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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
slow-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
hopeful
relaxing
slow-paced
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Great book as the whole series. The magic of Anne keeps stretching throughout her adult years.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Toxic friendship
I don' think I'd read this one again, but I enjoyed it well enough. It has a different tone from the other books (which makes sense considering the time between her writing them as well as the difference in format). This was less about Anne herself, and more about the people around her. There are some fascinating characters in this book.
Sigh. I really wanted to give this book 4 stars. I've known Anne as a character for so long that it feels weird to rate it low, but several chapters of this book were so annoying that I can't rate it any higher. And, fair warning: I DON'T recommend that a child reads this novel. There are examples of really unhealthy marriages and relationships that are portrayed as normal and even romantic, and I don't think a child should be exposed to them.
In this novel, Anne, in her early twenties, has left Green Gables and is a high school principal in Summerside. She spends three years at this school, and the book is made up of unrelated anecdotes of people she meets. The conflicts are all presented abruptly and solved extremely easily.
The first 2/3 of the book passes pleasantly. We don't interact with any of the familiar characters we're used to from Green Gables, but that's not such a problem for me, because I don't mind going on new adventures with Anne. Even if it means that Anne has completely forgotten about her best friend Diana. (In the novel, Anne claims that Diana doesn't have much to talk about with her, because Diana has just had her first child, implying that Anne is doing much cooler, more important things...)
On that note, the worst part of Anne of Windy Poplars for me is that Anne is portrayed as the best friend of every single stranger we encounter in Summerside. Someone she has known for, like, 30 minutes tells her "Anne, please tell my fiance that I don't love him, please Anne, you're my best friend and I'm sure I can trust you because you're beautiful." I really wish I was exaggerating, but L.M. Montgomery can't shut up in this book about how beautiful Anne is, how everyone loves her, how she solves everyone's problems by some unknown magic. It quickly becomes insufferable.
Also, if you are someone who hates overused italics to indicate emphasis, you just shouldn't read the physical version of this book. There are so many italics that it's distracting.
Here are a few of the most annoying scenarios or people we encounter:
- A husband and father who has toddler-level temper tantrums if even one thing about his day goes wrong, resulting in his daughter being deathly afraid of her fiance coming over to get her father's approval. This annoying ass is made out to be a kind, caring father who just happens to "have his moods"
- Anne babysits these evil twins who make trouble for everyone. Twice in the span of a couple of hours, Anne leaves them COMPLETELY ALONE because someone comes to the door and she sits with the visitor instead of watching the children. When the twins, left alone, practically torture their female classmate who has come over, Anne says essentially, "Well, that girl is annoying and prissy, so she probably deserved it."
- Another father in the novel is
In this novel, Anne, in her early twenties, has left Green Gables and is a high school principal in Summerside. She spends three years at this school, and the book is made up of unrelated anecdotes of people she meets. The conflicts are all presented abruptly and solved extremely easily.
The first 2/3 of the book passes pleasantly. We don't interact with any of the familiar characters we're used to from Green Gables, but that's not such a problem for me, because I don't mind going on new adventures with Anne. Even if it means that Anne has completely forgotten about her best friend Diana. (In the novel, Anne claims that Diana doesn't have much to talk about with her, because Diana has just had her first child, implying that Anne is doing much cooler, more important things...)
On that note, the worst part of Anne of Windy Poplars for me is that Anne is portrayed as the best friend of every single stranger we encounter in Summerside. Someone she has known for, like, 30 minutes tells her "Anne, please tell my fiance that I don't love him, please Anne, you're my best friend and I'm sure I can trust you because you're beautiful." I really wish I was exaggerating, but L.M. Montgomery can't shut up in this book about how beautiful Anne is, how everyone loves her, how she solves everyone's problems by some unknown magic. It quickly becomes insufferable.
Also, if you are someone who hates overused italics to indicate emphasis, you just shouldn't read the physical version of this book. There are so many italics that it's distracting.
Here are a few of the most annoying scenarios or people we encounter:
- A husband and father who has toddler-level temper tantrums if even one thing about his day goes wrong, resulting in his daughter being deathly afraid of her fiance coming over to get her father's approval. This annoying ass is made out to be a kind, caring father who just happens to "have his moods"
- Anne babysits these evil twins who make trouble for everyone. Twice in the span of a couple of hours, Anne leaves them COMPLETELY ALONE because someone comes to the door and she sits with the visitor instead of watching the children. When the twins, left alone, practically torture their female classmate who has come over, Anne says essentially, "Well, that girl is annoying and prissy, so she probably deserved it."
- Another father in the novel is
Spoiler
forgiven for abandoning his, like, eight-year-old daughter for HER WHOLE LIFE and never sending her so much as a letter because "I didn't realize she wasn't a baby anymore, and I thought her grandmother was treating her well." He, too, is referred to as a kind, gentle father who obviously cares deeply for his daughter
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I have never cried with such fondness.