Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables #1)

Synopsis

As soon as Anne Shirley arrives at the snug white farmhouse called Green Gables, she is sure she wants to stay forever . . . but will the Cuthberts send her back to the orphanage?
Anne knows she's not what they expected- a skinny girl with fiery red hair and a temper to match. If only she can convince them to let her stay, she'll try very hard not to keep rushing into scrapes and blurting out the first thing that comes to her mind. 
Anne is not like anyone else, the Cuthberts agree; she is special- a girl with an enormous imagination. This orphan girl dreams of the day when she can call herself Anne of Green Gables.

Loved

• Anne Shirley. I remember reading about Anne as a child, and I related to her because I've always been a dreamer- imagining all sorts of romantic, adventurous things while I was going about everyday life. I just adore Anne's imagination and especially how she lets it run rampant when she's young. Her unfeigned sincerity and honest opinions are hilarious and this first book keeps us laughing all the way through at her constant scrapes and mishaps. I've never appreciated how much Anne talks and rambles until I've listened to the audiobook- she really can't hold her tongue, as Marilla frequently laments. I love Anne's opinions, observations, narrations, and imaginings of her world and how she never stops talking about them with all the flowery eloquence. Anne Shirley will always be one of my absolute favorite literary friends.

• Avonlea. I remember all growing up wishing I would have been born in the late nineteenth century on Prince Edward Island. Avonlea is so magic with it's simple and quirky, but such lovable people and its stunning country beauty- which is made even more lovely through Anne's imaginings and love for pretty things. I love the simple, honest and beautiful life of Avonlea that provides "so much scope for imagination" as Anne would say.

• The scrapes. Anne's scrapes always have me laughing, even though I know what will happen. The enchanting thing about these constant mishaps is that Anne takes herself very seriously, which makes them even more comical. I love her earnest (and amusing) apologies and her ability to recognize what she did wrong and "rejoice that I never make the same mistake twice."

• Matthew. Matthew is another one of my favorite characters of all time. His affection and adoration for Anne makes me cry just thinking about it. I love his quiet manner and how he's even willing to confront his shyness to get Anne a dress with puffy sleeves :) His relationship with Anne is one of the sweetest relationships I know of and I adore every one of their conversations and moments together. I won't spoil, but I cried the whole drive home from work listening to the last few chapters of the book because I love Matthew so much.

• Marilla. Okay I keep saying this- but she is one of my favorite characters too! She comes off as so strict and austere, but I love the book because we get to see her thoughts and all the times her "lips twitch" from trying not to laugh at Anne's ridiculous speeches and mishaps. In the movie we only see Marilla as stern and unyielding, but I had forgotten how soft and easily amused she is in the book. I also appreciate her depth of character and how Anne helps her articulate her feelings and find more joy in the loveliness of life.

• I really just love every single thing about this book and nothing makes me more nostalgic than reading about Avonlea.

Didn't Love

• My only complaint about this first book is that Anne is so cruel to Gilbert! It hurts my heart every time she walks past him and they don't talk. Their going FIVE years without speaking or being friends just about did me in. Gilbert is my first love and I literally smile every time his name is mentioned in the audiobook :) 

Content

• Language: 
• No swearing- thank goodness or Rachel Lynde might have a stroke. That's what.

• Sexual content: 
• Not a single sexual thing.

• Violence:
• The most violent it gets in this story is when Anne breaks her slate over Gil's head, which does result in tragedy as they lose five years of friendship over this incident ;)
• Anne does talk about a family she has lived with and how they husband was "always intoxicated" and became violent at times.

 Overall Thoughts

This series is so special to me and has stayed with me throughout all the phases of my life. This first book is so nostalgic reading about Anne's scrapes, her contempt for Gilbert, her growing up, and her passion for all wonderful things in life. I love Anne as a quirky little girl and I feel just as sad as Marilla when Anne starts to grow up and become more refined. This is definitely my favorite coming-of-age story as it takes us through a the spectrum of life experience- laughing, discovering, imagining, worrying, hurting, learning, and sorrowing. There's no one I'd rather experience all this than with Anne of Green Gables.