that wasn't sure if it wanted to be drama or not. At first there were characters that had some depth but then became two dimensional by the end, though Madame Francesca remained quite the cucumber. Lots of epigrams and philosophical though romantic sayings, which does seem to be a Myrtle Reed specialty.

[Vanessa Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Bought it at a quaint bookshop because of the gorgeous cover (not the one pictured), and read it. The prose in it is absolutely stunning, the insights often quite serious and well thought out, and the characters fairly realistic. My only complaints are the utter idiocy of Isabel and how stupid Allison must have been to fall for him (it seemed forced for the sake of the plot), and the predictability. But what would one expect from a romance?

Overall, beautifully written and a joy to read.

[Patty Spanjer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much. The language was quite flowery, but reading a book actually written in 1900, instead of a modern interpretation is fascinating to me.
The main characters are two 70 plus year old friends. a forty year old woman, a thirty year old man, and a twenty year old woman, and their love triangle. A lot of humor comes from 20 year twin neighbors.
I found more of her books on Kindle and and now reading another one.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only reason I picked this up was it was in it's first edition, a book bound in a lavender color with silver title font, definitely judged it by it's cover. A little confusing at points, but all in all, a good read. Beautiful descriptions and great for Romance lovers, kind of gives you a taste of the 'Romance Novels' of a completely different generation.

[Abbi Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Myrtle Reed's turn of the century romances. Though a bit predictable, they are very charming and are easy to pick back up if you haven't had time to read it. I read the whole book on my kindle app on my iPad in a 3 week span. I only read it with my time on the bus from my University's parking lot to campus.

[Jeanne M. Wittman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Heartwarming Story

The storyline was predictable, but it was so very well written I had to read it to the end. On a couple of occasions there was a bit too much detail for my taste, but it didn't overshadow the whole. This was a story of gentility, love, caring, sincerity and honesty that doesn't seem to exist any more...and it's a terrible loss.

[D.E. Colombo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a light an airy read, in fact it almost feels as though I haven't read it even though I remember much of the plot line. The twins in the books were just too funny. All in all I hated the Isabel and loved Rose. There are a lot of ups and downs but this book is worth reading!

[Melissa Holliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read, light and easy to follow. The story was quaint and charmingly old fashioned. I won't lie, I preferred the secondary characters to the main characters, but still enjoyed the story as a whole.

[Maybeth Shirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gentle romance, first published in 1909. I especially loved the details of the time period and especially how the ladies dressed!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book, and I liked it. It just lacked a tiny bit of something, maybe depth. I'd be interested in other comments.

[Jen D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like sweet old romances, but this one was a bit too sappy even for me!

[Karen H · Rating 4 out of 5]

a perfect little comedy, in the Shakespearean, sense of the word. 3 happily made couples after a bunch of nonsense... makes for a fun read sometimes

[Shauna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Flowery language for an old fashioned romance. Not very satisfying for me.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

MReed values small feet on women, roses, the color lavender, musical skill. The heroine in this story is 40 years old! And I was beginning to think that MR thought old age started at 50.

[Kimbolimbo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of liked this cheesy romance because it is about an older single lady looking for love.