“Even although we meet as strangers now I still love her with an inextinguishable love. It makes me very sad at times to think about her. But really, Marilla, one can’t stay sad very long in such an interesting world, can one?”
Now I finally know how Anne came to live with Marilla and Matthew. What a surprise for all of them. Anne is bursting with charm, energy and imagination. And who wouldn’t want a bosom friend, Diana who comes over for tea but leaves sick because she’s had too much raspberry cordial. But it wasn’t raspberry cordial at all!! Diana and Anne didn’t even get to have their tea before Diana runs home sick from intoxication!! Can you imagine? I laughed so much while getting to know young Anne and her friends.
“Why, Diana, I didn’t think anybody could love me. Nobody ever has loved me since I can remember. Oh, this is wonderful! It’s a ray of light which will forever shine on the darkness of a path severed from thee, Diana. Oh, just say it once again.”
Of course one must have a nemesis, a rival, in Gilbert to keep things interesting. I remember thinking back to my childhood, there was a boy who sat behind me who would pull my ponytails. The teacher wouldn’t do anything about it, so like Anne, I had a rival, but I told my mom about it. She gave me the best solution, but that’s another story.
I enjoyed this book so much and am eager to find out what happens now that Anne has grown up, she’s a teenager now, preparing to take a job as a teacher, finally Anne and Gilbert have mended their rift and are friends.
There are so many classics from childhood I didn’t read as a child. I can think of a few reasons why I might have missed them but it’s never too late to read, or in this case, listen to them.
“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”
Books By the Cup 
There are eight books by L.M. Montgomery in the Anne series, and I found a strange pattern: all the odd-number books were wonderful, while the even could be slow. However, that does not hold true with book #8, which was actually my favorite. I hope you keep reading these, and don’t forget to check out the made-for-tv movie from 1985: https://www.anneofgreengables.com/films-all/anne-of-green-gables
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I have read the first 3 but was missing the rest. I have them now and plan to continue. I’m the worst with watching adaptations.
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Many readers saw the 1985 film first and then read the books. They’re pretty close, so that’s nice. There’s a Netflix series that’s cool and more realistic (there are black characters and a gay teen), but don’t match Montgomery’s books.
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Anne is someone who’s been with me since childhood, but I agree with you about missing out on ‘children’s’ classics. I keep thinking I must make a list and perhaps an unofficial challenge to read them starting with The Railway Children!
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When I was a kid I didn’t want to read classics at all – it’s only in adulthood that I’ve read a lot of the childhood classics, like the Anne series a few years ago. It’s terrific! Some books are better than others but overall they’re lovely reads.
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