Emily of New Moon trilogy book covers and book cover art

      Ana at Things Mean Alot book blog has a fantastic post up today about the Emily of New Moon trilogy by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery: Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, and Emily's Quest.  Ana gives a in-depth review of the three books that I want to share with you all because Ana shows just why these books were ahead of their time, in how Emily is portrayed, and the choices she makes.  When I read the books as a child - they are among my favourite books growing up - I loved them because Emily stays with her dream of writing.  Ana shows how this still makes the books strong reading for girls today, almost 100 years later. The cultural values versus art and the freedom to choose one's destiny, a powerful message even today.  Maybe always, for women, and for artists and creative endeavors.  Her post also shows why some day I expect to see all her posts collected in a book  - and which I will buy, to go back over and reread and learn something every time.  

What hit home to me too, other than Ana's powerful, thoughtful review  were the covers of the new Vintage editions of the books on her post.  They are delightful.  I wouldn't mind getting a copy of these to have on my shelf.  But as I was looking at them, I very much wanted to show to Ana the editions of the books that I read when I was a girl, growing up.  These covers made such a strong imprint on me that to me, they are the covers of Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, and Emily's Quest.  So, here they are:

                                                      

 I'm sorry for the covers, they are the best I can find online.   I do not have copies now to take pictures myself for you.  Looks like I will be buying some now, these have evoked such a strong memory in me today.
  
What I wanted to say was how powerful the memory is with these covers associated with these books for me.  I read these books when I was young, about 12 and 13 years old.  I loved them fiercely, and Emily was  a role model for me in my own struggles to believe in myself as a writer and to not give up. Her struggles were my struggles, though ironically Emily Starr had much for belief in herself which I am only now recovering for myself.

 In today's world, with kobo and e-readers, I wonder how much we will remember of books we read online, in 10 or 20 years' time because of the lack of presence of the book, including especially the cover.  For me, a book is associated with smell, texture, colour, the cover, the art on the cover,  the pages, the feel of the pages, the print size - everything that goes into making that book, touches all five of my senses.  It is a real physical experience for me to read.

 I have a kindle e-reader finally installed on my computer, and have 4 books on it now to read,  that aren't available in any other form.  I am learning how to read on my e-reader, though I have to remember that I have books on my computer, which I still don't often do.   I do have to say though, that I think I am realizing because of the e reader that I need that physical presence of the book, the feel of it, the weight of it, in my hands, to make it become a part of me.

 I really want to talk about book covers, and book art, and how much they matter in how a book impacts on us as readers.  I have to admit here that a book cover does affect if I will buy a book or not.  I have bought books in spite of the cover, because I desperately wanted to read them, but an element of pleasure is missing because I don't enjoy the cover.  I am always relieved when I can find the book in a cover I like and can replace the ugly one!  It might be me, but that's how I am with books.  There is an intense pleasure I have with them, and these striking 1970's art covers from McLelland and Stewart are covers that are indelibly imprinted on my mind.  They and Emily go together for me.

So the cover, the art on the front cover, is a part of the book experience.  I wonder what the changes in the covers mean over the years?  Just googling Emily of New Moon book covers was eye-opening.  There have been so many different editions of the Emily books, and each cover reveals something of what the publisher thought would appeal to readers of that day.  It is quite eye-opening to see the changes.  One day I might do a post about the cultural changes revealed, but it's late already, and I think I want to do a better post when I am not so late at night.  Or maybe Ana could do another brilliant post on such a topic.....

Do you have book art that affects you this way?  Do you respond to the covers of books?  Does it matter which edition you read?  And do you have childhood favourites, or favourite books in general, that you must have in a certain edition?  I'm really curious how the experience of reading and books and cover art affects you, so please let me know in the comments, or better yet, write a post, and let me know.  I'd love to know if I am the only one who gets pleasure out of looking at the covers of books as well as reading them. 

PS If anyone knows who the artist is who did these covers, I'd love to know.  I've tried looking and no information is available. 

A very long time ago on this blog, I posted about the first book in the series, Emily of New Moon, here, when I reread for the Canadian Book Challenge.

The Winter Sea - another Canadian book finished! and Canadian Book Meme

"Romantic Beach Read by Canadian Author" I think sums up The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. I did think it had nice touches: the main character, Carolyn McClelland, is a writer, who goes to a distant Scottish town to visit her agent, and ends up in the very small village of Cruden, where she spends the winter writing what becomes the memories of her ancestor who once lived there during the Jacobite uprising of 1708. The history is well-done, and the story flips back and forth gently between the present time with Carrie and her writing, and the main story, which is the story she is writing of Sophia Paterson and John Moray. I have only been to Edinburgh, and very much one day would like to visit the rest of Scotland. So I read this book partly for the wintry Scottish atmosphere by the sea (the book IS titled The Winter Sea!) and partly because it was by a Canadian author, and because it is the book for my friend's bookclub meeting tonight, to which I am invited to attend.



To be fair, I read The Winter Sea in under 24 hours, and it is a light read - perfect for the beach, engaging, two love stories, fun characters - I like John Moray! and Graham Keith, and his uncle, and the older Jimmie Keith, plus Carrie and Sophia, and the Countess....there is political intrigue, but as Carrie is only a witness to the events leading up to the Jacobite uprising and its aftermath - it wasn't successful, as King James wasn't returned to the Scottish throne then - it surrounds and cushions the love story. I still and always will think Sophia's choice at the end of the book was the wrong one, but then I am speaking as a mother. I won't say here, so as to not spoil the plot. I do not often read romances because I read my fill when I was a teenager, but once in a while I am in the mood to read one, and this one was perfect for this very hot day. It is a very well-written book, fast-paced, and the characters are intelligent, and the setting beautiful, and the dialogue is good. So for anyone looking for a sweet beach read, this is a very good book to spend your time with.

And that's my second book read for the Canadian Challenge 3!!!

In honour of the Canadian Challenge, John at The Book Mine Set, the host of the Canadian Challenge, posted here on Aug 1 for all challengers to do. I found this via Kailana at The Written World, here. It is a challenge about Canadian books! So, to prove that I have not been an all bad-Canadian reader and have read some Canadian books, I accept the challenge (sound of gauntlet being thrown down):

Your Favourites:

1. Favourite Canadian author? Yikes. So many: Kathy Reichs, Thomas King, Charles de Lint, Tanya Huff, Louise Penny, Guy Gavriel Kay, Giles Blunt, L.M. Montgomery, Kelley Armstrong.....

2. Favourite Canadian novel? tie: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, and Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint

3. Favourite Canadian nonfiction? Fear of Frying - James Barber (cookbook); Some Canadian Ghosts - Sheila Hervey (first read when I was 10, and scared me so much that I got goosebumps! Still has that effect on me); Never Cry Wolf - Farley Mowat; The Whale Watcher's Handbook - Erich Hoyt; A History of Reading - Alberto Manguel

4. Favourite Canadian picture book? ? None come to mind, I'm sad to say.

5. Favourite Canadian YA or juvenile chapter book? Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery

6. Favourite Canadian science fiction or fantasy book? 1)Moonheart; 2) Dreams Underfoot, by Charles de Lint; the Fionavar Tapestry (3 books) by Guy Gavriel Kay; Summon the Keeper - Tanya Huff

7. Favourite Canadian romantic fiction? The Emerald Necklace - Victoria Sheringham

8. Favourite Canadian mystery? Uh-oh - so many to chose from.....I can't go with one book, it has to be a series. It would have to be Giles Blunt's John Cardinal series. The first one, Forty Words for Sorrow, is one I gave to everyone the year I read it. There are 4 now in the series, and my mother and I are waiting breathlessly for the next one to come out.

9. Favourite Canadian graphic novel? Do we write them?

10. Favourite Canadian book blog? Kailana, Raidergirl3, BookZombie, John himself (see link above).

11. Favourite Canadian fictional character? Anne Shirley (childhood), Detective John Cardinal, RCMP Staff Sargeant Karl Ahlberg, any main character by Charles de Lint EXCEPT Imogene (but I still like her!), Emily Starr

12. Favourite movie based on a Canadian novel or story? The English Patient (based on Michael Oondatje's book of the same name)

13. Favourite Canadian short story? I'm going to cheat here. I don't have one favourite story, but my favourite short story collection is Dreams Underfoot, by Charles de Lint. I fell in love with Newford, and with so many characters and themes that he went on to write about; they all have their germination here. This is his first short-story collection based in Newford. There is an incredible array of stories here, from sad, to fantastical, to horror. This just builds and builds until Newford rises from the pages.

14. Favourite Canadian poet? I hadn't read any since my university courses until lately when I picked up Don McKay's book, so it isn't fair to answer this yet. I know a local poet, Rob Mclellan, whose work I like.

15. Favourite Canadian poem? The Cremation of Sam McGee, by Robert Service. Link here to an online copy of it.

16. Favourite Canadian play? Dry Lips Outa Move to Kapuskasing - Thomson Highway (I saw a Canadian Native production of this play in the mid-90's, starring Graham Greene, one of our most famous native actors. Very very funny and heartbreaking, too, as is anything by Thomson Highway)

17. Favourite novel by an established Canadian author? The Diviners by Margaret Laurence (a book I reread every decade. The heroine is a writer, and it's a lovely book about growing up in Canada and finding one's voice); Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery (because Anne is my heroine!); The Edible Woman - Margaret Atwood;

18. Favourite novel by an up-and-coming Canadian author? I just don't know any; I am making an attempt to read newer Canadian fiction now.

19. Favourite Canadian book award? Giller Prize

20. Favourite Canadian publisher? It was McLelland and Stewart!

21. Favourite Canadian humorous book? tie - The Boat Who Wouldn't Float - Farley Mowat, and How to Be Canadian - Will and Ian Ferguson

22. Favourite Canadian newspaper? The Ottawa Citizen

23. Favourite Canadian magazine or journal? Canadian Living

24. Favourite Canadian dystopian novel? I haven't read any. I don't like this kind of fiction!

25. Favourite Canadian epistolary novel? Annes' House of Dreams - L.M. Montgomery

So that's it. Not bad, I just have a lot of Canadian books to catch up on reading!