Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

“Oh, I don’t mean just the tree; of course it’s lovely—yes, it’s radiantly lovely—it blooms as if it meant it—but I meant everything, the garden and the orchard and the brook and the woods, the whole big dear world. Don’t you feel as if you just loved the world on a morning like this? And I can hear the brook laughing all the way up here. Have you ever noticed what cheerful things brooks are? They’re always laughing. Even in winter-time I’ve heard them under the ice. I’m so glad there’s a brook

“Oh, I don’t mean just the tree; of course it’s lovely—yes, it’s radiantly lovely—it blooms as if it meant it—but I meant everything, the garden and the orchard and the brook and the woods, the whole big dear world. Don’t you feel as if you just loved the world on a morning like this? And I can hear the brook laughing all the way up here. Have you ever noticed what cheerful things brooks are? They’re always laughing. Even in winter-time I’ve heard them under the ice. I’m so glad there’s a brook near Green Gables. Perhaps you think it doesn’t make any difference to me when you’re not going to keep me, but it does. I shall always like to remember that there is a brook at Green Gables even if I never see it again. If there wasn’t a brook I’d be haunted by the uncomfortable feeling that there ought to be one. I’m not in the depths of despair this morning. I never can be in the morning. Isn’t it a splendid thing that there are mornings? But I feel very sad. I’ve just been imagining that it was really me you wanted after all and that I was to stay here for ever and ever. It was a great comfort while it lasted. But the worst of imagining things is that the time comes when you have to stop and that hurts.”

I swear this is a rare French edition of Anne of Green Gables:

I jest, but Anne’s motormouth gabbing at Green Gables almost unmanned me. Not only does she never shut up, the twee nonsense she was carping on and on about made me cringe so hard I thought I was going to morph into an accordion. Fiddlesticks indeed! I did consider dropping the book after a few pages of Anne’s mind boggling loquaciousness but something about the book grabbed me when I wasn’t looking. There is something rather compelling about the narrative which I could not quite put my finger on at that point, so I kept on reading. I am glad I did.

This is going to make me sound terribly ignorant but I never heard of Anne of Green Gables until I read that Netflix was about to air a new adaptation of it. This piqued my interest because it is clearly not a kickass show like most of their recent series. Then I looked up the book on Librivox.org and I found that they have an audiobook of it, read by the excellent Karen Savage. That sealed the deal for me; it is free to read (or listen to) after all, there is no risk in giving it a shot.

First published in 1908 Anne of Green Gables is about an orphan named Anne Shirley who is adopted by an old woman called Marilla Cuthbert and her brother Matthew. They wanted to adopt a boy to help Matthew with his farm work but through some kind of snafu, the orphanage sent them a girl instead. Marilla wants to send her back immediately but kindhearted Matt enjoys listening to Anne’s crazy-ass chatter. Soon, however, Anne’s peculiar charms begin to get under her skin and she changes her mind. So Anne gets to live with them at their Green Gables house in Avonlea, a little town on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Pastoral mayhem ensues.

Anne and her BFF Diana, art by

It took longer with me than with Marilla but Anne eventually got under my skin too. In spite of being bloody irritating she is interesting and her “joie de vivre”, fearlessness and optimism are infectious. I also enjoy the episodic scrapes she gets into over several chapters: almost breaking her neck, almost drowning, accidentally dyeing her hair green, breaking a slate over a boy’s head etc. In George Elliott’s lovely Anne of Green Gables with the hitherto terse and practical Marilla. I love this theme and enjoyed reading about her gradual transformation. As for Anne’s nonsensical chatter I become desensitized to it after a while and I was happy to let Anne be Anne. The timeline of the book also spans more years than I expected, I thought it was going to be about Anne getting into scrapes after scrapes until the book ends somehow, and that would have been alright with me. However, it turns out that the book depicts Anne’s coming of age, her gradual development from the age of eleven to sixteen. By the end of the book, Anne is much more mature and not so manic.

There is a lighthearted and warm tone to Lucy Maud Montgomery which is a pleasure to read. This is “a book for all ages” so it is not exactly challenging to read. The characterization is very well done. The central characters are all believable and even lovable. The book actually becomes quite poignant towards the end and I closed the book with a happy sigh. There are eight sequels to this book I doubt I will read them all but I would be quite happy to check in on Anne again before too long.

Notes:
• I am a fan of Ms. Karen Savage’s audiobook narrations, she has such a pleasant reading voice. Her narration of Anne of Green Gables is her best yet. Her love for this book really comes through in her enthusiastic and passionate delivery. I am ever so grateful.

•

• Anne of Green Gables is a sort of Canadian

• This book is not as widely read as I thought, my extremely well read BFF Cecily has never heard of it until this review, which probably means at least 50% of the world’s reading population haven’t. Have a look at the

• Ten things Anne of Green Gables taught this Guardian journo.

• Netflix’s adaptation (called Anne with an “E”) has been described as “gritty”, the grits are of their own manufacture; there is about as much grit in Anne of Green Gables as you would find in an average glass of milk. Amybeth McNulty who plays Anne is a fantastic young actress, her portrayal of Anne is top notched. The show looks good but I have to say I don’t like the additional dark materials they put in, I think it is tonally at odds with the spirit of the book. I have seen a couple of episodes so far and a fairly minor incident in the book is blown up into a huge melodrama with a galloping horse chasing a train! (See message #17 by Tracey below for more details. Thanks, Tracey! ?)

• It is called Anne with an “E” because that is her badass spelling of it, and she insists the E is always included even when people are vocalizing the name.

• A minor complaint. Anne’s acrimonious relationship with Gilbert Blythe (who she whacks on the head with a slate) goes on too long on too trivial a basis to be reasonable or believable. I mean, he calls her carrot once and that started five years of animosity?

Quotes:
“The long platform was almost deserted; the only living creature in sight being a girl who was sitting on a pile of shingles at the extreme end. Matthew, barely noting that it was a girl, sidled past her as quickly as possible without looking at her. Had he looked he could hardly have failed to notice the tense rigidity and expectation of her attitude and expression. She was sitting there waiting for something or somebody and, since sitting and waiting was the only thing to do just then, she sat and waited with all her might and main.”

“Listen to the trees talking in their sleep,” she whispered, as he lifted her to the ground. “What nice dreams they must have!”

“Matthew, much to his own surprise, was enjoying himself. Like most quiet folks he liked talkative people when they were willing to do the talking themselves and did not expect him to keep up his end of it. But he had never expected to enjoy the society of a little girl. Women were bad enough in all conscience, but little girls were worse. He detested the way they had of sidling past him timidly, with sidewise glances, as if they expected him to gobble them up at a mouthful if they ventured to say a word. That was the Avonlea type of well-bred little girl. But this freckled witch was very different, and although he found it rather difficult for his slower intelligence to keep up with her brisk mental processes he thought that he “kind of liked her chatter.”

But they shouldn’t call that lovely place the Avenue. There is no meaning in a name like that. They should call it—let me see—the White Way of Delight. Isn’t that a nice imaginative name? When I don’t like the name of a place or a person I always imagine a new one and always think of them so. There was a girl at the asylum whose name was Hepzibah Jenkins, but I always imagined her as Rosalia DeVere. Other people may call that place the Avenue, but I shall always call it the White Way of Delight.

Japanese book cover

Anime I swear this is a rare french edition ofI joke, but Anne ‘s motormouth gabbing at Green Gables about unmanned me. not lone does she never shut up, the dainty nonsense she was carping on and on about made me cringe so hard I thought I was going to morph into an accordion. Fiddlesticks indeed ! I did consider dropping the bible after a few pages of Anne ’ s mind boggle garrulity but something about the book grabbed me when I was n’t looking. There is something preferably compelling about the narrative which I could not quite put my finger on at that compass point, so I kept on interpretation. I am glad I did.This is going to make me sound terribly ignorant but I never heard ofuntil I read that Netflix was about to air a new adaptation of it. This pique my interest because it is clearly not a kickass display like most of their late series. then I looked up the book on Librivox.org and I found that they have an audiobook of it, read by the excellent Karen Savage. That sealed the consider for me ; it is free to read ( or listen to ) after all, there is no risk in giving it a shot.First published in 1908is about an orphan named Anne Shirley who is adopted by an old woman called Marilla Cuthbert and her brother Matthew. They wanted to adopt a boy to help Matthew with his grow work but through some kind of snafu, the orphanage sent them a girlfriend alternatively. Marilla wants to send her back immediately but kindhearted Matt enjoys listening to Anne ’ s crazy-ass chew the fat. Soon, however, Anne ’ sulfur particular charms begin to get under her bark and she changes her mind. so anne gets to live with them at their green Gables house in Avonlea, a short township on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Pastoral mayhem ensues.Anne and her BFF Diana, art by Kasia1989 It took longer with me than with Marilla but Anne finally got under my skin excessively. In hurt of being bloody irritating she is matter to and her “ joie de vivre ”, fearlessness and optimism are infectious. I besides enjoy the episodic scrapes she gets into over respective chapters : about breaking her neck, about drown, unintentionally dyeing her hair k, breaking a slate over a son ‘s head etc. In George Elliott ‘s lovely Silas Marner Elliott mentions an “ unfold of the person ” that resonates with me, it describes the life-changing effect that the presentation of a child into your biography has on your perspective, your attitude, your demeanor, and your very soul. There is an identical process going on inwith the so far crisp and practical Marilla. I love this subject and enjoy interpretation about her gradual transformation. As for Anne ’ s nonsense yak I become desensitize to it after a while and I was happy to let Anne be Anne. The timeline of the reserve besides spans more years than I expected, I thought it was going to be about Anne getting into scrapes after scrapes until the book ends somehow, and that would have been alright with me. however, it turns out that the book depicts Anne ’ s coming of long time, her gradual development from the age of football team to sixteen. By the end of the record, Anne is a lot more mature and not so manic.There is a blithe and quick tone to Lucy Maud Montgomery which is a pleasure to read. This is “ a koran for all ages ” so it is not precisely challenging to read. The word picture is very well done. The central characters are all credible and even lovable. The book actually becomes quite affecting towards the goal and I closed the book with a happy sigh. There are eight sequels to this book I doubt I will read them all but I would be quite glad to check in on Anne again earlier excessively long.• I am a fan of Ms. Karen Savage ’ s audiobook narrations, she has such a pleasant reading voice. Her narration ofis her best so far. Her love for this bible truly comes through in her enthusiastic and passionate delivery. I am ever so grateful. ( Download page ) Anne of Green Gables became sol popular and such an crucial symbol of exemption in Poland that the polish army issued a copy to every soldier before WWII.is a sort of canadian Secret Garden or Silas Marner • This book is not as widely read as I thought, my extremely well read BFF Cecily has never heard of it until this reappraisal, which credibly means at least 50 % of the global ‘s reading population have n’t. Have a search at the Netflix trailer, see if it ‘s your thing ( though there ‘s more angst in the television receiver display than in the koran ) .• Netflix ’ second adaptation ( called Anne with an “ E ” ) has been described as “ game ”, the grits are of their own fabricate ; there is about angstrom much grit inas you would find in an average glass of milk. Amybeth McNulty who plays Anne is a fantastic young actress, her portrayal of Anne is crown serrate. The show looks adept but I have to say I do n’t like the extra colored materials they put in, I think it is tonally at odds with the spirit of the book. I have seen a couple of episodes so far and a fairly minor incidental in the book is blown up into a huge melodrama with a galloping horse chasing a string ! ( See message # 17 by Tracey below for more details. Thanks, Tracey ! ? ) • It is calledbecause that is her badass spelling of it, and she insists the E is constantly included even when people are vocalizing the name.• A minor complaint. Anne ’ s acrimonious relationship with Gilbert Blythe ( who she whacks on the fountainhead with a slate ) goes on excessively long on besides superficial a basis to be reasonable or credible. I mean, he calls her carrot once and that started five years of animosity ? “ The long platform was about deserted ; the entirely living creature in batch being a girlfriend who was sitting on a pile of shingles at the extreme point end. Matthew, barely noting that it was a girl, sidled past her deoxyadenosine monophosphate promptly as possible without looking at her. Had he looked he could barely have failed to notice the tense rigidity and expectation of her attitude and saying. She was sitting there waiting for something or person and, since sitting and waiting was the only matter to do just then, she sat and waited with all her might and main. ” “ Listen to the trees talking in their sleep, ” she whispered, as he lifted her to the grind. “ What decent dreams they must have ! ” “ Matthew, much to his own surprise, was enjoying himself. Like most quieten folks he liked bigmouthed people when they were will to do the talking themselves and did not expect him to keep up his conclusion of it. But he had never expected to enjoy the club of a short female child. Women were bad enough in all conscience, but short girls were worse. He detested the way they had of sidling past him shyly, with sideways glances, as if they expected him to gobble them up at a mouthful if they ventured to say a discussion. That was the Avonlea type of well-bred short girl. But this freckled hag was identical different, and although he found it preferably difficult for his slower intelligence to keep up with her bracing mental processes he thought that he “ kind of liked her chatter. ” But they shouldn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate call that cover girl place the Avenue. There is no mean in a name like that. They should call it—let me see—the White Way of Delight. Isn ’ t that a nice imaginative name ? When I don ’ triiodothyronine like the name of a place or a person I constantly imagine a new one and constantly think of them so. There was a girl at the mental hospital whose name was Hepzibah Jenkins, but I constantly imagined her as Rosalia DeVere. early people may call that space the Avenue, but I shall always call it the White Way of Delight.Japanese book coverAnime