Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (2014) Paperback

by L.M. Montgomery

Paperback

About the author

Lucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author whose novels, stories, essays and poems made her one of the most widely read writers in Canadian literary history. Publishing under the name L. M. Montgomery, she achieved international recognition with the novel Anne of Green Gables, released in 1908, which quickly became a bestseller and introduced readers to the imaginative orphan Anne Shirley. The success of the book transformed Montgomery from a schoolteacher and magazine contributor into a celebrated literary figure whose work reached audiences far beyond Canada. Raised on Prince Edward Island, she drew deeply on its landscapes, rural communities, and storytelling traditions, turning the island into the setting for many of her novels. The popularity of Anne of Green Gables led to numerous sequels, including Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island, establishing a beloved series that followed Anne from childhood to adulthood. Montgomery continued to write steadily throughout her life, producing twenty novels and more than a thousand short stories poems and essays. Her fiction often centered on young women, personal growth, and the emotional ties between people and place, combining gentle humor with reflections on memory, imagination, and belonging. Although she enjoyed enormous popularity, Montgomery also faced personal difficulties, including long periods of depression and the strain of caring for her husband, a Presbyterian minister who struggled with mental illness. Writing became both a profession and a refuge, allowing her to transform memories of childhood and observation of everyday life into vivid storytelling. In addition to the Anne series, she created other notable works, including the Emily novels and several stand alone stories that explored identity, creativity, and attachment to home. Her books were translated widely and attracted devoted readers around the world, helping shape the international image of Prince Edward Island as a place of pastoral beauty and warm community life. Scholars later studied her extensive journals letters and manuscripts, which revealed the complex inner life behind the cheerful tone of many of her books. By the time of her death in 1942, Montgomery had become one of the most successful and influential authors in Canadian literature. Her stories about imagination, resilience, and the search for belonging continue to inspire readers of all ages, and Anne Shirley remains one of the most recognizable characters in children's fiction. Through generations of readers, Montgomery's work has encouraged appreciation for storytelling, nature, and the emotional richness of ordinary life. Her legacy also includes a vast body of diaries and correspondence that document the challenges faced by a professional woman writer in the early twentieth century. Institutions such as the L. M. Montgomery Institute have continued to examine her influence on literature culture and tourism, particularly on Prince Edward Island, where sites associated with her fiction attract visitors from many countries. Adaptations of Anne of Green Gables for film, television, and theatre have introduced new audiences to her stories, ensuring that her characters remain part of global popular culture. Though critical opinion once dismissed her as merely a writer for children, later scholarship recognized the depth of her themes and the enduring craft of her storytelling. Today she is remembered as a central figure in Canadian literature whose imaginative vision gave voice to the beauty of rural life while celebrating the hopes of young dreamers who search for belonging.

Reviews

[Bailey Kepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect read. & the ending 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 I want to be best friends with Anne!!

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most wonderful book i’ve ever read. 🎀🍵
I was always the weird kid, but this book made me realize it’s a nice thing to be.
Anne and I have a lot of things in common, so seeing this presented in a book gave me comfort and ease. It was a truly lovely experience to read this book.

[AJ Stoner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew nothing about this book until I went to Prince Edward Island National Park in Canada and discovered there the Green Gables center that celebrates Ms. Montgomery's legacy. As an adoptee, I felt inescapably drawn into the life of Anne Shirley. Despite our existence more than a half century apart, I found her "scrapes" similar to my own. I also laughed aloud at the thought processes of Marilla, as progressive as perhaps possible for that era. This novel is still a GEM more than a hundred years later. I am far from alone in my admiration, judging by the thousands of people visiting the park segment dedicated to Ms Montgomery and the millions who reviewed and rated this book... I chose to rate the paperback version of the book because my version did not have an afterword with any additional authors. I listened to an audio version, and the reader was incredible at doing the voices of the characters. This book is an all-around good experience and definitely will take you away from the perils of modern life and insert you in a different time at a place imagined as more beautiful than any you can imagine.

[Joyce AP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne of Green Gables follows Anne Shirley, an imaginative orphan mistakenly sent to live with siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert in Avonlea. Her spirited nature brings both mischief and warmth. Through her adventures and compassion, she wins over the Cuthberts and the community, and grows into a wiser yet still wonderfully imaginative young woman.

I’m so glad this book was @bookishmoms.ph pick for November! I’ve always meant to read this one. It's such a beloved story, and of course, there’s the Netflix adaptation Anne with an “E” that has been on my watch list for a long time.

I read the beautiful Paper Mill Press edition, which includes both Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea. I only finished Book 1 for now and decided to save the second one for later, but I’m definitely excited to see where Anne’s story leads next, especially with her nemesis, Gilbert.

I truly enjoyed this book! Anne is a delightful character — bubbly, imaginative, and full of life. Though her past as an orphan was sad, her arrival at Green Gables gave her the chance to experience love, friendship, and belonging. She’s wonderfully outspoken, makes honest mistakes, and grows through them in the most endearing ways. Some moments were so heartwarming that I found myself smiling through the pages. And the way author painted Avonlea’s scenery just breathtaking.

Takeaways:
✦ embrace life with curiosity and gratitude
✦ see beauty even in ordinary things
✦ never lose that childlike imagination
✦reminder for us adults to let children imagine freely, to listen to their ideas and nurture their creativity

[Luniii📖🎧🌷 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lemme just say one thinggg: so idk if this is the exact book i’ve read and the book im revewieng down here, but the one i read was the first in the 8 book series.. although i got this book (the foirst book) alone cuz i saw it in a store in italy and it was a special edition cover, like it was so gorg. So i got it even though i was planning to order the whole 8 book set.. and again i dont have the rest of the books, but trust me i’ll get them.

I love the tv show and i love the book. The thing i love most abt the book is Gilbert and Annes relationship. And i SO excited to read the 7 other books.

The hardest part in the book was def when Matthew died, he was one of the best characters.

Ranking: 4 stars cuz its just the start and it wasnt very much anne and gilbert love moments.
Would i recommend it: DEFINETLY! If u read the other books after (even though i havent read them but i know i wont regret it)
Overall i just love everything that has to do with anne with an e.

[Mary Swenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread this as I’d taught it several years ago. Now retired, revisiting all of the marvelous elements of this amazing classic.
One of a kind! A truly important valuable piece of literature and message!

[Jamie Kritter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh it was ok. I read it because I loved the movie as a little girl. The movie was better imo. The book was long and parts were boring/annoying.