Courting the Classics: Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables Review

Review by Dawn

“But if you call me Anne, please call me Anne with an ‘e.’”

Anne of Green Gables by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery is one of the foremost timeless, and ageless, classics of twentieth century literature, spanning effortlessly across decades and various age groups. While not her only work of fiction, this first installment of what would become known as the “Anne series” was undoubtedly her most notable.

What began as a serial for a Sunday school paper, quickly became one of the most-beloved children stories, and spurred an entire series, numerous side stories, as well as several movies, television series, and theater productions. The depth of this world that the author developed inside the fictional, small town of Avonlea, within her birthplace of Prince Edward Island, and the community within it, is so lush and rich, it is not long at all before you are transported into this world.

Based in the latter half of the 19th century, it chronicles the first five years of life in Avonlea for a young orphan named Anne Shirley. Eleven years old when the story opens, it is difficult to dislike this awkward and outspoken girl, who immediately endears to the heart. With her red hair and temper to match, which readers learn are the bane of her existence, as well as her talkative nature and an imagination that has consistently gotten her into a world of trouble, she has never truly fit in anywhere from the time she was three months old when both her parents suddenly died of typhoid fever.

Having read this novel for the first time as an adult, married with a child of my own, I was not expecting it to have the effect it did. To be able to relate to a young orphan of eleven at the age of twenty seemed unfathomable to me. However, from the very first page, I was drawn into this story, even without the immediate introduction of Anne herself.

The strongest point within the novel is not simply the story of this young girl, but the characters within it. There are few novels that can sustain such a menagerie of strong “secondary” characters, without leaving the reader feeling overwhelmed with detail. While each one of the characters in the novel is vitally important and left a remarkable and unique mark on the story, the relationships they share with this girl are still individual and believable.

Beginning with Rachel Lynde, the meddling neighbor of Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, the anticipated arrival of Anne is set up incredibly well. We see just how much of an impact this child will have on this small, quiet town as the woman observes the odd behavior of the shy, reclusive bachelor. She says:

“‘I’ll just step over to Green Gables after tea and find out from Marilla where he’s gone and why,’” the worthy woman finally concluded. “‘He doesn’t generally go to town this time of year and he never visits; if he’d run out of turnip seed he wouldn’t dress up and take the buggy to go for more; he wasn’t driving fast enough to be going for a doctor. Yet something must have happened since last night to start him off. I’m clean puzzled, that’s what, and I won’t know a minute’s peace of mind or conscience until I know what has taken Matthew Cuthbert out of Avonlea today.’”

Matthew Cuthbert, expecting to arrive at Bright River to retrieve a young orphan boy to help on the farm, is surprised to only find the skinny, freckled redhead there waiting for him. Yet the bond that immediately grows between the two of them on the drive back to Green Gables undeniably sets the course for the remainder of the story. Her constant chatter is, for once, a relief to someone and he even admits to enjoying it, as well as being amused by her imaginative labels on seemingly ordinary things, such as “White Way of Delight” for The Avenue and “Lake of Shining Waters” for Barry’s Pond.

Marilla Cuthbert, on the other hand, becomes just as much of a key character as Anne herself, yet her stern, hardened exterior causes the attachment to the girl herself to be far more gradual. Upon learning of the mistake made, her initial reaction is shock at the dramatic, talkative nature of the girl, and she intends to send her back. However, she quickly learns that once Anne Shirley touches your life, you are irrevocably changed.

Much the same can be said of her “bosom friend,” Diana Barry. Anne encourages Diana’s world of imagination, which beforehand had been frowned upon by her mother, and the friendship formed between them is extraordinarily palpable. Then of course, Gilbert Blythe, with whom she forms a complex relationship. From the moment he calls her “carrots,” unaware of her intense dislike for her red hair, and she in turn smashes her slate over his head, a rivalry is sparked between them, one that brings out the best—and worst—in each other.

Last but not least is Anne herself, who in many respects is an exemplary demonstration of how courage and perseverance can guide you toward any path you choose, and also to never judge a book by its cover. Throughout her life she was labeled by society; despite her high intelligence, her outspoken nature and the fact that she was an orphan child never allowed her the opportunity to thrive. This one character evokes a myriad of emotions from the reader from the moment she steps into the lives of the Cuthberts. You join in her exhilaration and excitement, experience her “depths of despair,” laugh at her antics, and cry at her heartbreaks.

Each time I’ve read this wonderful book, I’ve found myself turning the pages as eagerly as the first time I read it; I’m always anxious to see what Anne Shirley would get herself into—and subsequently out of—next. Containing one of the most relatable leading characters ever written, this incredible novel has survived the generations with Anne’s beautiful combination of strength, determination, and insecurities with which readers of any age can correlate. Whether you’re a young child coming to age along with her, or an adult reading through and remembering when, this is a story that can easily be enjoyed time and time again for many years to come.

Mark Twain once said Montgomery’s Anne was “the dearest and most moving and delightful child since the immortal Alice.”

Lucy Maud Montgomery published Anne of Green Gables in 1908. The popularity of her book led to eight sequels, a movie adaptation, several miniseries, the television series Road to Avonlea and most recently an animated series.

Montgomery was the first female in Canada to be named a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in England and was invested in the Order of the British Empire in 1935.

Dawn is the author of 13 online stories. Originally from Western Massachusetts, she now resides in Arizona with her son. She enjoys writing, reading and playing video games.

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