Scan barcode
A review by kateshark
Anne of Green Gables, 3-Book Box Set, Volume I by L.M. Montgomery
5.0
Everyone seems to know and love the Anne series, but few seem to go deeper than surface level, which has always surprised me. These books are important, not just to Canadian literature, but to the feminism canon -- they are classics in every way. There are darker elements between the lines, and Anne is still a role-model for women and girls in strict conservative societies (traditional Japan, for example) who want to find their own independent voice without going completely crazy with rebellion. Anne enters a closed community and thrives at finding her own odd personal niche, yet without offending the values and mores of her elders. There are even hints of atheist spirituality!
Montgomery's work is constantly under-estimated, and the way the books are marketed doesn't help (the flowery script, the swoony illustrations). There are many layers at work in her stories, and some pioneering feminist concepts tucked in between the deep appreciation of nature, the commentary on the stuffy contemporary society of her day, and the delightful, well-drawn characters.
Montgomery's work is constantly under-estimated, and the way the books are marketed doesn't help (the flowery script, the swoony illustrations). There are many layers at work in her stories, and some pioneering feminist concepts tucked in between the deep appreciation of nature, the commentary on the stuffy contemporary society of her day, and the delightful, well-drawn characters.