I was OBSESSED with this series from age 9 - 14 and loved the movies but didn’t appreciate the mangling of the storylines. It’s thanks to these books that I got into reading Tennyson and delved into the King Arthur legend. I also dyed my hair red for several years. My favorites of the series are: Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne of Ingleside, and Rilla of Ingleside. Then, I got into the Emily of New Moon series which is a much darker and adult series.
I’ve vacationed on PEI four times mainly because my family hails from the island. It is just as magical as the books say. But, the commericalization of Anne of Green Gables is horrible. There’s Marilla’s Lobster Pot - a restaurant, Rainbow Valley - a golf course, Kindred Spirits - a hotel or cottage. Anne’s face is slapped onto almost everything from the island. I’m planning to go back to the Island again this coming summer. The Confederate Bridge bums me out though. There was something dramatic and romantic about an island you could only reach via ferry.
Hey me too! The “Anne” books made me realise it was ok to be an idealistic dreamer, and I loved the “Emily” books even more. Even now I still think they’re brilliantly written books, and they deal with issues far ahead of their time - how many books aimed at young girls now could deal with issues such as the death of a loved one, or a friend at an early age, or a stillbirth so sensitively? I grew up longing to visit PEI, but I can imagine it has become commercial. Maybe one day though…
[slight hijack]
There is still a ferry service running between Wood Islands (PEI) and Caribou (NS).
I mourned the loss of the ferry as well, but the bridge is much quicker and easier to plan around. When you had to depend on the ferry, you would often wait 3+ hours to get off the Island.
I’m from PEI, and while things are getting a little more commercialized it is still has a small-town feeling. I can’t wait until I can move back.
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At the Confederation Centre (theatre in Charlottetown) there is always a “Anne of Green Gables” musical running. The acting is excellent and the show has a long track record of being delightful. Any “Anne” fans should consider seeing this if they visit the Island.
Wow was I ever delighted to see this thread!
I read the entire series of Anne books in order once a year, every year, usually around November. I’ve been doing this since I was 14, although I read them for the first time when I was 12.
My favourite books of the series are Anne Of Green Gables, Anne of Windy Poplars and Anne’s House Of Dreams.
Once I met a man IRL who was named Marshall Elliott. That was cool.
When I was stil visiting the Buffyboards, my username was “Willowmere”. I told anyone who asked that I took my username “In honour of my two favourite redheads”.
I mentioned the books in the “books that make you cry” thread, if anyone is interested.
My other favourite L.M. Montgomery books are The Blue Castle and Jane Of Lantern Hill, which are admittedly a little formulaic, but I allow myself some guilty pleasures! I also loved the Emily books, which I got into because my best friend loves them. I tried to read Pat of Silver Bush and I was terribly disappointed. Montgomery really sold out with that one.
I’ve been a fan ever since I was about seven and the Anne of Green Gables miniseries was on PBS. I STILL cry when Matthew dies in Anne’s arms. And again when Gilbert calls her “Carrots” and strokes her cheek.
I have a book of short stories by Montgomery, entitled At the Altar. See if you can’t get ahold of it, it’s great!
Ooh, The Blue Castle is quite excellent! Anyone else read The Story Girl and/or The Golden Road? The Disney series Avonlea was based on those books. It’s nice to know that we have some folk here who are from the race that knows Joseph.
Anonymous, I know the ferry still exists. The bridge is built in such a way that you can’t see the ocean at all unless you’re in a hummer or something. So you’re from PEI, huh? Whereabouts? My family hails from Souris.
Also L.M. Montgomery has a book of great ghost stories. I forget the name but it’s a must read.
Yes, loved both “The Story Girl” and “The Golden Road”! And know I’m going to have my weekend in the attic digging out all these books so I can read them all again!
Oh, I love Anne. I’m a redhead so naturally loved the series. I have all eight of the Anne books and a lot of other LM Montgomery titles.
I think I love the first book, Rainbow Valley and Rilla of Ingleside the best.
Interesting Anne tidbit: I contacted the LM Montgomery Institute a few months ago to ask about “Anne of Windy Willows” vs. “Anne of Windy Poplars”. Apparently, US publishers felt that “Windy Willows” sounded too much like “Wind in the Willows” and had them change out. Also, part of the book was edited out for American readers. Remember when Anne goes to Minerva Tomgallon’s house and Mrs. Tomgallon relates the various gruesome deaths in her family? Apparently, there is more detail in this portion in the Canadian manuscript (I keep meaning to get a copy of the Canadian book to compare it to the American version).
Nothing to add except that Megan Follows was one of the most perfect casting jobs in the history of film. I’m surprised she isn’t a bigger star today. (I didn’t know until recently that there’s an animated series in production.)
I love the books too. I really need to get all my books out of their storage and read a bunch of them again.
I’ve only been to PEI once that was in 93/94 or thereabouts. It would’ve been during construction of the bridge but before it was completed. (There was a wedding on the bridge that year too, I seem to recall being told about it while on the ferry crossing as it was happening at that point in time) Loved the whole of PEI… especially [ice cream and I want to get some of their t-shirts!
Interesting note: My cousin Krissy played Anne last summer at [url=“http://www.gov.pe.ca/greengables/index.php3”]Green Gables](www.cows.ca"[/url). They have a couple of people who do so as interpreters and she was hired as one of them!
Pha… Cows Ice Cream even
Ditto.
I’ve never read the book, but I used to watch this many many many times a year. I haven’t seen it in ages though.
Hm… the roommate’s gone for the weekend, maybe I’ll pick it up tomorrow.
Actually, the ferry was the reason I never got to go to PEI as a kid, because my mom was reluctant to get on the thing. I’d always wanted to go because I loved the Anne books. I was a lot like her when I was that age. 
(My sisters were and are far less romantic and found her annoying. ;))
I finally did go a couple of years ago but, alarmingly, we never did make it to Green Gables. 
I was also fond of the movies – actually, a few years back I saw Jonathan Crombie (Gilbert) as Romeo in Stratford, Ontario. He was terrific, but he played opposite a lousy Juliet. (And yes, I’ve also seen the video of the previous Stratford R&J, in which Megan Follows plays Juliet… :D)
I didn’t know it was a book until a year after I saw the movie, and saw the book in our school library. I was eight. The librarian told me it was too advanced for me, though. :mad:
I had to wait another year to read it!
I still haven’t read all of them, but I did love Rilla of Inglside. Except for the part with the kitten.
I didn’t like Rilla of Ingleside because of the part with the kitten. I read it when I was a kid, got to the kitten part, and stopped reading because it upset me - never picked it back up.
If I had those books right now I’d read 'em again.
I have to confess that I only got into the books after seeing the movie at 14. Then I read them all, over and over. I now own pretty much everything I’ve ever seen written by L.M.Montgomery, though Anne and Emily are my favorites.
My friends were also fans–I had one who had puffed sleeves on her bridesmaid dress (also at 14), and who told me I had a nose like Anne’s. My nose has indeed always been a comfort to me. 
I’ve read Rilla of Ingleside, but can’t remember any bit with the kitten. Someone please enlighten me?
I’ve been a fan for a long time, too. I have most of the books, and my favourite is Anne’s House of Dreams. In fact, I think I liked most of the later ones. The only one I didn’t like was Rainbow Valley, for some reason.
A little neighbor boy takes one of the kittens from the barn cat for a pet. When Rilla’s brother doesn’t come home from the war, the boy keeps praying to God, and finally, he says, “If you let Walter come home, I’ll give up the thing I love most” which was his kitten.
So he drowns the kitten.
Of course, people were less sentimental about animals, maybe, especially, if they lived on a farm. Either way, I found it very distasteful.
I’ve read my childhood copy of Anne of Green Gables to absolute tatters.
Heh, and I have a very clear memory from age 10 or so of
Sneaking up past my bedtime and reading with a flashlight under a blanket in the closet and getting busted by my mother because I was hysterically sobbing over Matthew’s death.
As an adult, I have an even greater appreciation for the Emily of New Moon books. LMM captures so perfectly the need for a writer to write. And I love how she describes “the flash.” This is the book I recommend to adults who haven’t read LMM before.
OMG, Guin, I must have a censored version. I don’t remember reading that part at all. How oogy!
I think she should have kept the baby. Just IMO. Hey, it cured her of her hat obsession.