I've had this book in my possession since I was nine and have just completed it for our book club. It is a great read for any younger dreamer. Anne has a spirited and kind nature and it shines off the pages.

I was born and raised on Prince Edward Island, as you may have read in our ‘About us’ page on the blog. If you’ve ever been there you will know that it is a beautiful place surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. We have fantastic beaches, pretty countryside and super friendly people. If you’ve not yet visited you really should. Growing up on PEI was a blessing and a drawback. We are from a very small town where everyone knows everyone much like Avonlea. Though we lived a short drive to the beach, and our neighbors were always willing to help; the lack of excitement and entertainment made the island, at times, feel like a prison. I only read Anne of Green Gables for the first time the summer I graduated high school. That summer I had a summer job working at a local touristy restaurant, and the owner said that I could read the books that were for sale if I was bored. Even though it took me so long to read the book I knew the story really well from childhood since Anne Shirley and I go way back. The story was sort of engrained in me as a child, and when I was in the fourth grade we put on a version of the play. We got to sing and dance and had a blast. The first time that I saw the actual musical production in Charlottetown was with my now deceased grandmother. She and I went to town and had a whole day together. She brought me to the play and I remember being so completely enraptured by the story that I didn’t want it to end. My grandmother was an amazing lady who was taken from us way too soon, but I will always remember that special day I had her all to myself. She was a small town teacher, a lover of books and so well written/spoken just like the main character that I’m glad to have inherited her genes. I still have the crocheted doll of Anne which she bought me and has been with me wherever I have moved in my life. The story starts by Introducing Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. They are a brother and sister who live together at Green Gables in the town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island. Neither has married, and so they decide to adopt a male orphan to help learn the ways of the farm and help Matthew with the chores. Matthew leaves for the train station to pick up the boy, but when he gets there he is shocked to find a girl was accidentally sent instead. This outspoken freckled-faced eleven year old talks his ear off the whole way home, but he is instantly enamored by her. Marilla eventually allows her to stay and the book tells her childhood stories of getting into trouble and having a great time doing so. One of the first pages of my copy has a page that shows a map of the Atlantic Canadian provinces with PEI highlighted and it has “It really does exist” written underneath. It’s interesting how many people will come to the island because of these books. In the summer tourists from as far as Japan (where Anne is really famous) come to see the Green Gables house that was built in Cavendish. When I reread the book I realized that Lucy Maud Montgomery paints a perfect picture of the island. Anne’s island although written in 1908 is the PEI that I know; people are just as nosy as ever and it doesn’t take long for gossip to make its way around.. The characters seem like they could be real people living on PEI today (many of the surnames are common), the way they speak, and the things she describes was so accurate. I really do adore this character she has a wonderful imagination and the romantic names that she comes up with for everything are amazingly descriptive. She is verbose, passionate and just plain fun. It’s easy to see why people are still reading these books 100 years later. And why girls are still falling in love with Anne Shirley. These books will always have a special place in my heart. I used to hate being stuck on that island but I’ve accepted that PEI was a great place to grow up and reading this book brought it all back, and made me kind of homesick for PEI. Luckily I will be visiting in September. I might even be able to take in another performance of the play. Check out http://bibliophilesisters.wordpress.com/ for more reviews

Book 1, in the Anne Shirley series Originally written in 1908 this heartwarming story set in Prince Edward Island recounts a part of Anne Shirley’s life (age 11 to 16) when she came to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert of Green Gables, siblings in their fifties. They were looking to adopt a male orphan in order to help them with their Avonlea heritage farm in the late 1800’s but fate and circumstances blessed them with Anne. They immediately fell in love with this bright, quick, eager to please, talkative and extremely imaginative red-headed little girl and they never looked back. Ms. Montgomery has drawn her inspiration from her own childhood experiences, memories and people of the period thus creating one of the most loved stories of all times. In later years, the little red-headed girl and her pig tails has become an icon not only on paper but also in theater and made for TV movies. The writing style has an impressive sense of humour and the third person narrative helps to unfold the plot. The vivid description of nature and the beautiful portrayal of the places are so detailed that I am not surprised this wonderful classic has delighted many readers throughout the years and made numerous fans around the world. It is an enchanting and captivating tale that has to this day enticed many to visit the magical setting of Green Gables to explore and let their imagination travel back in time. Prince Edward Island is very proud of their little Anne and has developed many tourist attractions to satisfy the interest of its visitors. The story of Anne Shirley has a number of sequels taking us further into Anne’s adventures and mishaps. “Anne of Avonlea” is the next one and I am looking forward to reading it.

Anne of Green Gables is a enjoyable read, the story plot starts off slow at first but it gets more interesting as Anne gets older. Anne is a wonderful protagonist, her personality makes the story more amusing since she has a sense of humour, the readers also get to follow Anne as she matures from childhood to adulthood. It's a sweet interpretation of life as a girl in PEI back then. A great piece of Canadian literature.

My mom read this to me often when I was young and now it inspires very fond memories. A fabulous read for young girls and their mothers alike.

This story is a moving story about a young girl who has lost her parents, and she adopted into a family, who were hoping to adopt a boy - to help out on the farm. Obviously this book has been around for quite some time, and I am someone who is certainly old enough to have read this book before, but never did. So...I decided to read this, even though I considered it to be readings for someone in the teen years. Nevertheless, I found the character of Anne very intriguing. She shows a resiliency and strength of character in dealing with all her plights, that is very entertaining, and heart-lifting. She hears criticisms often, and she is also an emotional person. Probably not unlike most people in the world. However, Anne finds a way to deal with people, their strange ways and everything else in such a delightful way. Admittedly, she is a talker...and there are times in the book that an entire page will be devoted to her soliloquoy, where she will start at point 1, and then move to point 10. But it is indeed a part of her, and what we have come to love about her. It is not just a book for teens, or preteens....it is also a book for anyone who is at a point where you need to remember what makes people strong, what makes people interesting and how to make sure that you get everything out of life that you want to. I am moving directly to the next one - Anne of Avonlea....

I feel like I should stand on a podium and admit that my name is 'Nathan Burgoine, and I'd never read ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. I have now, however, and I must say I understand why the novel touches people so. At it's heart, the book is about a young girl who has a great imagination, struggles to hold her tongue, and who hasn't got much expectation that life will be kind or loving to her. When she is accidentally adopted into a family who desired a young boy, the series of adventures (and misadventures) into which Anne Shirley gets herself begins. Touching in places to the point of sharp sadness, and clever often enough to make me laugh, this unabridged audio production was very well performed, and I caught myself listening to it more often than just on my bus rides to and from work. A lovely story, and one I can now understand having earned its place as a Canadian classic.

A look at how a girl from the late 19th century would grow up under the care of an adopted mother. See how lively and imaginative Anne can be (spelled with an "E")! Her strong comitment to friendship and hope for the future will make you stop and think. Her mistakes and faults are very humorous. Although I found this book to have inspiring characters, I prefer books that have one main problem,instead of many small problems. Overall, I found this book deeply inspiring by the way Anne was so independent and didn't let anyone tell her otherwise.

It's hard for me to say what makes this book so beautiful. Maybe kids today aren't as thrilled by it as I was. Maybe reading it again I'm taken back to my childhood and that's where the wonder comes from. Even if it is just that, a book that can transport you that way is priceless. And it doesn't matter how many times I read it or watch the movie, Matthew's death still breaks my heart and brings floods of tears. Lucy Maud had a brilliant knack for making you love a character that isn't even in the book all that much, just by a few small acts or revealing the thoughts of other characters.

I read this book for a university course, and I was surprised by the book. I did not expect to enjoy it but ended up enjoying it quite a bit. I actually found that I could not put it down. There are so many themes and issues covered in the book. Like Matthew in the book, I found I fell in love with Anne and as Anne grew I was challenged to growth. The themes in the book that grabbed me most were: Importance of Trees Importance of Naming Death of hope Prayers Tears of healing Belonging Dreams Alice in Wonderland References (Moral Duchess) Looking Glass Friend Sacred Memories Self Naming “Anne of GG” Desire to Fit In Friendship Time Kindred Spirits Anne being “All Spirit, Fire and Dew.” Etiquette This book was so good that even though I only needed to read it for the course I ended up reading a few of the other books in the series.