It’s
been a long time since I’ve written a book review.
So for this post, I’ll have a quick one featuring a
book I personally love and the lessons I’ve learned from it.
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Written for all ages, it has been considered a children's novel since the mid-twentieth century.
Plot Summary
- Anne, a young orphan from the fictional community of Bolingbroke, Nova Scotia (based upon the real community of New London), is sent to Prince Edward Island after a childhood spent in strangers' homes and orphanages. Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, siblings in their fifties and sixties, had decided to adopt a boy from the orphanage to help Matthew run their farm. They live at Green Gables, their Avonlea farmhouse on Prince Edward Island. Through a misunderstanding, the orphanage sends Anne Shirley.
- Anne is described as bright and quick, eager to please, talkative, and extremely imaginative. She has a pale face with freckles and usually braids her red hair. Marilla at first says the girl must return to the orphanage, but after a few days, she decides to let her stay. Marilla feels that she could be a good influence on the girl and has also learned that a disagreeable woman in town might take Anne instead.
- As a child of imagination, Anne takes much joy in life and adapts quickly, thriving in the close-knit farming village. Her talkativeness initially drives the prim, duty-driven Marilla to distraction, although Matthew falls for her charm immediately. Anne says that they are "kindred spirits."
- The book recounts Anne's adventures in making a home: the country school where she quickly excels in her studies; her friendship with Diana Barry (her best or "bosom friend" as Anne fondly calls her); her budding literary ambitions; and her rivalry with classmate Gilbert Blythe, who teases her about her red hair. For that, he earns her instant hatred, although he apologizes many times. As time passes, Anne realizes she no longer hates Gilbert but cannot bring herself to speak to him.
- The book also follows Anne's adventures in quiet, old-fashioned Avonlea. Episodes include her play-time with friends (Diana, Jane Andrews and Ruby Gillis), her run-ins with the unpleasant Pye sisters (Gertie and Josie), and domestic mishaps such as dyeing her hair green (while intending to dye it black) or accidentally getting Diana drunk (by giving her what she thinks is raspberry cordial but is currant wine).
- At fifteen, Anne goes to Queen's Academy to earn a teaching license, along with Gilbert, Ruby, Josie, Jane and several other students. She obtains her license in one year instead of the usual two and wins the Avery Scholarship for the top student in English. Her attainment of this scholarship would allow her to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree at the fictional Redmond College (based on the real Dalhousie University) on the mainland in Nova Scotia.
- Near the end of the book, Matthew dies of a heart attack after learning that all of his and Marilla's money has been lost in a bank failure. Out of devotion to Marilla and Green Gables, Anne gives up the scholarship to stay at home and help Marilla, whose eyesight is failing. She plans to teach at the Carmody school, the nearest school available, and return to Green Gables on weekends. In an act of friendship, Gilbert Blythe gives up his teaching position at the Avonlea School to work at White Sands School instead, knowing that Anne wants to stay close to Marilla after Matthew's death. After this kind act, Anne and Gilbert's friendship is cemented, and Anne looks forward to the next "bend in the road." (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_Green_Gables)
My Take On It
This
is a classic book which was recommended by my beshie, Ayhel. It is a lengthy
book, and I admit, at the back of my mind I kinda have this notion it might be
boring and dragging. But I was wrong. You get hooked to it the moment you begin
reading, especially with how the protagonist acts in the novel. Anne is –
talkative, lively, cheerful, brilliant, happy, optimistic, and most
importantly, very imaginative. Super imaginative like the most, I guess. When
you read, you get to be in her shoes and you ask yourself, How can an orphan
be so happy despite herself? The lesson I learned from Anne Shirley is to
look at the sunny side of everything and yeah, it’s all about perspective. She
teaches you how valuable imagination is—like it’s a supreme source of all possibilities.
When you imagine, you create a desirable life and that you slowly attract it to
yourself. That you don’t have to feel lonely even if you’re alone since you are
too busy imagining you try not to care about the present situation at all. It’s
an escape; most helpful when we deal with problems we don’t want to deal with
at some point. She also teaches you to be strong-willed and be yourself. That
despite our insecurities (for her it was her read hair that she loathe!), we
should still be ourselves and keep those pretentions away. What’s wrong with
being us anyway, right? Lastly, the best lesson we can get out of Anne of Green
Gables is that pleasing others will only cause us harm. That being true to
oneself is the key to be happy—whether or not people will like you. In the end,
it’s not their decision that matters, it’s still yours, because it is your
life. I’d like to add one more thing—destiny. She was not supposed to
be sent to the Cuthberts had it been for a misunderstanding. But because of
which, her life totally changed; which is true in real life, one way or the
other. That, you can never escape if you are destined for such life (which
makes you think of your own, right?). And you have to embrace life’s constant
surprises, which sometimes come in handy. To summarize it all—it’s a life-changing
book, specifically, a perspective-changing one. It's good for children and best for children at heart.
Thank you for dropping by Summerglee.
Stay happy!
