Throwback Thursday: Anne of Green Gables

Jenny and I are life-long readers; that is, we have loved reading our whole lives. Sure, we played football at recess with the boys, but we also had at least 4 books checked out from our school library at all times. We thought a fun way to showcase the books that solidified our love of literature at a young age is to put a bookish twist on the ever-popular Throwback Thursday meme. If you, too, started your love affair with books as soon as you learned to read, you will probably recognize a lot of these titles. If your love of reading was something acquired later in life, you might have missed these gems. These books are near and dear to our hearts in a special way; it is through them we first learned the hidden power of words and imagination. The beauty of these books is that they remain just as wonderful to re-read as an adult. Ahh, the power of nostalgia :)

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Release Date: June 1908
Page Count: 314
Genre: Classic Literature
Target Audience: Children's
Series: Anne of Green Gables #1
Source and Format: Librivox; Audiobook

Summary (From Amazon)
When Anne Shirley arrives at Green Gables, she surprises everyone: first of all, she’s a girl, even though Marilla Cuthbert and her brother Matthew specifically asked for an orphan boy to help around the farm. And second of all, she’s not just any girl: she has bright red hair, a wild imagination, and can talk a mile a minute.

But she also has a sweet disposition and quick wit, and Anne (with an “e” of course—it’s so much more distinguished!) soon finds her place in Avonlea, making a friend in her neighbor Diana Barry and attending the local school, where she spurns the advances of the popular and handsome Gilbert Blythe when he commits the ultimate sin of making fun of her hair. Anne has a temper as fiery as her hair and a knack for finding trouble, and she also has a big heart and a positive attitude that affects everyone she meets.

Notes on Anne of Green Gables

Oh Anne with an 'e'. Where do I even start with my love for her? I seriously cannot imagine my childhood without Anne of Green Gables in it, and unfortunately it's not because of the novel by L.M. Montgomery, but because of the mini series starring Megan Follows. I know, I know. This is terrible. I completely agree. But hear me out. Something you will quickly learn about me is that as a little girl, if there ever was a movie I really loved, I would watch it over and over (and over) again. Like seriously rewind it as soon as I was done watching it and watch it again right away. I guess my tendency for obsession manifested itself in this funny way, and is one of the reasons I also love to reread. Experiencing my favorite stories again and again, whether told through books or movies, is something I have always enjoyed. And Anne of Green Gables is one of those stories I watched countless times as a little girl. I was even a proud owner of the Anne and Diana Madame Alexander dolls, y'all! I was a pretty big fan. But apparently not fan enough to actually read the books that inspired the mini-series I so dearly loved. Now that I've finally experienced the first Anne novel as an adult, I can't help but feel like I've been missing out on something special all these years.

You see, the more I think about it, the more obvious it is to me that this book is a precious treasure. I fell in love with Montgomery's writing style while reading it, and even more in love with the characters in the story, even nosy Rachel Lynde and uptight Aunt Josephine. The character development is truly superb, and I'm not just talking about our fiesty red-headed heroine. Marilla's journey from being so disappointed in finding a girl on her doorstep to not being able to imagine her life without Anne, Matthew gradually working up the courage to speak his mind and venture out of his comfort zone to show kindness, to even young Gilbert learning to patiently wait for Anne to come around and accept him as a friend (and we all know where that eventually leads!). I remember liking Diana a lot as a little girl, mainly for silly reasons like she had a pretty name, her hair was dark, and she liked frivolous girly things.

But now. Oh how I see so much of myself in Anne! Aside from sharing a name and knowing the struggle of being an Anne with an 'e', I can identify with so many facets of her character. Imaginative, competitive, independent, lover of beautiful things, and loyal to a fault -- I feel like there really is a little bit of Anne in everyone. And that's probably why Montgomery's novel resonates with so many of us. Even though it was written more than a hundred years ago, we can still identify today with the many struggles and joys Anne experiences as she grows into a confidant young woman.

Basically I could go on and on about this beloved classic, but I will spare you a super long post today since yesterday's was just a few words shy of a novella. Hands down, this book is a new favorite, and I can't wait to spend more time with these characters in the next seven novels to follow.

Overall Diagnosis 

Memorable Quotes
“But if you call me Anne, please call me Anne with an 'e'.”

“It is ever so much easier to be good if your clothes are fashionable.”

“When I left Queen's, my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does.”