ANNE OF GREEN GABLES | HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED

Anne of Green Gables
by L.M. Montgomery
Puffin Classics | June 1908

       Everyone's favorite redhead, the spunky Anne Shirley, begins her adventures at Green Gables, a farm outside Avonlea, Prince Edward Island. When the freckled girl realizes that the elderly Cuthberts wanted to adopt a boy instead, she begins to try to win them and the reader over.

I didn't have high expectations for this book. It's a Classic, and it's mainly for children; what should I expect? Once I started reading, I got tired of Anne's rambling fairly quickly; she just goes on and on and on... After reading a bit more, she grew on me, and I found her talkative disposition endearing; I felt like Marilla-nay, I am Marilla. 

Anne's spunkiness brings back memories of anyone's childhood. She's not afraid to speak her mind, she's impulsive, and she loves life. She sees beauty in all things, and you can't help but think, "remember when I was like that?" I think this novel has endured the test of time because everyone can identify with Anne in some way; she brings back pleasant memories, and you can't help but smile when you read her amusing antics.

It was a joy to read Anne's road to adulthood. Her friendship with Diana is so sweet and dramatic. Her relationship with the Cuthberts is heart-warming. She leaves an impact on everyone she meets. It was inspiring to read about her hard work and dedication to school/education. Her experience with the Queen's exam hit home with me because I have to take/taken the SAT. Although this novel is overwhelmingly sweet, it is also "dark;" it's realistic. It mentions death, loss, aging, adulthood, etc. These dark elements round out the story, and give some maturity to the text: it's not a perfect world. It was also bittersweet reading Anne grow up because she loses her boldness and part of herself. 

I enjoyed this novel, particularly the beautiful imagery, but found it difficult to continue reading on occasions. Some stories were a little redundant, and they bored me. When I was bored, I started to hate reading Anne's lengthy monologues all over again.