Anne of Green Gables: Large Print Paperback – Large Print, December 9, 2013

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. MontgomeryFirst book in the Anne of Green Gables series5 starsMatthew and Marilla Cuthbert were hoping that the boy from the orphanage would be a big help around Green Gables, but they are in for a big surprise when Matthew finds Anne Shirley. A red-headed girl with a pension for speaking in flowery prose, dreaming big, and talking whenever she feels like it. Matthew is taken aback because he isn’t comfortable around the opposite sex and Marilla is a strict and stern woman who adheres to rules and reason. Anne slowly melts their hearts and finds her home in Green Gables all the while causing trouble, making friends, and experiencing new adventures. I remember when I first started listening to this audiobook. I wasn’t expecting much or exactly sure what to expect for the story of Anne of Green Gables. I had seen it mentioned every now and then around the blogosphere as a childhood favorite among readers, but I had never personally heard of Anne until I was sixteen and I expected that because I’m older it would be hard to read about such a young girl. That isn’t the case. This story is transcendent. Anne is character not like any other and the interesting thing about this novel is that it is told in third person and there is broad cast of characters to give outlook onto Anne.The writing in this novel is beautiful. The way Montgomery writes is carefree, light, and fun. She makes Green Gables feel real and the characters feel like real people that I could’ve had tea with. I loved the time hops that were involved in the pacing. It paved Anne’s story out nicely and didn’t go through continuous everyday things.Whimsical Writing Scale: 5The main female character of this novel is Anne. Anne is an enduring character. She has a lot of deep thoughts for girl who is such a “kindred spirit”. I truly adore her narration and feel that she is a character that is just easy to instantly love. If I knew Anne personally she would probably be one of my favorite people because there is never a dull moment with her around. Anne is also a bit a trouble maker, but not intentional. She’s always getting into shenanigans in the oddest little ways, but I think that’s what makes Anne so much fun. She is a kid, but also she has the heart of a growing young adult and it can get Anne caught up in situations that she wouldn’t have expected to be in. Anne as a young adult is also one of my favorite things because it’s so amazing to see the metamorphosis from gangly, awkward girl with knobby knees and a loud mouth who takes no BS to a woman who fights for her goals and aspirations with confidence.Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 5The main male character is Gilbert. Gilbert and Anne do not get off to a good start. In fact, she absolutely hates him while it’s obvious that Gilbert has a crush on her. It’s just so cute. As they grow older and experience life’s hardships, their interaction becomes difference and once they reached a truce and become friends my heart soared and I was ready to plan a wedding. Seriously, I just adore the development of this relationship and it brings a smile to my face.Swoon Worthy Scale: 5The Family Dynamic- Marilla and Matthew have a good sibling bond and as they begin to raise Anne, it becomes obvious who has the upper hand. Marilla is a stern woman, but she is an amazing mother figure to Anne and by the end of this novel I absolutely adored her. Matthew is awkward and clumsy at times, but he has a sweet connection with Anne and it’s obvious that she has stolen his heart. While Anne and Matthew aren’t Anne’s parents the dynamic that they bring into her life fill any holes she didn’t have growing up.Character Scale: 5The ending to this novel slowly ripped my hearts to pieces. When I listened to emotional scenes on audiobooks I become a blubbering mess. I definitely became a mess, but I also felt hopeful about where Anne’s life could go. There is no question that I’m going to continue on with this series. Mainly because I NEED to know how Anne and Gilbert get together. They are just so cute and I love them. I have since bought a box set of this series on my Kindle and will be rereading Anne of Green Gables this year because I LOVE it and want to feel happy innocent joy again.Plotastic Scale: 5Cover Thoughts: My cover of Anne doesn’t do justice, but I love the simplicity of it. I’m also planning to buy pretty editions for my book shelves because I need them in my life.

These are such amazing books. The story is beautiful, the characters and places are so well described. Just love them.

A must read ! Full of emotional moods - laughter to tears. You will love Anne always. I recommend no matter what age.

Anne of Green Gables is one of those books I always hear about but keep putting off reading because of how many people love it. I did watch the Netflix series Anne with an e before reading this book, but I can assure you that it didn't take away from my reading experience as they are different in several ways and enjoyable on there own and together.Anne is an orphan who has been adopted by the Cuthberts who are needing someone to help out on the farm. The problem is though that they were expecting a boy, so getting a girl instead was a bit of a shock and took some discussing on there part on what to do. While they do end up keeping her mostly because of Matthew having found her quite entertaining due to how she never stopped talking and the way she saw the world with such hope. Marilla, on the other hand, did take some getting used to when it came to their relationship for several different reasons, but we see them all grow as a family and how they all end up helping each other throughout the book.We also get to see Anne make friends and even have a rivalry with a fellow classmate. These were extremely entertaining to see happen at times because of all the trouble they got into, while also being fun and showing a real childhood. None of the characters were acting older than they really were and it was nice to see them actually getting to be their age for a change. I know that isn't something I talk about it books, but it is something I've been noticing more and more recently in some new young adult/middle-grade books.Overall I loved this book. Anne is one of those characters that you want to protect but also find yourself getting annoyed with at times because of the trouble she can get into. The friendships and family dynamic we get to see in this book were so nice to see and I loved how we see Anne and her friends grow up throughout the book. While a lot of Anne's life is packed into this one book, it never felt rushed or like anything was being left out.The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because of what happened at the end to one of the characters. I was not expecting that at all and I wish we had gotten more time with them.I can't wait to see what happens in the next book and what happens in the next stage of Anne's life.