Anne's House of Dreams

By L. M. Montgomery

Book 5 in the Anne of Green Gables Series
Anne's House of Dreams begins with the wedding between Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe. In this book, they move to a small and begin their life together with love, loss and many interesting escapades.
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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xist Publishing
• Release date: Apr 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781623958794

L. M. Montgomery

L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery (1874-1942) was a Canadian author who published 20 novels and hundreds of short stories, poems, and essays. She is best known for the Anne of Green Gables series. Montgomery was born in Clifton (now New London) on Prince Edward Island on November 30, 1874. Raised by her maternal grandparents, she grew up in relative isolation and loneliness, developing her creativity with imaginary friends and dreaming of becoming a published writer. Her first book, Anne of Green Gables, was published in 1908 and was an immediate success, establishing Montgomery's career as a writer, which she continued for the remainder of her life.

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Reviews for Anne's House of Dreams

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While "Anne of Windy Willows" is my least favourite book in the Anne series, this is one of my favourites. It is poignant, darker and has more depth in it than some of the earlier books. I shed tears with Anne when she lost her baby. Although Marilla and Diana are missing, Miss Cornelia, Captain Jim, Susan and Leslie are strong, interesting characters, especially Leslie. Her story is so sad, but I am glad it ends well for her. I also have a real soft spot for Captain Jim. He is such a gentle, wise sole, and I hope he is reunited with his Lost Margaret.My one complaint about "Anne's House of Dreams" is that I did find some of the stories and dialogues rather long and, at times, preachy, especially from Miss Cornelia and Captain Jim. However, I loved the strong female friendships and Anne's growth. Through trials and triumphs, she is finally a mature woman.

[nadinec.keels · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh... I wouldn't say it's "sad" to see Anne grown up. It does give you a sense of nostalgia, comparing Anne Blythe to little Anne Shirley, but it isn't exactly sad, to me. It's life, and Anne moves right along with it. She laughs, she dreams, she dances around the beach when she thinks no one can see her...She's Anne, as a woman, interpreted for young readers in another time. The Blythes are newlyweds, behaving as newlyweds behave, but of course Montgomery doesn't describe all of their physical affection in literal terms; this isn't a romance novel. But if Gilbert answers Anne, answers her without words, we get it, and I think it's lovely. Montgomery doesn't dwell on Anne's pregnancies, befitting literature meant to be read by children in the early 1900s. But we get it, when there's something Anne's longing for, even when she doesn't say it aloud. Little Anne Shirley longed to have a bosom friend, and Anne Blythe longs to have a child. She's still Anne.Then, of course, Four Winds must be the most beautiful place on earth, while you're there. Montgomery never fails at painting nature. It's what makes her one of my favorite authors for good old-fashioned "comfort reading." Sure, it's a lot of sentiment on my part, but having a place to fully indulge that kind of sentiment is what makes books like this GOOD.

[thatotter-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I'm coming to the conclusion that the Anne books are kind of trashy. Just...largely concerned with flimsily set-up romances and the antics of "adorable" children. I was planning to reread the whole series so that I could accurately rate them on goodreads, but I don't think I can stomach more than the four I've read in the past couple days.

Well, at least in this one there aren't so many children.

[wanderlust_lost · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book finds Anne and Gilbert married and living in a cozy little fishing village where Anne makes plenty of new friends and settles into her house-wifely role. This is truly Anne's coming of age as this book sees her cross the threshold between childhood and adulthood once and for all. Her life up until this point has been full of minor difficulties but this is the first book to see Anne face real tragedy. It sees Anne become a mother for the first time and it sees her come to terms with both birth and death. Anne is finally grown up and things have changed for her.

[chlebo_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was too much about the other characters in Anne's life. If she is the protagonist (um, it is ANNE's house of dreams) shouldn't the story revolve around her, not Leslie or Capt. Jim? Ah well, still a sweet book, although not my favorite in the Anne series.

[sunnydrk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anne is all grown up and her dreams are coming true. The same flowery and magical writing with more of a grown up storyline.

[miss_elisabeth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of those Anne books that I really like. Well, I like all of them, but somehow, this is espeically sweet. Old Capt'n Jim, tragical Leslie Moore, novelist Owen Ford, and man-hating Miss Cornelia - all of these add such character and flavor. Anne, while still Anne at heart, learns to love and live differently. Her friendship with Leslie Moore, affects her in a way nothing else could. Anne grows, as does Leslie, and Gilbert. Definitally something you must read if you're a fan of Anne!

[quaintlittlehead · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is a great improvement over "Anne of Windy Poplars," and finally sees the contributions of Anne's dreamy, imaginative youth to her character as a well-rounded, believable adult. There is a greater narrative flow between events in this book than in earlier Anne books, with a deeper focus on fewer characters and their individual development rather than just a random string of "adventures," as was more characteristic of the earlier novels in the series. This is the first book where I felt like Montgomery was actually attempting to write a novel and not just episodes for publication as a serial. There is also a very tantalizing hint of mystery here that pulls the reader along. At first it seems that Montgomery borrowed a bit too much inspiration from "Jane Eyre" in crafting the character of Leslie, but this is made up for by the plot twists that follow, which use the unexpected to draw Anne and Leslie closer together and satisfy the reader with their emotional depth and unpredictability. This is definitely one of the better written of the "Anne" stories and shows the marks of an author developing her craft.

[hollyms-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

House of Dreams is definitely one of my favorite Anne books. As opposed to books 4 & 6 (Windy Poplars & Ingleside) L.M. Montgomery wrote these close to the publication of the other books (books 4&6 were written a good 15 years after Rilla of Ingleside) I love L.M. Montgomery, but you can definitely see the difference between those 2 books and the others. And compared to the books that come later in the series (books 6, 7,&8) House of Dreams is still all about Anne. The later books are about Anne's children, who are interesting enough, but obviously can never match up to Anne. House of Dreams has a feel about it that's different than any Anne book though. All throughout the book the sea just permeates everything. Anne's proximity to the sea is a really strong theme in House of Dreams. All the side stories & characters relate to the sea, like Captain Jim and Leslie. The side characters & stories are another reason this is one of my favorite Anne books. Captain Jim is only featured in this book and he's a really wonderful character. Leslie & her story is really interesting and has a dark feel which makes it seem like something that would be in the Emily books and not in Anne. In addition to Leslie & Captain Jim, Cornelia & Susan are featured. They're more regular kind of Anne-series characters. And unlike some other Anne books which feature many little side characters, House of Dreams doesn't have any. It emphasizes the point that they're almost isolated in the House of Dreams with only the sea. Anyway, if you're only going to read one Anne sequel (though, why that would be, I have no idea!) I'd pick this one.

[rainbowdarling · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I would say that this book is my least favorite of the eight Anne books. It seems to somehow depart from the energetic, occasionally flighty redheaded orphan-girl who we're introduced to in Anne of Green Gables and who continues on through scrapes and success for three more books. Anne seems to disappear into the role of wife, homemaker and later, mother. Captain Jim and Miss Cornelia are the stars of the novel, being the more interesting characters of the bunch, and Leslie seems to be the heroine of young Anne's dreams, beauty and tragedy fully included. It isn't to say that this is a bad book, it just pales in comparison to the merits that the other seven have to offer.

[magadri-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book follows Anne and Gilbert's married life. Vaguely interesting, but I found myself wishing for it to be over.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anne’s House of Dreams tells the story of Anne’s first couple of years of marriage to Gilbert Blythe. Anne must make her goodbyes to Marilla, Mrs. Lynde and the twins as she and Gilbert will be relocating to the area of Glen St Mary where Gilbert is setting up his practise. Of course first comes their wedding which is held in the old orchard at Green Gables.Anne is terribly homesick at first, but grows to love her new home, the House of Dreams that she has been wishing for. She also makes some interesting and colourful friends and it isn’t long before she is helping others find their own peace and happiness. She loves married life and even though they are sorely tested by tragedy, she and Gilbert only grow to love each other more.This entry in the series captures the essence that was missing in the last book. I could quite happily leave this series here and now, but the completist in me will continue on.

[amerynth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Aside from the original story "Anne of Green Gables," "Anne's House of Dreams" was my favorite of the series. L.M. Montgomery crates such rich, vibrant characters -- Captain Jim and Miss Cornelia in particular-- that they just seem to jump off the page. In this installment, Gilbert and Anne are finally married and destined for a happy ending (though there are a few bumps along the way.) This book has a great story and a couple of good twists and turns that I didn't really see coming. A very enjoyable series even now that I'm re-reading them as an adult.

[thelostentwife · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Do you have a House of Dreams? I do. I've had one since I was a little girl. Of course, it involves a white picket fence and beautiful flowers and pretty green shutters. I imagine that it has just enough bedrooms for a family, a warm and welcoming kitchen and it's always Spring so I can keep the windows open.Anne and Gilbert are finally married in Anne's House of Dreams. There is so much sweetness in the days leading up to the wedding that I ended up reading through those pages with tears holding a permanent place on my cheeks. The mention of Matthew, the memories - I think that's what makes these books so strong. I grew up with Anne, of course, and so her memories are also some of my own. Memories of a slate being broken over Gilbert's head, the childish pranks of the girls, Matthew and the puffed sleeves, Marilla finally saying yes to the little Anne-girl staying for good. So when Anne looks at leaving Green Gables behind and transferring her precious little gable room to Dora, it's not just a bittersweet moment for her, but for me as well.But then there's so much excitement ahead. Married life, a precious home, new friends and the promise of babies - because Anne is so ready to love and be a mother to her own children, and she's had plenty of training you know!This book introduced Captain Jim and Miss Cornelia, both immensely colorful characters. There are subtle little moments when you can't help laughing out loud with Gilbert (who's bound to be hiding in another room) while listening to Miss Cornelia prattle on. But, as always, life tends to step in and give us twists.I think I can relate to this Anne in this book more now then I could as a teenager. I've experienced some sorrow of my own and seen some of my dreams fade, but I'd like to think that I'd be "of the race of Joseph" and I know there are others out there who are as well.

[sueincyprus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the fifth book in the series which started with 'Anne of Green Gables'. In this story, Anne gets married and moves to her 'house of dreams'. There she makes new friends, and has new joys and sorrows.

A bit rambling in places, but enjoyable on the whole. Gentle fiction for teenagers or adults set in Canada in the early part of the 20th century.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Audiobook performed by Justine EyreIn book five of this much-beloved series, Anne begins her married life. I don’t want to say any more because I don’t want to include spoilers. What I love about these books is Anne, herself. She’s so optimistic and friendly, with good common sense, a kind heart, and a generous spirit. She is no stranger to trouble and heartache, and this book definitely includes some heart-wrenching events, but she relies on her strength of character to see her through, and ultimately achieves happiness by recognizing her many blessings and being thankful for them. I love the young woman she has become. Justine Eyre does a marvelous job voicing the audio book. There are many characters, and she is up to the task of giving each of them a unique voice and demeanor. Of course, Montgomery’s writing gets much of the credit, but Eyre really brings them to life.

[mickyfine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After a three-year engagement, Anne and Gilbert are finally married and move away from Avonlea to the small community where Gilbert will set up his practice. In their small but perfect house, Anne and Gilbert enjoy the first years of their marriage and encounter delightful few neighbours on their side of the harbour including Captain Jim who minds the lighthouse, Miss Cornelia who never has a good word to say about men, and Leslie whose life has been far too full of tragedy.Definitely one of my favourites in this series. While the hopeless romantic in me can't help but wish the book was nothing but Anne and Gilbert, the brief glimpses we get into their married life are worth relishing. As for the collection of neighbours, their plots and exploits are as entertaining as one would expect from a character who came from Montgomery.

[milti_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wanted my own little house of dreams after I read it.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Intertwined in the story of Anne and Gilbert's first years of marriage, are the stories of Leslie and Captain Jim and Owen. Anne is as appealing as ever, though her funny scrapes are behind her. There is tragedy for Anne and Gilbert, but for whatever reason Ms. Montgomery doesn't really spend much time on that aspect of the story. Maybe it is our modern experience that makes tragedy so much harder to deal with and move on. Much of the plot movement comes in the interaction Anne has with Leslie, and Leslie's life changing experiences. I loved the character of Captain Jim.

[savageknight_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anne begins her life as a married woman as Gilbert begins his career as a doctor. As with the earlier books, we are introduced to new characters, but not as many as before. These come very much alive with the sharing of their dreams and tragedies but no character "lives" as well as Captain Jim does.I was concerned that this new venture in Anne's life would not be as interesting or entertaining as her previous ones, and I was very happy to have been wrong. I will also admit to having found the writing very interesting/ curious especially in the detailing (or very lack thereof!) of the coming of babies :) Continuous glimpses in how life was lived 100 years ago always makes these books especially entertaining to me.

[susanbevans · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anne's House of Dreams is the fifth book in L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series. The book begins with Anne and Gilbert's wedding at Green Gables, and chronicles the first few years of their lives together through happiness and hardship.Despite the fact that Anne and Gilbert finally seem to get their happy ending in Anne's House of Dreams, some of the magic of the earlier books is lost in this novel. I can't really put my finger on any one thing and say, "that's it - that's where it went wrong," but something is definitely missing. Anne, of course, is still Anne - a young woman with a enviable zest for life, who seems to touch the lives of everyone around her - but one thing has changed: she's forsaken her creative dreams for a set of different dreams. It was a switch from the Anne I've come to know and love, and I didn't really care for it. Montgomery has also created another fabulously eccentric cast of characters, but they don't seem as well-drawn as past characters. Thankfully Montgomery's writing is still beautiful. She was a master of descriptive and lyrical fiction:"The garret was a shadowy, suggestive, delightful place, as all garrets should be. Through the open window, by which Anne sat, blew the sweet, scented, sun-warm air of the August afternoon; outside, poplar boughs rustled and tossed in the wind; beyond them were the woods, where Lover's Lane wound it's enchanted path, and the old apple orchard, which still bore it's rosy harvests munificently." Can't you just picture it? The one thing that remains wonderful about this series is Montgomery's wonderful style of writing.Although it is not my favorite, Anne's House of Dreams is still worth reading. This novel has lost a little of the "feel" of the earlier books, but still makes a good addition to Anne's story.

[nules_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The book was all right, but the two stars is just for how much /I/ liked it (not for how good I thought it was).

[atimco-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In Anne's House of Dreams, she and Gilbert are finally married and begin their life together in their "house of dreams" some sixty miles from Avonlea, in a place called Four Winds. Four Winds is a port town and Gilbert will be taking over his uncle's practice there. Anne and Gilbert are very happy in their new life, though it brings them sorrows as well as joys. Their lives are enriched by the advent of several new kindred spirits, or "the race that knows Joseph," as Miss Cornelia would say. This story introduces two of my favorite characters in the entire series, Miss Cornelia Bryant and Captain Jim. Miss Cornelia is a middle-aged lady who hates both men and Methodists with a passion. She is similar to Mrs. Rachel Lynde in her love of gossip and her charitable work among the poor. But her tongue is blistering, and she spares no one in her no-nonsense speeches. Gilbert stays home on one occasion in the story just to hear her talk, for she is assuredly never dull. Captain Jim is never dull either, but his is a gentle spirit. He is a retired sea captain who mans the Four Winds lighthouse and befriends the Blythes in their new home. His speeches are also hilarious, but in a completely different way from Miss Cornelia's. Montgomery's grasp of the distinct voices and humor of her characters never fails to impress me. One thing I so appreciate about Montgomery is her ability to evoke entire communities in the course of a quick gossipy speech. The MacAllisters over-harbour, the Wests, the Kirks, the Douglases, the Marshalls — all we hear is a few brief anecdotes of them in the dialogue, but their families take on a distinct personality and flavor the story with their presence. Everything happens against the backdrop of the community. It's in the background and we never actually meet these characters beyond their mention in the dialogue, but this sense of humorous community is absolutely essential to the Anne books. It's also interesting how politics fringe the characters' lives. Montgomery never goes into the actual issues, but rather shows us people's varying responses to the politics of the day. There is one small inconsistency between this story and Anne of Green Gables; in the first book Gilbert is a Grit, but now he and Anne are Conservative. Perhaps he changed? I think Montgomery disliked how vitriolic people become during elections and rallies... and yet she saw the funny side too. As always!One thing that distresses me about this book is how sloppily it was put together. It's full of terrible typos. Shame on you, Bantam Classics, for such a poor job on this classic book. There are typos throughout the rest of the books but this one certainly suffers the worst of them. This one used to be one of my lesser-liked among the series, but subsequent rereads have mellowed my opinion. I do think the subplot of Leslie's life is a bit melodramatic and ends too neatly, but if you can get over that it certainly is entertaining. It's nice to see Anne a married woman and mother, and yet still a character consistent with her younger, more immature self. This is another worthy installment in the Anne series, and is sure to please Montgomery's legions of fans.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The fifth in the "Anne" series, newly married Anne moves to Four Winds with her husband, Dr. Gilbert Blythe. In her new home, she meets new people like Captain Jim, the keeper of the lighthouse, Leslie, who is trapped in an unhappy marriage, and the unique Miss Cornelia, who hates men and entertains them all with her pronouncements.This was a reread for me. Though I already knew what to expect in terms of the story, reading it now as an adult was very different from when I was a young teen. Then, I was rather scandalized by some of Miss Cornelia's ways and Leslie's strongly emotional outbursts. This time around, Miss Cornelia was much funnier and though I couldn't really relate to Leslie's feelings I could understand them a little bit more. I think calling this a "teen" novel is a bit of a misnomer.

[thornestaff · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finally! The long-awaited marriage of Anne and Gilbert. People in Avonlea had been matching them up since they were children, and it took five books to finally get them married! Anne and Gilbert marry in the orchard of Green Gables, in a simple ceremony with few guests -- only those nearest and dearest to them. Then they move to Four Winds Harbor, where Gilbert is installed as the new doctor, taking over some of his uncle's practice. With Captain Jim to visit at the lighthouse, Miss Cornelia to provide entertaining "man bashing" and brooding Leslie Owen to talk to, Anne and Gilbert surround themselves with new loved ones, while still treasuring the people they left in Avonlea. Surprises await, and we see the full circle of life in this little out of the way part of the Island that is tender and heartwarming.There's a part of me that has concluded that Anne mellows a little too much after she marries, and it is more difficult to spot her "Anne-ness", though occasionally it can't help but come out. But despite this disappointment, I am still drawn in to the world of Four Winds, and thoroughly enjoy meeting new "kindred spirits", who from here on are christened people "of the race that knows Joseph".

[sylviac_43 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm glad I reread this. I was kind of reluctant to, because I mostly remembered the sadness. Fortunately, I now recall that there is plenty of humour and joy in this book, too. It also has a fair dose of melodrama and purple prose, but L. M. Montgomery does tend to lapse into those at times.

[ctpress_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The woods call to us with a hundred voices, but the sea has one only — a mighty voice that drowns our souls in its majestic music. The woods are human, but the sea is of the company of the archangels.Anne’s House of Dreams marks the transition between the girl Anne Shirley and the woman Anne Blythe. In this one Anne and Gilbert are finally married and move to their new house on the seashore at Four Winds Point.There Gilbert will begin his new practice as a doctor and they will meet new “kindred-spirits” - the unmarried Cornelia Bryant - and the keeper of the lighthouse, Captain Jim.The sea plays a great part in the fifth book in the [Anne of Green Gables] series. It’s by the seashore that Anne’s dreams and hopes and memories are mingled together during her long walks - and where she meets the mysterious woman Leslie Moore with a tragic past.Although everything evolves around Anne, it is really Leslie Moore who are the most interesting character in this novel - the the friendship between Leslie and Anne will change them both forever.

[nancynova · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anne marries Gilbert, and they move to a new town and new home - which she dubs her house of dreams. New neighbors introduced - the lighthouse keeper, an older woman telling gossip, and a friendly neighbor dealt a bad hand in life, but turns out well in the end. Anne's first child, born at the house of dreams, lives only a few hours. Her next is born hale and healthy. As the book closes, Gilbert's practice is expanding, and they're planning to move into a bigger house, away from the shore - and her neighbor, now happily married, will summer vacation in the house of dreams.

[leftik_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love this book. I laugh, I cry. All of it. It's such a great continuation of the Anne storyline. It was hard to give up all the old Avonlea characters, though.

[vikkilaw · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

For some reason, the New York Public library does not own a copy of this book, so I've never been able to read it. The Hong Kong Public Library, however, does and, luckily for me, my uncle has a library card.