The Fragrance of Sweet-Grass: L.M. Montgomery's Heroines and the Pursuit of Romance by Elizabeth Rollins Epperly was published by the University of Toronto Press in 1992. This early work of literary criticism on L.M. Montgomery's writings examines the lives of Montgomery's heroines and how her characters seek happiness and romance. A second edition of the book was published in 2014 with a new preface by the author.
Here is the description of the book from its 1993 cover:
Anne Shirley is the best known of a memorable group of heroines created by Lucy Maud Montgomery, a group that includes Emily Byrd Starr, Valancy Stirling, and Pat Gardiner. These characters are at the centre of Epperly's book, the first full-length critical study of all L.M. Montgomery's fiction.
Epperly contends that Montgomery was a master of the romance genre, and through her use of literary allusions, repetitions, irony, and comic inversions she deftly manipulated the normal conventions of romance novels. By studying the fictional biographies of the heroines and their pursuit of romance, Epperly questions the ways romance shapes what we consider valuable in our imaginings and experience.
A book written for L.M. Montgomery fans and scholars.
'Now you don't have to hide that Montgomery novel when an intellectual friend drops by. Flaunt it and enjoy.'
Patricia Morley, Ottawa Citizen
When it originally appeared, Elizabeth Rollins Epperly’s The Fragrance of Sweet-Grass was one of the first challenges to the idea that L.M. Montgomery’s books were unworthy of serious study. Examining all of Montgomery’s fiction, Epperly argues that Montgomery was much more than a master of the romance genre and that, through her use of literary allusions, repetitions, irony, and comic inversions, she deftly manipulated the normal conventions of romance novels. Focusing on Montgomery’s memorable heroines, from Anne Shirley to Emily Byrd Starr, Valancy Stirling, and Pat Gardiner, Epperly demonstrates that Montgomery deserves a place in the literary canon not just as the creator of Anne of Green Gables but as an artist in her chosen profession.
Since its publication more than twenty years ago, The Fragrance of Sweet-Grass has become a favourite of scholars, writers, and Montgomery fans. This new edition adds a preface in which Epperly discusses the book’s contribution to the ongoing research on the life and writing of L.M. Montgomery, reflects on how Montgomery studies have flourished over the past two decades, and suggests new ways to approach and explore the Canadian writer’s work.
The 2014 edition of the book includes the following contents:
PREFACE TO THE 2014 EDITION
PERMISSIONS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABBREVIATIONS
Introduction
PART I ANNE
Romancing the Voice: Anne of Green Gables
Romance Awry: Anne of Avonlea
Recognition: Anne of the Island
'This Enchanted Shore': Anne's House of Dreams
Heroism's Childhood: Rainbow Valley
Womanhood and War: Rilla of Ingleside
Recapturing the Anne World: Anne of Windy Poplars and Anne of Ingleside
PART II EMILY
The Struggle for Voice: Emily of New Moon
Testing the Voice: Emily Climbs
Love and Career: Emily's Quest
PART IIII THE OTHER HEROINES
Romancing the Home: Pat of Silver Bush, Mistress Pat, Jane of Lantern Hill
A Changing Heroism: An Overview of the Other Novels
Epilogue
NOTES
WORKS CITED
INDEX
ISBN-13: 9780802059994
Image credit:
Book cover of The Fragrance of Sweet-Grass: L.M. Montgomery's Heroines and the Pursuit of Romance.
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Created October 17, 1999. Last updated December 19, 2024.
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