Anne of Green Gables

By L. M. Montgomery

Life is forever changed at Green Gables, a tranquil farm on Canada's Prince Edward Island, with the arrival of a redheaded chatterbox named Anne. The spirited, precocious 11-year-old orphan finds 'scope for imagination" everywhere she looks, transforming the lives of Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, her elderly guardians, with her merry doings and misadventures.
Anne — spelled with an "e," as she gravely informs new acquaintances — builds a world of enchantment around Green Gables and its surrounding woodlands, lakes, and valleys. Thanks to the freckle-faced girl's imaginative musings, the rustic region's natural wonders blossom into a fairyland of endless romance. Anne's inspired prattle, goodwill, and joie de vivre win her a warm circle of friends, just as they have won the hearts of readers around the world.
Since its first appearance in 1908, the novel has led generations of children to laugh and cry — but mostly laugh — along with this beloved story's vivacious heroine. Now this inexpensive edition, complete and unabridged, introduces new readers to the ageless charm of a fanciful world made real by love and friendship. The inspiration for 2016 PBS movie and the 2017 CBC/Netflix Anne mini-series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Release date: Sep 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9780486799216

L. M. Montgomery

L.M. Montgomery (1874-1942), born Lucy Maud Montgomery, was a Canadian author who worked as a journalist and teacher before embarking on a successful writing career. She’s best known for a series of novels centering a red-haired orphan called Anne Shirley. The first book titled Anne of Green Gables was published in 1908 and was a critical and commercial success. It was followed by the sequel Anne of Avonlea (1909) solidifying Montgomery’s place as a prominent literary fixture.

Book preview

cows.

The good stars met in your horoscope,

Made you of spirit and fire and dew.

—B

ROWNING

Part 1

Surprises in Avonlea

MRS. RACHEL LYNDE lived just where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, and was crossed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods.

There are plenty of people, in Avonlea and out of it, who can attend closely to their neighbor’s business by neglecting their own; but Mrs. Rachel Lynde was one of those capable creatures who can manage their own concerns and those of other folks at the same time. Mrs. Rachel found plenty of time to sit for hours at her kitchen window, knitting cotton quilts and keeping a sharp eye on the main road that crossed the hollow and wound up the steep red hill beyond. Since Avonlea was a peninsula jutting out into Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence, with water on two sides of it, anybody who went out of it or into it had to pass over the hill road and pass by Mrs. Rachel’s all-seeing eye.

She was sitting there one afternoon in early June when Matthew Cuthbert, the shyest man alive and who hated to have to go among strangers or to any place where he might have to talk, came calmly driving his horse and buggy over the hollow and up the hill.

She said to herself, "I’ll just step over to Green Gables and find out from Marilla where he’s gone and why. He doesn’t generally go to town this time of year and he never visits."

The Cuthberts, brother and sister, lived up the road from Lynde’s Hollow. Green Gables was built at the furthest edge of Matthew’s father’s cleared land and there it was to this day, barely visible from the main road along which all the other Avonlea houses were situated.

Mrs. Rachel stepped out of the lane and into the backyard of Green Gables. She rapped at the kitchen door and stepped in when called out to do so. There sat Marilla Cuthbert knitting, and the table behind her was laid for supper—for three people.

Mrs. Rachel was almost dizzy with this mystery about quiet, unmysterious Green Gables. Marilla was a tall, thin woman; her dark hair showed some gray streaks and was always twisted up in a hard little knot behind with two hairpins stuck through it. Matthew went to Bright River, explained Marilla to her friend. We’re getting a little boy from an orphan asylum in Nova Scotia and he’s coming on the train tonight. If Marilla had said that Matthew had gone to Bright River to meet a kangaroo from Australia, Mrs. Rachel could not have been more astonished.

Are you serious? she demanded.

Yes, of course, said Marilla, as if getting boys from orphan asylums in Nova Scotia were part of the usual spring work on any Avonlea farm.

What on earth put such a notion into your head?

Well, we’ve been thinking about it for some time—all winter, in fact, said Marilla. Mrs. Alexander Spencer was up here one day before Christmas and she said she was going to get a little girl from the asylum over in Hopetown in the spring. So Matthew and I have talked it over off and on ever since. Matthew is getting up in years, you know—he’s sixty—and he isn’t so spry as he once was. His heart troubles him a good deal. And you know how desperate hard it’s got to be to get hired help. So in the end we decided to ask Mrs. Spencer to pick us out one when she went over to get her little girl. We sent word by Richard Spencer’s folks to bring us a smart boy of about ten or eleven—old enough to be of some use in doing chores right off and young enough to be trained up proper. We mean to give him a good home and schooling.

Well, Marilla, said Mrs. Rachel, I’ll just tell you plain that I think you’re doing a mighty foolish thing—a risky thing, that’s what. You’re bringing a strange child into your house and home and you don’t know a single thing about him nor how he’s likely to turn out. If you had asked my advice in the matter—which you didn’t do, Marilla—I’d have said for mercy’s sake not to think of such a thing, that’s what.

I don’t deny there’s something in what you say, Rachel, returned Marilla. I’ve had some doubts myself. But Matthew was terribly set on it, so I gave in. As for the risk, there’s risks in pretty near everything a body does in this world. I’d never dream of taking a girl to bring up. I wonder at Mrs. Alexander for doing it.

When Mrs. Rachel set out then to spread the news, she said to herself, It seems odd to think of a child at Green Gables. There’s never been one there.

Matthew Cuthbert enjoyed the drive to Bright River except during the moments when he met women and had to nod to them—on Prince Edward Island you are supposed to nod to everyone you meet on the road whether you know them or not.

Matthew dreaded all women except Marilla and Mrs. Rachel; he had an uncomfortable feeling that women were secretly laughing at him. He may have been right; he was an odd-looking man, with a clumsy manner and long, gray hair that touched his stooping shoulders, and a full, soft brown beard which he had worn ever since he was twenty.

When he reached Bright River there was no sign of any train; he thought he was too early. The long platform at the station was almost deserted; the only living creature in sight was a girl who was sitting on a pile of shingles at the far end.

Matthew found the stationmaster locking up the ticket office before going home to supper, and asked him if the five-thirty train would soon be along.

The five-thirty train has been in and gone half an hour ago, said the man. But there was a passenger dropped off for you—a little girl. She’s sitting out there on the shingles.

I’m not expecting a girl, said Matthew. "It’s a boy I’ve

Reviews for Anne of Green Gables

[mrsrj-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You may have watched the movie, the 2-night special, or the latest adaptation on Netflix - but you haven't truly experienced Anne of Green Gables until you read the books. I read them as a pre-teen and have re-read them many times. Published well over a hundred years ago the narrative reads a tad clunky and dated at times. But I am not saying that is a bad thing. In a world filled techno-gadgets, vampires, and witches, where something is blown-up or killed every three-seconds-- it was nice to have a stress-free, relaxing reading experience. Anne is an 11-year-old orphan longing for a home to call her own. Despite her tender age, she had known heartbreak. It was how she chose to deal with it that resonates with me to this day. Anne looked for the good in everyone and everything and with her boundless imagination if she couldn't find it -- she simply created it. She had a light within her that refused to be dimmed. This is a timeless classic I cannot wait to share with my granddaughter. If you have never read this book or if it has been a while, sneak off to your favorite, comfy spot and reconnect with a simpler time.Happy Reading,RJ

[dgrachel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I can't believe it's taken me so long to read this. I feel like somehow I missed out on an integral part of childhood by not reading this as a young girl. What a fun, charming, beautiful tale of an orphan girl and her new family. Heartwarming and entertaining. I look forward to the rest of the series.

[junipersun · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I never read this when I was young. I can see the attraction, for the pre-teen girl, and indeed my own daughter enjoyed it. However, for an adult the story holds very little of interest. I can enjoy the descriptions of nature, but it is too preachy and has little character development except for Anne and a bit for Marilla.

[puuchan_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Anne of Green Gables" is very famous story and loved all over the world .A heroine of this story Anne takes a positive attitude on at any time. She is a very strong girl, so I like her!

[kemilyh1988 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my all time favorites. I have read it a few times and will probably read it a few more. I have only gotten through to the second book in the series, but plan on reading others in the future.

[loveatfirstbook · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Before I got married, my middle name was Anne. With an “e.” Just like Anne of Green Gables. Now my middle name is my maiden name, but that’s besides the point.I must have read Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery when I was a little girl, but all I remember is watching the movie. So I decided to get through a bunch of the Anne books, obviously starting with the first: Anne of Green Gables.Anyone who knows anything about Anne knows that she feels like a plain child with red hair which she despises, and that she never stops talking.For the full review (and a pic of my very old copy of the book), visit Love at First Book

[raucousrain · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have long loved LM Montgomery's work, and I was thrilled to find this wonderful special limited edition when I visited the Anne of Green Gables Museum in Park Corner, PEI. The tome itself is a truly lovely thing. And the story -- well, in my eyes and in my heart -- the story never grows old.

[allthesedarnbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I love the beauty in Montgomery's prose, her descriptions of Prince Edward Island, and the people who live in the small town of Avonlea. But most of all, I love Anne Shirley. She is, indeed, a kindred spirit. My love for this book is so strong, it's a struggle to put into words. I feel like I don't have the capacity to describe the wonder and the joy it invokes in me every time I read it. A true classic, and I can't wait to reread the rest of the Anne books this year. Highly, highly recommended. If you haven't read this book, you are, in my opinion, missing out on one of the great pleasures of life. Five stars, and I'd give it more if Library Thing allowed it.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After many years, I have decided to revisit this classic series. My mother first introduced me to the series when I was twelve-years-old and I have read it several times since. As a younger reader "Anne of Green Gables" was always my least favourite. Now, forty years later, I was thoroughly entertained by this book. I loved all the descriptions of Green Gables and Avonlea, and the innocence of a bygone era.Matthew Cuthbert, Gilbert Blythe and Aunt Josephine were always my favourite characters, and they remained so. However, I was surprised by how much I liked Anne and Marilla. For some unknown reason, I have always remembered Marilla as a hard, unforgiving woman, but I discovered she really had a heart of gold and loved Anne as though she was her own daughter.As for Anne herself, she used to annoy me with the antics and continual talking, but this time I admired her incorrigible spirit, her love of nature, her vivid imagination and her passion for stories. In fact I found myself close to tears at times when she talked about her past life.Although written over a century ago, I found "Anne of Green Gables" a charming, delightful read which still has much appeal for today's modern readers.

[chavala_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this as a youth and in college. Revisited it through the Craft Lit podcast. Can't wait to share it with my nieces - they should be old enough in the next few years.

[sarahgracegrzy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Just delightful! A classic read for anyone.

[justagirlwithabook · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely adore Anne of Green Gables! I remember reading Gables and all the other Anne books growing up (I went on a Little House on the Prairie kick as well, around this time). I loved reading all about a girl who I could relate to and who talked too much and didn't want to sit around in dresses all the time and just look pretty. She was a unique character who really exhibited the 'be yourself' persona and I loved it.

[dknight0918 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really enjoyed this one. Listened to the audiobook read by Rachel McAdams.

[marie2830-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is nearly impossible for me to describe my absolute fondness for this book and the character of Anne, herself. She is perhaps the most relatable, lovable fictional character in my heart, and the background of Green Gables and Avonlea, charming beautiful places, so well described and romantic, I hardly need the words on the page to love it. I feel that Anne Shirley and I, are mist definitely kindred spirits.

[soubhikiewiet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My Mom has been talking about reading this to the patients at the nursing home where she works. They look forward to it every day.

My grandmother adored this series.

So when I came across this book in the audiobook section of my library, I thought I'd give it a try. I had no idea I'd enjoy it as much as I did

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

I love, love, love this book. I still have my old dog-eared copy from middle school. Ann-with-an-e is hired by elderly brother and sister Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. They wanted a boy to help out with their farm but got Anne instead in a mix-up. Marilla is slow to warm up to Anne, who can be overly dramatic at times, uses large words and has a tendency to name things around the farm (she named the Cuthbert's pond The Lake of Shining Waters). Anne is not a wholly sympathetic character, she can be vain and bossy and has a fiery temper that burns as bright as her hair. On her first day at school she breaks a slate over the head of a boy who teases her. But she is a compelling character, proving herself to be useful and dependable. I cannot recommend this book enough, especially to young female readers. Despite her faults, Anne is a strong and smart girl with a powerful imagination. She is, in a sense, like any other girl and can still be relatable despite being written over 100 years ago. I would also recommend watching the 80s miniseries in conjunction with the book. I remember reading this book in school and also watching snippet of the miniseries.

[eglinton_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Spirited, fanciful, loyal, loving, and diligent, Anne is a delightful creation, brimful of emotion and adventure. The simple charms of Prince Edward Island, the abundance of nature, and the memorable scrapes she gets into are so. vivid as to be somehow in our common heritage memory, already familiar even.as one discovers them. Poignant, funny, wise, the book is a well-rounded, timeless pleasure.

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A red-headed, energetic, talkative orphan girl adopted by the Cuthberts--Anne tends to dream while Marilla Cuthbert is more of a practical sort. Anne meets her friendship-soulmate in Diana and enjoys an academic rivalry with Gilbert.

[girlwellread · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Simply delightful!

[akblanchard_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this 100-year-old childhood classic, vivacious, imaginative orphan Anne (with an "e") Shirley has comical misadventures and charms everyone on St. Edward Island. This novel has its sweet, nostalgic moments, but, all in all, I found it a little overlong and cloying, kind of like drinking three large tumblers of raspberry cordial.

[etxgardener · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is another classic children's book I've never read and, I was fearful that the story of an orphaned child being taken in by a woman and her brother on Price Edward Island in Canada would be the last word in treacle. However, red-haired Anne is too full of life to sink into bathos and the story of how she wins the heart of people who thought they were getting a boy to help them on their farm, is a delight to read 110 years after it was published.Now that I've read this first book, I think I'll continue on with the series.

[readandfindout · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars! What a lovely little book. I can't wait to continue with this story. Anne was such a wonderful character, and I was frequently moved by her imagination and insight.

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

I hadn't read this classic since I was a little girl and it was soo nice to revisit it. I forgot how charming Anne is and how happy her antics made me. As an adult I realize there isn't much of a plot, each chapter is a short story on some mischief or excitement that Anne gets up to, but honestly that makes it all the more charming. I am definitely inspired to read more of the series (I've only ever read the first one!) and to rewatch the show, although from what I hear I may need to avoid the new Netflix original. All in all a great re-read. It definitely holds up :)

[emma_manolis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every, birthday, Christmas, random Monday, etc. my grandparents would gift me a "Great Illustrated Classic." Some of those "classics" I looked at, shrugged my shoulders and put them on my bookshelf, never to be seen again. . until last November when my parents boxed up anything and everything I had left at home. There were a few that sparked my interest enough that I actually read them. Anne of Green Gables was one of those books.

I didn't realize that wasn't the actual book until about a year later when my father arrived home from a business trip with a copy of Anne of Avonlea. I tried reading it and found myself feeling really overwhelmed. Turns out those "Great Illustrated Classics" are dumbed down.

This year I decided to give it another try. I wish I would have picked it up earlier! I adore this book. In fact, it may just be one of my favorite books of all time. I laughed, I cried and I cannot recommend it enough.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

First time I'd read this, having somehow missed it as a child. I can see why it works, it's a sweet tale of a girl worming her way into the hearts of those around her. But, dear me, Anne talks and talks and talks and it's about nothing at all in particular. She has a vivid imagination, but it;s not terribly to much point and I found her somewhat tedious. I don't feel I missed much not reading this d=sooner.

[olivermagnus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's been years since I read this classic so decided to revisit it as part of my 2017 Nostalgia Reading Tour. The novel is set in the nineteenth century in Canada's Prince Edward Island. We are introduced to Anne Shirley, a red headed, freckled, opinionated girl of eleven who is full of enthusiasm and has a boundless imagination. She is adopted by middle aged siblings, Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert, who originally wanted a boy to help with their farm work. Anne doesn't take long to win their hearts and they decide to keep her.

Reading the books fifty years apart I still found Anne of Green Gables to be rich in characterization, dialogue, and description. I loved the characters and the adventures/situations Anne and her friends get into along the way. Anne of Green Gables is a superbly crafted coming of age story which authentically captures its time, its place, and its characters.

[echslibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book.

[picardyrose · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Of course.

[deborahk_44 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

How I missed it when I was young is a mystery. Having caught up with it now after a visit to Prince Edward Island and 2 film adaptations, I can say it's most engaging. Anne of Green Gables stands up to time, it is not ruined by its old times language or religiosity. Mostly I reject reading a book after having seen it on TV or film but this iconic tale was not diminished by having preceded it with viewings.

[kristymk18-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anne of Green Gables is arguably one of my favorite movies, but sadly, I had never read the book. I am glad to finally check this off of my reading bucket list as it is truly a classic. However, this is one of the few instances where (even though this book is great) I liked the movie more. This is probably because I first watched it when I was around six, and almost annually ever since. And also...why is Gil hardly in this book! I must get Anne of Avonlea soon in order to redeem this.