2 stars-- I tried. I actually tried to like this poorly written, overrated "classic", but to be honest...I HATED EVERY PAGE. Anne of Green Gables made me want to scream and punch a pillow. By page 100, I was half-dead with boredom, and my eyes hurt from rolling them so much. Okay, I know what you're probably thinking: "But this book is a CLASSIC. Why don't YOU try to write a novel before criticizing the work of L.M. Montgomery?" Well, guess what? I'm allowed to have an opinion! But what exactly made me hate Anne of Green Gables so much? THE CHARACTERS. I strongly disliked EVERY. SINGLE. CHARACTER in this book, especially Anne Shirley. Anne is too talkative, dumb, annoying, superficial, insensitive...the list goes on. She has a "big imagination", which is just her excuse for acting like someone who drinks too much caffeine for breakfast. And did I mention her really, really short temper? I mean, she held a grudge for YEARS on this guy in her class named Gilbert, because he--gasp!--called her "carrots", making fun of her red hair. OMG, he called her "carrots"? That's SUCH a horrible thing to say! It's DEFINITELY a good reason to stop talking to him, even though he repeatedly apologized and even SAVED ANNE FROM DROWNING ONE TIME! Yeah, Gilbert's the bad guy here. (In case you couldn't tell, I'm being very sarcastic). Also, Anne is super insensitive. She always impulsively says and does whatever she wants to say and do, without realizing that she might be hurting people's feelings. She has a big imagination...and a big mouth. The other characters in the book were not much better than Anne. Her best friend Diana doesn't seem to have a personality--she's one of those characters who exists solely because she's pretty. She just does whatever Anne does. Anne's friend Ruby is superficial and boy-crazy, and her other friend Jane is boring. Gilbert's alright, I guess--but his crush on Anne is SO OBVIOUS. Marilla and Mathew, Anne's adoptive parents, are the only characters I don't completely hate, as they undergo some character development. I might have actually liked Anne of Green Gables if it weren't for the characters. The world-building and plot are okay, and storyline is interesting. This would've been a good book if the characters were more relatable, realistic, and developed. I know I'm expressing an unpopular opinion, but this is how I truly feel about Anne of Green Gables.
Anne of Green Gables
By L. M. Montgomery
Book Reviews (19)
I don't agree but good job on your review!
"Dear old world," she murmured, "you are very lovely and I am glad to be alive in you." This quote really accurately depicts how Anne lives her life and what makes you love her as a character. She's stubborn and makes mistakes, but she also has a huge imagination and sees the world as beautiful and full of possibilities I loved this SO much and I'm sad I never read it before! I love all the characters and the plot, and it's really fun to see Anne grow up through this book. The writing is also really really lovely. I can't wait to read the sequels and follow Anne's story. This has made it up to my favorite books of all time list, that's for sure. This story is cute, touching, heart-warming, tear-jerking. In other words, a classic! The target audience is definitely not me. I would say it would be perfect for a teenage girl living in Canada in the early 1900s. That makes sense, because that is exactly what Anne is! However, the point of this obvious detail is that sometimes it is fun to read a classic and try to put your mind in the mindset of who it was written for at the time. A couple of the storylines seemed silly or to not make sense, but if I stopped and changed my mindset, it would click. A bit of a history lesson combined with a well written story. One reason I re-read this book was because two friends recommended it for it's fluency in writing dialogue. Unlike Little Women, which I attempted to read for the writing, this book did not disappoint. The dialogue sounds exactly like each character would sound and it flows smoothly from narration to dialogue and back. In fact, I'm baffled that Little Women routinely makes top 100 lists while Anne of Green Gables is nowhere to be found on the lists of must-read classics. Unlike the Little Women characters who are archetypes rather than three dimensional characters, Anne is a bold a female character who refuses to be categorized. That's exactly why I love her and love this book.If you haven't read this before, give it a shot and maybe you will find your inner early 1900s Canadian teenager!
Great book! It's really interesting a descriptive! I think it's about a 6th-7th grade level, but I read it in 5th grade and didn't have any trouble.
Anne of Green Gables is a heartwarming, great book. I would recommend this book for accelerated readers grades 4th and up, and average readers 6th grade and up. It's worth 18 AR points, and is about an average 7.8 reading level. It's about an 11-year old orphan named Anne, who is adopted by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who originally wanted a boy, but later learn to love clever, imaginative Anne!
If you're looking for a story about a bright, spirited orphan girl who finds love and adventure, then look no further. Anne will capture your heart and never let go. Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert wanted a boy from the orphanage to help with the farmwork. When Matthew goes to the train station to pick him up, he only finds Anne Shirley, a talkative, redheaded girl with a bright imagination and a big heart. A search for answers tells the Cuthberts that someone told Mrs. Spencer the Cuthberts wanted a girl. Marilla thinks of sending Anne back to the orphanage, but Matthew persuades Marilla to open up her heart to the girl. Marilla eventually decides to keep Anne, and so Anne's adventures full of humor and heart begin. From making a friend, Diana Barry, to making enemies, Gilbert Blythe and Josie Pye, to naming everyday things you'd see like a lake, or a flower tree, Anne will find something to dream about. Read this book, please!
I love this book!
This is a great classic! This book is about a girl named Anne, Anne is a wild hearted girl who thinks of everything on the bright side. She is adopted my a country couple and the book series talks about her adventures.
I love this book! It's are really good, and I would SO recommend that you read this book!
Anne has always been an orphan. She moves around from family to family, helping them but never getting the love she needs. So when she's accidentally adopted by Matthew and Marilla, two elderly siblings, she has no idea what to expect. They're charmed by her, though, so much that they let her stay. And from there, Anne's adventures in Green Gables bloom: through every mistake and slip-up, Anne grows wonderfully. This beautiful, heartbreaking book by L. M. Montogomery is one of my favorite classics ever.
this is a classic, and the tv show made it so much better. i fell in love with gilbert because he's just so perfect! the ending broke my heart, but you can see how much anne has changed to become an even better person.