Afbeelding van de auteur.

Lynn Manuel (1948–2010)

Auteur van Lucy Maud and the Cavendish Cat

12 Werken 122 Leden 7 Besprekingen

Over de Auteur

Fotografie: abcbookworld.com

Werken van Lynn Manuel

Lucy Maud and the Cavendish Cat (1998) 38 exemplaren
The Trouble with Tilly Trumble (2006) 20 exemplaren
Fifty-Five Grandmas and a Llama (1997) 16 exemplaren
The Summer of the Marco Polo (2007) 12 exemplaren
The Christmas Thingamajig (2002) 8 exemplaren
Camels ALWAYS DO (2004) 8 exemplaren
The night the moon blew kisses (1996) 8 exemplaren
Mystery at Cranberry Farm (1980) 5 exemplaren
The Cherry Pit Princess (1997) 4 exemplaren
Return to Cranberry Farm (1989) 1 exemplaar

Tagged

Algemene kennis

Geboortedatum
1948
Overlijdensdatum
2010
Geslacht
female
Nationaliteit
Canada
Geboorteplaats
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Woonplaatsen
White Rock, British Columbia, Canada
Beroepen
children's book author
teacher

Leden

Besprekingen

Anne of Green Gables has always been one of my very favorite books, and its creator, L.M. Montgomery, one of my favorite authors. I've read her entire body of work - novels and short stories - multiple times, and even started a Kindred Spirits discussion group on another site, in order to meet other devotees and share our mutual obsession interest. Despite all of this, I'd not heard of this sweet little picture-book, which tells the story of Lucy Maud and her beloved cat Daffy, until a friend brought it to my attention (thank you, Gundula!). How fortunate that she did, as Lucy Maud and the Cavendish Cat is a poignant, engaging (and true!) tale, one with appeal for both cat lovers and Montgomery fans.

I loved Daffy, the little gray kitten that Lucy Maud brings home to Cavendish, and who grows into a beautiful feline companion. I like to think that he was keeping the great author company, as she composed one of my all-time favorite stories. I was terribly sad when he was left behind (poor Daffy!), and felt for him during his traumatic surprise journey, but the happy ending brought tears to my eyes. (yes, I've a weakness for sentimental cat stories, so sue me!) The story itself is true to life, being scrupulously based upon Montgomery's own journals. The illustrations are from Janet Wilson - whose work I have enjoyed in titles such as Solomon's Tree and At Grandpa's Sugar Bush - have a lovely impressionistic quality to them. All in all, a most satisfying book, both as an animal story that can stand on its own, and as a tale about one of Canada's outstanding authors. Highly recommended!
… (meer)
1 stem
Gemarkeerd
AbigailAdams26 | 2 andere besprekingen | Apr 18, 2013 |
A lovely, sweet story about Lucy Maud Montgomery's cat Daffy, Lucy Maud and the Cavendish Cat really tugs at your heartstrings. Gleaned mostly from the many references to Daffy that appear in L.M. Montgomery's journals, Lynn Manuel's engaging and evocative text shows how Daffy becomes Maud's companion, her intimate friend, how she often reads to her cat from the manuscript of the novel she is writing (the future Anne of Green Gables). However, upon the death of Maud's grandmother, her house becomes the property of Maud's uncle and both Maud and Daffy are forced to move to a place called Park Corner, to stay with relatives who are strangers to Daffy.

I have to admit that I both cried and was somewhat angry at the fact that upon her marriage, Maud seemingly abandons Daffy at Park Corner. Oh, I know that she could not have taken a cat along on her wedding tour, but being suddenly alone and frightened in a strange, unfamiliar hayloft did make me very sad for poor Daffy. And while I am heart-glad that Maud sends for Daffy as soon as she has settled in Ontario with her new husband, I do wish that she had gone to P.E.I. herself to retrieve her cat. Daffy's long and solitary journey from P.E.I. to Ontario (in a large wooden box) is described as being frightening to the extreme for him (he has no idea what is happening and thinks he has fallen into a deep dark well). The end of the story, with little grey Daffy once again in Maud's arms in his new home in Ontario is sweet and satisfying, but my heart did ache for him alone in a strange hayloft, and I could understand and feel his pain, fear and confusion on his solitary trip from P.E.I. to Ontario.

Janet Wilson's lush full-page illustrations are an absolute treat for the eyes. Reminiscent of impressionism, they capture not only the beauty of P.E.I., but also the facial expressions and mannerisms of both Daffy and the people around him (like Maud and Grandmother MacNeill for example). The evocative pictures do not only complement and mirror Lynn Manuel's narrative, they are lovely in and of themselves and would not be out of place in an art gallery. And although obviously not as colourful and descriptive as the full-page paintings (pictures), the sepia coloured vignettes that appear with the text proper, the narrative are also lovely, adding both humour and poigancy to the story. Highly recommended to and for fans of L.M, Montgomery both young and old (and actually anyone who enjoys sweet and poignant animal stories).
… (meer)
½
 
Gemarkeerd
gundulabaehre | 2 andere besprekingen | Mar 31, 2013 |
In the summer of 1883, the world-famous clipper Marco Polo ran aground off the coast of P.E.I. near young Lucy Maud Montgomery's home. Maud wrote about this event in her journal and one of her first literary compositions was a piece on the wreck of the Marco Polo.

After quite adoring Lynn Manuel's Lucy Maud and the Cavendish Cat, I was expecting to also greatly enjoy her picture book on the wreck of the Marco Polo, The Summer of the Marco Polo. Unfortunately though, this story has proven rather disappointing to and for me. While the content of the narrative itself is engaging enough, the writing style, the general flow of the text tends to be somewhat uneven, and far from smooth. In addition, some of the names mentioned in the story, like Wellington and Dave Nelson and Pensie MacNeill, for example, could have benefitted from supplemental explanation. Having extensively read much biographical and autobiographical information on Lucy Maud Montgomery, I know that Pensie MacNeill was Maud's best friend at the time of the wreck of the Marco Polo, and that Wellington and Dave Nelson were two young boys who boarded at Maud's house (her grandparents' house). But for children reading The Summer of the Marco Polo (or even adults without the foreknowledge who Pensie MacNeill and the Nelson boys were), the often haphazard mention of personal names without adequate explanation as to their relationship with and to Maud could easily feel and become somewhat distracting. That being said, I still rather enjoyed reading The Summer of the Marco Polo, but its unbalanced presentation and lack of explanatory details did somewhat lessen my reading pleasure.

I also do not particularly like Kasia Charko's illustrations. Although her seascapes, her depiction of the ocean, of nature, of the stricken Marco Polo, of buildings are generally realistically conceived and rendered, some of her human figures appear rather exaggerated, even slightly disturbing. I really do not understand why Grandmother MacNeill looks somewhat green-skinned, almost witch-like, and even young Maud, with her often unruly fly-away hair and braids appears quite wild at times, too disheveled for my personal taste.
… (meer)
½
 
Gemarkeerd
gundulabaehre | 1 andere bespreking | Mar 31, 2013 |
I really loved this book; it was very cute and enjoyable to read. The illustrations were beautiful and very vivid; they did a great job in making the story come to life. I think the whole premise of the story was great, it teaches children not to be too quick to judge someone or not be accepting of it and also that there can be great meaning in unwanted things. I thought it was fun and interesting how the author related the dog to the old chairs that Tilly collected, as they both were scruffy and unwanted and eventually the scruffy dog filled that empty space Tilly was missing.… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
kedwards1991 | Sep 7, 2012 |

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Statistieken

Werken
12
Leden
122
Populariteit
#163,289
Waardering
½ 3.4
Besprekingen
7
ISBNs
19

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