Unlike many women, I did not discover L.M. Montgomery in childhood. I expect I would have loved the Anne of Green Gables series, but I just never picked it up. This is probably because I didn’t read a lot of the books I felt were aimed at girls – they just didn’t look interesting to me (maybe the covers are to blame).
I’ve heard about The Blue Castle from a few favorite bloggers (Enter the Enchanted Castle for one), but I became intrigued after reading Mimi Matthews’ The Belle of Belgrave Square, a book the author explains is heavily influenced by Blue Castle.
First published in 1926, I expected a fairly typical romance, but that wasn’t what I got. Valancy, a 29 year old woman in Ontario, Canada, is tired of her boring life and oppressive family but she feels obligated to follow her responsibilities and the social rules of her community. But she has a place she escapes to in her mind, the Blue Castle. There, Valancy has a rich fantasy life, with many lovers (she explains how they change as she matures) and a beautiful fairy tale home.
I did find Valancy overly self-pitying for the first part of the book. Yes, her life is drab and loveless, but not quite as horrible as she makes it out to be, especially since she does little to change it. Until, that is, she gets some frightening new from her doctor and decides to take her life into her own hands.
If you’ve ever imagined telling the people around you exactly what you think of them, you’ll love the snarkiness and humor of this book. There’s a lovely romance in this book, but it’s more than that. It’s really a book about finding yourself and figuring out what you want in life – and understanding that if you’re brave enough, and honest enough, you might be able to make that happen. I loved Valancy’s strength and initiative. I also loved the honesty between her and Barney.
I also loved that Valancy begins the book dreaming of a huge castle with turrets and knights, but she really finds her true heart on an isolated island. I love books about the healing power of natural settings. Valancy loves nature and trades in her immature fantasy for a real, but not perfect, setting. Which is not to suggest there’s anything wrong with fantasy, just that it can and should change as we mature. And Valancy discovers, too, that there are people who suffer more from societal norms than she herself has.
If you’ve read The Belle of Belgrave Square, certain parallels of the story will become obvious to you. If you’re looking to read a classic story about a woman who finds her own path to happiness, I recommend this one. It’s a feel-good read with heart, humor, and depth.
