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Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.Tags
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Member Reviews
My heart is so thoroughly tied to Anne of Green Gables, I did not think I could fall any deeper in love.
I was so deliciously wrong.
Anne of the Island was like finding a piece of my soul tucked away in a a novel. Anne has always been a kindred spirit, but it still surprises and delights that a novel written a century ago can tug so sweetly at my heart. I grew up with Anne's story, but did not indulge in the books until recently. When I read Anne of Green Gables, I forced myself to be patient as I waited so some of my favorite adventures to appear. When they did not appear in Anne of Avonlea, I lost faith.
Anne of the Island had all my favorite missing bits from the Anne television program I grew up watching, and so much more! From the show more Rollings Reliable Baking Powder Company to all the bits with Gilbert Blythe.... It was all there, every little piece of my melted heart along with prose that grips the imagination and summons forth tears and laughter with equal ease. I met darling Philippa and delighted in Patty's Place with it's little orchard and two china dogs, and in the three sweet cats.
Most of all, reading Anne of the Island was like meeting a bosom friend deep in a flowering wood, when apple blossoms scent the air and birds flutter softly overhead. Anne is and ever will be a dear friend. It seems, sometimes, she knows all my secret worries and wishes, and knows all the right things to say.
If she were flesh and blood I would embrace her tightly, but I am grateful to have her in these pages, and that she has many adventures yet.
I recommend not only Anne of the Island, but the entire Anne of Green Gables series to anybody and everybody. From her childhood fancies to her mature philosophies, Anne Shirley is the most enchanting character I have ever met. show less
I was so deliciously wrong.
Anne of the Island was like finding a piece of my soul tucked away in a a novel. Anne has always been a kindred spirit, but it still surprises and delights that a novel written a century ago can tug so sweetly at my heart. I grew up with Anne's story, but did not indulge in the books until recently. When I read Anne of Green Gables, I forced myself to be patient as I waited so some of my favorite adventures to appear. When they did not appear in Anne of Avonlea, I lost faith.
Anne of the Island had all my favorite missing bits from the Anne television program I grew up watching, and so much more! From the show more Rollings Reliable Baking Powder Company to all the bits with Gilbert Blythe.... It was all there, every little piece of my melted heart along with prose that grips the imagination and summons forth tears and laughter with equal ease. I met darling Philippa and delighted in Patty's Place with it's little orchard and two china dogs, and in the three sweet cats.
Most of all, reading Anne of the Island was like meeting a bosom friend deep in a flowering wood, when apple blossoms scent the air and birds flutter softly overhead. Anne is and ever will be a dear friend. It seems, sometimes, she knows all my secret worries and wishes, and knows all the right things to say.
If she were flesh and blood I would embrace her tightly, but I am grateful to have her in these pages, and that she has many adventures yet.
I recommend not only Anne of the Island, but the entire Anne of Green Gables series to anybody and everybody. From her childhood fancies to her mature philosophies, Anne Shirley is the most enchanting character I have ever met. show less
I'm not entirely sure Roy is a real person, but more of a figment of Anne's overblown imagination, and he suffers a merciless death (figuratively) when at last her quixotic dream ceases to sustain itself before her and she grows up. What happens with Anne seldom happens in real life, as it is ludicrously fortunate for her that Gilbert is so indomitable in his love that she gets so many chances, perhaps to an excessive degree (in so far as his contracting typhoid fever in his loveless agony because he can't live without her). The thing is, there is no such thing as a perfect man (or woman) and we are only deceiving ourselves if we think such people exist; they only exist in novels like this. I think this novel should serve as a warning: show more if we let ourselves become like Anne, it may very well cost us the only chance at love we get. show less
The third installment in the Anne series finds Anne heading off to Redmond College in Kingsport, Nova Scotia, to get her BA (and not her M-R-S, as some people seem to think she should focus on instead) and continue on the road to growing up. This book covers that theme beautifully: Anne has to deal with how she herself grows and changes at college, how her perspective of home changes from being away, and how her dearest friendships change over the years, particularly her friendship with Diana. Others, too, change, such as Paul Irving, young Davy and of course our dear Gilbert Blythe. This book offers food for thought, earnest conversations, some very moving passages that made me glad it was bright enough outside to be wearing sunglasses show more while I read, and charming anecdotes that pass the time quickly and pleasantly. Recommended for Anne/Montgomery fans. show less
When I first read this series in middle school, this book was my favorite in the series, and so far, it still is. The only difference is that I can relate more to it now that I’ve finished college.
One of my favorite parts of this book are Anne and her roommates and their moments in Patty’s Place. I love the description of their relationships with each other, the cats, and the overall coziness. The way Anne matures in the book while still holding on to fond memories of the past is bittersweet.
My other favorite part is the romance between Anne and Gilbert. Gilbert is romantic and perfect. When I was younger, I was frustrated by Anne taking so long to realize she’s in love with him, but now that I’m older, I found it amusing at show more times. I also really appreciate a slow burn romance in comparison to all the fast paced romances of today’s books.
I’m excited to continue to see how I relate to Anne in the coming books now that I’ve experienced things she does. show less
One of my favorite parts of this book are Anne and her roommates and their moments in Patty’s Place. I love the description of their relationships with each other, the cats, and the overall coziness. The way Anne matures in the book while still holding on to fond memories of the past is bittersweet.
My other favorite part is the romance between Anne and Gilbert. Gilbert is romantic and perfect. When I was younger, I was frustrated by Anne taking so long to realize she’s in love with him, but now that I’m older, I found it amusing at show more times. I also really appreciate a slow burn romance in comparison to all the fast paced romances of today’s books.
I’m excited to continue to see how I relate to Anne in the coming books now that I’ve experienced things she does. show less
L.M. Montgomery's irrepressible red-headed heroine, Anne Shirley - she of the high ideals, fiery temper, and elfin beauty - returns in this third volume devoted to her adventures, first published in 1915, and following upon the initial Anne of Green Gables (1908), and its first sequel, Anne of Avonlea (1909). Picking up one week after the events of the preceding book, Anne of the Island is the story of Anne's four years at Redmond College, and follows her as she leaves the island - Prince Edward Island, that is - for the fictional town of Kingsport, Nova Scotia. Here she plunges into the labor and leisure of the college experience - her studies, in which (predictably) she excels in English; her friends, both old and new; her living show more situation, first in a boarding house, and then in the delightful Patty's Place; and finally, her first serious "beaus" (and proposals!) - emerging, in the end, transformed from girl to woman.
I have always loved this book, enjoying everything from the love-triangle involving Anne, Gilbert Blythe and Royal Gardner, to the many little holiday and summer interludes, in which Anne returns to Avonlea, and to her circle of family and friends at Green Gables. The doings of those four college girls - Priscilla Grant and Stella Maynard, two of Anne's old school chums from Queens; Philippa Gordon, a flighty but lovable rich girl whom the others meet for the first time at Redmond; and Anne herself - who take up residence together, make for an engaging story (I particularly adore the three cats!), and I cannot think of Patty's Place without wishing that I too had had the experience of living in such a house, while in college!
Of course, this being L.M. Montgomery, it isn't all sweetness and light, and the early death of Ruby Gillis - one of Anne's grade-school chums - from consumption, provides a poignant counter-balance to the more carefree aspects of the story. While there's no doubt that this particular part of the novel functions as a cautionary tale - so much so, that a number of other reviewers have found it offensively preachy - I have always been moved by Anne's genuine struggle, in her discussion with Ruby, to articulate her own inchoate beliefs about the metaphysical. This balancing of the inner and outer life - of the everyday and the eternal - is something I always find particularly well done, in Montgomery's work, and in her characters.
All in all, Anne of the Island was as delightful on this reread (hard to say how many times it's been), as the first time I encountered it! I think I may reread the next "Anne" book - Anne of Windy Poplars - sooner, rather than later. show less
I have always loved this book, enjoying everything from the love-triangle involving Anne, Gilbert Blythe and Royal Gardner, to the many little holiday and summer interludes, in which Anne returns to Avonlea, and to her circle of family and friends at Green Gables. The doings of those four college girls - Priscilla Grant and Stella Maynard, two of Anne's old school chums from Queens; Philippa Gordon, a flighty but lovable rich girl whom the others meet for the first time at Redmond; and Anne herself - who take up residence together, make for an engaging story (I particularly adore the three cats!), and I cannot think of Patty's Place without wishing that I too had had the experience of living in such a house, while in college!
Of course, this being L.M. Montgomery, it isn't all sweetness and light, and the early death of Ruby Gillis - one of Anne's grade-school chums - from consumption, provides a poignant counter-balance to the more carefree aspects of the story. While there's no doubt that this particular part of the novel functions as a cautionary tale - so much so, that a number of other reviewers have found it offensively preachy - I have always been moved by Anne's genuine struggle, in her discussion with Ruby, to articulate her own inchoate beliefs about the metaphysical. This balancing of the inner and outer life - of the everyday and the eternal - is something I always find particularly well done, in Montgomery's work, and in her characters.
All in all, Anne of the Island was as delightful on this reread (hard to say how many times it's been), as the first time I encountered it! I think I may reread the next "Anne" book - Anne of Windy Poplars - sooner, rather than later. show less
At the heart of this exquisite episode into Anne's life is a love story, but it's not merely of romance. Anne falls in love with college and the pursuit of intellect, and that's what makes it one of my favorite books in the series. She finds her college friends, and they form an intimate circle. She starts to write, though this gets downplayed as the book continues--which is odd, since this is one of her dearest wishes. And, yes, she learns what it means to be in love, not just in the fairy stories, but for real.
Let's get spoilery, though. Proceed only if you want to be spoiled.
In the past, I've given Anne a hard time about refusing Gilbert the first time, but rereading it since I've been married has given me a little perspective. I show more have the feeling that if Gilbert had been alive 100 years later, that proposal would not have taken place, because the pressure to marry would have been less existent and he would have seen how very friend-driven Anne was. I think he fell into the trap of social conditioning. Anne, as it was, was not ready to marry *anyone* at that time in her life, and I don't think she would have been happy had she accepted Gilbert then. She had to realize of her own accord that she was in love with him, and to his credit, he backed off once she said no and only tried again when given a friend's encouragement that Anne would possibly be more receptive.
I also think that Royal Gardner exists to show that a *physical* ideal is not the same as your *actual* ideal, because good grief, that man sounded hideously boring. I believe, too, that Anne needed a relationship with a flat and uninteresting character to contrast Gilbert's vibrant and supportive personality. Had she married Roy, she would have been thrust into the role of society wife, for which she was entirely unsuited and unprepared. And that's an alternate-universe fanfic I would be kind of interested in reading, now that you mention it. show less
Let's get spoilery, though. Proceed only if you want to be spoiled.
In the past, I've given Anne a hard time about refusing Gilbert the first time, but rereading it since I've been married has given me a little perspective. I show more have the feeling that if Gilbert had been alive 100 years later, that proposal would not have taken place, because the pressure to marry would have been less existent and he would have seen how very friend-driven Anne was. I think he fell into the trap of social conditioning. Anne, as it was, was not ready to marry *anyone* at that time in her life, and I don't think she would have been happy had she accepted Gilbert then. She had to realize of her own accord that she was in love with him, and to his credit, he backed off once she said no and only tried again when given a friend's encouragement that Anne would possibly be more receptive.
I also think that Royal Gardner exists to show that a *physical* ideal is not the same as your *actual* ideal, because good grief, that man sounded hideously boring. I believe, too, that Anne needed a relationship with a flat and uninteresting character to contrast Gilbert's vibrant and supportive personality. Had she married Roy, she would have been thrust into the role of society wife, for which she was entirely unsuited and unprepared. And that's an alternate-universe fanfic I would be kind of interested in reading, now that you mention it. show less
Despite this book being the one where Anne and Gilbert finally get engaged, it's also the one that convinced me Anne was aro-spec. Her experiences with disillusionment throughout this book felt so familiar to me that I can't read her as anything but on the aromantic spectrum. Anne's revelation of love feels more like a revelation that she doesn't want to live without Gilbert in her life and traditional romantic love/marriage is the only way it's going to happen, so that's how she reacts.
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Author Information
384+ Works 159,227 Members
One of the best-loved children's/young adult authors, Lucy Maud Montgomery was born on November 30, 1874 in Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Canada, the daughter of Hugh John and Clara Woolner. After attending Prince of Wales College and Dalhouse College in Halifax, she became a certified teacher, eventually teaching in Bideford, Prince Edward show more Island. She also served as an assistant at the post office and as a writer for the local newspaper, The Halifax Daily Echo. Best known for her Anne of Avonlea and Anne of Green Gables books, Montgomery received many high honors. She was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 1923 and a Canadian stamp commemorates Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables. In addition, various museums dedicated to the book series and Montgomery's life dot Prince Edward Island. The books in the Anne series follow the growth and adventures of a red-haired, spritely, high-spirited and imaginative orphan named Anne who lives on Prince Edward Island. The success of these books rested in Montgomery's ability to vividly recollect childhood and her easy storytelling ability. They are tremendously popular to this day and have been translated into more than 35 languages and adapted as movies and PBS television productions. On July 5, 1911, L.M. Montgomery married Ewan Macdonald, a Presbyterian minister, and the marriage produced three children. She died on April 24, 1942. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Anne of the Island
- Original title
- Anne of the Island
- Original publication date
- 1915-07; 1996 (Nouvelle édition française, Presses de la Cité) (Nouvelle é | dition franç | aise, Presses de la Cité | )
- People/Characters
- Anne Shirley; Marilla Cuthbert; Gilbert Blythe; Charlie Sloane; Priscilla Grant; Stella Maynard (show all 13); Philippa Gordon; Royal Gardener; Diana Barry; Davy Keith; Dora Keith; Ruby Gillis; Jane Andrews
- Important places
- Nova Scotia, Canada; Redmond College, Kingsport, Nova Scotia, Canada; Kingsport, Nova Scotia, Canada; Patty's Place, Kingsport, Nova Scotia, Canada; Canada; Prince Edward Island, Canada (show all 7); Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, Canada
- Epigraph
- All precious things discovered late
To those that seek them issue forth,
For Love in sequel works with Fate,
And draws the veil from hidden worth.
- Tennyson - Dedication
- To all the girls all over the world
who have 'wanted more' about Anne - First words
- "Harvest is ended and summer is gone," quoted Anne Shirley, gazing across the shorn fields dreamily.
- Quotations
- We mustn't let next week rob us of this week's joy.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Then they walked home together in the dusk, crowned king and queen in the bridal realm of love, along winding paths fringed with the sweetest flowers that ever bloomed, and over haunted meadows where winds of hope and memory blew.
- Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.52
Classifications
- Genres
- Children's Books, Fiction and Literature, Kids, Young Adult
- DDC/MDS
- 813.52 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1900-1945
- LCC
- PZ7 .M768 .A — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
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- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 379
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