The Story Girl

The Story Girl #1

by L.M. Montgomery

Sara Stanley is only fourteen, but she can weave tales that are impossible to resist. In the charming town of Carlisle, children and grown-ups alike flock from miles around to hear her spellbinding tales. And when Bev King and his younger brother Felix arrive for the summer, they, too, are captivated by the Story Girl. Whether she's leading them on exciting misadventures or narrating timeless stories—from the scary "Tale of the Family Ghost" to the fanciful "How Kissing Was Discovered" to the bittersweet "The Blue Chest of Rachel Ward"—the Story Girl has her audience hanging on every word.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Canada, Middle Grade

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1911

About the author

Lucy 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.

Reviews

[Sana · Rating 4 out of 5]

قصه های جزیره،اثری از نویسنده‌ی محبوب همه لوسی مونتگمری است.
خالق کتاب‌های آنشرلی و امیلی که به یاد موندنی هستن.
در این کتاب هم با شخصیت‌ کم و بیش هم معروفه.
سارا استنلی "دختر قصه گو"هست.سارا استنلی آنچنان زیبایی ندارد ولی در گفتن قصه ها صدای جذابی دارد که موقعی قصه تعریف کردن مجذوب اون می‌شدن.

بورلی کینگ و برادرش فیلیکس از تورنتو راهی جزیره پرنس ادوارد می‌شوند تا فصل تابستان را در خانواده ی پدری خود بگذرانند.

راوی داستان بورلی هست و مااز دید اون وقایع را برامون تعریف میکنه.
خانم مونتگمری در خلق شخصیت ها بسیار ستودنی هست شخصیت‌هایی خلق میکنه که هرکدوم ویژگی خاص خود را دارند.
در این تابستان قراره کلی اتفاقات جالبی بیفته و دراین وسط دختر قصه گو کلی هم قصه های بامزه ای برامون تعریف میکنه.

خوندن این کتاب برای من یادآور دوران بچگیم افتادم.
کلی شیطنت و خراب کاری می‌کردم و تابستون ها همیشه میرفتم پیش دختر داییم و اونجا با کلی بچه ها بازی می‌کردیم.
اینقدر دوران نوجوانیم و جوانیم باحال بودن که الان در بزرگسالی همیشه غمگین و ارتباط زیاد با کسی ندارم
حتی همین دختر داییم سالی یبار میبینمش.:((

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally and because I have always very much loved episodical and "in-the-moment" historical fiction types of tales, I for one can easily both understand and also appreciate how and why The Story Girl and its sequel The Golden Road were supposedly amongst L.M. Montgomery's own very favourites of her many works of fiction. And even though The Story Girl might well for some if not perhaps even for many readers not be entirely on par with in particular the author's Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon series, I for one have always and absolutely found both The Story Girl and The Golden Road truly magical, evocatively wondrous reading experiences and the many stories that Story Girl Sara Stanley relates (and which narrator Beverly King then transposes onto paper so to speak) enchanting, endearing and actually sometimes even so much so, to such an extent, that I have tried to do a bit of supplemental research as to their origins and genesises (not always successfully, but it sure has been and can be fun).

And while The Story Girl is perhaps and indeed not quite as much of a personal favourite as Montgomery's Emily of New Moon series, I do most definitely consider both it and The Golden Road (which I hope to be rereading anon as well) generally just a wee bit more to my personal tastes than reading about Anne Shirley (as albeit I do indeed love and adore the Anne of Green Gables series, I have in truth always found the King Family, both adults and children, much more kindred spirits than Anne Shirley, much more relatable, and their trials, tribulations as well as their many joys also more akin and alike to what my own experiences have been or might have been).

So therefore, although I actually do not in any way consider The Story Girl perfect from a general and even specific writing style and story telling point of departure (as yes, I sometimes have to wonder why L.M. Montgomery has chosen a young boy, has chosen Beverly King as her main narrator, since especially in the beginning of The Story Girl, his voice is not really all that strong, not all that masculine as yet so to speak, albeit this does change rather for the better and positive during the course of The Story Girl and its myriad of different recalled and related tales), I do both gladly and without any guilt whatsoever rank The Story Girl with five solid and glowing stars of sweetly tender appreciation and book passion (a personal favourite that I have read countless times and that has also proven to be very difficult to review, as how can one adequately review a personal favourite without posting for one too many spoilers and for two without too much gushing appreciation, and while I do hope that my review of The Story Girl is an adequate type of document, I still do rather have the sneaking suspicion that it is definitely much too laudatory, especially considering that The Story Girl is not as universally loved as especially L.M. Montgomery's Anne and Emily novels tend to be).

[Cam (Lana Belova) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book version of a ray of sunshine, where so many beautiful things were happening! It felt like the rays of the morning that were seeping in and slanting through the book pages - with its colourful words shining rainbow throughout the story - were having a power of making the characters and the setting more visual and defined. Was it a perfect reading time that brought them so vividly to life?.. Or the fact that I already was familiar with the characters - while reading this remarkable book I found myself frequently breaking out into a smile :)



The air in this created by the author world smells of spring and its sunny gifts. The land in here will be green and blooming forever. It will be beautiful forever. These two stories - The Story Girl and The Golden Road - feel like a time capsule, a nod from the past making it into the present and stretching into the future.



I marvel once again at the beauty of this writer's prose, doing her best to bring happiness to the readers and always looking on whatever bright side she could find. I'm grateful to Lucy Maud Montgomery for her kind and generous spirit, as well as her beautiful and vivid soul, making her writing style one of the best!



I picked these books up after watching the most amazing TV series The Road to Avonlea (7 seasons + the movie An Avonlea Christmas) - being so keen on finding out more about the characters I grew to love so much!! 💗

[Maryse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankly, the only reason I wanted to read the book was because of the "Avonlea" series on TV. I was obsessed with that series and I think I cried when it ended. Childhood never looked so idyllic and magical as it did on the show -- the endearing innocence, the clumsy chaos and petty squabbles, the boundless imagination heightened by the panoramic, postcard quality landscape of PEI. It reminded me so much of my own childhood, enjoying the summer with my cousins, climbing hills and trees, exploring caves and closets; when the world became our playground and the days never ended. God, did I want to be a kid again.

So when the series ended, and the bubble of being a child again burst, this book seemed like the perfect pill to keep my depression at bay. There were a lot of differences between the book and TV series, but I think the nostalgia and magical image of childhood it portrayed were still the same. The story is a testament to being a child and the simplicity and complexity of life as seen through a child's eyes. It's wonderful and sad at the same time, and just like with the TV series, I cried at the end. I know Montgomery isn't Coehlo or Alboom or what not, but it's ironic that she's done more to help me appreciate life more than those other authors have. Y

[Reyhaneh.r · Rating 4 out of 5]

『هو النور』
هر چند وقت یک بار که راه سرزمین رویاها را گم می‌کنم به سراغ مونتگمری می‌آیم و شخصیت‌های مونتگمری همیشه و همیشه با یک بغل دسته گل "فراموشم نکن" ازم استقبال می‌کنند.

این چند روز "دختر قصه‌گو" افسانه‌ها و قصه‌های پریان زیبایی را با صدای گواش‌نوازش برایم نقل کرد.

"سیسیلی" عزیزم که روح پاک و فداکارش به شدت من را به یاد "بث" در زنان کوچک می‌انداخت و باعث می‌شد هر لحظه نگران باشم که به سوی آسمان پرواز کند. آخر این‌جور انسان‌ها انگار برای پرواز آفریده‌ شده‌اند.

"فیلیسیتی" عزیز دست‌پخت خوبی داشت و با آن چهره‌ی فرشته‌گونه انگار از دل افسانه‌های پریان بیرون آمده‌ بود اما دهان که باز می‌کرد تمام این تصورات دود می‌شد و می‌رفت هوا...

"پیتر" عزیزم کسی که زندگی با او بد تا کرده بود اما کاش می‌توانستم به او بگویم این تو نیستی که لیاقت فیلیسیتی را نداری، بلکه اوست که لیاقت تو را ندارد. تو برای چیزی که داری زحمت کشیده‌ای. سرت را بالا بگیر چون کاملا لایق احترامی.

"فیلیکس" عزیز که من چقدر در سریال دوستش داشتم اما اینجا نقش چندانی نداشت. کاش فیلیسیتی دست از طعنه زدن به این طفل معصوم برمی‌داشت...

"دن" عزیز فرصت نشد که زیاد همدیگر را بشناسیم اما کاش می‌توانستم بهت بگویم با خودت لج نکن و خودت را آزار نده.

و در آخر "بورلی" عزیز که با آن قلم زیبا و رسا داستان را برایم روایت کرد. به طبیعت جان داد و به تک تک اجزای خانه روح داد، برایم خواب‌ها و رویاهای کودکی‌شان را تعریف کرد و گذاشت همراه آن‌ها به شیطنت و جست و خیز بپردازم. (حرفی در گوشی با بورلی: "الکی مثلا قلم تحسین برانگیز تو بوده نه مونتگمری")
_ پنج‌شنبه ۲۳ شهریور ۱۴۰۲

[Essareh · Rating 5 out of 5]

بعد از چارلی و کارخانه شکلات‌سازی، این دومین کتابیه که واقعاً دلم می‌خواد توی دنیاش زندگی کنم.

شاد، ساده، شیرین و دلچسب.

[°•.Melina°•. · Rating 4 out of 5]

دیگه از یه جایی به بعد دیدم کتابای مونتگمری تو بهار و تابستون نمیچسبه،
این بهار و تابستونه که با کتابای مونتگمری میچسبه:)
خیلی زیبا بودن.کرکترا و ماجراها و قصه‌ها...عین یه بچه که نشسته باشه به همبازی‌هاش از دور نگاه کنه لذت بردم🍃

[Mahdis · Rating 4 out of 5]

بعید می‌دونم چیزی تو کتابهای مونتگومری رو دست قصر آبی بیاد، ولی بین این کتابهایی که ازش خوندم این احتمالا جزو سه تای برترمه‌.

یه دلیل علاقه‌م و در عین حال بی‌علاقگیم به این کتاب ارتباطش با اون سریال معروف و نوستالژیک قصه‌های جزیره ست. سریال کاراکترهای همین کتاب رو داره ولی به طرز عجیبی از اون موارد نادریه که چیز اقتباس شده از منبع اقتباس خیلی بهتره. کاراکترها تو سریال ��یلی خیلی بهتر و دوست داشتنی‌تر بودن. احتمالا پیداش می‌کنم و دوباره می‌بینم.

اما خود کتاب. کتاب به عنوان یه اثر مستقل از اون سریال که بخش بزرگی از بچگی من رو تشکیل میده، کتاب بسیار ساده و شیرینیه. داستان چند تا بچه تو یه جای خوش آب و هوا تو عصرهای دلنشین تابستون، پاکی و معصومیت کودکی، کنجکاوی‌های شیرینی که تو بچگی داشتیم و سوالات ساده و عجیب همه توشون گنجونده شدن. از اون داستان‌هاییه که خیلی ساده حال آدم رو خوب می‌کنه. قلم مونتگومری بدون اینکه تلاشی بکنه جادویی، دلنشین و بی‌نهایت دوست داشتنیه، دقیقا مثل قصه گفتن استوری گرل تو همین کتاب. باعث میشه آدم حس کنه قدیما چقدر دنیا جای بهتری بوده و چقدر مردم بیشتر احساس خوشبختی می‌کردن.

[Hadis · Rating 5 out of 5]

وای خدایا
صحنه هاش تا ابد تو ذهنم میمونه
این کتاب یه روزمرگی ساده بود ولی حتی یک ثانیه هم حوصله سر بر نشد .
از عمق وجودم لذت بردم ازش:)
و اینکه
چقدر با سریال فرق داشت حقیقتا به هردوشون از ۱۰۰ ۱۰۰ میدم جفتشون به شدتتتتت قشنگن ولی خب سریال خیییلی متفاوت تره . نسبت هارو جابجا کردن، شخصیت اضافه کردن و داستان هارو تغییر دادن تقریبا فقط شخصیت کرکتر هاست که تغییر نکرده.
ولی بازم جفتشون بیییی نظرین پررر از حس خوب 😍😍
مونتگومری دوست دارم🥺🧡

[Asal · Rating 4 out of 5]

قلم مونتگمری همیشه برام خاص بوده و هست
با خوندن مجموعه‌ی آن شرلی عاشق دنیای ساده و شاعرانه‌ای شدم که خلق می‌کنه، و این کتاب هم دقیقاً همون حال‌وهوا رو داشت
قصه‌های جزیره پره از داستان‌های کوتاه و شخصیت‌های دوست‌داشتنی و فضای آرومی که موقع خوندنش حس می‌کنی توی یه دنیای دیگه‌ای هستی
برای من یه تجربه‌ی آروم و دل‌نشین بود و از خوندنش لذت بردم و خوشحالم که باز هم با دنیای مونتگمری همراه شدم 🌿📚

[Saba · Rating 4 out of 5]

من این کتاب رو شاید باید زودتر میخوندم!اما یه روزی که کلاس طراحی الگوریتمم تشکیل نشد و باید تا کلاس بعدی تو دانشگاه صبر میکردم از مخزن کتابخونه ی دانشگاه این کتاب رو قرض گرفتم و عاشقش شدم!مطمئنم اگه وقتی راهنمایی بودم میخوندمش خیلی بیشتر کیف میکردم اما با این حال باز هم خیلی لذت بردم از خوندنش.این کتاب رو هم حاضرم باز بخونم و هم هدیه بدم

قسمت هایی از کتاب:


«اگر صداها رنگ داشتند،مال او چیزی شببه به رنگین کمان بود.به کلمات جان میداد.آن چه به زبانش می آمد به موجودی جاندار تبدیل میشد و دیگر یک گفته یا عبارت لغوی محض نبود.»

فیلیکس گفت: تا زندگی هست امید هم هست،تا به پل نرسی نباید از آن رد شوی.+
دختر قصه گو به تلخی گفت:این ها فقط شعرند،تا وقتی نگران چیزی نیستی شعرها خیلی به دل می نشینند،ولی همین که به مشکل واقعی بر میخوری میبینی که به هیچ دردی نمیخورند.

واقعا هم تابستان ماندگاری بود و تا ابد مال ما شد.+
"حتی خدایان هم نمی توانند الطافشان را پس بگیرند."
شاید بتوانند آینده مان را دگرگون یا حالمان را خراب کنند،ولی دستشان به گذشته مان نمی رسد.

فیلیستی گفت: به نظر من خیلی خودخواهی است که آدم درباره ی زیبایی خودش حرف بزند+
دختر قصه گو با لحن صادقانه ای گفت:من اصلا خودخواه نیستم.این خودخواهی نیست که آدم از امتیاز های خودش خبر داشته باشد.اگر خبر نداشته باشی احمقی.فقط اگر به خاطر امتیازهایت به خودت مغرور شوی،خودخواهی


جایی به نام سرزمین پریان وجود دارد،ولی فقط بچه ها میتوانند وارد آن شوند،ولی آن ها نمی دانند که آن جا سرزمین پریان است تا این که بزرگ می شوند و وقتی این را میفهمند،دیگر راه ورود یادشان نمی آید.در یک روز تلخ میگردند،ولی پیدایش نمی کنند و تازه آن موقع میفهمند چه چیزی را از دست داده اند و این تراژدی زندگی است.در آن روز،دروازه های بهشت پشت سرشان بسته می شود و دوره ی طلایی به پایان می رسد از آن به بعد باید روزهایی معمولی را در شرایطی معمولی سپری کنند.فقط افراد اندکی که قلبشان کودک می ماند،میتوانند آن جاده ی گم شده و رویایی را دوباره بیابند و اینان فراتر از جسمشان هستند.این ها و فقط این ها هستند که میتوانند از سرزمینی که زمانی در آن می زیسته ایم و برای همیشه از آن اخراج شده ایم،بشارت هایی به ما بدهند.
مردم عادی به آن ها لقب خواننده،شاعر،هنرمند و قصه گو میدهند ولی این ها همان هایی هستند که هرگز راه ورود به سرزمین پریان را از یاد نبرده اند.

[Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Story Girl and the Golden Road, LM Montgomery takes us to a lovely place indeed- her descriptions of Prince Edward Island make the reader want to be there, the tales the Story Girl tells us are charming as is the Story Girl herself, and as beautiful is that childhood that the book takes us to- at a time when children were perhaps more innocent than today but pleasures simpler and definitely much more fun.
(review date: early 2015)

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 Review
So lovely and wonderful and wild and domestic and weird, in that perfect Montgomery style. It was my awake-in-the-middle-of-the-night read, but I wasn't making much progress, so I just went ahead and finished it. Lovely.

Since I read this last, I also started watching the Road to Avonlea TV series. Mixed feelings on that; on the one hand, it is cute and cozy and comforting, good plain fun. On the other hand, the Story Girl and Felix and some other characters are just so different...and Beverly isn't even there, nor Peter as he should be...and it all too quickly devolves into TV show nonsense (things that would never have happened in the book or Montgomery's world; characters "learning lessons" they've forgotten by the next episode). I think of it like the Little House on the Prairie show: precious little relation to the source material (cleanshaven Pa, for shame! For shame!) but cozy on its own. My loyalty will always be to the books first.

2024 Review
I didn’t think much of The Story Girl when I read it the first time around, but this read was entirely charming. It has a different narrative feel from most Montgomery novels, since it’s written from the perspective of an adult man recalling his boyhood, but it has her trademark humor, delight in the natural world, and insight into childhood. The Story Girl’s stories were also such fun, especially “The Wedding Veil of the Proud Princess.” I can't wait to re-read The Golden Road, since I remember nothing from it either.

[Ashley Perham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I loved it. It's probably my second-favorite LMM ever, after Rilla of Ingleside. I love ensemble casts, so obviously this was the book for me. I actually liked all of the kids, even though Felicity got on my nerves at times. I loved how they did kid stuff and thought like kids do, especially about Bible stuff. It was funny, although sad, to see their prayers about "unimportant" stuff. Especially Peter's against Felix. And Peter's sermon. Oh, oh, oh. I still laugh when I think about it! Cecily was so sweet and I loved her genuine concern for the "heathen." Although Peter's comment about the heathen not needing coats because they live where it's hot made me laugh. And the Story Girl was lovely! My favorite stories were probably How Kissing Was Invented and The Wedding Veil of the Proud Princess. Also, LMM, thankfully, laid off a little on the nature descriptions, but still had enough. I can't wait to read The Golden Road!

[Laya · Rating 5 out of 5]

دختر قصه‌گو(قصه های جزیره جلد اول)|ال.ام. مونتگمری

مثل تک تک آثار مونتگمری ، با این کتاب هم زندگی کردم.
تابستون رویایی با خانواده کینگ ؛ در جمع دخترعمو پسرعموهای مهربون و شاداب!
این کتاب فرصت دوباره بچه بودن رو به من داد ، جوری که همیشه میخواستم ؛ جوری که همیشه میخواستم همراه با هم سن و سالام بچگی کنم ، شیطنت کنم ، دغدغه های کوچیک داشته باشم و فقط بچه باشم.
تجربه متفاوت تری نسبت به کتاب های قبلی که از ماد خونده بودم بود و یک دنیای ساده و بچگونه رو عرضه میکرد و میتونستی به راحتی باهاش ارتباط بگیری و در پرینس ادوارد غرق بشی و برای چند روز هم که شده یک راه فرار کوچولو داشته باشی!
تک تک شخصیت های کتاب تا ابد تو ذهنم حک شدن و به شدت دوستشون دارم چون هر کدوم با استعداد ها و اخلاق های متفاوتشون از هم برای من یک دنیای رویایی رو تشکیل میداد که میتونستم سال ها در اون دنیا زندگی کنم و هیچوقت خسته نشم.
و کلام آخر هم دوست دارم خطاب به خانم مونتگمری بگم؛ هر چقدر که در این یک سال با قلمت غرق شدم و با قلمت تغییر کردم بازهم کمه و میدونم که قراره حالا حالاها ادامه داشته باشه ، ممنونم ازت.
پ.ن۱ : فقط یک نابغه میتونه شخصیتی مثل دختر قصه گو رو پدید بیاره که تو وقتی داری کتابو میخونی نه تنها با قلم خود نویسنده مجنون میشی بلکه با قصه های دختر قصه گو هم محسور میشی! (در واقع میشه خفن بودن به توان ۲)
پ.ن۲ : پسرهای این کتاب خیلی دوست داشتنی هستن!

[Yas · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
شیرین و دوست‌داشتنی بود🔥

[Noe · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a story of a simpler, innocent time for youngsters. Published in 1911, it is about several cousins and friends in their pre- and early teens who are spending a year together on the family farm on Prince Edward Island. Being written by Lucy Maud Montgomery, I anticipated reading a beautiful heartwarming tale, but instead I was sadly disappointed.

I don’t know why the book was titled “The Story Girl” since the cousin who is referred to in this way, Sara Stanley, is no more prominent in the story than any of the other children. One would think with such a title the pages would be filled with interesting yarns told by the story girl, but that is not the case. She does relate some stories, but neither she nor any of her stories are the driving force of the book.

Despite Montgomery's tremendous ability to make simple things sound wonderful and to create memorable people, she falls flat here. There were glimpses of her talent—for instance, the way she describes a rainy day: “The rain was weeping on the roof as if it were shedding the tears of old sorrows.” Who else besides Montgomery could put down such amazing lines? But the problem is, she only rarely does so in this book.

Religion makes up a great deal of what the children do and talk about, such as prayer, reading the Bible, going to Church, choosing a religion, and Judgement Day. In one part of the book, the kids were facing the possible death of one of their friends, and this expression I found particularly moving: “... his skepticism falling away from him like a discarded garment in this valley of the shadow, which sifts out hearts and tries souls, until we all, grown-up or children, realize our weakness, and, finding that our own puny strength is as a reed shaken in the wind, creep back humbly to the God we have vainly dreamed we could do without.”

Very much like the teachings of Christendom were, witchcraft and mythology are also among the main themes of the children’s conversations. All this religion is not presented in a preaching sort of way, but neither is it entertaining, like the old favorite TV show, Art Linkletter’s ‘Kids Say the Darndest Things’ was.

In other words, “The Story Girl” might be likened to watching family videos of someone else’s kids—there is a rare highlight of pleasure, but most often you are yawning, waiting for it to end.

[Britt · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I'm struggling to understand the point of The Story Girl . The narrative is typical L.M. Montgomery; rambling, evocative, and brimming with childhood nostalgia. But so many parts didn't make sense. Like why the narrative was told through Beverley's perspective when it's supposed to be about the Story Girl. Or what all these adults are doing traipsing across the globe, leaving a jumble of cousins to traverse the countryside largely ignored. And the magical stories were interesting but mostly interrupted the larger narrative at strange, unrelated points. The Story Girl's stories, much like the story of The Story Girl , felt truncated and abrupt.

I'm undecided about continuing this series - I don't know if The Golden Road will illuminate a point to these stories or if it will continue along in the same vein with no direction. It's only just over 200 pages, so I'm not sure how much can be accomplished, but at least it will be a short read. I know some people adored The Story Girl , but I think I need more of a purpose in the narrative to feel connected to the characters.

Review originally posted here on Britt's Book Blurbs.

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[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a little tragic that I am just reading this now in my 30s instead of as a Road to Avonlea obsessed preteen. Somehow I had thought that this was a short story collection (I think I had mixed it up in my mind with the Chronicles of Avonlea), but instead this was an absolutely charming novel about the King cousins full of all of the seasonality and sentimentality I cherish in Montgomery's writing. Many of the anecdotes were familiar to me from episodes in the first two seasons of Road to Avonlea, so this book felt nostalgic even though it was my first time reading it.

[Pary · Rating 5 out of 5]

خیلی شیرین بود *_* خیلی زیاد!

[Alantie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike Montomgery's Anne series, The Story Girl sadly gets little to no attention, which is a horrible shame as it's very wonderfully written and on par with Anne of Green Gables as far as exploring childhood. It's also one of my favorite books, and it always irks me that it receives practically no recognition from Montgomery fans.

The premise of the book is fairly simple. It is narrated from the view of a boy named Bev King looking back on his childhood. Bev and his brother Felix are sent to live with their Aunt Janet and Uncle Alec on Prince Edward Island while their father travels for business. There they become acquainted with their cousins Felicity, Dan, Cecily, and Sara Stanley aka the Story Girl, as well as befriending Sara Ray a neighbor and Peter the hired boy. It covers many domestic adventures and dramas through school, church, neighbors, and through it all The Story Girl weaves tales to entertain and relate to every life event. Imagination and a hint of magic touches things, just as it did with Anne of Green Gables. But most of all it deals with family and friendship, and how the group grows close through it all.

The characters are all wonderfully varied and vibrant with their own virtues and flaws, and it deals very nicely with common troubles of growing up. From the episode of the Dream Books to the Magic Seed, to Peter and his adoration for Felicity, terror over the witch neighbor Peg, and their fears when their beloved cat Paddy falls ill, it sweeps you along as one of them, just as personally invested in their lives as if they were your own.

I've always loved The Story Girl for her otherworldly nature, for being so wise in some ways and so naïve in others, and for her unique outlook on life and people in general. The story is simple and nostalgic, and personally I feel one of Montgomery's best books.

[Katie Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's always time for another re-read of a Montgomery novel.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just finished and my inner child really liked it. I felt like I was friends with these children. I saw SG bring the characters of the stories to life*; I had all these thrills, sorrows, joys, & adventures; I tried together with them to figure out our own interpretations of all that the adults were telling us.

I have always liked episodic little adventures and warm family stories... this reminds me of a few others of my favorites, The Golden Name Day, Thimble Summer, and Roller Skates. They've felt like wonderful real lives to me. They're very innocent, but with the sensibility in the background of the coming of autumn/ the parents/ puberty and adulthood.

*Remember, these children had no tv, not very many books, and very little live theater.

I'm thankful to Gundula and the group Children's Books for convincing me to read this. I will read the sequel now.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I am not sure why it is not more famous.

The part in the middle where they write their dream books almost made me want to cry it was so bittersweet.

I can totally understand the children's feelings about the end of the world! In February, an asteroid whizzed right by the earth and made me as scared as they were! LOL

Montgomery tries to convince the reader that Sarah Stanley (the Story Girl) is the most interesting person in the book, but I thought it was definitely Peter. Felicity was also pretty interesting. I loved her rivalry with the Story Girl. They constantly seemed to be trying to one up each other.

There is quite a bit of religion in this book...but almost all of it is pretty humorous. An example is a boy prays for something, then finds out another boy is praying "against him" (praying for the opposite thing) thus cancelling out his prayer. Funny whether you are religious or not!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think my kids enjoyed this book even more than I did when I read it aloud to them this summer. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, because I definitely did! But I think they loved it even more. Sometimes, with read-alouds, I am the one to say, "Hey, want me to read a bit?" but with this one, it was more often one of the kids saying, "Do you have time to read to us?" Which was really delightful.

This is one of those "slice of life" books I love that has a string of adventures and escapades and incidents in the lives of its characters, rather than one all-encompassing plot. L. M. Montgomery excelled at both kinds of books, which is pretty amazing!

[Selah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that my kids will listen to, and enjoy, a 100+ year old book. :) They had a few questions:
"Why is it bad to say devil?"
"Why can't they play on Sunday?"
"Why don't they like Methodists?"
I had to explain some things about early 1900s Christianity, but it never hurts to learn some history.

[_och_man_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sielskie anielskie, zupełnie jak "Dzieci z Bullerbyn"!

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars for The Story Girl (audiobook) by L. M. Montgomery read by Grace Conlin.

The author has an amazing imagination and a gift for witty conversations and stories. I love the characters that she comes up with.

[Kelsey Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Story Girl is a cozy, wistful, and cheerful chronicle of the adventures of the King cousins and their friends over the course of an enchanted summer and autumn on Prince Edward Island. As always in Montgomery's novels, we encounter a poetic view of the world with beautiful descriptions and endearing characters.

- Beverley King, who comes from Toronto with his brother while their father is on a long business trip, is the narrator. My one disappointment with this book is that while obviously he's a fantastic narrator, we don't really get to know Beverley and often forget he's there. The story is more about the other children, though I'm sure Bev would be an interesting person, too, being such a good writer! ;)

- Felix King, Bev's younger brother, is unfortunately fat. But he's full of spunk and energy and is rather funny.

- Sara Stanley, the Story Girl, tells tales that delight her family and friends. These stories are peppered throughout the narrative. Besides being a truly genius storyteller, Sara is fascinating, whimsical, and charming, and one of my two favorite characters. She's one of the cousins.

- Felicity King is an excellent cook and housekeeper and very beautiful. She's strong-willed and outspoken, and she and the Story Girl have a bit of a rivalry.

- Dan King, Felicity's younger brother, is a funny skeptic and a typical rough-and-tumble boy. He and Felicity are the most likely to have a spat out of all the kids, but it never ruins the close camaraderie of the group.

- Cecily King, Felicity and Dan's younger sister, is a sweet peacemaker whom everyone loves.

- Peter Craig is the hired boy of one of the uncles, but he finds time amidst his work to have fun with the King cousins. He's a good-hearted, vivacious, hard-working diamond-in-the-rough, and one of my two favorite characters.

- Sara Ray is a neighbor girl who tags along whenever her strict mother allows her to. She's known for crying at the drop of a hat.

No Montgomery novel would be the same without the lovely descriptions of Prince Edward Island. I love the insular world that the children roam on the King land, playing games and make-believe, learning about life, and, of course, telling stories in the groves, woods, fields, and orchards. They have their tiffs like real kids do, but their friendship always carries through.

Quote: "Truly, we had had a delectable summer; and, having had it, it was ours forever. 'The gods themselves cannot recall their gifts.' They may rob us of our future and embitter our present, but our past they may not touch. With all its laughter and delight and glamour it is our eternal possession."

[Gina Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m such a sucker for L.M. Montgomery. Her way with words is so gentle and soothing and sweet. It just “makes the heart glad!”

“Our summer was over. It has been a beautiful one. We had known the sweetness of common joys, the delight of dawns, the dream and glamour of noon tides, the long, purple peace of carefree nights. We had had the pleasure of bird song, of silver rain on greening fields, of storm among the trees, blossoming meadows, and of the converse of whispering leaves. We had had brotherhood with wind and star, with books and tales, and hearth fires of autumn. Ours had been the little, loving tasks of every day, blithe companionship, shared thoughts, and adventuring. Rich were we in the memory of those opulent months that had gone from us - richer than we knew or suspected. And before us was the dream of spring. It is always safe to dream of spring. For it is sure to come; and if it be not just as we have pictured it, it will be infinitely sweeter.”

Reread 9/30/23 - My daughter got me a copy of The Golden Road for my birthday and since I’m getting ready to read it I decided to reread The Story Girl first. Still lovely!

Reread 3/24 - I read this again as the “bonus read” with the Instagram group #racewhoknowsjosephbookclub it’s still charming and delightful.