Magic for Marigold (L.M. Montgomery Books)

by L.M. Montgomery

Paperback, 1989

Status

Available

Genres

Publication

Starfire (1989), 288 pages

Description

You Usually Hear Marigold Before You See Her. Her Laughter Always Seems to Run Ahead. Marigold Lesley doesn't think it strange at all to hold fascinating conversations with her cat. She also sees nothing wrong with having an invisible best friend who lives in the orchard. But as Marigold starts to get older, her family is hoping she'll be a little less fanciful and a little more sensible. Yet how is it possible to be sensible when you meet a girl who claims to be a princess? Or when someone mistakes you for a girl who died? For Marigold, every day brings a bit of magic--and she wouldn't have it any other way. What Readers are Saying: "Wonderful! You will love Marigold." "This was my favorite L.M. Montgomery book as a kid." "I loved this book. I found myself wanting to be in Marigold's world...it sounded so wonderful."… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member rainbowdarling

Montgomery's children are usually interesting and charming to read about. Marigold was possibly one who fell into a category of those who simply grate on the nerves. Marigold has the imagination and fanciful nature of Anne Shirley but without the gumption or the interesting qualities that make her

engaging and readable. Even as Marigold's story came to a close, I was left with a feeling that her story ought to have gone on and finished somewhere much later. We are left with a young girl on the cusp of adolescence, and there it stops. It seems an unnatural spot for Marigold's story to end, and even so, I had a hard time forcing myself through to the end to get to it. Magic for Marigold puts me in a conundrum of wanting more for that feeling of finality but not wanting to read another page so I don't have to push myself through the life of a character that I don't particularly care about.

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LibraryThing member foggidawn

Magic for Marigold never quite numbers among my favorite L.M. Montgomery works. Marigold Lesley is similar to many Montgomery heroines -- an imaginative young girl, part of a large and relatively prosperous Prince Edward Island family. In fact, Marigold is one of the least interesting of

Montgomery's heroines, in my opinion. Her extended family is more interesting -- Old Grandmother is certainly a fascinating old dame, and I always think there should be more about Uncle Klon and his wife. None of the secondary characters get enough page-time, so they remain interesting but underdeveloped. The real problem with the book, though, is the lack of a plot. Many of Montgomery's books are more episodic than linear, but Magic for Marigold feels to me like a book of short stories. The tales of Marigold's escapades are charming, but I never find the end of the book satisfying. All in all, I'd recommend this to Montgomery completists like myself -- casual fans can give it a pass, and readers new to this author should certainly start somewhere else.

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LibraryThing member sedelia

If you've read any books by L.M. Montgomery before, then you pretty much know what to expect with this one -- and adventurous child growing up during the 1920's in Canada. She likes to daydream, has a little bit of sass, and gets into quite a bit of trouble. I don't think that this novel is as

strong as Montgomery's other novels, but Marigold and her family members are still enjoyable characters who get into some fun predicaments.

What I think was missing from this novel was a central theme or focus; the book didn't really go anywhere and while there was some small amount of personal growth for Marigold, it wasn't enough to warrant the length of the book. But that was the only thing that I had trouble with -- I loved reading about Marigold's adventures, and this book certainly has some laugh-out-loud moments. Basically, it's a decent enough read if you have the time or if you're a Montgomery fan. But I would suggest that you read Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables or Emily of New Moon series before you pick up this one.

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LibraryThing member tjsjohanna

Somehow there's just not enough story to make this a compelling read. Marigold is sweet and has some interesting adventures, but she's not as interesting as Anne or Jane or Emily.

LibraryThing member mrsarey

An interesting novel about Marigold, the youngest in an intriguing family on Prince Edward Island. This is not as good as Anne books, or even the Story Girl, but still good.

LibraryThing member t1bnotown

Montgomery has a way of explaining the imagination in interesting, believable ways. She shares Marigold's world, which is lived as much within her imagination as without. I loved joining Marigold on her adventures, and I could certainly relate. It makes me wonder- if Montgomery understood these

things, do other people who I imagine have no imagination?

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LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26

A stand-alone novel from the author of such beloved children's classics as Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon, Magic for Marigold follows the eponymous Marigold Lesley from infancy through young adolescence. Named after the "woman-doctor" who saved her life as an infant (and who

subsequently becomes a most-beloved aunt), Marigold grows up the darling of her clan - a little golden-haired girl with one foot in the workaday world, and one in fairyland.

The old Lesley homestead at Cloud of Spruce - where Marigold's upbringing is overseen by imperious Old Grandmother, stately Young Grandmother, and her own sweet, widowed mother - is the enchanted but homey backdrop to many an adventure, from the visit of mischievous Princess Varvara, to the coming of "saintly" Cousin Gwennie. But Marigold's chief playmate throughout is the elfin (and imaginary) Sylvia, and it is the world of make-believe which dominates her rather solitary childhood.

More episodic than many of her other novels, Magic for Marigold is not quite the equal of Montgomery's Anne or Emily stories, and I have never been able to take its heroine entirely to heart. Though she has all the imaginative sensitivity one would expect, Marigold is somehow a less compelling character. I'm not entirely sure if this is owing to the fact that her story cuts off at a younger age, or simply that hers is a less forceful personality. Howsoever that may be, this is still an enjoyable read, particularly for readers who relish Montgomery's beautiful depiction of growing up on Prince Edward Island.

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LibraryThing member tjsjohanna

Somehow there's just not enough story to make this a compelling read. Marigold is sweet and has some interesting adventures, but she's not as interesting as Anne or Jane or Emily.

LibraryThing member fuzzi

A solidly enjoyable tale of an only child, and her make-believe friend Sylvia.

LibraryThing member fuzzi

A solidly enjoyable tale of an only child, and her make-believe friend Sylvia.

LibraryThing member gypsysmom

This is not one of Montgomery's better known books but I really enjoyed it because it was partly fantasy. Marigold of the title has an imaginary friend, Sylvia, to whom Marigold escapes because all the other people around her are old. As Marigold grows up she goes out into the world and acquires

real friends. A delightful coming-of-age tale.

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LibraryThing member Griffin22

This is very much Montgomery style, indeed with many of the usual events and scenes that are reused over and over in her stories. This stand alone novel covers the childhood of the whimsical Marigold until she is 11. It is my least favourite of Montgomery’s works, as it seems like a series of

barely connected episodes with very little plot.

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