Raise your hand if you’ve never heard of a little place called Green Gables? If you haven’t, I suggest marching yourself to the library and becoming acquainted with L.M. Montgomery. Too lazy to get out of your computer chair? Well, friend, quite a few of L.M. Montgomery’s works are in the public domain, which include Anne of Green Gables, one of the most charming books I’ve ever read.
I read Montgomery for the first time last year, and I do appreciate coming to her books a bit later in life. You only ever get to read a book for the first time once, and I’m glad that I was able to appreciate that fact more and savor Montgomery’s writing.
Many of Montgomery’s books take place on Prince Edward Island which is in Canada. Her books are reminiscent of gentler time, when people knew their neighbors and still gossiped over tea. Perhaps her most intrepid, most famous character is Anne Shirley, the vivacious red-head with a heart of gold and a large imagination. I was blown away by Anne’s charms. She’s one character I wish I could be more like, as she works hard in school, always sees the positive, and tried to make her dull life more interesting by infusing imagination into everything, such as calling a plain old lake the ‘Lake of Shining Waters.’ According to wikipedia, ”Mark Twain said Montgomery’s Anne was “the dearest and most moving and delightful child since the immortal Alice.” Now, that’s what I call a compliment.
Aside from creating Anne and Gilbert Blythe (swoooooon), Montgomery wrote many other books, each, I have no doubt, to be charming and delightful, with the exception of Among the Shadows.
Rock on LM Montgomery for creating perfect spring reads, actually, perfect anytime reads with characters I wish I could be kindred spirits with!
This post is a part of Author Appreciation Week spearheaded by Heidi R. Kling
This post was written by...
April (Books&Wine) – who has written 1069 posts on Good Books And Good Wine.
April is 24 years old. She is an educator. In her free time she can be found reading, working out, or eating junk food. She often wears her sunglasses at night.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
i haven't read that book yet! But i will…when i have time!
This is a great post. The Green Gables series is one of my favorite "comfort reads". And I had to laugh at your swoon over Gilbert. He was (still is, now that I think about it) my literary crush. Move over Mr. Darcy, I'll take Gilbert any day! lol.
When people ask which literary character I've fallen in love with, I always say Gilbert! He's definitely swoon-worthy
PS. I have an award for you on my blog!
My grandparents bought me the entire Anne of Green Gables series when I was young. It was at least a few years before I even read the first one. But I loved it when I did. I loved how she had names for everything. I remember trying to name all the different parts of my neighborhood, lol.
Love Love Love Anne! I want to visit Prince Edward Island so much. And Gilbert is my number one lit crush-always will be-so swoon-worthy!
I agree with you, she is the best! Anne was my first book love
(and of course, Gilbert my first book crush!)
Have you read the entire Anne series? If you have, you should check out the three Emily of New Moon books if you haven't read them, I bet you'd definitely like them too.
Big Anne fan here. When I stumbled onto the fact that Montgomery's journals have been published as a five-volume set, I leapt on them immediately, expecting it to be more Anne. Oops! Turns out Montgomery had a fairly miserable, sad life, and the journals just got more and more depressing, until…well, never mind.
I LOVE Ann of Green Gables. I haven't read it for awhile. I've got a collection in my TBR pile that has been calling to me. Did you see the mini series. I loved it when I was growing up.
I adore LM Montgomery. I grew up with Anne and Emily then discovered in high school there were dozens of other books I hadn't read. A friend sent me home with two grocery bags full of Montgomery's books, and I spent a blissful summer reading on the couch.
I actually love Maud's journals even more than her books (and that's saying a lot). She kept a journal from fourteen until the time of her death (in her sixties, if I remember correctly). Unfortunately, several are now out of print. Look into them: THE SELECTED JOURNALS OF LUCY MAUD MONTGOMERY, VOLS 1-5. Well worth your time.
Oh I love all the Anne love! I am from PEI, Canada and you are all welcome to come and visit any time
There is a museum, a few musicals, and all sorts of Anne stuff everywhere. Though I recommend coming in the summer 
I actually just picked up the book Before Green Gables today. It is by a different author, but I am still interested to read it. Have you read it?
Great post! I LOVE Anne of Green Gables…..best book ever. I used to swoon over Gilbert, too. Did you see the mini-series on Disney? I used to watch it when I was a kid. So good! I've always wanted to go to PEI…hopefully one day! I really enjoyed your post.
Great post, love the title
I read Anne of Green Gables when I was 9 (practically had to fight my cousin to give it to me, she thought I was too young to read it! humph!), and instantly fell in love with the Anne universe and all the lovely and unique characters. The Anne books remained ever since my comfort reads I like to revisit from time to time, they never disappoint, because they transport me back to those beautiful, peacuful times in the blink of an eye.
Which other Montgomery books would you recommend which won't disappoint after the Anne series?
My favorite L.M. Montgomery book has always been The Blue Castle.
I will always love Anne best but I started reading the Emily series this year and Emily is another delightful Montgomery heroine I highly recommend.
Lovely post, April
I came to her late too, but she immediately became a kindred spirit.