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Reader discussion: Anne of Green Gables

Public reader discussion about Anne of Green Gables in the WeRead Catalog by L. M. Montgomery.

What's up with "Anne of Green Gables"?

By Proud-Fork

I’m reading this mostly out of curiosity and I’m basically at the end. I get that it’s very much a product of its era, so I can tolerate the weird little quirks, even if some of them feel a little off now. The way it uses words like “ejaculate” and “queer” comes off as kind of funny, and there’s also that subplot where a teacher is supposedly grooming one of Anne’s more grown-up classmates… which is not exactly subtle. Anne is a pretty unusual kid though. She’s about 11, but she reminds me of a mix of characters I’ve seen—like she’s got that unexpectedly big vocab and smart thoughts for her age. Then she can also be really dramatic in a way that feels familiar. And the whole nonstop talking and getting herself into messes is pretty much her thing. She has a wild imagination, but she’s not totally clueless either—she’ll talk about things like regret and making up for it—though she still feels a bit too immature to really grasp forgiveness in a deep way. Also the way she talks about her “bosom buddy” is intense, like soulmate/spouse energy, and I don’t know that most people nowadays relate to their friends that way. Still, she’s always trying to find someone she connects with. She can be annoying, yeah, but in a way that’s also kind of refreshing. She stays good-hearted but still acts like an actual kid, trying to figure her place in the world. What still blows my mind is how insanely popular everything has been—character, series, whole franchises. I expected movies and TV and plays, sure, but I didn’t expect books following her all the way into her 70s. And I think there were even a couple anime series? The sales were apparently massive too, like tens of millions, translated into a bunch of languages. It’s a cool character and story, but I honestly can’t fully wrap my head around why it lasted and why it hits so widely. So yeah—what do you think of Anne of Green Gables?

Just reread Anne of Green Gables

By neutronsaddle

It was really nice. I feel like Anne is even funnier than I remembered, but I’m guessing I was probably still too young the last time I read it. I also got pretty emotional near the end. Luckily I’ve got Anne of Avonlea here with me, so I’m excited to keep going—especially to read more about Gilbert. ;-) When I was in fourth grade we had this “Read at Dismissal” thing where we’d read whatever book we had from the classroom until the bus was called. Some kids probably weren’t into it, but I loved it. My classroom had a bunch of Anne books, and I just worked my way through them. I ran into a lot of words I didn’t know, but I still enjoyed the whole time.

Looking back on the time I gave Anne of Green Gables a try [mild spoilers]

By IanInAustin

I’ve been going through the classics and, like a year ago, I grabbed Anne. My first hour was pretty much exactly like this: The book starts with this ridiculously long run-on sentence, and it goes on for a bit about Anne’s “potential step-father” coming to get her. Not gonna lie, I thought, okay, rough start—this is gonna be a slog. Then she gets picked up, they drive home, and Anne just keeps talking nonsense the whole way. They finally get there. Then it’s: Stepmum: I ordered a boy. Take this girl back. Stepdad: :( Anne: :'( Me: :'( And somehow I couldn’t stop after that. It ended up becoming one of my top ten favorites. Anne is seriously an adorable little weirdo.

Looking for books like Anne of Green Gables

By HardcoverVolume74

Hi! I’m trying to find some books that are similar to Anne of Green Gables, or any dramas that take place around that same time period. Thank you :)

ISO a copy of the animated Anne of Green Gables (1979) by Isao Takahata! Or Kon'nichiwa Anne: Before Green Gables by Katsuyoshi Yatabe!

By midnight-thyme6

Honestly not sure, but I saw it on YouTube.

Did anyone else who read the Anne of Green Gables books dislike the Netflix series "Anne with an E" that adapted them?

By ivyharbor

Just to be clear, this is 100% my opinion, not some kind of fact—I’m totally open to people disagreeing and replying (I’d even like to see different takes). I honestly can’t pin down one specific reason I didn’t vibe with the series. It’s more like… the characters don’t feel the same to me. A lot of people say it’s super faithful to the books, but I don’t get that “in their core” feeling. They’ve changed quite a bit, and I feel like they could’ve just asked me to look at it on its own and not keep comparing, but I can’t help it. And yeah, I get that they might want a new interpretation and it doesn’t have to match exactly, I’m not even saying it should be identical. Still, I’m curious—does anyone else reading this feel the same way?

Comforting books for adults similar to Anne of Green Gables.

By shelfEnzyme

I really love the Anne of Green Gables series, and I’m also a huge fan of stuff like The Girl of the Limberlost. Even though it seems like these books are usually meant for kids, I still enjoy them just as much now that I’m older. Does anyone have recommendations for similar novels? I’d especially like ones that take place before the 1960s. Thanks :)

Anyone know where I can find Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning?

By kettleglade

If you’re trying to get the Blu-ray or DVD, I think you’d have to grab it from the official Sullivan Productions store, unless you’re looking at resale places. For the streaming version, renting or buying, it seems like Gazebo is the only option since it’s their streaming service for Sullivan stuff. I personally have it because I bought a set that came with the other Sullivan Anne movies too.

I have finished 'Anne of Green Gables"

By ReefCedar

So I actually commented on this book before I finished it, which probably wasn’t the smartest move, but I still feel the same about it as I did back then. And yeah—the ending is what really sealed it for me. You can tell Anne’s finally growing up in a real way, getting more serious, thinking about what matters, and dealing with stuff that’s not all fun and games anymore. She pulls off big wins like passing the exam and getting the scholarship, but then everything starts hitting harder with Matthew’s health going downhill, the family possibly having to sell Green Gables, and Marilla’s eyes getting worse. The part where Anne gives up her scholarship to take a local teaching job so she can be closer to Marilla says a lot. It also doesn’t feel randomly thrown in—the emotions, the conversations, and the reveals all land pretty smoothly. I also really like that Anne doesn’t act like she forgot where she came from or who helped her. Even if she talks a bit less as time goes on, her personality and heart are still there. And I like that she finally learns from her mistakes and even works on forgiving herself, because it honestly needed to happen. Plus, Gilbert’s sacrifice at the end—helping her get that teaching position closer to home—was a big “wow” moment. Anne doesn’t take it like a pity thing either; she understands it’s about respect and handles it really graciously. It’s kind of a reminder that pride and immaturity can mess up a friendship and cost you time, but at least it can still be fixed. Overall, I think the ending makes it worth it, and it really does feel like it sets her up for the next stages of her life. I’m not sure when I’ll get to the sequels, but I get why this book is considered a classic and I can see the merit in it.

What motivates you to read?

By DavidInBrooklyn9

I keep wondering this: why do people read? Lately I’ve been seeing everyone post their “books I read this year” lists, and there are always comments like “I was too busy, I only read because I had to” (kids, textbooks, school stuff), or people saying romance doesn’t “really count,” or YA/middle grade/manga/graphic novels shouldn’t count either. For me, I do include my textbooks in my yearly list. And I’m also the type who actively picks up picture books and other kids books. I read to learn stuff and to see other people’s perspectives, and that definitely includes textbooks and kids books too. I get that everyone can keep score however they want since nobody’s being graded… unless you’re in college, I guess. It’s just been making me curious what actually drives people to read and stick with it, because it seems like the “reasons” are totally different from person to person.

Actor Jonathan Crombie, famed for role as Gilbert Blythe on Anne of Green Gables TV series, dead at 48

By SceneVector

Oh no, my poor broken heart!

A grown-up version of Anne of Green Gables?

By windcocoa89

Anne of Green Gables is one of my all-time favorites. It honestly has such a warm spot in my heart. I loved the books (and the whole series) a ton growing up, and the TV adaptation didn’t disappoint either—it just made me want more when it was over. So… is there an adult version of Anne out there? Like, does anyone know a book that gives off the same kind of wholesome, wonder-filled vibe? Edit: I’m kinda shocked by how many people replied! Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and the conversation. It makes me really happy to see how much Anne and similar stories have stuck with you too.

[Discussion] Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery, Chapters 1 - 10

By rhoding8

I’m back for our first chat about Anne of Green Gables! We’re on the first 10 chapters today, so please no spoilers past that. This was my absolute favorite book when I was around 11, but I haven’t read it again since then, so I think this is going to be a really weird little nostalgia trip, and I’m happy you’re coming along for it. I put my recap of the first ten chapters below, and the questions are in the comments. Next discussion is Thursday for Chapters 11-19, hosted by my bosom friend u/Joinedformyhubs! It opens in Avonlea, a made-up town inspired by Cavendish on Prince Edward Island. Mrs. Rachel Lynde, who basically lives for gossip, spots Matthew Cuthbert driving by in his buggy in his good clothes. Matthew is a shy older bachelor who keeps to himself out at Green Gables with his spinster sister Marilla, so naturally Rachel has to find out where he’s going. So she heads over to Green Gables to question Marilla. What Rachel finds out is wild: the Cuthberts are planning to adopt a little boy! Marilla’s friend Mrs. Spencer went off to Nova Scotia to bring home a little girl, so Marilla told her to just pick up a boy instead while she was there, because apparently that was a thing. “I went to the store, do you want anything? Milk, eggs, a child?” Kid really shows up with “my friend went to Nova Scotia and all I got was this orphan.” The idea is to get a boy who’s about 10 or 11, old enough to help Matthew with farm work but still young enough to be taught right. Marilla promises Rachel she’ll actually care for the child and educate him and not just use him for labor. (Kind of unsettling that people really did adopt kids for cheap work, which we find out more about later.) But Matthew does need help, and the other option is hiring a French boy, who would probably just take off to the lobster canneries. I still have no idea if that’s a Canadian thing, but as a kid I just assumed any weird bit like that in these books was “a Canadian thing,” and honestly I still do. Rachel is appalled and starts listing all the terrible things she’s heard orphans do, like burning down houses, poisoning wells, and sucking eggs. Marilla doesn’t really care and says everything has risks, plus the child is from Nova Scotia and not, you know, the United States. Thanks, Marilla. Then Matthew gets to the station and realizes a huge mistake has happened: the child waiting for him is a girl. What is he supposed to do, tell this poor kid she’s unwanted? No, he’s going to take her home and let Marilla be the one to tell her. If you’re not listening to this as an audiobook, I really think you should, at least for this part. u/LiteraryReadIt suggested Karen Savage’s free LibriVox version, which is what I’ve been using. Just reading Anne’s lines on the page doesn’t really hit the same way hearing them does. By the end of this chapter my brain felt kind of blown apart. On the ride back to Green Gables, Anne basically talks Matthew’s ear off. She says if he hadn’t come along, she would’ve slept in a cherry tree. She tells him she loves naming things and used to make up names for the other orphans at the asylum, then starts renaming every place they pass. She also says she hates being skinny and red-haired and wishes she were plump with black hair, which confused me as a plump black-haired kid and still confuses me as a plump black-haired adult. For the record, I think red hair is gorgeous. She wants a white dress too, and I just have to say that if I had a nickel for every book I’ve run for r/bookclub where a girl named Anne wanted a white dress and didn’t want to go back to an asylum, I’d have ten cents. Not much, but weirdly it’s happened twice. Once they get to Green Gables, Marilla decides it’s a good idea to argue with Matthew about Anne not being a boy right in front of Anne, and then acts shocked when Anne starts crying. After that, Marilla is the first person in the story to actually ask Anne her name. Anne tries to get her to call her Cordelia, but Marilla thinks practical names are better. Which is funny coming from Marilla, honestly. I’ve only ever heard of one other Marilla in my life, and that one was also an L. M. Montgomery character. Anyway, we finally learn her name is Anne Shirley, and yes, Anne should absolutely have the e. Marilla isn’t sure where Anne should sleep that night. She wasn’t going to make her sleep on the couch like she planned for the boy (???) but she also doesn’t think Anne deserves the spare room (???!!!), so she puts her in the east gable. The next day, Marilla takes Anne to Mrs. Spencer’s to figure out what went wrong and maybe return her. Matthew doesn’t want her sent back, and Marilla is already starting to have doubts too, though she won’t admit it. On the way, Marilla asks Anne about her life before this. Anne was orphaned as a baby and spent her first eight years with Mr. and Mrs. Thomas. Mr. Thomas was an abusive drunk, and Mrs. Thomas made Anne help raise her kids. Then Mr. Thomas got hit by a train and died, and Mrs. Thomas’s mother-in-law took in Mrs. Thomas and her kids, but not Anne. So Anne went to live with Mrs. Hammond, who also used her as free childcare. Mrs. Hammond had three sets of twins, so honestly Anne probably has some kind of trauma response around twins. Then Mr. Hammond died and Mrs. Hammond gave her kids to relatives and moved to the U.S., and Anne ended up in an overcrowded orphanage, which is where Mrs. Spencer found her. Marilla is horrified by all of that and feels even worse about sending Anne away. It gets worse once they reach Mrs. Spencer’s place and find out Mrs. Spencer wouldn’t even take Anne back to the orphanage herself — she’d hand her straight over to Mrs. Blewett, a cruel woman looking for a girl to do child labor. Marilla immediately starts changing her tune: oh no, she never really meant to get rid of Anne, she just wanted to understand how the mistake happened! Sure. And then she heads back to Green Gables with Anne, away from the scary woman who wants a free servant. So now Marilla is in a situation she never expected: she’s going to raise a little girl. It starts off rough because she learns Anne doesn’t pray, since she’s never really forgiven God for giving her red hair. Still, Marilla gets her to pray somehow, even if it sounds more like a letter than an actual prayer. (Marilla says she’s going to have Anne read The Peep of Day, a kids’ religious book you can find on Project Gutenberg if you want to be bored senseless. There is really no room for imagination in The Peep of Day.) Marilla’s first real test comes two weeks later when Rachel Lynde meets Anne for the first time. Rachel just flat out calls her an ugly redhead to her face, and Anne explodes and calls Rachel fat, clumsy, and unimaginative. I don’t think Rachel fully realizes how insulting “unimaginative” is when Anne says it. Now Marilla is stuck in a super awkward spot. She wants to tell Rachel she’ll punish Anne, but she also can’t pretend Rachel didn’t act badly too. I’m going to go out on a limb and say I’m also not in favor of bullying orphans. It doesn’t help that Marilla is horrified when Rachel suggests beating Anne with a switch. Anne suggests being thrown in a dungeon instead, and Marilla has to remind her that Green Gables is a farmhouse. The next day Anne still won’t come out and apologize to Rachel. Matthew finally goes around Marilla and asks Anne himself. Anne agrees, mostly for his sake. Of course, her apology is as dramatic as possible, with lines like how she deserves to be punished forever and be cast out by decent people and how it will be a lifelong sorrow for a poor little orphan girl. My favorite part is still when she says what she said was true, but she shouldn’t have said it. Marilla can tell Anne is sort of enjoying herself. But Rachel is completely charmed and even tells Anne she thinks her hair will turn auburn when she’s older. And as Anne and Marilla head back to Green Gables, Anne says how happy she is to finally have a home.

Where's Gilbert?, or, thoughts on re-reading Anne of Green Gables

By ProudEnvelope6414

I decided to do a reread of the Anne of Green Gables series for the new year, and honestly it’s been ages since I last picked them up. Those books (and a lot of Montgomery’s stuff) were basically the start of my reading life as a kid, so I feel like they’re a big reason I’m still reading now. I think what you take from a book changes when you reread it, especially as you get older. And rereading Anne now, with “middle-aged” eyes or whatever, I can’t stop wondering where Gilbert is. In my teens, if I’d been asked who my literary boyfriend was, it would’ve been Gilbert Blythe without question. But now—after a few decades—I’m kind of shocked by how little he shows up, at least in the first three books. Anne and Gilbert don’t really reconcile until the end of the first one, and before that he barely has any actual dialogue besides the early stuff (the carrots/slate thing) and then the Elaine rescue. He also feels like more of an off-page presence in Anne of Avonlea: he’s supposedly her best friend, she spends a ton of time with him, but in the book itself he barely speaks. I’m about 3/4 through Anne of the Island and I’m still surprised by how much of him is just mentioned in passing instead of him feeling like a real character there. It’s kind of bumming me out, and I miss how easy it was to just go along with everything when I was younger.

L.M.Montgomery is an underrated author

By gauzily

I know she’s mostly known for “Anne of Green Gables,” but honestly that was when she was just starting out, and there’s so much more to her than that. I really love her later books and a lot of the short stories—they feel insanely good. My favorites are the Emily ones (“Emily of New Moon,” “Emily’s Quest,” and “Emily Climbs” too… basically the whole Emily trilogy) and then later Anne books like “Rainbow Valley” and “Rilla of Ingleside.” “A Tangled Web” also grabbed me right away, but since it’s an older book, I’d really suggest people check ahead of time—there’s some upsetting/triggering language in a few spots. The actual story is still magnificent, though. It’s kind of different from “Anne of Green Gables,” which is more upbeat but with characters that feel pretty lightly sketched. Her later stuff has a lot more humor, sharper insight, and characters that feel way more alive. I grew up with these books, and just thinking about them makes my chest ache for some reason. The plots can be a little cliché sometimes (that “orphaned girl learns how to fit in somewhere new” thing), but they’re still genuinely great reads. I just wish they got more love. I remember spending days as a kid staring at the covers. The ones I was lucky enough to read back then had these really lovely covers, and even now something about them still pulls at me. I can’t even really put into words what I feel about these books, or the covers. I guess posting this is my way of trying to share that painful little longing with other people. I’m really glad I got to read them.

Anne of Green Gables, but for adults

By Reed_Shadow

I used to love the Anne series when I was a kid/teen, and I started an audiobook of it last night. It instantly brought back why I really like L.M. Montgomery—everything feels calm and a little whimsical, and the characters/dialogue are so fun. Also, I appreciate that it isn’t overly sugary; it’s got a real sense of humor too. Any recommendations for something that has a similar vibe, but geared more toward adults? Jane Austen is kind of the closest thing I can think of, but I’ve already read everything by her.

[Discussion] Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery

By field_simple

Welcome all to the first chat for Anne of Avonlea! We’re going over chapters 1 to 11 today. Quick reminder too that there’s a pretty strict spoiler rule here. If you’re unsure what counts as a spoiler, check the spoiler policy link. If you want to talk about stuff past these chapters, the Marginalia is the place for that. Also, the schedule link is here. I An Irate Neighbor We meet Mr. J. A. Harrison, who has bought Mr. Robert Bell’s farm. He seems to have a few odd habits, and he’s annoyed because Anne’s cow has once again been helping itself to his oats. There are some rude words on both sides, but Anne does promise the cow won’t be getting into his oats anymore. II Selling in Haste and Repenting at Leisure Coming back from the Improvement Society with Diana, Anne spots a cow in Mr. Harrison’s oats. She gets furious and tries to shove it out, and then Jim Shearer turns up and offers to buy the cow from her again, which she agrees to right away. Only it turns out the cow isn’t her Jersey cow at all, but Mr. Harrison’s. III Mr. Harrison at Home Anne goes over to Mr. Harrison’s place to explain that she accidentally sold his cow. She brings cake to help things along. They end up being friends pretty quickly, even though Ginger, his parrot, is awful and talks like a drunken sailor. IV Different Opinions Jane Andrews, Gilbert Blythe, and Anne Shirley talk about teaching and all the good and bad parts of it. They get into disciplining children, and Jane says she’d whip her kids if they disobeyed. Anne really doesn’t agree and asks her not to do that. They ask Gilbert what he thinks, and not wanting to annoy either of them, he says he can see both sides. V A Full-fledged Schoolma’am Anne’s first day of teaching finally comes, and she’s nervous, which makes sense. It goes mostly fine, with only two discipline moments. Anthony Pye clearly doesn’t like her, and Anne is set on winning him over by being kind to him. VI All Sorts and Conditions of Men . . . and women The Avonlea Village Improvement Society goes around the area asking people for donations for their project. Diana and Anne cover one side, and Gilbert and Fred take the other. They collect a decent amount and also stop to see Mr. Daniel Blair’s new baby. VII The Pointing of Duty Gilbert and Anne talk more about teaching, and Gilbert says nice things about how all her students seem to like her. Anne says Anthony Pye still doesn’t, and probably won’t, but she’s still hoping patience and kindness will work. Gilbert leaves, and Anne gets tea ready for Marilla. When Marilla comes in, she says her cousin Mary is getting worse and there won’t be anyone to care for her twins. Anne gets Marilla to agree that they have a duty to adopt them. VIII Marilla Adopts Twins The twins are Davy and Dora. Dora is very neat and proper, while Davy is way more wild and likes getting dirty. At church, Davy embarrasses Marilla and Anne by causing a scene. He drops a caterpillar down Loretta White’s neck, and Loretta totally freaks out, which honestly seems fair. Davy feels bad after that and starts treating Paul Irving like the perfect little gentleman. Later that night he tells Anne he put a toad in Marilla’s bed as a prank. I laughed at that. Anne gets rid of the toad and starts worrying about how she’ll handle Davy at home and Anthony at school. IX A Question of Color This is probably my favorite chapter just because of how ridiculous the whole hall-color situation is. It’s kind of funny how something so small could cause that much fuss. Because of a mix-up with the paint numbers, the hall gets painted a deep bright blue instead of green. Since the painting was arranged by the A.V.I.S., Anne is worried they’ll get blamed. But actually the community ends up being sympathetic to them. X Davy in Search of a Sensation Anne comes home and finds Marilla panicking because Dora has gone missing. After a lot of searching, it turns out Davy locked his sister in Mr. Harrison’s tool house. XI Facts and Fancies Anne writes to a friend from Queen’s Academy and sends along some letters from her students.

Immortal American Kids’ characters

By ReadsZenith

Why doesn’t the US really have one of those forever characters like a Winnie-the-Pooh or a Hardy Potter situation? I feel like we do have classics (Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, Tom Sawyer), and even bigger series like Junie B. Jones, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Diary of a Wimpy Kid— but they don’t seem to hit that “timeless for everyone” vibe. They feel kind of boxed in as more for one gender, or a little dated, or just not old enough. Same thing with “for tweens” books; I’m not sure the Giver is strictly for little kids either. We definitely dominate cartoons though—Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Spongebob, Tom and Jerry, all that. But an immortal character that started in a book and has been getting new books for decades, not aimed at boys vs girls (even if that’s a cliché, it still happens) or at tweens—just kids—feels harder to name. The closest I can think of are Cat in the Hat and maybe Wizard of Oz (since that has multiple characters). Am I missing something, or did I just overlook a bunch of them? What would you pick?

L. M. Montgomery’s Plain Jane: Though not as well known as Anne of Green Gables, Montgomery’s Jane of Lantern Hill also explores domesticity, freedom, and, yes, Prince Edward Island.

By Juniper_Footnote2607

I’m pretty sure this is the only LMM book I haven’t read yet. Guess I should fix that. I grew up in PEI, so I really like her voice—it’s the kind I end up coming back to a lot. Feels like our own Jane Austen, just for how she watches people.

What passage from a book gives you a feeling of nostalgia for a place you've never been, or a sense of well-being?

By NinaInTucson95

One I’d pick is from *Ribsy* by Beverly Cleary. It’s about this dog who ends up getting lost, and at one point a really sweet older lady lets him in because he looks like he’s starving. She doesn’t have any dog food, but she makes him scrambled eggs and hangs out with him for a bit. I don’t know, I just remember thinking it sounded so comforting—like a hungry dog trying to find his way home, and somebody actually being kind enough to cook him eggs.