Book 32, Anne of Green Gables (1908) - Lucy Maud Montgomery
From a publisher:
“When siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert decide to send word to an orphanage for a little boy to help on their land, both their lives are forever changed by an unexpected mistake—an 11-year-old girl named Anne Shirley. A young, imaginative, spunky, red-haired orphan arrives, longing for a real family, friends, and a place to call home. Through a series of lessons and adventures she soon captures the hearts of the Cuthberts and all those around her in the small town of Avonlea.”
Other useful links:
the Wikipedia entry for Lucy Maud Montgomery
the Wikipedia entry for Anne of Green Gables
My thoughts:
I’m rereading this again since it is the 100th anniversary of the book and it’s probably been about 12 years since I read it last. I’m looking at it with quite a different perspective.
–
I read this in a couple of days in late August while lounging at the pool. I did definitely have a different perspective this time ’round. I read Margaret Atwood’s analysis of the book in which she says that the true heroine of the book is Marilla, and this time I paid particular attention to Marilla’s development. I also tried to read it with a view to the Canadian literature which preceded it and was able to compare it to Little Women (very favourably—I didn’t care for the moralising of the latter book. Of course all of that extra background knowledge and focus did not detract a whit from the exuberance, joy, and pathos of Anne’s story.
If you’ve not read this book before, I urge you to pick it up. It’s such a delight.