The Blue Castle: Difference between revisions

Content added Content deleted
VisualWikitext
m (trope=>work)
m (Mass update links)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{work}}
{{work}}
''The Blue Castle'', by [[LM Montgomery|L.M. Montgomery]] (better known for the ''[[Anne of Green Gables]]'' and ''[[Emily of New Moon]]'' series), is the story of Valancy Stirling, a 29-year-old [[Old Maid]] whose overbearing family makes her life miserable. Her only escape is through her daydreams as the chatelaine of a beautiful blue castle. When she finds out she has a terminal form of heart disease and only a year to live, she decides to leave home and at least have some adventures before she dies. She makes friends with the town pariahs: Roaring Abel Gay, an alcoholic; his daughter Cecily, an unmarried mother dying of tuberculosis, and Barney Snaith, a rumored criminal living on an island cottage, soon to become Valancy's love interest. Rather dark by Montgomery's standards, this book is a significant exception to her usual style of light teen romance, and consequently sadly underrated.
''The Blue Castle'', by [[L. M. Montgomery]] (better known for the ''[[Anne of Green Gables]]'' and ''[[Emily of New Moon]]'' series), is the story of Valancy Stirling, a 29-year-old [[Old Maid]] whose overbearing family makes her life miserable. Her only escape is through her daydreams as the chatelaine of a beautiful blue castle. When she finds out she has a terminal form of heart disease and only a year to live, she decides to leave home and at least have some adventures before she dies. She makes friends with the town pariahs: Roaring Abel Gay, an alcoholic; his daughter Cecily, an unmarried mother dying of tuberculosis, and Barney Snaith, a rumored criminal living on an island cottage, soon to become Valancy's love interest. Rather dark by Montgomery's standards, this book is a significant exception to her usual style of light teen romance, and consequently sadly underrated.


{{tropelist}}
{{tropelist}}
Line 13: Line 13:
* [[Audio Erotica]]: Barney's voice "might become caressing or wooing with little provocation".
* [[Audio Erotica]]: Barney's voice "might become caressing or wooing with little provocation".
* [[Badass Grandpa]]: Roaring Abel. At one point he throws one of Valancy's pompous relatives into an asparagus bed for insulting him.
* [[Badass Grandpa]]: Roaring Abel. At one point he throws one of Valancy's pompous relatives into an asparagus bed for insulting him.
* [[Based On a Dream]]: Dr. Redfern apparently dreamt the formulae for his inventions.
* [[Based on a Dream]]: Dr. Redfern apparently dreamt the formulae for his inventions.
* [[Beautiful All Along]]: Valancy, like many Montgomery heroines, is unconventional-looking, and only attractive in certain moments to certain people.
* [[Beautiful All Along]]: Valancy, like many Montgomery heroines, is unconventional-looking, and only attractive in certain moments to certain people.
* [[Black Sheep]]: To the Stirlings, Valancy would certainly qualify, but Valancy is really more of a [[White Sheep]] to everyone else.
* [[Black Sheep]]: To the Stirlings, Valancy would certainly qualify, but Valancy is really more of a [[White Sheep]] to everyone else.
Line 49: Line 49:
* [[Incredibly Lame Pun]]: Uncle Benjamin just loves these.
* [[Incredibly Lame Pun]]: Uncle Benjamin just loves these.
* [[Infant Immortality]]: Sadly averted with the death of Cissy's baby son.
* [[Infant Immortality]]: Sadly averted with the death of Cissy's baby son.
* [[In Harmony With Nature]]: Barney, and eventually Valancy
* [[In Harmony with Nature]]: Barney, and eventually Valancy
* [[Kids Are Cruel]]: As experienced by Barney.
* [[Kids Are Cruel]]: As experienced by Barney.
* [[Lack of Empathy]]: All the Stirlings, with the possible exception of Cousin Georgiana.
* [[Lack of Empathy]]: All the Stirlings, with the possible exception of Cousin Georgiana.
Line 64: Line 64:
* [[Mysterious Past]]: Barney
* [[Mysterious Past]]: Barney
* [[Neat Freak]]: Valancy, in spite of herself, due to her upbringing. Her mother takes it to an extreme.
* [[Neat Freak]]: Valancy, in spite of herself, due to her upbringing. Her mother takes it to an extreme.
* [[Never Live It Down]]: An [[In Universe]] example. The Stirlings never let Valancy forget that she stole some raspberry jam when she was eight and lost one of her aunt's silver teaspoons.
* [[Never Live It Down]]: An [[In-Universe]] example. The Stirlings never let Valancy forget that she stole some raspberry jam when she was eight and lost one of her aunt's silver teaspoons.
* [[Not With Them for The Money]]: {{spoiler|Valancy in regards to Barney}}. Her family, not so much.
* [[Not with Them for the Money]]: {{spoiler|Valancy in regards to Barney}}. Her family, not so much.
* [[Placebo Effect]]: Dr Redfern's medicines work using this effect, according to Barney.
* [[Placebo Effect]]: Dr Redfern's medicines work using this effect, according to Barney.
* [[Precision F-Strike]]: {{spoiler|In the last chapter, Barney follows Valancy to her mother's house and pleads with her to come back to him, telling her all about his childhood and Ethel Traverse. When Valancy refuses, thinking he's only pretending to care, he exclaims "Damn!", jumping to the conclusion that she's embarrassed by his tacky [[Nouveau Riche]] father. This, of all things, finally convinces Valancy he loves her - knowing her husband only loses his temper when he cares deeply about something. They make up and live happily ever after.}}
* [[Precision F-Strike]]: {{spoiler|In the last chapter, Barney follows Valancy to her mother's house and pleads with her to come back to him, telling her all about his childhood and Ethel Traverse. When Valancy refuses, thinking he's only pretending to care, he exclaims "Damn!", jumping to the conclusion that she's embarrassed by his tacky [[Nouveau Riche]] father. This, of all things, finally convinces Valancy he loves her - knowing her husband only loses his temper when he cares deeply about something. They make up and live happily ever after.}}
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/The_Blue_Castle"