The Short Stories from 1896-1901

By L. M. Montgomery

Lucy Maud Montgomery was born at Clifton (now New London), Prince
Edward Island, Canada, on November 30, 1874. She achieved
international fame in her lifetime, putting Prince Edward Island and
Canada on the world literary map. Best known for her "Anne of Green
Gables" books, she was also a prolific writer of short stories and
poetry. She published some 500 short stories and poems and twenty
novels before her death in 1942.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Start Publishing LLC
• Release date: Dec 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781625585424

L. M. Montgomery

L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery (1874-1942) was a Canadian author who published 20 novels and hundreds of short stories, poems, and essays. She is best known for the Anne of Green Gables series. Montgomery was born in Clifton (now New London) on Prince Edward Island on November 30, 1874. Raised by her maternal grandparents, she grew up in relative isolation and loneliness, developing her creativity with imaginary friends and dreaming of becoming a published writer. Her first book, Anne of Green Gables, was published in 1908 and was an immediate success, establishing Montgomery's career as a writer, which she continued for the remainder of her life.

Reviews for The Short Stories from 1896-1901

[merechristian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

L. M. Montgomery shines again in this second compilation of her short stories, this time those that were published in 1902-1903. The same whimsical, funny, and wholesome sweetness that she would later become known for in her Anne Shirley series, was on display in these earlier published tales. I won't say much on the overall quality of the writing, as that was already covered in the review on the first volume of the short stories, those between 1896-1901. The quality is vintage Montgomery, except that it did, in fact, become a bit better. You can see her skills improving as she continues to hone her craft. The main thought of mine about these stories, is that the diversity of story was mixed. It seemed as if the “formula” that many have noticed in the later Anne Shirley and Emily books was very much on display in the stories of this period. But in such a short format, the effect was kind of boring, to say the least, as there was no real drama or chronicle of a life lived. Indeed, for most of these stories, the reader could interchange the characters with little difficulty.At the end of the period that the short story collection chronicles, during 1903, this changed, and Montgomery wrote some very good short stories. Indeed, I was captivated by these later entries, even if one of them was a tad too much on the sad side for me. Overall, despite the improved writing skills, most of the stories written during this period were a too whimsical and formulaic for my tastes. Very little of the romance and excitement, of the “magic” of L. M. Montgomery's writing, could come through. Not, at least, in the way they did in the earlier stories. To compare, this second volume (again, except for the later stories compiled therein) would be like if on took only the humor of the tales of Anne Shirley's life, and none of the actual events and characterization that make her so beloved. Certainly enjoyable to read, but overall a dry spell for Montgomery literary career. One she thankfully moved past by the time of the later tales. Recommended.