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Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea
"Along The Tales by the Sea" is the second charming collection of L.M. Montgomery's rediscovered stories to be reprinted from Rea Wilmshurst's collection. A companion to "Akin to Tales of Other Orphans," this book offers a wide-ranging selection of Montgomery's tales that exemplify her story-telling art. Linked by the presence of the sea, these sixteen tales are eloquent statements of Montgomery's love for the "wonderful purple shores and sweeps of shimmering blue water" of her native Prince Edward Island; children's adventures, poignant romances, humorous and tragic stories combine to form a memorable volume.Montgomery spent half her life away from her beloved Island, but when she died her body was returned to the Cavendish cemetery, to lie within sight and sound of the sea she loved so well. These stories live as vivid reminders of that love.
302 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 13, 1989
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About the author
L.M. Montgomery
1,861 books13.2k followersLucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author, best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908.
Montgomery was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911. She had three children and wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. She died in Toronto April 24, 1942 and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.
Montgomery was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911. She had three children and wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. She died in Toronto April 24, 1942 and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.
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January 22, 2024
With Rea Wilmshurst's compilation of sixteen of L.M. Montgomery sea, lake and ocean themed short stories (actually, more like fifteen short stories and one considerably longer novella), there are indeed some very much deliciously descriptive, esoteric inclusions in Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea which I do and happily always will consider very much as personal favourites, as stories and anecdotes that are evocative of the ocean, that demonstrate the obvious truth of the matter that the sea can be both enchanting and entrancing, even grasping, holding, to the point of some individuals actually being forever linked and bonded to the sea, to the ocean and that any and all domiciles not near the water's edge simply do not and will not work (as is described and depicted in Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea especially glowingly and passionately with The Magical Bond of the Sea and A Soul That Was Not at Home, where in both cases, the main protagonists end up having to return to their original oceanside homes, as they can simply not adequately and with health and happiness exist anywhere but near the ocean, near the water, even for education, even for the chance of societal advancement).
However, and the above having all been said, there unfortunately are also a rather goodly number of included tales in Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea that I have not all that much enjoyed on a personal reading pleasure level. And while I generally do not ever expect to equally like and appreciate an anthology of compiled short stories (actually of anything, even if the book features one of my favourite authors) the presented and featured stories in Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea that I have truly not liked, I have actually rather vehemently detested with enough anger, frustration and vigour to only consider Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea with a high three star rating at best (for especially The Waking of Helen and A Strayed Allegiance are incredibly sad and hopeless, with the latter in particular always totally rubbing me the wrong proverbial way with regard to how much blame is cast at Magdalen Crawford for breaking up Marian Lester's and Esterbrook Elliot's engagement, and how little actual condemnation is directed at the in my opinion true mover and shaker, the main villain of A Strayed Allegiance, namely Esterbrook himself, who actively seeks out and courts Magdalen , but I guess it was easier for L.M. Montgomery to blame Magdalen, to consider her and her oh so "dangerous" beauty as the true and main reason Esterbrook plays Marian false, something that I for one consider both annoying and incredibly vile, not to mention that it also gives males with a randy and roving eye the pretty disgustingly nice and pat excuse that oh well, this is not their fault but the fault of the women they have cast their nets, or rather their tentacles at).
Still highly recommended is Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea, as indeed many of the featured tales are truly lovely, evocative, and yes, sometimes even rather deliciously humorous (and for that matter, one can always skip over the stories one does not really enjoy all that much, which is what I in fact do with both The Waking of Helen and A Strayed Allegiance whenever I decide to reread Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea), not to mention that editor Rea Wilmshurst's detailed, analytical introduction as well as her meticulous sources are appreciated and intellectually stimulating added bonuses (but with the caveat that I for one suggest perusing the introduction only AFTER having read the individual story inclusions so as to for one avoid possible spoilers and for two being influenced by Rea Wilmshurst interpretations).
However, and the above having all been said, there unfortunately are also a rather goodly number of included tales in Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea that I have not all that much enjoyed on a personal reading pleasure level. And while I generally do not ever expect to equally like and appreciate an anthology of compiled short stories (actually of anything, even if the book features one of my favourite authors) the presented and featured stories in Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea that I have truly not liked, I have actually rather vehemently detested with enough anger, frustration and vigour to only consider Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea with a high three star rating at best (for especially The Waking of Helen and A Strayed Allegiance are incredibly sad and hopeless, with the latter in particular always totally rubbing me the wrong proverbial way with regard to how much blame is cast at Magdalen Crawford for breaking up Marian Lester's and Esterbrook Elliot's engagement, and how little actual condemnation is directed at the in my opinion true mover and shaker, the main villain of A Strayed Allegiance, namely Esterbrook himself, who actively seeks out and courts Magdalen , but I guess it was easier for L.M. Montgomery to blame Magdalen, to consider her and her oh so "dangerous" beauty as the true and main reason Esterbrook plays Marian false, something that I for one consider both annoying and incredibly vile, not to mention that it also gives males with a randy and roving eye the pretty disgustingly nice and pat excuse that oh well, this is not their fault but the fault of the women they have cast their nets, or rather their tentacles at).
Still highly recommended is Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea, as indeed many of the featured tales are truly lovely, evocative, and yes, sometimes even rather deliciously humorous (and for that matter, one can always skip over the stories one does not really enjoy all that much, which is what I in fact do with both The Waking of Helen and A Strayed Allegiance whenever I decide to reread Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea), not to mention that editor Rea Wilmshurst's detailed, analytical introduction as well as her meticulous sources are appreciated and intellectually stimulating added bonuses (but with the caveat that I for one suggest perusing the introduction only AFTER having read the individual story inclusions so as to for one avoid possible spoilers and for two being influenced by Rea Wilmshurst interpretations).
July 22, 2025
Second read, 8/5/18, while at Cannon Beach on vacation.
2025: This was so fun to revisit with Libby after nearly seven years. We both commented a lot on how certain elements of the stories reminded us of later things LMM wrote, so it was a glimpse into her writing process. For example, one story has a young boy named Paul who has his dream people, just like Paul in Anne of Avonlea. She obviously loved her early creation. This collection does nothing to dampen my desire to move to the Oregon Coast as soon as humanly possible. I love how many characters feel that the sea calls to them and they have to come back to it even if they have golden opportunities elsewhere.
2025: This was so fun to revisit with Libby after nearly seven years. We both commented a lot on how certain elements of the stories reminded us of later things LMM wrote, so it was a glimpse into her writing process. For example, one story has a young boy named Paul who has his dream people, just like Paul in Anne of Avonlea. She obviously loved her early creation. This collection does nothing to dampen my desire to move to the Oregon Coast as soon as humanly possible. I love how many characters feel that the sea calls to them and they have to come back to it even if they have golden opportunities elsewhere.
July 22, 2025
This is a collection of short stories previously published in magazines, almost all prior to the publication of Anne of Green Gables in 1908. There were a couple of duds (Esterbrook, I'm looking at you), but I still enjoyed the collection as a whole. Montgomery is a great observer of human nature. It was fun to read several stories which she then reworked to include in later books, and to see what she kept and what she didn't.
March 15, 2024
Overall rating: 5+ stars (6/10 hearts). I love this book. It’s so full of gorgeous descriptions and thrilling stories and lovely characters. It’s a book to make you laugh and thrill and think and breathe in deeply. The introduction is also very lovely. <33
The Magical Bond of the Sea *
5 stars. I really love this story. The lesson is lovely, the descriptions are gorgeous, the plot is sweet. There's a kiss & some touching, but otherwise it's very clean. And it's just totally Montgomery and right up my alley. <33
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1902-1903 (free on Gutenberg)
The Life-Book of Uncle Jesse *
5 stars. I love Uncle Jesse. He’s exactly Captain Jim from Anne’s House of Dreams and to me they’re the same. What lovely, wonderful men. I wish the Life Book actually existed… <33 Also, THE DESCRIPTIONS. <33 I want to read House of Dreams all over again now. <333
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1909-1922 (free on Gutenberg)
Mackereling out in the Gulf *
5 stars. I love this story. Benjamin is an amazing man. The descriptions are gorgeous and perfectly fit the mood. The plot is very good, the characters very real, and so is the humour. Another perfect seashore read.
Content: 1 instance of language.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1905-1906 (free on Gutenberg)
Fair Exchange & No Robbery *
4 stars. This story is pure fun and light-heartedness and summer sunshine and seaside vibes. I really enjoyed it!
Content: a kiss mentioned.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1907-1908 (free on Gutenberg)
Natty of Blue Point *
4 stars. I always loved this story!! Natty is just splendid, and I love the storyline!
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories: 1904 (free on Gutenberg)
The Light on the Big Dipper *
4 stars. Mary Margaret is such a sweet, cute, smart little thing! I love the message of the story <3 it's so sweet and good.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1905-1906 (free on Gutenberg)
An Adventure on Island Rock *
3 stars. This is sweet, heartwarming little story :)
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1905-1906 (free on Gutenberg)
How Don Was Saved *
5 stars. Oh, I love this story. Don is just splendid! The storyline is awesome, too, and the setting is perfect. <3
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories: 1904 (free on Gutenberg)
A Soul That Was Not at Home *
5 stars. This is a delightful story! I loved Paul and Stephen and Miss Trevor. The descriptions were gorgeous and the storyline so sweet. I really enjoyed it.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1909-1922 (free on Gutenberg)
Four Winds *
5 stars. This is one of Montgomery’s tales that just fascinates you. I love Lynde and Alan. The setting is wonderful and the story itself is just... fascinating. I really like it.
Content: some kissing & touching mentioned.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1907-1908 (free on Gutenberg)
A Sandshore Wooing *
3 stars. Now, I don't agree with the whole clandestine-wooing part. I do think Aunt Martha was ridiculous and wrong, and I'm glad Marguerite was never really happy with the underhand part and admitted it at once. This was a cute, funny, sweet little story, very clean and summery, but because of the plot though I don't recommend it.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1902-1903 (free on Gutenberg)
The Unhappiness of Miss Farquhar *
5 stars. Aw, this is a sweet little story! Frances and Corona and Elliott were so nice, and so was Aunt Eleanor and Jacky and his poor mother. The setting was lovely and the plotline so nice! Such a precious little romance. <33
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1902-1903 (free on Gutenberg)
A Strayed Allegiance *
3 stars. I really only love this story for the beautiful imagery in it. It has such gorgeous descriptions. I despise Esterbrook for his weakness, but Marian is amazing. Magdalen should have known & acted way better, too, but at least she was stronger than Esterbrook. It's a very passionate, romantic story... very Montgomeryish. It's clean (he thinks of kissing her once & asks to kiss her once but she won't let him), and I like it, but it's not for everyone.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1896-1901 (free on Gutenberg)
The Waking of Helen *
2.5 stars. This story is sad and sober and a little… sweet? I can’t help liking the fascination of it, but the suicide is so sad and wrong. I wish there was another ending…
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1896-1901 (free on Gutenberg)
Young Si *
5 stars. I LOVE this story so much. It is beautiful, and sweet, and interesting, and funny, and so seashore-y! And the ending is perfect, and I love the characters!
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1896-1901 (free on Gutenberg)
A House Divided Against Itself
2 stars. Well, this really is a very humorous read. At the same time, there's a bit of content. Longer list below; but here's the main thing: the whole point of the story is a naked statue of Aurora that Big George hates and Little George won't give up out of pure stubbornness. If you ignore that part, it's quite funny, but that's so pivotal that it's hard to ignore. So yeah, it's very funny. Montgomery is adept at humour. But there's just too much content for me.
Other content: 2 mentions of a man being only in his shirt (in his own house with his cousin, who he lives with); 1 “d**n”; 1 “ni**er”; a mention Paul was a woman-hater; some slight mentions of superstitions & belief in dreams.
A Favourite Quote: She was his ideal of all that was beautiful and good; he was jealously careful over all his words and thoughts and actions that not one might make him more unworthy of her. In all the hardship and toil of his life his love was as his guardian angel, turning his feet from every dim and crooked byway; he trod in no path where he would not have the girl he loved to follow.
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: It was an exquisite morning, full of delicate spring tints and sounds. The harbour was sparkling and dimpling like a girl, the winds were playing hide and seek roguishly among the stunted firs, and the silver-flashing gulls were soaring over the bar. Beyond the Gate was a shining, wonderful sea.
The Magical Bond of the Sea *
5 stars. I really love this story. The lesson is lovely, the descriptions are gorgeous, the plot is sweet. There's a kiss & some touching, but otherwise it's very clean. And it's just totally Montgomery and right up my alley. <33
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1902-1903 (free on Gutenberg)
The Life-Book of Uncle Jesse *
5 stars. I love Uncle Jesse. He’s exactly Captain Jim from Anne’s House of Dreams and to me they’re the same. What lovely, wonderful men. I wish the Life Book actually existed… <33 Also, THE DESCRIPTIONS. <33 I want to read House of Dreams all over again now. <333
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1909-1922 (free on Gutenberg)
Mackereling out in the Gulf *
5 stars. I love this story. Benjamin is an amazing man. The descriptions are gorgeous and perfectly fit the mood. The plot is very good, the characters very real, and so is the humour. Another perfect seashore read.
Content: 1 instance of language.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1905-1906 (free on Gutenberg)
Fair Exchange & No Robbery *
4 stars. This story is pure fun and light-heartedness and summer sunshine and seaside vibes. I really enjoyed it!
Content: a kiss mentioned.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1907-1908 (free on Gutenberg)
Natty of Blue Point *
4 stars. I always loved this story!! Natty is just splendid, and I love the storyline!
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories: 1904 (free on Gutenberg)
The Light on the Big Dipper *
4 stars. Mary Margaret is such a sweet, cute, smart little thing! I love the message of the story <3 it's so sweet and good.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1905-1906 (free on Gutenberg)
An Adventure on Island Rock *
3 stars. This is sweet, heartwarming little story :)
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1905-1906 (free on Gutenberg)
How Don Was Saved *
5 stars. Oh, I love this story. Don is just splendid! The storyline is awesome, too, and the setting is perfect. <3
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories: 1904 (free on Gutenberg)
A Soul That Was Not at Home *
5 stars. This is a delightful story! I loved Paul and Stephen and Miss Trevor. The descriptions were gorgeous and the storyline so sweet. I really enjoyed it.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1909-1922 (free on Gutenberg)
Four Winds *
5 stars. This is one of Montgomery’s tales that just fascinates you. I love Lynde and Alan. The setting is wonderful and the story itself is just... fascinating. I really like it.
Content: some kissing & touching mentioned.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1907-1908 (free on Gutenberg)
A Sandshore Wooing *
3 stars. Now, I don't agree with the whole clandestine-wooing part. I do think Aunt Martha was ridiculous and wrong, and I'm glad Marguerite was never really happy with the underhand part and admitted it at once. This was a cute, funny, sweet little story, very clean and summery, but because of the plot though I don't recommend it.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1902-1903 (free on Gutenberg)
The Unhappiness of Miss Farquhar *
5 stars. Aw, this is a sweet little story! Frances and Corona and Elliott were so nice, and so was Aunt Eleanor and Jacky and his poor mother. The setting was lovely and the plotline so nice! Such a precious little romance. <33
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1902-1903 (free on Gutenberg)
A Strayed Allegiance *
3 stars. I really only love this story for the beautiful imagery in it. It has such gorgeous descriptions. I despise Esterbrook for his weakness, but Marian is amazing. Magdalen should have known & acted way better, too, but at least she was stronger than Esterbrook. It's a very passionate, romantic story... very Montgomeryish. It's clean (he thinks of kissing her once & asks to kiss her once but she won't let him), and I like it, but it's not for everyone.
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1896-1901 (free on Gutenberg)
The Waking of Helen *
2.5 stars. This story is sad and sober and a little… sweet? I can’t help liking the fascination of it, but the suicide is so sad and wrong. I wish there was another ending…
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1896-1901 (free on Gutenberg)
Young Si *
5 stars. I LOVE this story so much. It is beautiful, and sweet, and interesting, and funny, and so seashore-y! And the ending is perfect, and I love the characters!
*Also found in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1896-1901 (free on Gutenberg)
A House Divided Against Itself
2 stars. Well, this really is a very humorous read. At the same time, there's a bit of content. Longer list below; but here's the main thing: the whole point of the story is a naked statue of Aurora that Big George hates and Little George won't give up out of pure stubbornness. If you ignore that part, it's quite funny, but that's so pivotal that it's hard to ignore. So yeah, it's very funny. Montgomery is adept at humour. But there's just too much content for me.
Other content: 2 mentions of a man being only in his shirt (in his own house with his cousin, who he lives with); 1 “d**n”; 1 “ni**er”; a mention Paul was a woman-hater; some slight mentions of superstitions & belief in dreams.
A Favourite Quote: She was his ideal of all that was beautiful and good; he was jealously careful over all his words and thoughts and actions that not one might make him more unworthy of her. In all the hardship and toil of his life his love was as his guardian angel, turning his feet from every dim and crooked byway; he trod in no path where he would not have the girl he loved to follow.
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: It was an exquisite morning, full of delicate spring tints and sounds. The harbour was sparkling and dimpling like a girl, the winds were playing hide and seek roguishly among the stunted firs, and the silver-flashing gulls were soaring over the bar. Beyond the Gate was a shining, wonderful sea.
November 6, 2015
It is so hard to say/think/write this, but I am a bit disappointed with this collection of stories. I am a hardcore fan of LMM and I know she was an exceptional writer, no doubt in that area. Her descriptions in these stories are wonderful as always; to me, every time I read her books is like visiting an old friend. It is like I've met these characters before, and like I've been in those places before.
Alas, not in this book. The characters at least. Except maybe for a couple of them, because they are "recycled" stories: stories that we find in other books, like "The Life-Book if Uncle Jesse" is the same as the Life-Book of Captain Jim of Anne's House of Dreams. "A Soul that Was Not at Home" is almost the same as Paul and his rock-people from Anne of Avonlea. And the last story of Little George and Big George is the same as the cousins of A Tangled Web.
The rest of them are not Kindred Spirit (sorry Mrs. Montgomery!). Ihated did not like the ones from the story "A Strayed Allegiance", in fact, I hope Elliott and his lover have lived UNhappily ever after! 
Alas, not in this book. The characters at least. Except maybe for a couple of them, because they are "recycled" stories: stories that we find in other books, like "The Life-Book if Uncle Jesse" is the same as the Life-Book of Captain Jim of Anne's House of Dreams. "A Soul that Was Not at Home" is almost the same as Paul and his rock-people from Anne of Avonlea. And the last story of Little George and Big George is the same as the cousins of A Tangled Web.
The rest of them are not Kindred Spirit (sorry Mrs. Montgomery!). I
March 14, 2021
Over the years, it has almost grown into a physical and palpaple thing; my longing for the sea. It overpowers me when I least expect it, making the pavement and the apartment buildings cave in around me to the point where I can hardly breathe.
I grew up by the sea. By the wild, roaring and fierce powers of Denmark's Western Coast. And when I close my eyes, I'm still there. Listening to the waves crashing in.
It's a hard thing to explain, this odd connection between the forces of nature and one's home. Yet Montgomery still manages it in the opening story of this collection, The Magical Bond of the Sea. Here a young woman tries to leave her homestead for better options and a brighter future – and throws it all away, just to be able to return.
In this short story collection, many of Montgomery's characters travels to the sea in order to spend a carefree holiday by the shores – some resulting in marriages or even tragedy. Many hearts get broken and mended, but the stories that truly touched me were the ones where Montgomery explores the fierce nature of the sea and the power it holds on its inhabitants.
Montgomery always excels in poetic descriptions of nature, possessing the ability of a photographer to magnify even the smallest details. As evidenced in quite a few of these short stories.
I grew up by the sea. By the wild, roaring and fierce powers of Denmark's Western Coast. And when I close my eyes, I'm still there. Listening to the waves crashing in.
It's a hard thing to explain, this odd connection between the forces of nature and one's home. Yet Montgomery still manages it in the opening story of this collection, The Magical Bond of the Sea. Here a young woman tries to leave her homestead for better options and a brighter future – and throws it all away, just to be able to return.
In this short story collection, many of Montgomery's characters travels to the sea in order to spend a carefree holiday by the shores – some resulting in marriages or even tragedy. Many hearts get broken and mended, but the stories that truly touched me were the ones where Montgomery explores the fierce nature of the sea and the power it holds on its inhabitants.
Montgomery always excels in poetic descriptions of nature, possessing the ability of a photographer to magnify even the smallest details. As evidenced in quite a few of these short stories.
February 25, 2018
Reçu en cadeau de Noël quand j'avais 13 ou 14 ans.
Aucun esprit critique, aucun recul malgré les années qui me séparent de cette lecture, juste un magnifique souvenir. C'est peut-être lié à la fin de l'enfance.
Gravé dans mon cœur comme tous les livres de Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Aucun esprit critique, aucun recul malgré les années qui me séparent de cette lecture, juste un magnifique souvenir. C'est peut-être lié à la fin de l'enfance.
Gravé dans mon cœur comme tous les livres de Lucy Maud Montgomery.
December 16, 2012
This collection revolves around stories connected with the sea, and, being in love with L.M. Montgomery's books, I was none too glad this was our December selection over at the L.M. Montgomery Book Club here on Goodreads.
I liked this stories, although not as I had liked other collections, say, the Chronicles of Avonlea. Perhaps it was not the wisest choice to collect L.M. Montgomery' s short stories in themes, it makes reading them monotonous. Some of them repeat the same formula, such as a happy ending resulting from someone being saved from danger out at sea, and men falling in love instantly with exceedingly beautiful damsels who are perfect in nearly every other way as well. Also, some of this material she reused in her novels, such as the whole story The Life Book of Uncle Jesse which is reused almost word for word in Anne's House of Dreams, so It felt like I was just rereading those old plots again.Some of the stories felt like they were left hanging. Only a bit.
The collection includes the following stories:
The Magical Bond of the Sea: This one was sweet, although rather predictable and had that beautiful-damsel formula I mentioned. L.M. Montgomery assetrs here, as in several other stories of this collection, that if one has been brought up near the sea, the bond between both grows so strong that parting can only result in heartbreak. She must have felt that way when she left P.E.I. *sigh*
The Life-Book of Uncle Jesse: A few names where changed but this story is found in an Anne book, and I felt I was rereading it, so It did not feel very original, like the author had plagiarized himself. But I know this story came first, so a bow of the head to Uncle Jesse, for it is a wonderful story.
Mackereling Out in the Gulf: This one was also sweet, but sad. I kept rooting the whole time for Benjamin the fisherman, too bad Mary Stella preferred Mr. Braithwaite. The saving-from-the-sea element was employed.
Fair Exchange and No Robbery: I knew from the very beginning what the outcome would be, the title says it all. Nice, predictable.
Natty of Blue Point: This and the following story have a child for hero/heroine, in this case small Natty. I liked it quite a bit, though simple.
The Light on the Big Dipper: Liked the main character, although the ending with the father saved by her was a bit cheesy. ( I loved it when the girl tied her little sister to a chair).
An Adventure on Island Rock: This and the following story are both about an orphan child close to a dog who must be parted with it, but the the dog saves someone from a sea peril and doesn't have to leave. I liked this one, though. The near-drowning at the rock held me in suspense and reminded me of the similar near death in Peter Pan .
How Don Was Saved: Practically explained above. Very simple.
A Soul That Was Not At Home: This story was reused in Anne of Avonlea, but I love the character of Paul in the said book so much that seeing him again in this story was wonderful, although this time he is more of a shore boy and his story seems to end a bit differently. One of my favorites, for old friends' sake.
Four Winds: Parts of this story were reused both in Anne's House of Dreams and Emily of New Moon . The longest story in this collection, it was very good, if you can ignore the beautiful -damsel element also present here.
A Sandshore Wooing: Nice, although the character of Marguerite was a bit too flighty for me. Also, how quickly were engagements made back then! I felt like the two betrothed barely knew each other.
The Unhappiness of Miss Farquar: Another of my favorites. ( Yes, the said Miss Farquar is very beautiful too).Teaches a great lesson on the real values of life and happiness.
A Strayed Allegiance: This story left me angry. What a featherbrain, that Esterbrook! I found myself sympathizing with the noble Marian instead of with Esterbrook Elliott and Magdalen Crawford, who just because she is dazzingly beautiful must also be perfect.
The Waking of Helen: A bit depressing, I must say, and very, very sad,. The ending is just shocking.
Young Si: I liked this story, especially because of the female lead's red hair, she reminded me of Anne! Otherwise it was a bit predictable, but still enjoyable.
The last story, A House Divided against Itself, I couldn't find, and therefore did not read. But I've heard it wasn't exactly the most pleasant in the collection, so I don't mind it.
I liked this stories, although not as I had liked other collections, say, the Chronicles of Avonlea. Perhaps it was not the wisest choice to collect L.M. Montgomery' s short stories in themes, it makes reading them monotonous. Some of them repeat the same formula, such as a happy ending resulting from someone being saved from danger out at sea, and men falling in love instantly with exceedingly beautiful damsels who are perfect in nearly every other way as well. Also, some of this material she reused in her novels, such as the whole story The Life Book of Uncle Jesse which is reused almost word for word in Anne's House of Dreams, so It felt like I was just rereading those old plots again.Some of the stories felt like they were left hanging. Only a bit.
The collection includes the following stories:
The Magical Bond of the Sea: This one was sweet, although rather predictable and had that beautiful-damsel formula I mentioned. L.M. Montgomery assetrs here, as in several other stories of this collection, that if one has been brought up near the sea, the bond between both grows so strong that parting can only result in heartbreak. She must have felt that way when she left P.E.I. *sigh*
The Life-Book of Uncle Jesse: A few names where changed but this story is found in an Anne book, and I felt I was rereading it, so It did not feel very original, like the author had plagiarized himself. But I know this story came first, so a bow of the head to Uncle Jesse, for it is a wonderful story.
Mackereling Out in the Gulf: This one was also sweet, but sad. I kept rooting the whole time for Benjamin the fisherman, too bad Mary Stella preferred Mr. Braithwaite. The saving-from-the-sea element was employed.
Fair Exchange and No Robbery: I knew from the very beginning what the outcome would be, the title says it all. Nice, predictable.
Natty of Blue Point: This and the following story have a child for hero/heroine, in this case small Natty. I liked it quite a bit, though simple.
The Light on the Big Dipper: Liked the main character, although the ending with the father saved by her was a bit cheesy. ( I loved it when the girl tied her little sister to a chair).
An Adventure on Island Rock: This and the following story are both about an orphan child close to a dog who must be parted with it, but the the dog saves someone from a sea peril and doesn't have to leave. I liked this one, though. The near-drowning at the rock held me in suspense and reminded me of the similar near death in Peter Pan .
How Don Was Saved: Practically explained above. Very simple.
A Soul That Was Not At Home: This story was reused in Anne of Avonlea, but I love the character of Paul in the said book so much that seeing him again in this story was wonderful, although this time he is more of a shore boy and his story seems to end a bit differently. One of my favorites, for old friends' sake.
Four Winds: Parts of this story were reused both in Anne's House of Dreams and Emily of New Moon . The longest story in this collection, it was very good, if you can ignore the beautiful -damsel element also present here.
A Sandshore Wooing: Nice, although the character of Marguerite was a bit too flighty for me. Also, how quickly were engagements made back then! I felt like the two betrothed barely knew each other.
The Unhappiness of Miss Farquar: Another of my favorites. ( Yes, the said Miss Farquar is very beautiful too).Teaches a great lesson on the real values of life and happiness.
A Strayed Allegiance: This story left me angry. What a featherbrain, that Esterbrook! I found myself sympathizing with the noble Marian instead of with Esterbrook Elliott and Magdalen Crawford, who just because she is dazzingly beautiful must also be perfect.
The Waking of Helen: A bit depressing, I must say, and very, very sad,. The ending is just shocking.
Young Si: I liked this story, especially because of the female lead's red hair, she reminded me of Anne! Otherwise it was a bit predictable, but still enjoyable.
The last story, A House Divided against Itself, I couldn't find, and therefore did not read. But I've heard it wasn't exactly the most pleasant in the collection, so I don't mind it.
January 14, 2022
Another re-read (2022) and it's always a delight. Definitely a great study in Montgomery as she drew from more than one of these short stories to steal characters out for novels.
****
Any fan of L.M. Montgomery will delight in this collection of stories by the author of Anne of Green Gables. This particular collection of tales all carry a common theme throughout them which can be easily guessed at. If you love the seashore or stories about the PEI coastline and the characters than inhabit it, then this is the book for you. Classic, homey and truly Montgomery-esque, this makes for fun and cozy reading.
****
Any fan of L.M. Montgomery will delight in this collection of stories by the author of Anne of Green Gables. This particular collection of tales all carry a common theme throughout them which can be easily guessed at. If you love the seashore or stories about the PEI coastline and the characters than inhabit it, then this is the book for you. Classic, homey and truly Montgomery-esque, this makes for fun and cozy reading.
October 17, 2022
3.25/5
Some great stories, some not so great... My favourites are The Life-Book of Uncle Jesse, Fair Exchange and No Robbery, Adventure on Island Rock, Light on the Big Dipper, and The Magical Bond of the Sea.
Some great stories, some not so great... My favourites are The Life-Book of Uncle Jesse, Fair Exchange and No Robbery, Adventure on Island Rock, Light on the Big Dipper, and The Magical Bond of the Sea.
January 20, 2020
L.M. Montgomery scholar Rea Wilmshurst, who began presenting the author's shorter fiction, published in magazines and periodicals in her own day, but long since lost to readers, in the 1988 collection
Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans
, turned to the theme of the sea in this second anthology, presenting sixteen of Montgomery's stories that have a maritime setting. Here we see the author's love of the ocean, whose voice runs like a current throughout much of her work, and here we also see plot elements - an old sailor's books of reminisces, a young boy's imaginary rock people - that would be recycled in many of her more famous tales. The result is a collection with great appeal for readers who admire Montgomery's work, with stories that are enjoyable in their own right, while also offering a snapshot of their creator's development as a writer. They include:
The Magical Bond of the Sea, in which beautiful young Nora Shelley is adopted by the wealthy Camerons, who take her away from the humble fishing village where she had grown up, giving her every worldly advantage possible. Her longing for the sea, however, as well as for fisherman Rob Fletcher, is not to be overcome...
The Life-Book of Uncle Jesse, in which Mary and her mother, spending a quiet summer at Golden Gate - a family cottage at the seaside - befriend a gentlemanly old sailor named Uncle Jesse, and are the means of connecting him with a writer who uses his "Life Book," or collection of life reminisces, as a source for his new novel. Fans of Montgomery will immediately recognize, in this selection and its hero, the tale of Captain Jim, from Anne's House of Dreams .
Mackereling Out in the Gulf, which sees young Benjamin Selby, the best mackerel fisherman in his village, struggling with and conquering temptation, as he risks his own life to rescue the man who has won the heart of Mary Stella, the only girl he himself has ever loved.
Fair Exchange and No Robbery, a comic selection in which friends and roommates Katherine Rangeley and Edith Wilmer, both of whom are engaged to be married, each find themselves falling in love with the other's fiance, while separated during the holidays. As Katherine and Sidney Keith, who have bonded over seaweed and seaside excursions, agonize about their faithlessness to Edith, Edith herself is doing the same with Ned, whom she has been entertaining in Katherine's absence. Will virtuous self-denial make them all miserable, or will common sense prevail...?
Natty of Blue Point, in which young Natty Miller's bravery, in rescuing two stranded pleasure sailors one foggy night, brings a great reward to his family, when his brother Everett is awarded the keeping of the Blue Point Lighthouse - something that had previously been in doubt.
In a similar vein, The Light on the Big Dipper sees a young person, this time a girl, setting out in a small vessel to save the day. When Mary Margaret Campbell's mother leaves her in charge of her baby sister Nellie, the twelve-year-old is confident that she can manage, but then the light at the Big Dipper Lighthouse, kept by her Uncle George on an adjacent island, doesn't come on, and she knows something has gone terribly wrong. Securing Nellie, she rows across to the other island, helping to light the beacon just in time (as she later learns) to save her own seaman father, on his voyage home.
An Adventure on Island Rock sees twelve-year-old orphan and hired boy Ernest Hughes having his heart's desire granted, when Laddie - the massive Newfoundland dog who had been his best and only friend, and who was being sent away to another farm - is kept in the family after all, after rescuing the master's favorite nephew from drowning.
How Don Was Saved also features a Newfoundland dog whose heroics save the day, as the eponymous Don, under suspicion of sheep killing, rescues the son of the very man who had been demanding his death, thereby winning his gratitude, as well as a reprieve that eventually proves his innocence.
A Soul That Was Not at Home follows the story of imaginative young Paul Hubert, who is befriended by the wealthy Miss Trevor, and taken away from his seaside home to live in town. His longing for the sea, however, and for his rock people, leads him to run away on his very first night away from home. This tale is a clear forerunner of certain plot elements in Anne of Avonlea , with Paul Hubert being an earlier version of Paul Irving, who was also a poetic little soul, and who also created rock people with whom he could play.
Four Winds is the longest piece in the collection, and one of the most romantic, detailing the meeting of the Rev. Alan Douglas with the child-woman Lynde Oliver, who lived in isolation with her atheist father and her older cousin at a lakeside home outside of Rexton. Their odd courtship is stopped in its tracks by Lynde's stunning admission that she is already married, to a sailor long since disappeared - a sailor who, in a cruel twist of fate, Alan Douglas himself rescues from drowning. Or does he...?
A Sandshore Wooing is another romantic tale, one in which Marguerite Forrester, in the care of her strict, man-hating Aunt Martha, communicates with her would-be suitor - Francis Shelmardine, the brother of her schoolfriend, Connie - by means of a spyglass and sign language.
The Unhappiness of Miss Farquhar sees wealthy society girl Frances Farquuhar, still smarting from a recent broken engagement, heading to quiet Windy Meadows to spend the summer with her Aunt Eleanor. Here, befriended by the minister's sister Corona, and by the minister himself, Frances finds a new interest in life by helping to assist those less fortunate than herself. Predictably, she also finds a new love...
A Strayed Allegiance details the testing of a long-standing engagement between Marian Lesley and Esterbrook Elliott, cousins and friends who had grown up together, when Esterbrook unexpectedly falls violently in love with the beautiful Magdalen Crawford, visiting her aunt and uncle in a nearby fishing village.
The Waking of Helen follows the story of painter Robert Reeves, who spends the summer inadvertently making quiet farm girl Helen Fraser fall in love with him, only to realize at the end of the season, after she has saved his life, just what he has done. The story ends tragically, as Reeves heads home to his regular life (and his fiancée), while Helen drowns herself in a local tidal cave.
Young Si sees estranged lovers reunited, when the lovely Miss Ethel Lennox comes to spend a quiet holiday at the seashore, only to discover that Miles Lesley, the fiancé with whom she had bitterly quarreled, is living nearby and working as a fisherman. Studiously avoiding one another, the pair have almost missed their last chance at happiness, when an unexpected storm throws them together again.
Finally, A House Divided Against Itself follows the story of two cousins - diminutive Big George Beelby (so named because he is the elder), and giant Little George Beelby - and their quarrel about a naked statue of Aurora, figurehead of the dawn. This story, from the characters of the two cousins to the final resolution of their quarrel, can also be seen in Montgomery's A Tangled Web , although the names have been changed in that later work to Little Sam Dark and Big Sam Dark.
The Magical Bond of the Sea, in which beautiful young Nora Shelley is adopted by the wealthy Camerons, who take her away from the humble fishing village where she had grown up, giving her every worldly advantage possible. Her longing for the sea, however, as well as for fisherman Rob Fletcher, is not to be overcome...
The Life-Book of Uncle Jesse, in which Mary and her mother, spending a quiet summer at Golden Gate - a family cottage at the seaside - befriend a gentlemanly old sailor named Uncle Jesse, and are the means of connecting him with a writer who uses his "Life Book," or collection of life reminisces, as a source for his new novel. Fans of Montgomery will immediately recognize, in this selection and its hero, the tale of Captain Jim, from Anne's House of Dreams .
Mackereling Out in the Gulf, which sees young Benjamin Selby, the best mackerel fisherman in his village, struggling with and conquering temptation, as he risks his own life to rescue the man who has won the heart of Mary Stella, the only girl he himself has ever loved.
Fair Exchange and No Robbery, a comic selection in which friends and roommates Katherine Rangeley and Edith Wilmer, both of whom are engaged to be married, each find themselves falling in love with the other's fiance, while separated during the holidays. As Katherine and Sidney Keith, who have bonded over seaweed and seaside excursions, agonize about their faithlessness to Edith, Edith herself is doing the same with Ned, whom she has been entertaining in Katherine's absence. Will virtuous self-denial make them all miserable, or will common sense prevail...?
Natty of Blue Point, in which young Natty Miller's bravery, in rescuing two stranded pleasure sailors one foggy night, brings a great reward to his family, when his brother Everett is awarded the keeping of the Blue Point Lighthouse - something that had previously been in doubt.
In a similar vein, The Light on the Big Dipper sees a young person, this time a girl, setting out in a small vessel to save the day. When Mary Margaret Campbell's mother leaves her in charge of her baby sister Nellie, the twelve-year-old is confident that she can manage, but then the light at the Big Dipper Lighthouse, kept by her Uncle George on an adjacent island, doesn't come on, and she knows something has gone terribly wrong. Securing Nellie, she rows across to the other island, helping to light the beacon just in time (as she later learns) to save her own seaman father, on his voyage home.
An Adventure on Island Rock sees twelve-year-old orphan and hired boy Ernest Hughes having his heart's desire granted, when Laddie - the massive Newfoundland dog who had been his best and only friend, and who was being sent away to another farm - is kept in the family after all, after rescuing the master's favorite nephew from drowning.
How Don Was Saved also features a Newfoundland dog whose heroics save the day, as the eponymous Don, under suspicion of sheep killing, rescues the son of the very man who had been demanding his death, thereby winning his gratitude, as well as a reprieve that eventually proves his innocence.
A Soul That Was Not at Home follows the story of imaginative young Paul Hubert, who is befriended by the wealthy Miss Trevor, and taken away from his seaside home to live in town. His longing for the sea, however, and for his rock people, leads him to run away on his very first night away from home. This tale is a clear forerunner of certain plot elements in Anne of Avonlea , with Paul Hubert being an earlier version of Paul Irving, who was also a poetic little soul, and who also created rock people with whom he could play.
Four Winds is the longest piece in the collection, and one of the most romantic, detailing the meeting of the Rev. Alan Douglas with the child-woman Lynde Oliver, who lived in isolation with her atheist father and her older cousin at a lakeside home outside of Rexton. Their odd courtship is stopped in its tracks by Lynde's stunning admission that she is already married, to a sailor long since disappeared - a sailor who, in a cruel twist of fate, Alan Douglas himself rescues from drowning. Or does he...?
A Sandshore Wooing is another romantic tale, one in which Marguerite Forrester, in the care of her strict, man-hating Aunt Martha, communicates with her would-be suitor - Francis Shelmardine, the brother of her schoolfriend, Connie - by means of a spyglass and sign language.
The Unhappiness of Miss Farquhar sees wealthy society girl Frances Farquuhar, still smarting from a recent broken engagement, heading to quiet Windy Meadows to spend the summer with her Aunt Eleanor. Here, befriended by the minister's sister Corona, and by the minister himself, Frances finds a new interest in life by helping to assist those less fortunate than herself. Predictably, she also finds a new love...
A Strayed Allegiance details the testing of a long-standing engagement between Marian Lesley and Esterbrook Elliott, cousins and friends who had grown up together, when Esterbrook unexpectedly falls violently in love with the beautiful Magdalen Crawford, visiting her aunt and uncle in a nearby fishing village.
The Waking of Helen follows the story of painter Robert Reeves, who spends the summer inadvertently making quiet farm girl Helen Fraser fall in love with him, only to realize at the end of the season, after she has saved his life, just what he has done. The story ends tragically, as Reeves heads home to his regular life (and his fiancée), while Helen drowns herself in a local tidal cave.
Young Si sees estranged lovers reunited, when the lovely Miss Ethel Lennox comes to spend a quiet holiday at the seashore, only to discover that Miles Lesley, the fiancé with whom she had bitterly quarreled, is living nearby and working as a fisherman. Studiously avoiding one another, the pair have almost missed their last chance at happiness, when an unexpected storm throws them together again.
Finally, A House Divided Against Itself follows the story of two cousins - diminutive Big George Beelby (so named because he is the elder), and giant Little George Beelby - and their quarrel about a naked statue of Aurora, figurehead of the dawn. This story, from the characters of the two cousins to the final resolution of their quarrel, can also be seen in Montgomery's A Tangled Web , although the names have been changed in that later work to Little Sam Dark and Big Sam Dark.
March 6, 2025
March 2025 reread:
As usual I skip the stories with recycled plots and passages, but there are some real gems in here: Fair Exchange and no Robbery (particularly humorous and romantic), A Sandshore Wooing, The Unhappiness of Miss Farquhar. As a whole this is not one of my favorite collections, but these are some of my very favorite Montgomery stories.
***
There are several extremely sad stories in this collection, I think because LMM always thought that the sea itself sounds sad. Mackereling Out on the Gulf, for instance, does not end in a happy ending for the hero, but it is very moving. Others are simply hopeless (The Waking of Helen, A Strayed Allegiance), yet they hold beauty. Most of the stories are actually funny and end happily. I love A Sandshore Wooing and Fair Exchange and No Robbery. The Unhappiness of Miss Farquhar holds a moral that everyone would do well to remember.
It's a bit disappointing that LMM used some of the stories word for word for her novels. Of course I would prefer that she took the time to invent brand new characters and plots for her novels, but I know she was often pressed for time and struggled with depresion--thus I can excuse her. And really, A Soul That Was Not At Home features Paul Irving's character, but the plot has nothing similar to his story in Anne of Avonlea.
Previous to this second rereading, I found this collection to be a little tiring because many of the stories involve a beautiful heroine who strikes a man dumb with her wonderful beauty. I didn't mind it as much this time. I focused on the themes of the stories more than the character details. As a result, I am much more favorably disposed toward the collection than before. It worthily holds its place beside LMM's other delightful short story collections. Much wisdom and inspiration is to be found by reading it.
The stories I like best in it are Fair Exchange and No Robbery, Four Winds, A Sandshore Wooing, and The Unhappiness of Miss Farquhar.
As usual I skip the stories with recycled plots and passages, but there are some real gems in here: Fair Exchange and no Robbery (particularly humorous and romantic), A Sandshore Wooing, The Unhappiness of Miss Farquhar. As a whole this is not one of my favorite collections, but these are some of my very favorite Montgomery stories.
***
There are several extremely sad stories in this collection, I think because LMM always thought that the sea itself sounds sad. Mackereling Out on the Gulf, for instance, does not end in a happy ending for the hero, but it is very moving. Others are simply hopeless (The Waking of Helen, A Strayed Allegiance), yet they hold beauty. Most of the stories are actually funny and end happily. I love A Sandshore Wooing and Fair Exchange and No Robbery. The Unhappiness of Miss Farquhar holds a moral that everyone would do well to remember.
It's a bit disappointing that LMM used some of the stories word for word for her novels. Of course I would prefer that she took the time to invent brand new characters and plots for her novels, but I know she was often pressed for time and struggled with depresion--thus I can excuse her. And really, A Soul That Was Not At Home features Paul Irving's character, but the plot has nothing similar to his story in Anne of Avonlea.
Previous to this second rereading, I found this collection to be a little tiring because many of the stories involve a beautiful heroine who strikes a man dumb with her wonderful beauty. I didn't mind it as much this time. I focused on the themes of the stories more than the character details. As a result, I am much more favorably disposed toward the collection than before. It worthily holds its place beside LMM's other delightful short story collections. Much wisdom and inspiration is to be found by reading it.
The stories I like best in it are Fair Exchange and No Robbery, Four Winds, A Sandshore Wooing, and The Unhappiness of Miss Farquhar.
January 4, 2021
What. The. Fuuuuuuuuukkkkkk. A Tangled Web was one of my favorite LMM novels to read, until it was absolutely ruined by the final line, which is uncharacteristically racist and gross for her. Now here I am reading Along the Shore, and it’s my favorite of the short story collections, AND THE LAST STORY IS A VERSION OF THAT SAME FINAL CHAPTER! Alslfj ifkwkfjdjskwk. I’m so annoyed. LMM somehow managed to ruin two books with one sentence. The worst part is, she didn’t even put together this short story collection, so some editor made the *conscious decision* to include this story, and then doesn’t even mention anything about it. Ughhhhhhhhh so annoyed.
Read
March 24, 2015I have mixed feelings about this book. L.M. Montgomery is a master storyteller and in this book she does not disappoint. But the book is made up of short stories and each story left me wanting MORE! Not just tidbits of reading pleasure! I want the buffet!
February 16, 2023
An uneven collection of stories centered around the sea or shore. This is a companion to the Among the Shadows: Tales from the Darker Side collection, and suffers from the same issues, IMO, including an introduction that is better served as an afterward.
The final story ends on an especially sour note, which dropped the score for me.
The final story ends on an especially sour note, which dropped the score for me.
November 19, 2024
Superb as always. I particularly loved "Four Winds" and "A Sandshore Wooing." The latter was so different from most anything I have ever read. I really enjoyed it and wished it was much longer! Four Winds was simply glorious. Montgomery could have pulled another full Anne series with that stroke of genius. But perhaps it was best left in it's short glory.
Okay..."A House Divided Against Itself." That picked me up, ate me, spit me out, kicked me in the shins, and removed my liver without anesthesia. WHAT EVEN WAS THAT?!?!?! We'll pretend that story didn't exist. I genuinely think she may have been drunk when she wrote it. The rest were marvelous.
Okay..."A House Divided Against Itself." That picked me up, ate me, spit me out, kicked me in the shins, and removed my liver without anesthesia. WHAT EVEN WAS THAT?!?!?! We'll pretend that story didn't exist. I genuinely think she may have been drunk when she wrote it. The rest were marvelous.
June 9, 2023
Un recueil de nouvelles antérieures à Anne et qui n'ont donc pas sa finesse. Beaucoup de romances (un peu datées pour le lectorat d'aujourd'hui) mais toujours cette tendresse pour ses personnages, la beauté de la nature, la poésie des mots.
L'ouvrage est aussi traversé d'images fortes et de piques d'humour surprenantes.
L'ouvrage est aussi traversé d'images fortes et de piques d'humour surprenantes.
March 14, 2018
Au départ, j'ai eu peur d'être déçue. Et si ce n'était pas aussi bon que je me le rappelais depuis l'enfance. Eh bien NON. C'était aussi bon. Délicieux. J'étais enchantée. Seule faiblesse: comme ce sont des textes rassemblés de diverses publications, il arrive que des intrigues se recoupent.
Read
August 8, 2022I adored this charming collection of tales as a youngster and most of these stories (gathered by an editor) held up, with one notable exception. Although the ocean doesn't feature prominently in the Anne books, Montgomery beautifully describes the sea in all its moods here. A pleasurable reread!
September 24, 2021
3.5/3.75
Na razie najlepszy zbiór opowiadań.
Na razie najlepszy zbiór opowiadań.
January 29, 2024
I love the little romances.
February 19, 2025
I laughed and cried and thoroughly enjoyed these, although they got to feeling formulaic after a while. I do like Montgomery's writing.
September 7, 2019
~NEWTs Magical Readathon 2019 - Exceeded expectations in Defence Against the Dark Arts - first book that you remembered from your TBR ★ ~
I adore Lucy Maud Montgomery's writing and as soon as I saw that she published a sea-themed story collection, I knew I had to read it. I waited until I can travel to the seaside and read it in the right scenery, and I definitely wasn't disappointed.
As with all collections of stories, I liked some more and some less. The very first several stories were probably my favourite, and I liked how the sea was more prominent in there. I felt like the second half of the collection wasn't that much connected to the sea, so I was very slightly disappointed, but all stories were still interesting and worth reading.
I promised myself that I will first read through all of Anne books before I pick another book by L.M. Montgomery, but because I had a chance to go on holiday, I just had to read Along the Shore, and I can safely recommend it :) It's a great addition to my collection and I will definitely re-read it in the future.
I adore Lucy Maud Montgomery's writing and as soon as I saw that she published a sea-themed story collection, I knew I had to read it. I waited until I can travel to the seaside and read it in the right scenery, and I definitely wasn't disappointed.
As with all collections of stories, I liked some more and some less. The very first several stories were probably my favourite, and I liked how the sea was more prominent in there. I felt like the second half of the collection wasn't that much connected to the sea, so I was very slightly disappointed, but all stories were still interesting and worth reading.
I promised myself that I will first read through all of Anne books before I pick another book by L.M. Montgomery, but because I had a chance to go on holiday, I just had to read Along the Shore, and I can safely recommend it :) It's a great addition to my collection and I will definitely re-read it in the future.
August 21, 2015
I'm always a fan of L.M. Montgomery, but this collection was a disappointment. It contained a few "recycled" stories that had plots reused in other works ("The Life-book of Uncle Jesse" have a familiar ring? A boy named Paul with his rock people also made an appearance...) The thing is, I decided on this book because out of the short story collections of L.M. Montgomery that I haven't read, this one had the highest Amazon rating. huh. Most of the stories were forgettable and some downright depressing- and "A House Divided" was not nearly as innocent and wholesome as what I've come to expect from the author (what with its bits of language and a nasty term of racism right at the end.) I also downright disliked "A Strayed Allegiance" and "The Waking of Helen" wasn't too great, either.
However, I'm not giving this one star because there were two stories I can honestly say I full-heartedly enjoyed- "A Sandshore Wooing" (In which a couple use sign language to communicate under the eye of the girl's man-hating aunt) and "The Unhappiness of Miss Farquhar" (Where a jilted young woman overcomes her embarrassment and broken heart by helping others)
However, for a better look at Montgomery's short story telling skills, I recommend both Chronicles of Avonlea books. There are a dud or two in those as well, but the good tales far surpass the others in both content and number.
(also, I feel the need to rant somewhere that the copy I bought used off Amazon didn't have the same cover as the one pictured. Darn. So now it doesn't even match all of my other Montgomery books. :P)
However, I'm not giving this one star because there were two stories I can honestly say I full-heartedly enjoyed- "A Sandshore Wooing" (In which a couple use sign language to communicate under the eye of the girl's man-hating aunt) and "The Unhappiness of Miss Farquhar" (Where a jilted young woman overcomes her embarrassment and broken heart by helping others)
However, for a better look at Montgomery's short story telling skills, I recommend both Chronicles of Avonlea books. There are a dud or two in those as well, but the good tales far surpass the others in both content and number.
(also, I feel the need to rant somewhere that the copy I bought used off Amazon didn't have the same cover as the one pictured. Darn. So now it doesn't even match all of my other Montgomery books. :P)
October 17, 2017
Lovely diversion for short chunks of time.
One of L.M. Montgomery's short story collections, taken from stories published in various magazines. The stories run the gamut from playful to heart-wrenching to haunting--mirroring the moods of the sea, perhaps.
Quite a few involve romance, unrequited or otherwise: "Fair Exchange and No Robbery" was a bit predictable, but fun. "A Sandshore Wooing" was likewise light-hearted, while "A Strayed Allegience," and "Mackereling Out in the Gulf" had more serious undertones. "The Waking of Helen" was tragic.
This one also includes a few that she later rewrote for her novels, but it was interesting to see them in their original form. "The Lifebook of Uncle Jesse" was hardly changed at all when she later used it in Anne's House of Dreams; and Paul Irving with his rock people show up in another, though the short story version has a different ending and flavor to it than the Anne version.
Montgomery's love for the sea shines through all of these stories. Perhaps "The Magical Bond of the Sea," about the shore girl who has a deeper connection to the shore than even she realizes was somewhat autobiographical.
In any case, this is one I enjoyed. Some of our most fun family vacations have been to the coast. This made me want to go back!
One of L.M. Montgomery's short story collections, taken from stories published in various magazines. The stories run the gamut from playful to heart-wrenching to haunting--mirroring the moods of the sea, perhaps.
Quite a few involve romance, unrequited or otherwise: "Fair Exchange and No Robbery" was a bit predictable, but fun. "A Sandshore Wooing" was likewise light-hearted, while "A Strayed Allegience," and "Mackereling Out in the Gulf" had more serious undertones. "The Waking of Helen" was tragic.
This one also includes a few that she later rewrote for her novels, but it was interesting to see them in their original form. "The Lifebook of Uncle Jesse" was hardly changed at all when she later used it in Anne's House of Dreams; and Paul Irving with his rock people show up in another, though the short story version has a different ending and flavor to it than the Anne version.
Montgomery's love for the sea shines through all of these stories. Perhaps "The Magical Bond of the Sea," about the shore girl who has a deeper connection to the shore than even she realizes was somewhat autobiographical.
In any case, this is one I enjoyed. Some of our most fun family vacations have been to the coast. This made me want to go back!
September 24, 2019
Reread Aug-Sept 2019. I still really enjoyed all these stories. The only negative, for me, is in the different social mores of the time when Montgomery was writing: the last story, which is largely delightful, ends on a really sour note of casual racism when the n-word is used for a joke in the last paragraph. You can tell that, for Montgomery, this word doesn't carry the heavy meaning it does today and this would have been light and funny, in keeping with the tone of the rest of the story - but to a modern reader it really stands out. I think this collection was probably compiled quite a while ago; if the editors were to do an updated edition, this is something that should be addressed, since many young people pick up Montgomery thanks to the Anne books. Overall the entire rest of the collection is lovely, but this paragraph as the last one in the book ends up getting a lot of emotional resonance.
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A collection of short stories, all with an ocean theme, by the author of Anne of Green Gables. I really love Montgomery's work so I was delighted to find a book of hers I hadn't read yet.
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A collection of short stories, all with an ocean theme, by the author of Anne of Green Gables. I really love Montgomery's work so I was delighted to find a book of hers I hadn't read yet.
November 26, 2012
As with all the collections, there are some good, some bad stories here. I tend to prefer Montgomery with a lighter touch (except when she goes REALLY REALLY dark, which is why I like the "Emily" trilogy and the "Among the Shadows" collection best), by which I mean the stories that just breeze along (heroic doggies! Ministers who wear raincoats! Love affairs conducted through telescopes using sign language!). Otherwise you get stuck with people who say "hitherto" in conversation and a lot of description of beautiful girls who look more or less the same as each other. I also have to complain about the choice of "A House Divided" as the last story. Not only was it a weaker story overall, with the two heavy-handed aw-shucks caricatures as the only characters, but then to have the very end of the very last story contain a heaping dose of good old fashioned down-home racism? HUZZAH! Not the best choice the editor has ever made.
May 4, 2009
I was mildly disappointed in this collection of stories. Don't get me wrong, the stories were good. Its just that that the author recycled characters and plots from her earlier short stories for her books. So as I read these stories, I was reading (in some cases word for word) excerpts from books I had already read and I was hoping for something new. Captain Jim from Anne's House of Dreams, Paul Irving from Anne of Avonlea, even shades of Barney Snaith from the Blue Castle.... they are all in here. It gets a little redundent for a true (obsessive) L.M. Montgomery fan. It would probably be better as an introduction to L.M. Montgomery but then again, for a true novice, I would be more likely to recommend reading one of the novels (Anne, Emily, Jane, etc.) or, if they were looking for short stories, Chronicles of Avonlea.
February 9, 2012
Many of the LM Montgomery short story anthologies can read fairly redundantly, since editor Rea Wilmshurst has grouped many of them into themes. This group of stories is less so - the theme is of stories by the sea, a place close to Montgomery's heart, and therefore the stories range from romances to children's tales to those of family love, all closely linked by place. Romances do tend to lead the way, of course, as she certainly does those best. Some characters will seem familiar (Paul and Nora), others are clear precursors to folks we meet in her novels (Uncle Jesse = Captain Jim), but to fans this will be a meeting of friends.
February 26, 2017
Some good, some meh, and unfortunately my least favorite was the last one so it left a bad taste. The arrangement was rather poorly done, too -- if you're going to have stories on a theme, then you have to at least separate the ones with the exact same plot so that they're not right next to each other.
Still, there are some good stories in here, and it's interesting to see some of the characters Montgomery later recycled in other stories, particularly the Anne books. And I liked the range of moods for the stories here, as varied as the moods of the sea -- playful, mournful, stormy, beautiful, tragic, serene.
Still, there are some good stories in here, and it's interesting to see some of the characters Montgomery later recycled in other stories, particularly the Anne books. And I liked the range of moods for the stories here, as varied as the moods of the sea -- playful, mournful, stormy, beautiful, tragic, serene.
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