Book Review: Anne of Green Gables Series #1-3 by LM Montgomery

Summary: 

Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables #1):
When Marilla Cuthbert's brother, Matthew, returns home to Green Gables with a chatty redheaded orphan girl, Marilla exclaims, "But we asked for a boy. We have no use for a girl." It's not long, though, before the Cuthberts can't imagine how they could ever do without young Anne of Green Gables--but not for the original reasons they sought an orphan. Somewhere between the time Anne "confesses" to losing Marilla's amethyst pin (which she never took) in hopes of being allowed to go to a picnic, and when Anne accidentally dyes her hated carrot-red hair green, Marilla says to Matthew, "One thing's for certain, no house that Anne's in will ever be dull." And no book that she's in will be, either. 

Anne of Avonlea (Anne of Green Gables #2):
Avonlea is the prettiest little town on Prince Edward Island, which is the prettiest little island in all of Canada. Anne had come here as an orphan—a skinny redhead showing up on the steps of Green Gables with a shabby suitcase and a heart full of dreams.
Anne's dream of finding a home had come true. But now she is a young woman, with new dreams, She has a teaching job in the city, with a chance to become a published magazine writer.
And an even greater adventure awaits: Anne is about to begin her first romance—with a handsome Boston millionaire whose dreams are very different from hers....

Anne of the Island (Anne of Green Gables #3):
Anne Shirley has come a long way since her days as a mischievous orphan living in the house at Green Gables. She is now eighteen and headed to faraway Redmond College in Kingsport. Anne's college years are sure to be full of fun, but they will also be a time for soul-searching and big decisions. When her longtime friend Gilbert Blythe proposes marriage, Anne feels they can never be more than friends. But is her new admirer, the handsome and wealthy Roy Gardner, really the man of her dreams?

Review: 
Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea were some of my favorite movies growing up.  I can recall entire scenes and bits of dialogue verbatim from the movies even now.  My whole family watched these movies together, and I think that they are great family shows: clean and wholesome, timeless stories.  I knew that the movies were based on books but have never picked the books up.  I wasn't planning on reading the series now, but when I saw the series of eight books for $0.99 for Nook on Barnes and Noble's website I knew that it was time to revisit my old friends.


Anne of Green Gables was first published in 1908.  This is important to know going into these books because they are written in the verbose style of the early 1900's.  The closest thing I can compare LM Montgomery's writing to is Jane Austen.  Some of the imagery and description can feel heavy at times, and makes for a slower paced read than contemporary fiction.

Anne is an orphan who is adopted by an old maid and her brother who live on a farm in Canada.  Anne is the definition of a precocious child, and is always getting into scrapes and making mistakes.  Anne loves to read, dream, and imagine things and consequently the books are full of her imaginings.

The first three books in the series follow Anne from age 11 to age 22.  I just loved all three books!  I think that Anne of Avonlea was my favorite out of the three, but it was definitely a close race.  This series is as wholesome as could be, with the love story building up to a kiss and nothing more.  This may be a turn-off for some people, but I think it makes the emotion so much stronger when we're left to imagine things for ourselves.


I would recommend the Anne of Green Gables books for fans of Jane Austen and fans of historical fiction.  I had to review the first three books together because I couldn't stop reading long enough to write reviews for each book! 

Just One Gripe: 
It took me a little while to adjust to Montgomery's writing style.  If you're used to reading modern-day fiction the older style takes some getting used to.  Keep at it though, because it's so worth it in the end!

The Best Thing About This Book: 
The imagery is outstanding.  You'll feel like you're right in the middle of the Green Gables orchard and experiencing everything Anne experiences.

Appropriate for a younger audience: 
Yes

Score: 

Characters: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Setting/Imagery: 5/5

Originality: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Total Score:  25/25