I’ve been sick this week and confined to my bed for the most part so I finally got some reading time. Next weekend I’m heading to Nova Scotia and PEI with my girlfeiend’s family for two weeks so I decided to read Anne of Green Gables for the first time in case we go see the play. While it isn’t the typical book that I’d pick up to read, it was still pretty enjoyable.
Anne Shirley (that’s Anne with an e) is quite charismatic and manages to win over the Cuthberts and the reader pretty quickly. She speaks at length and often answers her own questions when talking but she does it in such a way that the reader can’t help but fall in love with her. The novel sees Anne go from age 12 to 15 or 16 and develop as a person. Her relationships are believable and develop with her.
The other characters were all fleshed out pretty well in my opinion. Most characters had their own personalities save for 1 or 2. There were people of all sorts in Avonlea which made for an interesting story.
There didn’t seem to be much of an overarching plot, it’s more of a collection of things that happen to Anne while she’s at Green Gables, but the story is still enjoyable.
I didn’t find much of an issue with Lucy Maud Montgomery’s writing in terms of exposition, style, etc. I did, however, have trouble with her characters having monologues to themselves. There were instances where characters were speaking at length with nobody in the room. At one point a character is even speaking to another character who is outside and out of earshot. I found this to be a little confusing.
Overall I enjoyed the book and am excited to potentially see the play. A great piece of Canadian history which I’ll probably pass on to my own children one day (when they actually exist)
4 stars
Books Sweat and Tears 