Manybooks's Reviews > Jane of Lantern Hill

Indeed I have always had a very large and emotional soft spot for L.M. Montgomery's 1937 Jane of Lantern Hill (a stand-alone novel and actually one of the last books the author published). And while I know and even accept that for some readers, Jane's story does not seem to mesh all that well, that they find especially the grandmother too much of a stereotypical caricature of evil and abusive jealousy, and Jane's mother also penned as being too meek and mild (too much of an annoying pushover), it is precisely Jane's own and personal triumph over her yes in all ways evil grandmother that speaks and has always loudly and triumphantly spoken to me. And actually, I for one do NOT even consider Janes's grandmother as all that totally unrealistic, having unfortunately met and dealt with individuals who were (who are) that psychologically and emotionally abusive and neglectful, having met individuals who continuously were striving to train children for their "own good" but were basically and for all intents and purposes killing these children's spirits and souls with sarcasm, destroying their self esteem and sense of being with constant criticism, and believing that condemnation is supposedly oh so much more important and more necessary than any kind of praise.

So is L.M Montgomery’s depiction of Jane’s maternal grandmother and her general presentation in Jane of Lantern Hill a bit overly exaggerated? Probably and likely even definitely (although much of her manipulativeness is not or at least does not feel to me personally to be all that overly fantastical), but I actually do also have to wonder a bit if L.M. Montgomery might have based Jane’s Grandmother Kennedy at least somewhat on her own "nearest and dearest" (for I know, or rather, I have read, that the maternal grandparents who raised Montgomery were undemonstrative and strict, and like Jane's maternal grandmother, willing and able provide basic food and shelter, but no soul nourishment, no love and precious little acceptance). And no, I am also in NO way claiming that Jane's grandmother is supposed to be a portrait of absolute truth and autobiographical reality, but simply that perhaps snippets and strands of L. M. Montgomery's own remembrances of her rather emotionally starved childhood and upbringing might have made their way into Jane of Lantern Hill, into the grandmother's character (not only physical, but also and perhaps even more importantly, her mannerisms, actions and reactions, although if one does want to be completely realistic and truthful, L. M. Montgomery's grandfather actually seems to have been much more of an unloving tyrant than her grandmother, but both indeed and seemingly in no way were able to even remotely give to Maud, to grant to the granddaughter they were raising the love, attention and support desired and also very much required, very much needed).

Now I do love how L.M. Montgomery with Jane of Lantern Hill describes the dichotomy of stagnant and shabbily genteel downtown Toronto (and Gay Street especially) versus rural and much more lively and laid back Prince Edward Island. However, that is not to say that Toronto in its entirety is seen by Montgomery as altogether negative, as the new subdivision near the ravine (where Janes's mother visits a friend and Jane discovers her "special" house) is portrayed both lovingly and glowingly. And after Jane manages to reunite the family, the Stuarts will actually be living in Toronto during the winter (while the father works as chief editor for a newspaper) and then spend the summers (the glorious summers) back home in Prince Edward Island. But indeed the positive and optimistic ending of Jane of Lantern Hill, although it definitely does tie up the plot lines sufficiently and tidily, has always also left me with a bit of a queer sense of personal dread for the Stuarts' future happiness. Yes, I know that Jane's parents (that Robin and Andrew) are now back together, and that they (and Jane) will not be living anywhere near Gay Street and Robin's mother. However, considering how manipulative and conniving the grandmother has always been, and how easily Robin has (in the past) been able to be influenced by her harridan of a mother, I do wonder if the reach, no actually, more like if the grasping kraken like tentacles of the grandmother could reach even into the new domicile of the Stuarts and ensnare Jane and her parents once more, for while Jane's "special" house near the ravine (which is still for sale at the end of Jane of Lantern Hill and where the Stuarts would likely be living) is not all that physically close to Gay Street, it is still located in the Toronto area and thus in the same city (but that is of course just some idle speculation on my part, but in my opinion I believe still worthy of consideration, as I do think that there is even with the hopeful ending of Jane of Lantern Hill a bit of fear for and of the future lurking between and below the lines, well, at least there is every time I read Jane of Lantern Hill).

Well and finally, I must say that with my latest rereading of Jane of Lantern Hill, while I have of course and naturally once again enjoyed my time spent with Jane Stuart as much as always (and find L.M. Montgomery’s text both totally magical and warming for my innermost being), I do have one particular and niggling issue with one small part of Montgomery’s storyline. For yes, when Jane returns from her first summer with her father to Toronto and to her horrid grandmother’s domicile at 60 Gay and she is not allowed to receive letters from her father and to write to him, considering that Jane is actually still secretly writing to Andrew Stuart but just not sending these letters to him (as she will be giving him his letters next summer when Jane means to return to PEI) I for one do think that Jane should have simply mailed her letters to PEI on the sly and with that to also actively rebel against her grandmother (and yes also I guess against her mother).