CHALLENGE: Montgomery vs Austen

Which book would you pick up? Anne of Green Gables or Pride and Prejudice?
Which is the better love story? Anne and Gilbert or Elizabeth and Mr Darcy?
Which made the better musical? Anne or, oh yeah, there is none!



My biases are showing here. Over at The Book Mine Set, John Mitford is having the Great Wednesday Compare again, and I'm afraid the Austenites will take over. They mobilized themselves last week to defeat Edgar Allen Poe, and while I have no problem with that, I'm afraid they will beat LM Montgomery this week, and I don't want that to happen. So, if you are going to support LM, and only if, you should head over there and vote. I'm kidding. John has been comparing for a few weeks now, with some very interesting battles.

I think the reason I'm concerned, is this 'mobilizing action'. Jane beat Poe quite handily. I remember a similar bracket competition at livejournal that got taken over by the Serenity crew, which is OK, but it was a small cult TV show and movie, and it was beating everything that came near it, which really didn't represent the masses, in my opinion. John, I think, recognizes that mobilizing potential and is capping the winning at 5 weeks. I don't mind if Jane wins on her merits, but Montgomery should hold her own for several reasons:

• Montgomery has captured a slice of late 19th century Canadiana
• Anne and Gilbert go on to have 7 more books, so you actually get to see what happens
• Emily represents a completely different story than Anne's, darker and sadder
• she's Canadian
• Anne resonates with so many girls (at least 5 of us at Something About Me chose Montgomery books to represent us)
• Montgomery so wonderfully describes PEI, that people make pilgrimages here every year
• LM lead a tortured, sad life. She should at least get this

So head on over and vote with your heart. (Keeping in mind, some rabid Austenites are voting en block) Go LM Montgomery!