Anne of Green Gables Book Review

(Book Review written by a Charlotte Mason-homeschooled high school boy.)

This is the first in a series of eight books, featuring orphaned Anne Shirley, an engaging, talkative girl with red hair and an imagination. It tells of how Anne came to be adopted by the Cuthberts, and of how she found friends—and enemies—in her new home. 

Anne is twelve years old when she makes her first appearance; at the end of the book she turns fifteen, and has her own school to teach. Her best friend and “kindred spirit,” Diana Barry, is her constant support and, at times, restraint; her best enemy, Gilbert Blythe, tries to make friends with her, but does not succeed until the very end, when Anne admits that she has forgiven him two years before. Matthew Cuthbert, always bashful where most women were concerned, is wholly won over—“bewitched,” to use his sister’s words— by Anne’s charm, and even the rigid Marilla finally realizes how much Anne meant to her—though she rarely admitted it. And there are others, too—Mrs. Rachel Lynde, their nosy, kind-hearted neighbor, whom Anne quarrels with at the start; Miss Stacy, Anne’s schoolteacher; and Miss Josephine Barry, who got the scare of her life when Anne jumped on her when she was fast asleep—to name but a few. Read the book, and I’ll guarantee you won’t be bored.

Each chapter is a complete story by its own right, with some exceptions. It all makes for light reading, and can be read by anyone from ages twelve above (grades seven up). The other books—Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne’s House of Dreams, Anne of Ingleside—also star Anne, as she goes through college, teaches, and gets married. She has children in Anne’s House of Dreams and in Anne of Ingleside, and the last two books—Rainbow Valley and Rilla of Ingleside—feature her children. 

Although Anne’s House of Dreams, Anne of Ingleside, and Rilla of Ingleside might require a somewhat older audience, anyone can read them without much—if any—harm. Most of Montgomery’s books and short-stories are clean, and can be read by elementary students; the few exceptions, such as The Blue Castle (novel), The Red Room (short-story, 1898), The Blythes Are Quoted (novel), and Emily’s Quest (trilogy), have nothing more explicit than a kiss or two, and, compared to modern books, can be read or listened to by practically anybody. 

Rereading this book is a must. Not because you won’t understand it at first try, but because you’ll understand so much more of it than at the first run-through. 

First published in 1908 (Anne of Green Gables), so it’s in Public Domain and can be downloaded for free at Amazon. Most of Montgomery’s books are in the Public Domain, but we recommend buying the Anne of Green Gables Hardback Deluxe set to grace your home library!

I recommend this book to anyone, boy and girl alike, who wants to add another character to their list of imaginary friends. 

Better set apart some time off school or work, because, once you start on Montgomery, you won’t be able to stop till you’ve read all of her work. She’s one of the authors whose books I don’t have to scan before-hand, to see if they’re any good, because I already know that they are. Just try her.