When the elderly siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, living in the Prince Edward Island village of Avonlea, request an orphan boy from the orphanage to help with the chores around their home, they are quite surprised to find they’ve received a girl instead. But who on earth needs a girl? Certainly not Marilla, the practical, down-to-earth spinster. So what will happen to Anne Shirley, the freckled, skinny, red-haired, plain-looking eleven-year-old girl? How will she ever become Anne of Green Gables?
Anne Shirley is unwanted by anyone
The girl’s only hope is Matthew, the slow-witted, odd, and shy old man who has a pathological fear of women. He doesn’t even look at them, let alone speak to them. (This is somewhat understandable, of course.) So, Anne Shirley’s chances, to put it mildly, are not very promising…
However, the reclusive Matthew, who sticks out like a sore thumb among his peers, is the first to realize—even before the reader—that the lonely and unwanted Anne needs them far more than they need her. (Understanding that the reverse is also true comes later.)
The first 60 pages of Anne of Green Gables are an emotional rollercoaster and serve as a brilliant test for anyone to determine how much of their heart is made of stone. It’s both amazing and nerve-wracking how Lucy Maud Montgomery plays with the readers’ emotions. Will the stern Marilla’s heart melt for the little girl? Or not? And if it does, when?!
Anyone who doesn’t feel moved at least once during this process deserves every bit of recognition. But they have likely already put the book down by now…
The Charm of an Irresistible Personality
Anne Shirley is certainly no ordinary orphan, that’s for sure. If you were planning to write a review of L. M. Montgomery’s book and had already drafted some sharp sentences about people who can talk your ear off and drive you up the wall, you’d probably just have to leave them out…
Anne, whose imagination has been honed by imaginary friends (as she never had real ones), sees the extraordinary and the wonderful in every small thing in life. Her soaring imagination and elaborate speech first bewilder and then cheer up the down-to-earth, respectable citizens of Avonlea. And of course, the readers of Anne of Green Gables as well.
For readers, by the time they realize they’ve been drawn into the coming-of-age story of a teenage girl (with school parties, frilly dresses, poems suitable for autograph albums, and endless chatter), it’s already too late.
The Idyllic Avonlea
Beyond Anne Shirley’s undeniable personal charm, it’s clear that the immediate and enduring success of L. M. Montgomery’s book is also due to the irresistible urge it creates in readers to move to Prince Edward Island in Canada as soon as possible—or at least visit. (Just as in Three Apples Fell from the Sky, where everyone suddenly wants to head to Armenia.) To achieve this, besides focusing on her protagonist, Montgomery dedicates significant space to the natural beauty of Canada’s smallest province, with its trees, waters, and flowers.
The hardworking, honest, and helpful citizens, along with the hard but rewarding work, evoke a bygone era that will never return. Just like the puritan spirit, whose practitioners—even the most conservative, moralistic ones—harbor a goodwill that, with a little luck, can be coaxed out at any time.
Enough Chatter, Young Lady!
L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables begins to increasingly lose its sentimentality as the protagonist grows older. The heartwarming and captivating beginning is impossible to surpass—there’s no question about that. However, the blunders of the maturing girl, whose vivid imagination and daydreaming constantly lead her into new troubles, continue to provide enough material for touching scenes. (And this is exactly the clever trick the book uses to keep its hold over the reader, much like Where the Crawdads Sing does.)
However, not only does Miss Josephine Barry, the selfish old maid (incidentally, an Anne fan), notice, but readers too will realize that the young resident of Green Gables might not be as entertaining as an adult as she was in her childhood.
Of course, this doesn’t detract from the value of a responsible young lady, from whom such behavior is no longer expected. Moreover, everyone (including the readers) who met her in childhood loves her for life.
Summary
Drawing from her childhood experiences, Lucy Maud Montgomery has created an instant classic with the adventures of the chatty, dreamy, and kind-hearted orphan girl. Moreover, with Anne of Green Gables, she reinforces the importance of family values and the sustaining power of community in everyone, reminding us – in case anyone has forgotten in this fast-paced world – giving love is just as rewarding as receiving it.
Rating: 7.9/10
Lucy Maud Montgomery: Anne of Green Gables
320 pages, Paperback
Published in 2003 by Signet
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