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Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (
Anne of Green Gables Collection (for Kindle)) - I can't remember exactly why I decided that it was once again time to read one of the favorite books from my childhood, but when I realized that I could satisfy two book-ish link-ups at once by reading it, I couldn't resist. Anne of Green Gables has earned a place in the canon of best-loved books for young girls, but in my opinion, Anne is perfectly delightful as an adult read too. I certainly have a different perspective reading her adventures and trials now, as a mother of a girl her age!
Brief story summary to refresh memories - or to introduce Anne to those who may have missed meeting her during their middle school years... Matthew and Marilla are an older brother and sister on Prince Edward Island who decide that they will adopt a young boy from an orphanage to bring up and to help Matthew with the farmwork. To their astonishment, there was a mix-up and a girl was brought to them instead. Anne has had a very unhappy life as an orphan, but she has a very lively imagination and Matthew convinces Marilla that they should keep her. Anne blossoms as Marilla does her best to give her "a proper upbringing" but she has a great tendency to get herself (and sometimes her friends) into scrapes because of her imagination, daydreaming, and a bit of bad luck now and again. This first novel in Montgomery's series follows Anne's life till she earns her teacher's license and is about to start on her first year of teaching.
Riveting. {What part of the book could you NOT get enough of?} I loved the humor woven throughout the book - in the descriptions of the characters and in their dialogues, in Marilla's dry observations and reactions, in the comments by and about other characters such as Mrs. Rachel Lynde, and especially in Anne's little disasters and her long speeches.
Elements. {How did you relate to/care for the characters?} Anne is, of course, easy to love and sympathize with, and Matthew is a sweet and gentle soul. Marilla and Rachel Lynde are the kind of characters that grow on you. Marilla keeps a very tight rein on her emotions and comes across as strict and critical, and yet Anne seems to sense the great affection underneath Marilla's granite control, and as a reader I became very fond of her as I got to know her better.
Associate. {What other books are like this one? Does it remind you of a TV show or movie with its themes and characters? Did it serendipitously line up with things going on in your life or in the news right now?} Well, of course I'm quite familiar with the wonderful TV series based on the Anne of Green Gables books, so I often pictured the characters as portrayed by the actors in that series. Some of the characters remind me very much of members of my own family or some of my friends. Sometimes Anne put me very much in mind of my own daughter, who is about that age.
Design. {You know you judged this book by the cover. What did you think of it? How did it relate to the contents of the novel?} I read this on my Kindle, and although the cover image I have isn't exactly like the one above, it is clearly the same model. And I hate to say it, but she doesn't look like the Anne I have always pictured in my head, so I don't care for this edition's cover at all. The cover shown below is the paperback edition that I remember from the first time I read it, and I think gives a much better depiction of the skinny, neglected waif that Matthew first met at the train station.
Stars. {How many out of five do you give this book? Would you recommend this book to a friend?} Five out of five stars - granted, there's some sentimentality involved since it's a favorite childhood book, but I believe that if it's a good story well told, even a book intended for a young audience will appeal to adult readers as well. Anne of Green Gables is just as charming and entertaining to me now as it was when I was a twelve-year-old. I have recommended this to my daughter, and definitely recommend it to young girls; but I think it could be well enjoyed by adults as well.
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by Robertson Davies - In the first sentence of this unusual book, the principle character and narrator is murdered. Connor Gilmartin has walked into his bedroom to find his wife and a colleague nicknamed the Sniffer together, and the Sniffer strikes Gil and kills him. What follows is partly farce and partly tragedy and Gil realizes that he is dead and wonders whether he is actually a ghost and what the afterlife will be like even as he is able to observe the actions of his wife and the Sniffer in the days that follow. Gil introduces these characters to the reader and tells a bit about his own background and the events that led up to his death. He and the Sniffer work for the newspaper, and it happens that the Sniffer is a film critic who must attend a film festival. Gil finds that he, as ghost or spirit, is attending the festival as well, but the films he sees are somehow meant only for him.