The Complete Anne of Green Gables [Books 1-8]

I discovered a Kindred Spirit in Anne and L.M. Montgomery. It was really nice to follow Anne as she grew up, taught at school, went to the university, fell in love, got married, had children, lost children... in later books, after she gets married to Gilbert, Anne kind of fades away in the background and other characters - her children, the Merediths, Susan - become more central. The spirit and main themes of the book doesn't change though - they are about kindness and trying to be a good human, truly good, not just for the appearances good. It's a lot about hypocrisy. They are not really critical of religion as such, but often highlight ways religion can be misinterpreted and misused. There is also a lot of romance in these books, show more quite a lot of matchmaking and forbidden love. And they are also about the beauty of nature and the loveliness of Prince Edward Island in all the seasons. It's also interesting to observe how modernity is introduced - such as telephones, automobiles, airplanes, voting for women - and how they change the society.

A wonderful world that I felt lucky to visit and that will stay with me. show less

After many years, I have decided to revisit this classic series. My mother first introduced me to the series when I was twelve years old and I have read it several times since. As a younger reader, "Anne of Green Gables" was always my least favourite. Now, forty years later, I was thoroughly entertained by this book. I loved all the descriptions of Green Gables and Avonlea, and the innocence of a bygone era.

Matthew Cuthbert, Gilbert Blythe and Aunt Josephine were always my favourite characters, and they remained so. However, I was surprised by how much I liked Anne and Marilla. For some unknown reason, I have always remembered Marilla as a hard, unforgiving woman, but I discovered she really had a heart of gold and loved Anne as though show more she was her own daughter.

As for Anne herself, she used to annoy me with the antics and continual talking, but this time I admired her incorrigible spirit, her love of nature, her vivid imagination and her passion for stories. In fact I found myself close to tears at times when she talked about her past life.

Although written over a century ago, I found" Anne of Green Gables" a charming, delightful read which still has much appeal for today's modern readers. show less

So rare is it to find a set of books that maintains a character's progression from childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood with such verve and insight. Another aspect present in all novels that is an unusual but delightful journey in itself is how grounded each book is to Prince Edward Island, its flora and fauna, its seasons and natural whims. The characters' attachment to place is prevalent and necessary, as well as artfully interwoven. The books are timeless and will leave an everlasting impression upon the reader.

Okay, there's no way I can be objective about this series. I first read these books as an impressionable child (I can't even remember how old I was, but using the publication date as a guide, as well as the ragged state of the paperboard slipcover encasing the books, I'm guessing I was around 10 years old). From the very first moment, I wanted to be Anne, to have that red hair of hers, to stand on the porch of Green Gables and look out over the rolling green fields, to wiggle my toes into the wind-swept dunes of Prince Edward Island. Over the years, I never relinquished my childish fantasy; in fact, I only reinforced it through repeated readings of the novels. And I still imagine that one day, I will travel to P.E.I. I will visit Green show more Gables and stand on that porch; I will see those dunes and feel the salty sea air in my now-red hair (thank you Clairol).It's true that not all the books in the series are equal in quality. The first three, I'd say, are the strongest, when Anne is still discovering her world and her place in it. Subsequent books became more prone to flights of fancy and romance, yet, despite that, Anne never lost her power to enthrall and inspire, and although her temper certainly mellowed, she never lost her fire. Frankly, I can't imagine a better role model for a young girl. Anne stood by me on those days when I felt sick, depressed, just downright awful about myself and the world. My first stirrings of romance and how love should be formed around Anne and Gilbert's "courting," even down to their very first moments when she cracked her slate over his head because he called her "Carrots." (After reading that scene, I realized the boy knocking me down in the playground wasn't actually being mean to me, but was expressing that he liked me. Silly boys.) Most importantly, I learned from Anne the importance of being oneself, even if doing so makes you stand out from the rest of the crowd. show less

I still think the first book in the series surpasses the others thus far, but I do enjoy reading the remaining books despite some Edwardian prose. The letters in Anne of Windy Poplars were occasionally hard to get through, but Montgomery characterizes Anne, Marilla, Rachel, and a diverse cast of minor characters so well that reading these books feels like visiting with old friends. I'm only on Anne's House Of Dreams now and was surprised how short a chapter was devoted to the wedding, but I still love the work all the way.

You can't go wrong with this classic series for girls. Anne Shirley is a character with plenty of pluck, but as the series progresses, she learns needed and appropriate lessons in becoming a woman. Some of the ideas within this series may be dated as of 2017, since this series is set from the 1870's through the late 1910's. Still, the stories are solid, and historical norms and context aside, it really is a series worth reading.

I got as far as the wedding in Anne's House of Dreams (skipping Windy Poplars because... Good god, why?!) and I've no interest in Anne becoming a mother (especially because all the child characters are insanely annoying and unrealistic and I have a bad feeling about Anne's kids! I skipped any Davy or Paul Irving heavy chapters!). I just wanted to get to a "Happy Ending!" and keep fond memories! The first 3 books are gorgeous, super easy relaxing reads that I think enjoyed even more as an adult than I did at 11-12 years old!

No reason not to pick this collection up for 99p on Kindle!