I enjoyed this book much more than I ever dreamed I would. It masquerades as a vintage melodrama, but is chock full of essential life lessons - especially about the nature of true love.

When I see racial epithets in old books, I usually manage to skim over them as a product of their time, but the one in this book was the equivalent of a bucket of cold water thrown over my head. I'm still recovering from the shock.

Otherwise, this is a rollickingly funny and poignant story of finding hope in spite of crushed dreams.

When I first read this back in my early twenties, I didn't really like it - I was all about Anne at the time, and this is quite a different kind of story. I'd re-read since then, but still I didn't rate it much. But it came up in November for a re-read on the kindred spirits email list, and so I thought I'd give it another go. Christmas, and other books, got in the way a bit as I started the first few chapters then it got lost in a pile on my table, but yesterday I sat & read the last 3/4 of it, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is waspishly funny. It has an absolutely huge jumble of characters, and somehow they sit perfectly together as real individuals, in an enormous interwoven family group. The skill of LMM as a writer is on display throughout, as she captures character, dialogue, plot, scene setting, emotional punches and humour. It's cleverly done, I had totally forgotten the resolution to the story so it kept me guessing. I found myself caught up in all the multiple stories - goodness knows how she kept them all straight in her head as she wrote.
It's a shame it ends on a racist note - I wonder if now publishers would edit that final brief chapter out, since it's unnecessary to the story?
Anyway, I'm glad I came back to it again to see what a gloriously deft writer she was.

I'm sorry L.M. Montgomery fans, I just can't read this book right now. I am finding it painful to continue, I only like three people out of the dozens of Penhollows and Darks. In the summer, when I have more patience I may try again. Maybe then I will be able to stomach A Tangled Web.

Right now, I just can't be bothered. Why everyone wants an ugly old vase that has no sentimental value I don't know. They're all ready to bite each others heads off for the stupid thing! And that infuriating Nan! Ugh. I. Can't. Take. Her.

Another time perhaps.

This is the first Montgomery book that I started and kind of didn’t want to finish. I don’t know why–maybe it was the slurry of characters that you get hit with in the very beginning. But, it was just kind of overwhelming.

The premise was promising. I mean, a whole family, all very much invested in an heirloom jug that an aunt left one of them. And they won’t know who gets it for awhile. So, they all do their best to be on their best behavior–in the hopes of getting the jug.

What’s funny, is that the “race” for the jug, leads to a domino effect in so many of their lives–events that wouldn’t have happened if not for the jug.

So, by the middle of the story, I was invested. I couldn’t help but love some of these characters as they were changed and challenged.

This is one of Montgomery’s later works and you can tell by the way she wrote her characters. Not quite as whimsical–and a little more jaded.

But, I’m really glad I read this one. It ended up being one of my favorites, regardless of the rocky start.

I'm sad to say that I was very disappointed in this book. I could tell that it was meant to be a romantic comedy, but it really lacked. There were literally more than 50 characters in this book, and you had to follow more than 10 of the characters through their struggles of love and fighting over a plain jug. You never really get attached to any of the characters because there were too many to keep track of. If you plan on reading it anyways, keep track of everybody's name. Believe me, it will be helpful. I'm leaving my index card full of names and who they are in the book when I return it to the library (I know my library doesn't go through each book before returning it to the shelf).

I'm going to enjoy this book a lot more the next time I read it. This time, I was so terribly worried about how some of the storylines were going to turn out that I simply had to finish it as fast as possible, which was not exactly relaxing. Next time, I will be secure in the knowledge of whose storylines turn out happily (and nearly all of them do), and I can just laugh at all the sarcasm and acidic wit, and at all the completely ridiculous human foibles they're aimed at.

The title makes me think of the old Sir Walter Scott quotation, "Oh what a tangled web we weave When first we practice to deceive." Which I'm sure it's meant to. What's interesting is that most of the deception practiced in this book is self-deception. I laughed aloud quite a lot over this book. Montgomery reveals a sharp and biting wit similar to Jane Austen's as she lays bare the ridiculous things people are capable of thinking and doing. I suspect I will laugh more next time I read it, as I said, because I won't be so worried about what will happen to everyone!

Echoing other reviews a little, but that ending...so unnecessary. I just sat and reread the line several times to figure out how it connected with the story. It is racist but I think there's already proof the character wasn't a nice person, so one can either be mad at the whole book or just ignore that last chapter.

Anyhow, the rest of this book is delightful and funny and entertaining as many of her books are and all the relationship drama was delightful. I was cracking up so much about the ending with the jug and how the reader is led on to keep reading in order to find out what happens.

I think I first read this book when I was 14 or 15, and--oh! how I loved it. I still remember how hard I laughed, that first time, at Aunt Becky's levee. And I was so charmed by all the intertwining stories of love and loss and pride and hope and agony and such. Montgomery's Anne books will always be my favorite of hers, of course, but this became a very close second almost immediately. That was more than twenty years ago. And I've re-read it a few times since then, with (iirc) the same delight. But this time when I read it, I felt...older or something. Impatient. The melodramatic, overly-sentimental, sweeping language began to grate on me a tiny bit. I wanted to hurry everyone into their little conclusions, not wanting to watch the sunsets or hear the wind moan this time. Maybe it's just my mood lately. Maybe it's my age now. In a way, this will always be a favorite; I can never not love Roger...Joselyn...Drowned John...Margaret...Ambrosine and that ridiculous ring...Brian...but the flowery language and High Romanticism did wear on me a little this time around. I've had this ranked 5 stars ever since I added it to Goodreads, but I've put it to 4 stars today.

4.5 stars. This was a wild romp and I loved it so much! Such a crazy family and large cast of characters. This would have been a 5-star read for me, but the very last line in the book used a racial slur. There is nothing else racial in the book, and I know it was not uncommon for the 1930s, but still left a bad taste in my mouth.

"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!

Thank goodness I finished!!

It took me forever to wade through all the names of the families. It got interesting though a little over half way on, but i still don't know who all the family members were. Definitely a darker grown piece (if you're comparing with Anne of green gables). But amusing enough with family drama.

This book was the unfortunate beginning to my eventual disenchantment with L.M. Montgomery. As someone who has read, and loved the Anne books, Story Girl, and Emily of New Moon, I was honestly surprised by the degree to which I detest this pathetic novel, and how the book led me to like all of her books less. For starters, there is nothing new in this story. I felt like I'd met all the characters before, and had heard all the subplots. It's rather a compilation of all of Montgomery's sappy and predictable romances neatly compiled into one easy to swallow volume. Maybe that wouldn't bother someone who hadn't already read a lot of Montgomery's work, but it's enough that I wouldn't recommend it to someone who had read her before. But this wasn't the real reason I dislike this book. The story (SPOILER ALERT, but honestly, this spoiler doesn't really give away the story, and is a helpful warning) ends with one of the most profoundly sexist and racist paragraphs that I've found in this genre of literature. It was a vivid reminder that white imperialism is thing. And the character who delivers the profoundly offensive statement is one the heroes. The reader is meant to laugh and close the book with satisfaction after this closing statement, but I can assure that this wasn't my reaction, nor would I hope it would be yours. With the removal of the final two paragraphs, this book honestly would of been fine. Not a favorite, or one I'll read again, but tolerable. In fact, I improved my copy by tearing out the last two paragraphs, and burning them. If after all this anyone still feels as if reading this book would be a good use of their limited time on this earth, be my guest. But you can't that you weren't warned.