Anne Shirley

[commonpeople1]

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Before sexy vampires, before muscular werewolves, before mortal games in dystopian futures, teenagers had to content themselves with reading fiction that made them daydream of being top of their classes, losing their ginger hair when they grew up and perhaps marrying a boy who'd get a job as a teacher. Being orphan and poor was so much worse than having a boyfriend that glittered in the sunlight, but with the right prayers at night and good Christian morals one could overcome anything.

Gosh... Anne of Green Gables hasn't really aged well! It's still easy enough to read, and is sickly sweet in a sort of nice way, but it now reflects an age long dead. I remember reading this for the first time when I was 17 (as a dare from a friend - she had to, in exchange, read one of the horror novels in my collection) and being enchanted by it. But that may have been a result of watching the Canadian TV series not too long before it.

I don't think I'll be reading the sequels.

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Comments

[naturalbornkaos.livejournal.com]

So sad to hear it doesn't stand up. I've always thought books like that are kind of timeless (was there ever an age like that?) but then I haven't read it for a very, very long time.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I think the TV series is more timeless than the books! The problem with the book is that a lot of the info is given to the reader through long monologues by Anne, which are meant to show what a kookie chatter box she is (Murilla is constantly stifling a giggle.) It comes across now as slightly grating. But it's not terrible - it was somewhat enjoyable to read, mostly because it's so easy and short.