= The_Blue_Castle =

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= The_Blue_Castle =
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Introduction
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'The Blue Castle' is a 1926 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud
Montgomery, best known for her novel 'Anne of Green Gables' (1908).

The story is set during the early 1900s in the fictional town of
Deerwood, located in the Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada. Deerwood
is based on Bala, Ontario, which Montgomery visited in 1922. Maps of
the two towns show similarities.

This novel is considered one of L.M. Montgomery's few adult works of
fiction, along with 'A Tangled Web', and is the only book she wrote
that is entirely set outside of Prince Edward Island. It has grown in
popularity since being republished in 1990. The book was adapted for
the stage twice; in 1982 it was made into a successful Polish musical,
and ten years later Canadian playwright Hank Stinson authored another
version, 'The Blue Castle: A Musical Love Story'.

Colleen McCullough, author of 'The Thorn Birds', evidently used 'The
Blue Castle' as the basis of her novel 'The Ladies of
Missalonghi'--subconsciously, as she alleged--to the point of
provoking accusations of plagiarism.

Plot summary
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Valancy is, at twenty-nine, the old maid of the Stirling clan, which
is a reputable family that has lived in the same region for over fifty
years. As an only child, her entire life has been spent with her
nagging mother, her perpetually down-trodden aunt, and a gossipy
extended family, who, in spirit of the Victorian and middle class,
actively discourage happiness and treat Valancy like a child, telling
her what to do every day and constantly comparing her with her
beautiful cousin, Olive, putting her down, and calling her by the baby
name "Doss." Her only respites come from daydreaming of her "Blue
Castle" and the handsome men who would reside in it with her, along
with reading the nature books of John Foster.

Valancy is shockingly diagnosed with a fatal heart ailment when she
goes in for a checkup, a fact she keeps secret from all of her family,
since she goes to a doctor that is not considered the 'right' one,
because her family has a long-lived feud with his family.

Believing she has very little time left to live, she decides to break
free from the oppressive constraints, expectations, and obligations
her ever-judging family has laid on her since birth. She has always
judged them objectively and secretly laughed at their hypocrisy and
self-righteousness. Now she decides that she shouldn't let her
ever-judging relatives stop her from having a chance to 'live',
letting everyone know what she thinks of them and their everyday,
strife-filled actions. She starts saying aloud what she thinks of
them, causing the Stirlings to conclude that she has suddenly gone
'dippy' and that they must somehow 'fix' her through prayer for her
soul, guilting her, and pretending that what she does won't make them
think that she is a heretic.

Valancy then scandalizes the clan even more by moving out of her
mother's house and taking a position as a housekeeper for her very ill
childhood friend Cissy Gay and her father, who is a master carpenter
and notorious town drunk named Roaring Abel. Cissy is dying of
consumption, but is socially ostracized for having had a child out of
wedlock. The child had died soon after being born, and Cissy wasted
away from her sickness and the perpetual misery of losing her beloved
baby. Cissy and Valancy share a room and renew their friendship.
Valancy enjoys earning a salary and spending her money in ways her
family would not approve of - such as purchasing a brightly-coloured,
low-necked dress. But her real satisfaction comes from doing something
worthwhile, and doing it well. She also meets and spends time with
Barney Snaith, who is a good friend of both Abel and Cissy, but whom
town gossips are convinced is a criminal in hiding, a horrible drunk
like Roaring Abel, and/or the father of Cissy's illegitimate,
now-deceased child.

Towards the end, Cissy confides in Valancy, telling her about the man
she fell in love with but refused to marry because he no longer loved
her. Her baby compensated for her heartache, but when the infant died
she was devastated. Cissy passes away quietly and Valancy makes all
the funeral arrangements, setting the house in order for Abel before
leaving.

All this time, the Stirling prestige has suffered from Valancy's
actions, her 'going into service' and associating with 'lowlifes";
several unsuccessful attempts are made to have her come 'home.' Now
they assume she will move back to live with her mother and aunt, who
would magnanimously forgive her recent behaviour and gloss it over as
an act of 'Christian charity'. They are appeased after the funeral
when Valancy agrees that she will not stay with Roaring Abel - unaware
that she has other plans. She proposes marriage to Barney, revealing
that she is dying and wants to enjoy the remaining time she has left.
She does not confess her love for him, instead telling him that she is
'crazy about him' and that it's one of the reasons why she picked him
as a potential husband. Barney agrees to marry her, and they have a
quiet ceremony the next day in the next town over. Valancy's family,
who found a good match for her while she was housekeeping, are
horrified by her marriage to such a 'disreputable' man (whose real
crime is being unconventional and not being related to a 'good family'
from the area) and effectively disown her.

Barney takes Valancy to his home on a wooded island located on Lake
'Mistawis,' which Valancy sees as the 'Blue Castle' of her imaginings.
They build a contented life together, though he forbids her from ever
entering a certain room which she dubs 'Bluebeard's Chamber', claiming
that he could have multiple wives strung up on the walls by their
hair. Barney and Valancy share wonderful conversations and take long
walks on the mainland, she often quoting from books by John Foster,
which he abhors and refuses to listen to. They celebrate Christmas, he
giving her the only gift she asked for: a necklace of pearl beads.

Valancy also takes the time to exorcise old demons, building a large
sand pile to make up for one that her cousin Olive had stolen from her
when they were in grade school. Also, while Valancy is collecting moss
and flowers to decorate their cabin, she comes upon Allan Tierney, a
celebrated painter of beautiful women, who, when he sees her, hastens
to find Barney and asks to paint her portrait, which he declines.
Valancy agrees with his decision, although she wishes that Olive, her
snooty cousin, would hear that Allan Tierney wanted to paint her.

The year that she had to live is almost over when Valancy is nearly
killed by an oncoming train, her fancy heeled shoe caught in a train
track. Barney saves her in the nick of time, risking his own life to
do so. After the shock passes, Valancy realizes that she should have
died of it - the doctor warned that any sudden shock would kill her.
Barney is likewise stunned by the experience and retreats to his
beloved woods and Bluebeard's Chamber to think. Valancy assumes that
he has left because, having married her out of pity, he now realizes
he is trapped in a marriage he doesn't desire.

Valancy returns to the doctor, who discovers that he sent Valancy
"Stirling" a letter with a diagnosis meant for Miss "Sterling," an
elderly, spinster patient who visited him on the same day and had a
fatal heart condition; Valancy's letter went to her instead. While
equally painful, Valancy's condition was temporary and could be healed
from a sudden jolt of happiness, sadness, or adrenaline.

Arriving home from the doctor depressed, with Barney still away, she
finds a gaudily dressed man waiting near their home. He introduces
himself as Barney's father, Dr. Redfern, the multi-millionaire
inventor of Dr. Redfern's patent medicines. Dr. Redfern explains that
a decade earlier Bernard Snaith Redfern abruptly left home without a
word, having dumped the girlfriend he thought loved him, finding out
she was a gold-digger. Dr. Redfern had no idea where his son was (as
Barney was constantly traveling and only sent a few postcards) until
Barney withdrew $15,000 (+/-$226,000 in 2023) from his bank account to
purchase a pearl necklace from a reputable jewelry house. Dr. Redfern
is a genial man overall, and although sad that he wasn't invited to
the wedding, is pleased that Barney has settled down and asks that
Barney come home as he is the only family he has.

Thinking that Barney believes she tricked him into marriage and that
he still loves his ex-girlfriend, Valancy decides to leave him and
return to her mother's house. While searching for pen and paper to
write Barney an explanatory note, she unthinkingly goes into
'Bluebeard's Chamber' and discovers that he is also 'John Foster,' her
favourite author. She writes the note, explaining the mix-up behind
her diagnosis and asking for a divorce, knowing now that he can afford
it and leaves behind the necklace, which she had earlier thought an
expensive imitation.

Valancy returns home despondent and reveals to her family that Barney
is the son of famous and wealthy Dr. Redfern, as well as the noted
literary figure John Foster. Barney's wealth instantly erases any
misgivings her family had about him, and they are determined that
Barney and Valancy should stay together; her wealthy uncle, Benjamin,
knowing now that she has married a millionaire's son - therefore
redeeming herself - un-disowns her.

Barney, after meeting his father, finds Valancy's note and rushes to
town to see her and ask her to come back. Barney's absence after the
train incident was due to the stunned realization that he had grown to
love her so much, he would not want to live without her and so he was
contemplating contacting his father for the first time in a decade to
ask for money to pay for expensive medical treatments that could
somehow heal her. At first she refuses, believing that he is only
asking out of pity, but when he becomes angry, thinking she is ashamed
of his father's patent medicine business just like his ex-girlfriend
was, she realizes he does love her and agrees to return.

Barney reconciles with his father but will not live with him; they
will build a home of their own out in the country, but near enough to
visit. Meanwhile Barney and Valancy prepare to go on the honeymoon
they never had, albeit extended and while touring Europe, knowing
their summer home on Barney's small island - her 'Blue Castle' - will
be waiting for them.

In a postscript, Olive is writing to her fiancee, Cecil Bruce, telling
him about Valancy marrying Barney and how they discovered he was a
millionaire in his own right, and how now every single relative is
positively fawning over the couple. In an almost jealous diatribe, she
wonders why some people can make their entire lives an utter mess with
their adventures and yet end up married to a rich person, and she says
that if this is what happens when someone runs away and flouts family
expectations, then what is the use in behaving?

Characters
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* Valancy Jane Stirling, called "Doss" by her family
* Barney Snaith, actually Bernard Snaith Redfern, and author 'John
Foster'
* Mrs. Frederick Stirling (Amelia), Valancy's mother
* Cousin Christine Stickles, a widowed aunt who lives with Valancy and
her mother
* Cousin Olive, Valancy's much courted and beautiful cousin
* Cousin Georgiana, another elderly widow
* Uncle Benjamin, bachelor proprietor of the local general store
* Aunt Alberta & Uncle Herbert, the Stirling's 'power couple'
* Aunt & Uncle Wellington
* Uncle James, stern, cold-hearted oracle of the family
* Dr. Trent, the doctor who misdiagnoses Valancy
* Cecilia "Cissy" Gay, a childhood friend of Valancy's
* Roaring Abel Gay, Cissy Gay's unruly father
* Dr. Stalling, the reverend of the Stirlings' Anglican church
* Mr. Towers, the pastor of Valancy's favorite Free Methodist church
* Edward Beck, an elderly widower who contemplates marriage with
Valancy
* Ethel Traverse, a woman Barney had previously been in love with
* Dr. J. Redfern, Barney's multi-millionaire father

First Edition notes
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Almost all editions of The Blue Castle lack dust jackets. The true
first edition does not have a castle on the front boards, it was added
after Montgomery had commented, "Not so pretty. A plain cover."

See also
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*'The Ladies of Missalonghi', similar novel by Colleen McCullough

External links
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*
*
* [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DB2LT617 The Blue Castle] at Amazon
*
*
[https://archive.today/20080514215106/http://www.tickledorange.com/LMM/index.html
'An L.M. Montgomery Resource Page'] Resource for all things L.M.
Montgomery, includes
[https://archive.today/20080517073903/http://tickledorange.com/LMM/BCEncyclopedia.html
'The Blue Castle Encyclopedia'] and more on Valancy
*
[https://web.archive.org/web/20031213024934/http://www3.islandtelecom.com/~hstinson/Castleco/bcastle.html
'The Blue Castle: A Musical Love Story'] a 1997 musical adapted from
the book by Hank Stinson
* [https://lmmonline.org L.M. Montgomery Online] Formerly the L.M.
Montgomery Research Group, this site includes a blog, extensive lists
of primary and secondary materials, detailed information about
Montgomery's publishing history, and a filmography of screen
adaptations of Montgomery texts. See, in particular, the page about
[https://lmmonline.org/the-blue-castle/ 'The Blue Castle'].

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Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Castle