Emily of New Moon

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Emily of New Moon
Emilyofnewmoon.png
First edition cover
Author L. M. Montgomery
Cover artist M. L. Kirk
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
SeriesEmily series
Genre Children's novel
Publisher McClelland and Stewart (Canada)
Frederick A. Stokes (US)
Publication date
1923
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
Followed by Emily Climbs  

Emily of New Moon is the first in a series of novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery about a Canadian orphan girl growing up in Prince Edward Island. Montgomery is also the author of Anne of Green Gables series. It was first published in 1923. [1]

Contents

Plot summary

Similar to her earlier and more well-known Anne of Green Gables series, the Emily novels depicted life through the eyes of a young orphan girl, Emily Byrd Starr, who is raised by her relatives after her father dies of tuberculosis. Montgomery considered Emily to be a character much closer to her own personality than Anne, and some of the events which occur in the Emily series happened to Montgomery herself. [1] Emily is described as having black hair, purply violet eyes, elfin ears, pale skin, and a unique and enchanting "slow" smile.

Emily Starr is sent to live at New Moon Farm on Prince Edward Island with her aunts Elizabeth and Laura Murray and her Cousin Jimmy. [1] She makes friends with Ilse Burnley, Teddy Kent, and Perry Miller, the hired boy, whom Aunt Elizabeth looks down upon because he was born in 'Stovepipe Town', a poorer district.

Each of the children has a special gift. Emily was born to be a writer, Teddy is a gifted artist, Ilse is a talented elocutionist, and Perry has the makings of a great politician. They also each have a few problems with their families. Emily has a hard time getting along with Aunt Elizabeth, who does not understand her need to write. [1] Ilse's father, Dr. Burnley, ignores Ilse most of the time because of a dreadful secret concerning Ilse's mother. Teddy's mother is jealous of her son's talents and friends, fearing that his love for them will eclipse his love for her; as a result, she hates Emily, Teddy's drawings, and even his pets. Perry is not as well off as the other three, so his Aunt Tom once tries to make Emily promise to marry Perry when they grow up, threatening that unless Emily does so, she will not pay for Perry's schooling.

Other characters include Dean "Jarback" Priest, a quiet, mysterious cynic who wants something he fears is ever unattainable; fiery Mr Carpenter, the crusty old schoolteacher who is Emily's mentor and honest critic when it comes to evaluating her stories and poems; "simple" Cousin Jimmy, who recites his poetry when the spirit moves him; Aunt Laura, who is the kind aunt; and strict, suspicious Aunt Elizabeth who yet proves to be an unexpected ally in times of trouble.

Series

The three Emily novels are Emily of New Moon (1923), Emily Climbs (1925) and Emily's Quest (1927). The series focuses on Emily through her school days and her climb up the symbolic "Alpine Path" to becoming a successful author (the Alpine Path is a phrase from a poem which was inspirational to her from a young age). The later books also follow Emily through several romances (which are not intimacy romances) and adventures. Emily is a heroine with a love for the beauty in nature and art, loyalty to her friends, a thirst for knowledge, and a passionate dedication to her writing. [1]

Publication

Since its original publication in 1923, the book has never gone out of print. The most popular editions of the book include the following. [2]

ISBNPublishedDetails
0-7704-1798-1
1983
Seal, Mass Market Paperback
0-318-33019-9
1988
Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, paperback
0-207-17457-1
1970
Cornstalk, hardcover

Short stories

To promote the novel in the U.S., Montgomery published edited chapters from it as short stories in The Delineator . These included "Enter Emily" and "Too Few Cooks", which was later adapted into a chapter of Magic for Marigold . These ran the early months of 1925 (which the novel published two years later).

Translations

The novel has been translated into numerous languages, including the following. [2]

Television

The novels were adapted into a TV series by Cinar (now known as WildBrain), Salter Street Films and CBC Television in 1998. The series was filmed in Prince Edward Island, casting local child stars. The series currently airs on Vision TV and the Spanish-language TLN in Canada. In the U.S., it formerly aired on This TV until 2013. As of 2023, the series is also currently available on Roku's Hallmark Movie Channel, and for free on Encore+ online.

In April 2007, the novels were adapted into a 26-episode anime television series in Japan, titled Kaze no Shōjo Emily (Emily, The Wind Girl). The series was produced by NHK and TMS Entertainment.

The book is featured in the TV series Russian Doll (Season 1, Episode 5).

On November 5, 2019, the BBC News listed Emily of New Moon on its list of the 100 most influential novels. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Anne of Green Gables</i> 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, the novel recounts the adventures of 11 year old orphan girl Anne Shirley sent by mistake to two middle-aged siblings, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who had originally intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm in the fictional town of Avonlea in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The novel recounts how Anne makes her way through life with the Cuthberts, in school, and within the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Maud Montgomery</span> Canadian novelist (1874–1942)

Lucy Maud Montgomery, published as L. M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a collection of novels, essays, short stories, and poetry beginning in 1908 with Anne of Green Gables. She published 20 novels as well as 530 short stories, 500 poems, and 30 essays. Anne of Green Gables was an immediate success; the title character, orphan Anne Shirley, made Montgomery famous in her lifetime and gave her an international following. Most of the novels were set on Prince Edward Island, and those locations within Canada's smallest province became a literary landmark and popular tourist site – namely Green Gables farm, the genesis of Prince Edward Island National Park. She was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1935.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Shirley</span> Fictional character Anne Cuthbert

Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. Shirley is featured throughout the classic book series, which revolve around her life and family in 19th and 20th-century Prince Edward Island.

Road to Avonlea is a Canadian television series first broadcast in Canada between January 7, 1990, and March 31, 1996, as part of the CBC Family Hour anthology series, and in the United States starting on March 5, 1990. It was created by Kevin Sullivan and produced by Sullivan Films in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the Disney Channel, with additional funding from Telefilm Canada. It follows the adventures of Sara Stanley, a young girl sent to live with her relatives in early 20th-century eastern Canada. It was loosely adapted from novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery, with many characters and episodes inspired by her stories.

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Anne of Green Gables is a 1985 Canadian made-for-television drama film based on the 1908 novel of the same name by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, and is the first in a series of four films. The film stars Megan Follows in the title role of Anne Shirley and was produced and directed by Kevin Sullivan for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It was released theatrically in Iran, Israel, Europe, and Japan.

<i>Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel</i> 1987 film

Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, also known as Anne of Avonlea or Anne of Avonlea: The Continuing Story of Anne of Green Gables, is a 1987 Canadian television miniseries film and the second in a series of four films. A sequel to the 1985 miniseries Anne of Green Gables, it is based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's novels Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, and Anne of Windy Poplars.

<i>Anne of Avonlea</i> Book by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne of Avonlea is a 1909 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery.

<i>Anne of Windy Poplars</i> Book by Lucy Maud Montgomery

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Emily of New Moon is a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2000. The series originally aired in the United States on the Cookie Jar Toons block on This TV and it is currently broadcast in Canada on the Viva, Bravo! and Vision TV cable channels. The series, produced by Salter Street Films, was based on the Emily of New Moon series of novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The series consisted of three seasons of thirteen episodes and one season of seven episodes, for a total of forty-six episodes produced. The executive producers were Micheline Charest, Michael Donovan, and Ronald Weinberg.

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<i>Chronicles of Avonlea</i> Short-story collection by L. M. Montgomery

Chronicles of Avonlea is a collection of short stories by L. M. Montgomery, related to the Anne of Green Gables series. It features an abundance of stories relating to the fictional Canadian village of Avonlea, and was first published in 1912. Sometimes marketed as a book in the Anne Shirley series, Anne plays only a minor role in the book: out of the 12 stories in the collection, she stars in only one, and has a small supporting role in another. She is otherwise only briefly mentioned in passing in five other stories: "Each in His Own Tongue", '"Little Joscelyn"', "The Winning of Lucinda", '"Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's" and "The End of a Quarrel".

<i>Further Chronicles of Avonlea</i>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Byrd Starr</span> Fictional character

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<i>Emily Climbs</i>

Emily Climbs is the second in a series of novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was first published in 1925. While the legal battle with Montgomery's publishing company continued, Montgomery's husband Ewan MacDonald continued to suffer clinical depression. Montgomery, tired of writing the Anne series, created a new heroine named Emily. At the same time as writing, Montgomery was also copying her journal from her early years. The biographical elements heavily influenced the Emily trilogy.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Braganza, V.M. (April 2023). "The Author of 'Anne of Green Gables' Lived a Far Less Charmed Life Than Her Beloved Heroine". Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery". LibraryThing. Retrieved 2007-03-07.
  3. "100 'most inspiring' novels revealed by BBC Arts". BBC News . 2019-11-05. Retrieved 2019-11-10. The reveal kickstarts the BBC's year-long celebration of literature.