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edemes's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
annabelmargaret's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
cassiealexandra's review against another edition
5.0
How I lived without this story in my life until now, I have no idea. I am in my mid-thirties and have never read Anne or watched any television or film adaptation. The term “kindred spirit” and even the names Gilbert Blythe and Diana Barry seemed vaguely familiar, but I could not have told you much besides that I knew it was about a pre-teen girl with red hair.
Oh, how I was missing out. I was tearing up early on and continued to have misty moments throughout. Anne brought out the true romantic in me, and by this I mean the visionary, the imaginative, and the adventurous parts that lie dormant in later life. It’s a story about friendship and acceptance. It’s a slow burn, not between Anne and Gilbert, as you may be thinking, but between Anne and her adoptive mother, Marilla. At the same time it may be love at first sight for Anne and Matthew.
I savored this story and don’t know if I have all the words to describe what it awakened in me. My only complaint is that the pace seemed to slow slightly in the middle, but that could have been my personal reading pace. It reminds me, though, of the phrase, the days are long but the years are short. Anne’s days were long and languid, but by the end of the book, I could hardly believe she was grown. I’m sure Marilla felt the same.
The bottom line: I can’t wait to read this to my daughter when she’s a little older, and there’s no way she’ll wait until she’s 36 to experience the beauty of this classic. On to the rest of the series for me.
— NOTES —
Genres: middle-grade, classic
POV: third-person
Content: orphans, death of loved one
Oh, how I was missing out. I was tearing up early on and continued to have misty moments throughout. Anne brought out the true romantic in me, and by this I mean the visionary, the imaginative, and the adventurous parts that lie dormant in later life. It’s a story about friendship and acceptance. It’s a slow burn, not between Anne and Gilbert, as you may be thinking, but between Anne and her adoptive mother, Marilla. At the same time it may be love at first sight for Anne and Matthew.
I savored this story and don’t know if I have all the words to describe what it awakened in me. My only complaint is that the pace seemed to slow slightly in the middle, but that could have been my personal reading pace. It reminds me, though, of the phrase, the days are long but the years are short. Anne’s days were long and languid, but by the end of the book, I could hardly believe she was grown. I’m sure Marilla felt the same.
The bottom line: I can’t wait to read this to my daughter when she’s a little older, and there’s no way she’ll wait until she’s 36 to experience the beauty of this classic. On to the rest of the series for me.
— NOTES —
Genres: middle-grade, classic
POV: third-person
Content: orphans, death of loved one
andream0885's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
rmarcin's review against another edition
5.0
When young Anne Shirley is brought to Green Gables, the family had wanted a boy to help with the farm activities. Matthew and his sister, Marilla, take in the 11-yr. old red-headed orphan, and her personality wins them over. Through a series of fits and starts, Anne learns the ways of the Cuthberts and the community on Prince Edward Island.
This is a delightful coming-of-age story with many humorous moments, as well as some touching events, as well. Highly recommend this for readers of many ages!
This is a delightful coming-of-age story with many humorous moments, as well as some touching events, as well. Highly recommend this for readers of many ages!
smilesgiggle's review against another edition
This book has been a friend for 30 years. I remember buying my first copy with my grandmother - of course I bought the first three as a set. She had read them as a child - and I became obsessed.
I recently enjoyed an audio version via Audrey. Hearing the words come to life, the background lovingly detailed by Audrey - I cried a few times.
I highly recommend this audio by #listenwithaudrey . The love of the narrators for this story, the little details shared as you end chapters. Beautiful experience.
I recently enjoyed an audio version via Audrey. Hearing the words come to life, the background lovingly detailed by Audrey - I cried a few times.
I highly recommend this audio by #listenwithaudrey . The love of the narrators for this story, the little details shared as you end chapters. Beautiful experience.
ronniehoffman's review against another edition
3.0
My fellow Canadians, I have done it. After 25 years on this planet, I have finally read the beloved Lucy Maud Montgomery novel Anne of Green Gables, bringing the percentage of Canadians who have read the book back to 100. There is now no need to look at me with such horror, and I look forward to having my citizenship reinstated.
There are lots of Canadian novels out there beloved by our distinguished intelligentsia and our CanLit students, but Anne of Green Gables stands head and shoulders above them all. In the hearts and minds of Canadians, the antics of Anne Shirley are more real than the lives of most of our Prime Ministers. The novel has shaped our history, geography, and national identity – perhaps to the point where we forget how much is wrong with it.
And indeed, a lot of Anne of Green Gables has aged quite poorly. The middle 80% of the novel has no plot to speak of – just years of domestic life with the Cuthberts, peppered with minor mishaps and misunderstandings, driven by social norms that today’s readers can no longer relate to. We’re supposed to believe that Anne is uniquely wacky and wild, but as far as I can tell, the craziest thing she has ever done is thwap a classmate with a slate one time when she was eleven (and Gilbert Blythe deserved it too, the little brat). In most ways, by 21st-century standards at least, Anne is a normal teenager, albeit one surrounded by adults who gasp and clutch their pearls when affronted with something as scandalous as a girl wearing flowers in her hat. In a novel premised around its protagonist's uniqueness, this is more than a little awkward.
And dear lord, does Lucy Maud Montgomery go overboard with the Mary Sue-ing sometimes. Anne is not only the quirkiest girl in Avonlea, but also the smartest, most thoughtful, most bright-eyed, and most loved. Plus, Montgomery’s descriptions read like a Wikipedia article entitled “Lists of flowers native to Prince Edward Island.”
So with all this, why did I, and so many before me finish the novel smiley and teary-eyed? How has it survived 111 years of changing tastes and societal reforms?
The biggest reason, of course is Anne Shirley herself. Anne’s unparalleled ability to win people over affects the reader just as powerfully as it does the Cuthberts – you cannot help but like her. While much has been made of Anne’s fierceness, her most likeable quality is actually her optimism and her wonder at the world around her. Her page-long raptures, about the beauty of Prince Edward Island or the love she holds for her friends and adopted family, are brimming with joy, and help to remind us of how much we take for granted in our own lives. We all wish deep down inside that we can be the type of person who can be captivated for hours by a white flower or a soft bed.
The voice of Lucy Maud Montgomery is also essential to the novel’s success. She may be blunt and bumbling when it comes to writing a description, the lady is a master of sarcasm. With the majority of Avonlea’s 19th century inhabitants far too stuffy to ever criticize anyone, all the lampooning of the many ridiculous scenes and characters in Anne of Green Gables is hidden deep within Montgomery’s narration. The way she slips a barb or a societal observation between sentences is reminiscent of J. K. Rowling, and with Anne of Green Gables verging on the saccharine, Montgomery adds a very necessary bit of salt.
Finally, while most of the novel is fairly meandering, the last few chapters do manage to advance the plot.
Anne of Green Gables is dated in many ways, but underneath its flaws lies an utterly beautiful world, with Lakes of Shining Waters and kindred spirits, Snow Queens and ice cream socials. This novel has little to offer in the way of plot, but it has peace, camaraderie, and passive-aggressiveness in spades – and given how English Canadians see ourselves, and our nation, is it any wonder the book has endured?
There are lots of Canadian novels out there beloved by our distinguished intelligentsia and our CanLit students, but Anne of Green Gables stands head and shoulders above them all. In the hearts and minds of Canadians, the antics of Anne Shirley are more real than the lives of most of our Prime Ministers. The novel has shaped our history, geography, and national identity – perhaps to the point where we forget how much is wrong with it.
And indeed, a lot of Anne of Green Gables has aged quite poorly. The middle 80% of the novel has no plot to speak of – just years of domestic life with the Cuthberts, peppered with minor mishaps and misunderstandings, driven by social norms that today’s readers can no longer relate to. We’re supposed to believe that Anne is uniquely wacky and wild, but as far as I can tell, the craziest thing she has ever done is thwap a classmate with a slate one time when she was eleven (and Gilbert Blythe deserved it too, the little brat). In most ways, by 21st-century standards at least, Anne is a normal teenager, albeit one surrounded by adults who gasp and clutch their pearls when affronted with something as scandalous as a girl wearing flowers in her hat. In a novel premised around its protagonist's uniqueness, this is more than a little awkward.
And dear lord, does Lucy Maud Montgomery go overboard with the Mary Sue-ing sometimes. Anne is not only the quirkiest girl in Avonlea, but also the smartest, most thoughtful, most bright-eyed, and most loved. Plus, Montgomery’s descriptions read like a Wikipedia article entitled “Lists of flowers native to Prince Edward Island.”
So with all this, why did I, and so many before me finish the novel smiley and teary-eyed? How has it survived 111 years of changing tastes and societal reforms?
The biggest reason, of course is Anne Shirley herself. Anne’s unparalleled ability to win people over affects the reader just as powerfully as it does the Cuthberts – you cannot help but like her. While much has been made of Anne’s fierceness, her most likeable quality is actually her optimism and her wonder at the world around her. Her page-long raptures, about the beauty of Prince Edward Island or the love she holds for her friends and adopted family, are brimming with joy, and help to remind us of how much we take for granted in our own lives. We all wish deep down inside that we can be the type of person who can be captivated for hours by a white flower or a soft bed.
The voice of Lucy Maud Montgomery is also essential to the novel’s success. She may be blunt and bumbling when it comes to writing a description, the lady is a master of sarcasm. With the majority of Avonlea’s 19th century inhabitants far too stuffy to ever criticize anyone, all the lampooning of the many ridiculous scenes and characters in Anne of Green Gables is hidden deep within Montgomery’s narration. The way she slips a barb or a societal observation between sentences is reminiscent of J. K. Rowling, and with Anne of Green Gables verging on the saccharine, Montgomery adds a very necessary bit of salt.
Finally, while most of the novel is fairly meandering, the last few chapters do manage to advance the plot.
Spoiler
Anne’s time in college, the death of Matthew and the failing health of poor Marissa all pull at your heartstrings, to the point where you long to go back to the chapters where all we had to worry about was whether or not Anne would get to go to a talent show.Anne of Green Gables is dated in many ways, but underneath its flaws lies an utterly beautiful world, with Lakes of Shining Waters and kindred spirits, Snow Queens and ice cream socials. This novel has little to offer in the way of plot, but it has peace, camaraderie, and passive-aggressiveness in spades – and given how English Canadians see ourselves, and our nation, is it any wonder the book has endured?
hrdeckard's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
guacamolly_peters's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
what_katie_read_in_ca's review against another edition
5.0
This audio version of ANNE was stunning! This was the perfect choice for my cross-country road trip!!
First re-read of 2022! Audio version is amazing, as always! Also sometimes dipped into the Folio edition of ANNE.
First re-read of 2022! Audio version is amazing, as always! Also sometimes dipped into the Folio edition of ANNE.