Book premise - Eleven-year old orphan Anne Shirley has red hair, a vivid imagination and cannot stop talking. Quite a shock for old Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert who wanted a boy to help them on the farm... Anne is soon the talk of the town with her funny ways and endless adventures, but it is not long before she has won the hearts of everyone. This classic story is set in Canada at the beginning of the 20th century and is one of the most enduring favorites of children's literature.
I didn't read this book as a child but I loved it as an adult. Anne is so charming. She's talkative, imaginative, and very proud of who she is. Her and best friend Diana engage in many adventures, and learn the value of not letting their imaginations get the best of them. Very entertaining read.
I never read the books........
but I loved the movies! My mom has all of them! They are just wonderful!!!
You should try the books if
You should try the books if you like the movies. As typical of movies they only scratch surface of the characters. I've seen the movies, but it's been a while. I'm trying to remember how true they are to the books, and I believe they do differ. Some events are changed completely, some mixed in with others, that sort of thing. But the movies are still good, just different from the books.
Oh I love this story!
Years ago, I read basically every book LM Montgomery ever wrote. I loved her stories. There are 8 books in the "Anne of Green Gables" series.... if you liked the first one.... the story ain't over.
I think the relationship between Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe was the first "love/hate" relationship I read about. There was a lot of passion there! It's no surprise that I moved on to read romances.
I also REALLY loved the 3 book story LM Montgomery wrote about Emily of New Moon. There was quite an epic romance in the story of Emily and the man she ends up with.
Happy memories, these were great books.
I'm trying to remember how
I'm trying to remember how many of the Anne books I have read. I believe I have read them all but will have to again check the library to make sure. There was one that I didn't particularly like. Mainly because it so focused on other characters than the ones I had grown to love.
A brief internet search tells me the title may have been Rainbow Valley. There were so many people involved in the story I was often confused and wondering why I should care about them as they weren't the ones I wanted to read about.
But yes, I agree, overall the entire series is enjoyable.
I loved the books and have
I loved the books and have read them many times. I really enjoyed the first movie, which I thought was really well done. The subsequent movies I didn't like at all, as I didn't like the way they veered so far from the books.
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I think I watched the first
I think I watched the first movie, then started the second movie and quit because the plot was wacky. It veered away from the books with the war plot didn't it? The movies sent GILBERT to war instead of their children.
On the topic of Rainbow Valley.... I think that was the book where the CHILDREN of Anne/Gilbert exploded onto the scene. The books went from focusing on the Anne/Gilbert romance to taking on the perspective of the kids too (which is the natural progression I think LMM intended, so it's not necessarily negative).
Rainbow Valley... for me is bitter sweet. Because that was the book where Walter had a vision of the Pied Piper. That was referred to in the final book "Rilla of Ingleside" when Walter wrote home predicting the "Pied Piper" had called him home. I cried like a baby at that. Poor Walter! Eeeek, I hate sadness in books. I'm not someone who likes a "good cry".
I have loved all of LMM's books...
..I started with Anne and worked my way through her books ~ and the Emily books were unbelievably wonderful... they rate right up there with Anne's stories, IMHO.
Another of her heroines that I really loved was Jane (Jane of Lantern Hill) and there were the two "Silver Bush" books ~ Pat of Silver Bush and Mistress Pat. I really don't think that there was any one of Lucy Maud Montgomery's stories that I didn't really enjoy, if not downright adore.
And even with the definite older-days setting, there is something very timeless about her characters.
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kalyko ~ Reading: One of life's little joys and a much needed reward!
I loved Jane and Pat's
I loved Jane and Pat's stories too. :) LMM wrote great heroines with very romantic and strong natures. (though you could make the argument that all the heroines are the same: they all share some similarities)
But every book I read by her I enjoyed. Except for "The Golden something or other". That one I didn't finish because it didn't hold my attention for many pages.
Now that I think about it I
Now that I think about it I remember the movies did differ greatly from the books. I remember them sending Gilbert to war and most of the movie was Anne trying to find out what happened to him. Although in the books it was their children who were involved in the war.
Geez, it's been a while. I need to get the other books. I remember the part with the Pied Piper and it was sad. Maybe that wasn't the book I was thinking about.
Guess I know which books I'll be looking for on my next trip the library. LOL
SandySue... yeah, I would
SandySue... yeah, I would have watched the movie if it was the same story as the book (I've always wanted to see certain scenes from the books come alive, acted out). But once the war plot veered so off course, and I thought they were heading towards making a Anne/Gilbert/other man love triangle... it wasn't the same.
Rainbow Valley... Walter must be under 10 yrs old and he is hinted at being a sensitive child and having a different connection with nature. He sees/hears a "pied piper". But then the pied piper isn't mentioned again until the 8th and final book, Rilla of Ingleside.
Btw... Rilla of Ingleside has a nice romance between Rilla and Ken.... :)
Great books to revisit....