Reviews with content warning for Grief - Anne of Green Gables

I’m not sure what I can say about this book that hasn’t been said at one time or other over the many years. It’s a classic for a reason.

But as someone who likes very few classics, there really is something special about this one. Lucy Maud Montgomery created a wonderfully eccentric and fascinating cast of characters in the Avonlea gang, with an extremely compelling, relatable, and unique protagonist in Anne.

For the time this book was written, especially, Anne is such a wonderfully complex and rich character. She was so ahead of her time in so many ways– definitely neurodivergent coded, undoubtedly a sufferer of maladaptive daydreaming, no doubt a direct result of her trauma, and a girl who wasn’t afraid to question things that everyone else blindly accepts even when it seems a little radical. For when this book was written, that’s INCREDIBLE, and it’s a real testament to the author that she was able to write a character so realistically and make her so relatable even in a time where a lot of the language we’d use to describe her now didn’t exist.

I love the philosophies Anne comes up with throughout the book, and I love her perspective on religion and how personal and emotional it is compared to how rigid, formal, and unfeeling the other characters’ are. I love how she thinks so deeply about everything, a true overthinker just like all of us in 2024. She’s just so unique in everything and yet so relatable. This was a favorite book (& the movie too) of mine as a child and rereading it now I can really see how formative Anne was to my personality. So much of what I grew up to be is just her, and I’m grateful for her influence.

This book also contains one of the most scrumptious and satisfying slow burn enemies to rivals to lovers arcs of all time. Well, I say this book, but it’s SO slow burn that you don’t even get into the lovers part until the sequels, but so many hints of it are already there even in this book. Seriously, Anne and Gilbert are the BLUEPRINT. I’m obsessed with them, truly. If you’re an enemies to lovers girlie and wanting to get into classics but don’t know where to start, start here. They will change your life.

There are certain aspects of this book that didn’t age well. Very brief moments of casual racism & fatphobia that I found very uncomfortable to read, as well as bits about the politics and culture of the time period that are a little confusing if you’re not a historian. Both of these things are very minor and hardly mentioned in the book but they are present, so it’s good to be aware going in. I think with classics it’s so important to love them for what they are but also to acknowledge their flaws.

This book is such a classic, though, and I’ve had such a fun time revisiting it. It always feels like coming home when returning to Avonlea 💚

Content Warnings

jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted 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? It's complicated

3.0

My first classic since childhood, this was creative, well written and imaginative. There was a LOT of dialogue which was a bit too much at times but it was overall enjoyable.

Anne Shirley is such a loveable character and her and Manilas growth together is adorable. Definitely a great entry way classic if you can handle the excessive amount of dialogue.

Content Warnings

rchulin1's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted relaxing sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

manukahoney_reads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

I'm so sad to be finished with this book. That's how much I loved it. Rachel McAdams' voice is so warm, buttery and soothing. And I don't don't where to begin to describe my love for the characters and the writing style. I considered eating it 4.75 for some of the outdated views and whatnot but the good so outweighed everything that it's a 5 star for me.

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tragedies's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Anne of Green Gables is a cozy, heartwarming tale about found families, friendships, and growing up. Like the Secret Garden, it was one of those classic middle grade novels that I never got to read as a child. Now that I have, I wish I had read it sooner. It has made me feel so seen, so deeply and profoundly understood. I'm very different from Anne's character, but there are certain parts of her that I see in myself, parts that I tried to bury as I grew older: the romanticism, the flair for dramatics, and the penchant for daydreaming and losing myself in a good book. Anne stays true to these parts of herself. Throughout the story, she remains genuine, curious, and imaginative. She thinks and feels deeply, treats other people with compassion, and sees the world for what it could be, not for what it is. While I was drawn in by the book’s cottagecore atmosphere, it’s Anne’s character and her relationships with the people around her that made me fall in love with Green Gables.

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook while reading a physical copy, preferably the version narrated by Rachel McAdams. The story gets rather longwinded in some parts, but her narration was so entertaining that I enjoyed every second of it. She did such a fantastic job that I honestly can’t imagine the characters, especially Anne, being voiced by anyone else.

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mousecat's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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eowyn_zoe's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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