Anne of Green Gables (aka One of the Most Wonderful Books Ever Written) - Book Review

Oh, I adored diving back into this book! I've now read it three times, and will continue to read it over and over again in the future!

What is it about L.M. Montgomery's writing? She had such talent! Her books are poetry! Her characters *are* real, no matter what anyone tells me. They are very real to me!

This will always remain my favorite Montgomery book. *Always.* I cannot read about Anne Shirley's childhood enough.  It never gets old.

Everything about this book is so perfectly wonderful, and beautiful, and nostalgic!

I have always regretted that I never read an unabridged (I read an abridged version with my sister)  version as a child.  But, I wonder if I would have enjoyed it as much as I did reading it at age 16. I somehow don't think I would've appreciated the beauty that is this novel if I'd read it when I was 10 years old.  I just don't think I would've grasped what truth and good were written in it.

I love all of the characters. Every last one of them! Marilla, Matthew (aside from Anne, probably my favorite), Diana, Gilbert (oh, Gilbert!), Mrs. Rachel Lynde, Diana's mother, Aunt Josephine, and of course, Anne Shirley herself!

Anne is such a lovable little girl, and so funny (funny is an understatement, but I don't want to use hilarious; it just doesn't fit)! I can read and read and read this book, and laugh every time! I don't know if there is one single, minuscule spot in this book that I don't show any interest in! I devour every word that was written.  When I read this book, I'm in a different place. I'm in P.E. Island, with all of the characters. I am Anne and Diana's other 'bosom friend'. I laugh with Anne during the laughable times, and feel like crying with her during her hard times! I rejoice over her triumphs and sigh over her trials.

The *only*, mind you, *only* thing that I don't like about this book, well, I wouldn't say don't like, because I *love* every little piece, but was somewhat disappointed with, is that, Anne just grows up so fast! I feel like after she turns 13, maybe her growing up was rushed.  I mean the book was starting to get long, but should Lucy Maud Montgomery have rushed her growing up so? I guess we do see her grow more and more in the later books, but she just went through such change, so *quickly*.  Oh, and the most heartbreaking sentence in the entire book: "I don't know, I don't want to talk as much." My goodness, that nearly broke my heart.  How could it be...*sigh*. We all must grow up and leave childhood behind someday, though (my opinion is) we should never completely leave it behind.

Now, a few of my favorite quotes from the book. (Just a few, because I could not fit them all in this review.)

“Oh, it's delightful to have ambitions. I'm so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them-- that's the best of it. Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting.”

“Dear old world', she murmured, 'you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.”

“Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I’ll tell you what I'd do. I'd go out into a great big field all alone or in the deep, deep woods and I'd look up into the sky—up—up—up—into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness. And then I'd just feel a prayer.”

“Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?But am I talking too much? People are always telling me I do. Would you rather I didn't talk? If you say so I'll stop. I can STOP when I make up my mind to it, although it's difficult.”

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

“It is ever so much easier to be good if your clothes are fashionable.”

“Some people go through life trying to find out what the world holds for them only to find out too late that it's what they bring to the world that really counts.”

“Because when you are imagining, you might as well imagine something worth while.”

And those are a few of my thoughts on this wonderful book!