It all begins with garrulous Aunt Becky and the infamous Dark jug. She may be dying but the old matriarch of the large Dark and Penhallow clan is determined to throw one last "levee" - and stir up her extended family with her plan for bequeathing the heirloom. Dating back to when the first Darks came to Prince Edward Island in the early 19th century, the Dark jug has been in the family ever since, and with it comes a certain prestige for the owner. Over the generations, the Darks and Penhallows have intermarried time and again, and now they gather in Aunt Becky's rooms to hear what's to become of this jug, and who will get it.But sharp-tongued Aunt Becky's not about to make things easy for them. She announces that the new owner of the jug will be announced a year from October, and that Dandy Dark is trusted with the secret - or perhaps he will make the decision on her behalf, so everyone should be on their toes. And so they all are. Drowned John and Titus Dark stop swearing, knowing that Aunt Becky wouldn't give the jug to someone who curses all the time. Tempest Dark decides to finally start his history of the clan that he's been talking about doing for years. And perpetual bachelor Penny Dark thinks maybe he should get married, if he wants to get the jug, and casts his eye upon the spinsters in the clan.Meanwhile young, pretty Gay Penhallow is caught up in love with Noel Gibson, while her sophisticated and seductive cousin Nan decides to steal him away. Peter Penhallow suddenly and violently falls in love with widowed Donna Dark, whom he has hated since they were children - only he's been travelling through Africa and South America so much he hasn't seen her since, or not until Aunt Becky's infamous final levee. Joscelyn and Hugh Dark, separated on their wedding night for reasons unknown, still yearn for things they cannot have. And forty year old spinster and dressmaker Margaret Penhallow too yearns for things she feels she can never have: a beautiful little baby to adopt and the little old house she calls Whispering Winds.At the centre of it all is the jug, and Aunt Becky's final surprise.According to the inscription on the inside of my copy, I got this book for my birthday in 1993 from my brother (meaning, my mum picked it out for him to give to me), when I turned 14. As far as I can remember I only read it once, but I did love it. I'm always wanted to re-read it, and now I finally have I can say that I still love it. Allowing so much to go by meant that it felt like visiting old friends I hadn't seen in a long time, but with all the surprises still intact: I couldn't remember what had driven Hugh and Joscelyn apart, I couldn't remember how Donna and Peter finally overcame her father, Drowned John's, refusal to let them marry; and I couldn't quite remember what happened to Gay Penhallow - though I was pretty sure she did end up with thirty-year-old Roger, the clan doctor (rest assured, it's not as Jane Austen as it sounds - Gay is no Mariane Dashwood).There are of course A LOT of characters to keep track of, and at first they tend to blend one into another (for instance, there are two Penny Darks: one is the bachelor and the other is Joscelyn's sister-in-law), and it doesn't help that they go by the old naming conventions (e.g. "Mrs Frank Dark"); you'd think it would but it doesn't. But Montgomery focuses on the main characters, and since the novel takes place over about a year and a half, we get to know characters, progress somewhat with their story, then come back to them later, so you do get very familiar with them - and like I said, they start to feel like your own crazy extended family! Montgomery is so good at writing these character sketches (one has only to read those scenes set around the dinner table at family gatherings in The Blue Castle to get a sense for it), that for all their eccentricities you have to wonder just how many of them were based on real people Montgomery knew.The pacing is wonderful: brisk and rolling like gentle hills, here getting dramatic, then slowing down again for a spell, a breather, before dashing off into a new plot. Perhaps the most tragic character for me was little Brian Dark, whose mother, Laura, died when he was young, never revealing who the father was, so that Brian lives with his uncle Duncan Dark and his family, barely fed or clothed and given endless chores, mostly to look after the dairy cows. It broke my heart a little bit, especially now that I have my own little boy.The story is told with Montgomery's usual insightful wit and honesty, and an artist's touch: she knew when to get in there and strip a character bare, and when to hold back and let things reveal themselves to the observant reader, on their own. I should add a warning for American readers: the final sentence does include the "n-word", which should be taken in the context of the period it was written in, as well as the character who uses it - don't let it put you off this author, who weaves magic with her words in the simplest, most unpretentious ways.
"I am ready to die. I've felt almost everything in life there is to feel - ay, I've drained my cup. But I mean to die decently and in order. I'm going to have one last grand rally. The date will be announced in the paper. But if you want anything to eat you'll have to bring it with you. I'm not going to bother with that sort of thing on my death-bed."Not much can stir up old squabbles, grudges and festering resentments like the reading of a will, and I'm pretty sure Aunt Becky has that in mind when she orders all her relatives to gather before her. First, she insults each and every one by mocking their physical defects or penchants for writing bad poetry. For some, she brings up old missteps and embarrassments. One woman's crime? She once made jam from blueberries gathered in a graveyard. Horrors! Old Becky then proceeds to read off her will, leaving her furniture and other household items to those who want them least. Why is everyone putting up with this crap? They ALL hope to be the one who inherits a rather ugly jug that has been in the family for ages. Who gets it? Well, the answer is in a sealed envelope to be opened and read...in about a year and a half.What follows is a delightful comedy of manners and errors as each family member jostles to be the lucky owner of the jug. Men attempt to stop swearing. Couples come together and split apart. Confirmed bachelors decide that perhaps they should take wives. Secrets are revealed and old mysteries are solved. Montgomery is best known as the creator of the beloved Anne of Green Gables, but she really proves her mettle as a writer with this sly comic masterpiece. The only reason I did not assign five stars is that I was a bit taken aback that the book ends with a racist joke. It was so out of the blue and so out of character for Ms. Montgomery, it was a like a slap in the face. For shame, Anne Shirley's mommy. For shame!
What do You think about A Tangled Web (1989)?
This is the L.M. Montgomery book for adults I was hoping to read. Keep in mind it was first published in 1931... but it is daring and witty, sarcastic and sentimental. This clever story of the Dark and Penhallow clans, whose family trees are more like shrubs, is a fun romp with the skeletons in their closets. It's a behind the scenes look at the best and worst of human nature among the clan and it's entertaining from start (or almost) to the end (not quite). The first section of the first chapter is a little off-putting and there is an unfortunate racial slur in the last paragraph of the book which leaves the reader with a nasty taste in their mouth which is sad for such a wonderful book. Granted there are so many characters in the book with such similar names that it gets very difficult to keep track of them all but the main characters are quickly well developed and stand out from the pack. A definite recommend to anyone who loves Victorian literature and L.M. Montgomery in particular.
—Mari Anne
"A Tangled Web" is one of the very very few "adult" novels penned by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The Canadian author is primarily renowned for her creation of Anne shirley. perhaps the most beautiful creation of a child in all fiction. She also created many other works of children fiction - Emily of Silver Moon, Pat of Silver Busy, Jane of Lantern Hill and more. She achieved immense success as a writer of fiction based on children. But her adult books did not receive as much success. "Blue Castle" was a ver yinteresting book indeed - a woman is pronounced to be suffering from an incurable disease with a limited time to live. The book is about how she tries to achieve all her dreams in the time remaining. The theme is beautiful but Montgomery couldnt make it a gripping account. She meandered and tried to make it as pleasing an affair as the child stories. The well-written story hence fell flat."A tangled web" has a good theme. An elderly aunt prepares for her death and as one of her last actions, bequathes her precious heirloom, an old jug, to an unnamed relative to be announded after a year. There is a big family, each one of whose members expects the jug to be their gift. The book is almost completely abou tthe lives of these members and how things change over the course of the year. The theme of the book is very interesting as I said. Being part of a big family myself with strong senior ladies, I could relate to a lot of action early in the book. To me, the book very quickly became a very confusing affair. There are just way too many characters and keeping track of each one of their stories in parallel was too difficult a task for me. By the time you got familiar with the people and relate to their stories, the book was almost over. Due to the number of stories being spawned, I felt a certain shallowness to the characters. I could connect with none. I had the same experience as watching one of the Harry Potter movies - just a quick assembly of different images with no emotinal connect anywhere. This from Ms Montgomery was a huge disappointment. For the most essential win about her "child" books are about the emotional connect you feel with the chief characters. Anne, Mathew and Marila for instance. Ms Montgomery appears to have rather a limited view of what an adult book means. To her, it appears it must means more swearing and more kissing. Otherwise, the adults just seem to be the simpletons they appear in her child books. Despite all of this, the book is still not a bad read. The disappointment is high only because of the expectations going with the author. Its a typically gay, light read marks Ms Montgomery's books. Once you know to recognize the characters by their name, the chances are you may actually start liking them - at least some. So it may not be a complete waste of time. But dont go into it expecting a brilliance you may (justifiably) expect from the author who wrote "Anne of Green Gables". There is no such flair here. But the prose is lovely as ever and you dont feel bored. Just confused.
—Imsathya
Synopsis:A Tangled Web was written by L.M. Montgomery and published in 1931. The novel follows the Dark family and the Penhallow family who at the beginning of the novel, are all gathered at Aunt Becky’s ( who is the matriarch of this clan) to find out who will receive an heirloom jug when she dies. In the year that follows this gathering everything is turned topsy turvy as members of the two families fall in love, become broken hearted, follow their dreams and realize what is truly important in their lives.Storyline:I really liked the storyline in A Tangled Web. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed reading about the comical Darks and Penhallows and their trials and tribulations. There were two little parts that I found rather disconcerting, but that didn’t ruin the rest of the story for me.Setting:A Tangled Web was set in enchanting Price Edward Island, Canada. I love the setting of Prince Edward Island in L.M. Montgomery’s books. It is my favorite setting of all time as Montgomery makes it seem so magical and alive.Characters:There was not a main character in A Tangled Web. The novel follows the Darks and the Penhallows as a whole, with a focus on certain characters. While at first I had trouble keeping the characters straight, I thought L.M. Montgomery did a fabulous job at this sort of thing. Her characters, as always, were mostly lovable and hilarious. Some of my favorite characters were Aunt Becky, Donna, Peter, the Moon Man, Margaret, and Gay. I must say that I wasn’t fond of some of the older male characters. Some of them were a bit harsh and narrow minded where women were concerned.Did I Like It?:Yes! I really liked A Tangled Web. It was a charming read and it definitely reminded me why L.M. Montgomery is one of my favorite authors of all time.Do I Recommend It?:Yes, if this is something that appeals to you! If you have read and enjoyed any of L.M. Montgomery’s works I think you’d really enjoy A Tangled Web. You might also like this book if like family epics, are looking for an uplifting read, or are interested in Canadian literature in general.
—Katie
