What do you think?
Rate this book
Anne of Green Gables #6
Anne of Ingleside
Anne is the mother of five, with never a dull moment in her lively home. And now, with a new baby on the way and insufferable Mary Maria visiting--and wearing out her welcome--Anne's life is full to bursting.
Still, Mrs. Doctor can't think of any place she'd rather be than her own beloved Ingleside. Until the day she begins to worry that her adored Gilbert doesn't love her anymore. How could that be? She may be a little older, but she's still the same irrepressible, irreplaceable rehead--the wonderful Anne of Green Gables, all grown up. She's ready to make her cherished husband fall in love with her all over again!
Still, Mrs. Doctor can't think of any place she'd rather be than her own beloved Ingleside. Until the day she begins to worry that her adored Gilbert doesn't love her anymore. How could that be? She may be a little older, but she's still the same irrepressible, irreplaceable rehead--the wonderful Anne of Green Gables, all grown up. She's ready to make her cherished husband fall in love with her all over again!
280 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1939
1705 people are currently reading
42017 people want to read
About the author
L.M. Montgomery
1,987 books13.3k followersLucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author, best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908.
Montgomery was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911. She had three children and wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. She died in Toronto April 24, 1942 and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.
Montgomery was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911. She had three children and wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. She died in Toronto April 24, 1942 and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,468 reviews
February 12, 2026
Anne has become a secondary character....in her own book.
So hopping mad right now. Like she was literally shuffled off to the side in ANNE of Ingleside.
And what do we get is a book following her myriad of precocious (read: annoying) children. Seriously, every child is so pious, truthful, kind and considerate that it makes me want to gag.
I firmly believe that this is not the same Anne of Green Gables. She's been replaced body-snatcher style. All personality and whimsy was ironed out, and we are left with this dull vague shadow of her.
We used to have this crazy bold and brilliant girl...and now we have this washed out cardboard cutout of her.
Instead of following Anne and her life, we get a series of almost-vignettes where each of her six children goes on an adventure and learns a moral life lesson.
And yes, some of the adventures are fun - in particular, Rilla being absolutely mortified by the thought of having to carry a cake to the church was amusing (though, reading her lisp was painful).
In addition, it was equally amusing to see Diana being tricked into thinking she was adopted. But at the same time, I didn't really care for the children.
I read this story because I loved Anne, and we just don't see her all that much. When Anne does come into the story, she soothes the children, mildly scolds them or offers them sage wisdom.
And that's it. I miss Anne.
I will finish this series, but I have a feeling that I won't be too pleased with the next one...
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
So hopping mad right now. Like she was literally shuffled off to the side in ANNE of Ingleside.
And what do we get is a book following her myriad of precocious (read: annoying) children. Seriously, every child is so pious, truthful, kind and considerate that it makes me want to gag.
I firmly believe that this is not the same Anne of Green Gables. She's been replaced body-snatcher style. All personality and whimsy was ironed out, and we are left with this dull vague shadow of her.
As you may have guessed, I am not pleased with the way this series is turning out.
"Do you really never feel that you want a broader life? You used to be quite ambitious, if I remember alright. Didn't you write some clever little things when you were at Redmond? A bit fantastic and whimsical, of course, but still..."
We used to have this crazy bold and brilliant girl...and now we have this washed out cardboard cutout of her.
Instead of following Anne and her life, we get a series of almost-vignettes where each of her six children goes on an adventure and learns a moral life lesson.
And yes, some of the adventures are fun - in particular, Rilla being absolutely mortified by the thought of having to carry a cake to the church was amusing (though, reading her lisp was painful).
In addition, it was equally amusing to see Diana being tricked into thinking she was adopted. But at the same time, I didn't really care for the children.
I read this story because I loved Anne, and we just don't see her all that much. When Anne does come into the story, she soothes the children, mildly scolds them or offers them sage wisdom.
And that's it. I miss Anne.
I will finish this series, but I have a feeling that I won't be too pleased with the next one...
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
May 28, 2008
Anne has disappeared by this point in the series and become a matronly woman with a brood of kids. The book focuses mainly on the trials and tribulations of her incredibly moral children and the town gossip, and we've lost some of the best characters like Rachel Lynde, Marilla, Davy, etc by this time as well.
I felt myself "hankering" after Avolea and the Anne that was before she married...
It just sort of dragged by with description after description of the seasons, the house, the nosy housekeeper...LMM just didn't keep Anne ANNE if you know what I mean. She's really no fun as a grown up, and as other commenters have mentioned, it is a huge disappointment that she gave up all of her writing when the children were born - and she has a live in handmaiden!!
so, if you want to read about a redheaded woman respected by all as she wanders into middle age with her half-dozen kids and their gigantic house full of luxuries missing from most people in her village, have at it.
But if you truly loved the Anne from Anne of Green Gables, perhaps you shouldn't spoil your opinion of her by watching her 'grow up'.
I felt myself "hankering" after Avolea and the Anne that was before she married...
It just sort of dragged by with description after description of the seasons, the house, the nosy housekeeper...LMM just didn't keep Anne ANNE if you know what I mean. She's really no fun as a grown up, and as other commenters have mentioned, it is a huge disappointment that she gave up all of her writing when the children were born - and she has a live in handmaiden!!
so, if you want to read about a redheaded woman respected by all as she wanders into middle age with her half-dozen kids and their gigantic house full of luxuries missing from most people in her village, have at it.
But if you truly loved the Anne from Anne of Green Gables, perhaps you shouldn't spoil your opinion of her by watching her 'grow up'.
July 5, 2020
While this wasn’t THE most exciting of the series, it was still great fun to follow the kids’ journeys through life, and even the adults too. You can tell how the kids all got a bit of Anne’s personality.
August 3, 2025
Why I chose to read this book:
1. for the past year, I've been (re)reading the Anne of Green Gables series, and since recently visiting the Green Gables Heritage Place in PEI, I wanted to finish the remainder of this series this year; and,
2. July 2024 is my self-declared "O' Canada" Month (focus: Prince Edward Island).
Praises:
1. once again, author L.M. Montgomery brings the Island to the reader through breathtaking description. We feel the warmth and comfort of Ingleside, even during the coldest and darkest days. I saw many of the plants and trees mentioned in this book growing freely in PEI;
2. new characters abound in this story, and as usual, we're introduced to them through the lively gossip between neighbours and friends (funny how Anne never interjects during these gabfests!) My particular favorite discussions were about that mean old biddy, Gilbert's second cousin, Mary Maria Blythe, as discussed between Anne's servant, Susan Baker and Susan's friend, Rebecca Dew. Miss Cornelia's conversation about evolution with Richard Chase was hilarious! and,
3. my favorite chapters were those about Anne herself. Her matchmaking attempt that went awry was amusing, while I ached alongside her and her private thoughts during the final two chapters when Anne's jealous bone showed through.
Niggles:
1. this book had a greater focus on Anne's children, who also have wild imaginations, to the point of being quite concerning! Yikes! With some of the "friends" they have, who needs enemies? The children were incredibly gullible! Although Anne and Gilbert were such loving parents, I could never understand why their kids were always afraid to share their fears and feelings with them!?!
2. why doesn't L.M. Montgomery let Susan Baker get married? and,
3. my particular edition contains several spelling mistakes. Did this reprint not have an editor?
Overall Thoughts:
This series ends with a book that continues in a charming and serene way. I do wish Anne played a greater role in this book, as her usefulness seemed focused on giving hugs and advice when her children were sad. I understand that women during this time period were not allowed to continue teaching once they were married, but I would have loved it if Anne pursed her writing career (after all, Montgomery did!)
At this point, I think I will hold off from reading any more books that follow as the consensus seems to be that Anne isn't a central figure anymore.
Overall, this was a most satisfying series for the heart and soul!
1. for the past year, I've been (re)reading the Anne of Green Gables series, and since recently visiting the Green Gables Heritage Place in PEI, I wanted to finish the remainder of this series this year; and,
2. July 2024 is my self-declared "O' Canada" Month (focus: Prince Edward Island).
Praises:
1. once again, author L.M. Montgomery brings the Island to the reader through breathtaking description. We feel the warmth and comfort of Ingleside, even during the coldest and darkest days. I saw many of the plants and trees mentioned in this book growing freely in PEI;
2. new characters abound in this story, and as usual, we're introduced to them through the lively gossip between neighbours and friends (funny how Anne never interjects during these gabfests!) My particular favorite discussions were about that mean old biddy, Gilbert's second cousin, Mary Maria Blythe, as discussed between Anne's servant, Susan Baker and Susan's friend, Rebecca Dew. Miss Cornelia's conversation about evolution with Richard Chase was hilarious! and,
3. my favorite chapters were those about Anne herself. Her matchmaking attempt that went awry was amusing, while I ached alongside her and her private thoughts during the final two chapters when Anne's jealous bone showed through.
Niggles:
1. this book had a greater focus on Anne's children, who also have wild imaginations, to the point of being quite concerning! Yikes! With some of the "friends" they have, who needs enemies? The children were incredibly gullible! Although Anne and Gilbert were such loving parents, I could never understand why their kids were always afraid to share their fears and feelings with them!?!
2. why doesn't L.M. Montgomery let Susan Baker get married? and,
3. my particular edition contains several spelling mistakes. Did this reprint not have an editor?
Overall Thoughts:
This series ends with a book that continues in a charming and serene way. I do wish Anne played a greater role in this book, as her usefulness seemed focused on giving hugs and advice when her children were sad. I understand that women during this time period were not allowed to continue teaching once they were married, but I would have loved it if Anne pursed her writing career (after all, Montgomery did!)
At this point, I think I will hold off from reading any more books that follow as the consensus seems to be that Anne isn't a central figure anymore.
Overall, this was a most satisfying series for the heart and soul!
January 18, 2022
Anne of Ingleside? More like Anne's annoying children of Ingleside!
Because Anne is barely in this, but a million of her offspring are, and all of them suck.
This is more a series of vignettes about angelic and cherubic children with lisps and rambunctious tendencies who are never punished and eat approximately 6 desserts a day than it is a novel.
These kids are so pure and holy. It's a snooze and a goddamn shame.
But even ignoring that, there is so much to hate about this.
For one thing, all of the characters who are posed as villains, or who are made fun of, or who are unworthy or gross or unkind or anything negative at all, are the poor people - whereas when the rich or well off people have a negative trait, it's a quirk. This pattern is very obvious, and it gets very old.
There is also very little relief from these two things. Anne is a shell of herself even when she shows up, Gilbert barely exists, and Susan (the servant) talks so much about wanting to be married and yet!! The author never marries her off!!! Why not, when every rich asshole in this gets a happy ending and it happens 24 times per installment!
Probably because she's poor, and therefore the meaning of her life is wiping the behinds of Anne's Christianparasites offspring.
Hoo. That was a lot of vitriol for a well-meaning children's classic.
Bottom line: Even the things we love will betray us!
------------
pre-review
more like anne's annoying children of ingleside
review to come / 1.5 stars
------------
currently-reading updates
am i getting tired of these books? yes.
will i probably put off finishing the series for as long as humanly possible out of a phobia of endings? for sure.
clear ur sh*t book 53
quest 24: a book in a series
Because Anne is barely in this, but a million of her offspring are, and all of them suck.
This is more a series of vignettes about angelic and cherubic children with lisps and rambunctious tendencies who are never punished and eat approximately 6 desserts a day than it is a novel.
These kids are so pure and holy. It's a snooze and a goddamn shame.
But even ignoring that, there is so much to hate about this.
For one thing, all of the characters who are posed as villains, or who are made fun of, or who are unworthy or gross or unkind or anything negative at all, are the poor people - whereas when the rich or well off people have a negative trait, it's a quirk. This pattern is very obvious, and it gets very old.
There is also very little relief from these two things. Anne is a shell of herself even when she shows up, Gilbert barely exists, and Susan (the servant) talks so much about wanting to be married and yet!! The author never marries her off!!! Why not, when every rich asshole in this gets a happy ending and it happens 24 times per installment!
Probably because she's poor, and therefore the meaning of her life is wiping the behinds of Anne's Christian
Hoo. That was a lot of vitriol for a well-meaning children's classic.
Bottom line: Even the things we love will betray us!
------------
pre-review
more like anne's annoying children of ingleside
review to come / 1.5 stars
------------
currently-reading updates
am i getting tired of these books? yes.
will i probably put off finishing the series for as long as humanly possible out of a phobia of endings? for sure.
clear ur sh*t book 53
quest 24: a book in a series
October 3, 2024
Anne laughed. "We never need to be economical in our imaginations, thank heaven."
Quite a few years have passed, and Anne is now the mother of five children, with another one on the way. Her life is full and busy, and, for the most part, happy. This is the book where Montgomery begins to shift her attention from Anne to Anne's tribe of children. Anne becomes little more than a peripheral character in the last two books in the series, as her exploits are now limited to her role as a wife and mother; a necessary shift, true, but it provides less "scope for the imagination." But in the meantime, there's plenty to love in this go round. Anne's matchmaking skills yield unexpected results, and the children face various trials involving pets and friends. My favorite part was housekeeper Susan's schemes to rid the Blythes of a guest who will not leave:
"That woman came here in June and it is my opinion she means to stay here the rest of her life."
You'll never guess what finally nudges the old bat out the door!
The book ends with Anne making a nocturnal assessment of her sleeping family, admiring her children, and counting her blessings. It's a nice circle-of-life moment as we watch her exit center stage to take her place in the audience for the next chapter of a wonderful life story.
A very nice family, Anne reflected happily as she lay in her bed, with the baby beside her. Soon she would be about with them again, light-footed as of yore, loving them, teaching them, comforting them. They would be coming to her with their little joys and sorrows, their budding hopes, their new fears, their little problems that seemed so big to them and their little heartbreaks that seemed so bitter. She would hold all the threads of Ingleside life in her hands again to weave into a tapestry of beauty.
Quite a few years have passed, and Anne is now the mother of five children, with another one on the way. Her life is full and busy, and, for the most part, happy. This is the book where Montgomery begins to shift her attention from Anne to Anne's tribe of children. Anne becomes little more than a peripheral character in the last two books in the series, as her exploits are now limited to her role as a wife and mother; a necessary shift, true, but it provides less "scope for the imagination." But in the meantime, there's plenty to love in this go round. Anne's matchmaking skills yield unexpected results, and the children face various trials involving pets and friends. My favorite part was housekeeper Susan's schemes to rid the Blythes of a guest who will not leave:
"That woman came here in June and it is my opinion she means to stay here the rest of her life."
You'll never guess what finally nudges the old bat out the door!
The book ends with Anne making a nocturnal assessment of her sleeping family, admiring her children, and counting her blessings. It's a nice circle-of-life moment as we watch her exit center stage to take her place in the audience for the next chapter of a wonderful life story.
A very nice family, Anne reflected happily as she lay in her bed, with the baby beside her. Soon she would be about with them again, light-footed as of yore, loving them, teaching them, comforting them. They would be coming to her with their little joys and sorrows, their budding hopes, their new fears, their little problems that seemed so big to them and their little heartbreaks that seemed so bitter. She would hold all the threads of Ingleside life in her hands again to weave into a tapestry of beauty.
November 10, 2016
I'm sad to say that I'm done with this series. Where has Anne gone? I wanted her to evolve into a badass feminist who stopped stereotyping and was progressive, not someone who gave up on her dreams to become a housewife. I was also enraged in the first chapter by the negativity surrounding Diana's weight (who weighs the same as me) and how this made me feel. Each sequel has let me down and I wish I had stopped after book one because it is truly the only treasure in the series. Many of the subsequent books lack any sort of direction or plot and are just ramblings of old people going on and on and on and on about nothing and being bitchy. V. sad.
December 31, 2018
Very highly recommend! It's a lot about Anne's family in general, but her children are the most adorable ever and I loved seeing Anne interact with Gilbert once more (because I've probably, with no exaggeration, read books about Anne 50 times. I don't even feel guilty about it). If you've read and loved Anne of Green Gables, I would strongly recommend the entire series, because although they can't have the magical perfection of the first book, they're all amazing and filled with gorgeous characters.
August 10, 2023
این جلد چه از نظر متن، چه داستان و چه دیالوگها خیلی متفاوت و جذاب تر شده بود🥺💚🤩
September 9, 2021
Book six of the Green Gables series.
I read that by the time the author got to this book she was sick of Anne and this book was a half hearted effort for contractual obligations. After reading it I'm inclined to believe it, chapters are filled with absolutely nothing.
Anne now has a family of six so the children lead the majority of chapters which probably saved the book on some level.
With two books left of the series I'm interested to see how these are going to go.
I read that by the time the author got to this book she was sick of Anne and this book was a half hearted effort for contractual obligations. After reading it I'm inclined to believe it, chapters are filled with absolutely nothing.
Anne now has a family of six so the children lead the majority of chapters which probably saved the book on some level.
With two books left of the series I'm interested to see how these are going to go.
October 30, 2021
هر کلاهی بلاخره به سر یک نفر اندازه می شود ولی معنایش این نیست که آن کلاه دقیقا برای همان شخص دوخته شده !
مرگ و زندگی آدم زیر نفوذ همین زبان است!
چقدر این دو قسمت رو دوس داشتم :)🍃🤍
مرگ و زندگی آدم زیر نفوذ همین زبان است!
چقدر این دو قسمت رو دوس داشتم :)🍃🤍
August 31, 2025
این جلد یکمی فرق داشت دیگه خبری از آنهی خیالپرداز نیست و بیشتر وقتش صرف بچهها و زندگی روزمرهاش میشه. اینکه چطور با هر بچه و هر ماجراجویی کوچیک روزانه دست و پنجه نرم میکنه و هنوز هم با عشق و صبر همه چیز رو مدیریت میکنه. شیرینه که میبینی چقدر بزرگ شده و زندگیش شکل گرفته اما یه جور دلتنگی هم داره… من که دلم برای آنهی پرحرف و پر از خیال تنگ شد :))
February 16, 2023
با داشتن تو احساس میکنم هر کجا که باشم، همیشه یک خونهی دنج و گرم دارم.💫🌱
January 9, 2018
3 stars = Didn't hate, but didn't fall in love like with most of the previous books.
This was probably my least favorite book in the Anne series so far. Usually the positives in these books outweigh the negatives for me, but in this one they were about half and half. I’ll cover the negative first, and then follow up with the positives so that I end my review on a good note, because that’s how I prefer to end things.
Negatives:
For one thing, I found it jarring that 7 or 9 years (I was really confused which it was) had passed between the previous book and this one. Last I saw Anne she was in her mid-twenties with one baby, then BOOM she's mid-thirties with five kids and another on the way. I understand why Montgomery would have wanted to jump forward like that for the sake of being able to write about the kids and their lives, but it was also just making me feel like, "WHOA pump the breaks, let's slow down a little here!" Once I got used to the new time frame it didn't bother me as much, but it just wasn't the somewhat smooth transition to the new book I'd been used to. Plus, all of Anne and Diana's reminiscing about yesteryear at the very beginning of the book made me feel a bit nostalgic in a sad kind of way, partially because they were kind of talking like being thirty something is SO OLD and the best part of their lives was their childhood, which already passed. And I'm like, "Um, NO. The best part of your lives is, or at least can be, RIGHT NOW if you CHOOSE TO MAKE IT THAT WAY by appreciating all the things and people you’ve been blessed with and making the most of EVERY DAY and EVERY BREATH you’re given."
I mean, I understand that they miss the freedom they had as children and being able to spend time together the way they used to. I also don’t have a problem with looking back at the past and remembering where you’ve been so you can learn from it and better appreciate where you are now. But I think there’s a delicate balance between visiting the past and wishing you were still living in it, the latter of which is not, in my opinion, the attitude God wants us to have. Thankfully though, the story did move on (I was a little afraid this sad nostalgia would be a theme through the whole book) and it started to be apparent that Anne actually is content in her current life and is happy, which made be feel better. I just didn’t like feeling the sad nostalgia right at the beginning of the book.
Another thing that landed on the negative side for me was that, usually, I enjoy the colorful personalities of the secondary characters in the Anne books. They tend to be so outrageous that it makes me laugh (which I believe is the author’s intention). In this one, however, some of the outrageous personalities struck me as more annoying than funny. I literally kept saying “good grief!” to myself over an over because, good grief, who acts like that?! (Sadly, there are people in RL who act like that, but still!) Aunt Mary Maria was one of the big ones. I hated her negative, controlling, manipulative attitude, especially the fact that she, who didn’t have kids, thought she knew so much better than Anne and Gilbert how to raise the Ingleside kids, and even slapped one of the girls at one point. In my book, you do not slap a child in the face EVER. No. Nada. I cannot tolerate this, and the fact that it wasn’t even her own child only made me more angry. It also made me mad that Anne, Gilbert, and Susan couldn’t seem to stand up to her just because she was family and she acted like a victim every time they tried. I’m like, HECK NO. There are some lines you don’t cross, I don’t care how lonely you are living by yourself. Emotional manipulation and physical abuse of my children, my husband, my staff, and myself is the line. You crossed it. GET. OUT. OF. MY. HOUSE. *fume*
The behavior of some of the non-Ingleside children on the island also drove me a bit bonkers. I’m not even saying that it was not realistic—I remember my own childhood peers doing and saying similar things at right around the same ages as these characters (and it annoyed me just as much in real life as in fiction)—it just seemed like the ones that behaved badly got quite a bit of attention in this book. Like, we’re told that the Ingleside children have had some good friends, but we’re only TOLD about them, we do not SEE them. What we do see is super obnoxious kids lying to, bullying, threatening, and generally treating the Ingleside kids badly. I could have tolerated a couple examples of this because goodness knows kids are not always kind to each other, but I would have so much preferred the focus to be on the good friendships and seen the Ingleside children find their own kindred spirits like Diana was to Anne.
I also felt like there was way more skippable "flab" in this book than in any of the previous books. I have skipped stuff that just went on too long in previous books, but it was usually only once or twice per-book that I had to do it. With this one, on the other hand, especially in the latter half of the book, there were at least four or five instances where things were going too long, and some of it was inconsequential to anything, the section of story featuring the quilting circle ladies being the worst offender. Then there were some things that were consequential, but just went on and on and on until I was like, “I understood the point of this mini-story three page ago! Can we just get a conclusion already???”) So, I started doing what I usually don’t like doing in most books and skipping pages, sometimes upward of four or more pages at a time, and was able to do this without feeling like I’d missed anything of importance.
My final gripe is a place in the final chapter where I felt like the book actually disagreed with the back-cover synopsis in a disappointing way. The back cover of my copy says, “…[Anne] begins to worry that her adored Gilbert doesn’t love her anymore. […] She’s ready to make her cherished husband fall in love with her all over again!” I took this to mean that Anne was going to reach a place where she felt her marriage was getting stale (which did happen) and then was going to be the determined Anne we know and love and take action to put some excitement back into their marriage and it would be all romantic and cute and stuff (which didn’t happen). What actually happened was that Anne got stuck in one of those annoying ruts in life I know we all get stuck in at some point where it feels like you’re just doing the same thing day in and day out, and nothing will ever change, and you don’t know how to change it, and you get frustrated and bitter and grumpy and just in a really negative, unhealthy headspace. Added on to this was the fact that Gilbert truly seemed “out of it”, like he didn’t notice anything Anne did anymore, didn’t call her by the endearing nicknames, kissed her like it was just habit and didn’t mean anything, etc. I was waiting for Anne to get determined and take that action the back cover had promised, but she just…didn’t. What she did do was get more mad and frustrated, and decided that if Gilbert was tired of her, fine, she’d be all jealous and sad and wouldn’t even remind him of their anniversary when it came around if he was going to forget it, and basically spiraled into this pit of bitterness and self-pity until something happened (something she took no action to cause) that changed everything and made her realize how wrong she’d been to be thinking the way that she was. Realizing your mistake and learning from it and apologizing for your behavior: Good. Deciding to get mad and stay mad instead of…oh, I don’t know…COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR HUSBAND AND MAYBE EVEN ASKING HIM WHY HE’S BEEN SO OUT OF IT LATELY, WHICH WOULD HAVE ANSWERED ALL YOUR QUESTIONS AND SOLVED THE PROBLEM: BAD Of course, I can’t put all the blame on Anne in this case. The reason Gilbert had been so out of it for two weeks was because of intense job-related stress which he thought he told Anne about, but didn’t. I just…*facepalm* Really, Gilbert, really? I generally like you as Anne’s husband, so please don’t make me have to reach through the book, grab you by the collar, and give you a good talking to about women not being mind-readers!!! Well, thankfully it seems they both learned their lesson about communication and I hope I won’t have to be irritated by them in this manner again.
/end super ranty rant about the negatives of this book
Positives:
Now for the good stuff! Among the things I liked about this book, I really (minus the gripes I mentioned above in relation to the aunt-who-shall-not-be-named^) loved Anne and Gilbert as parents, and especially appreciated the way Anne handled her children’s problems: By letting them say what they needed to say without judgement or interruption, taking their feelings and their problems seriously even if they seemed silly and superfluous to her as an adult, and then simply explaining the truth to them in a matter-of-fact, non-condescending way. That’s good parenting, folks, and actually a really good way to treat kids in general. *thumbs up*
And, minus the issue at the end which was caused by lack of communication, I liked Anne and Gilbert as husband and wife in that they do actively strive to keep their marriage healthy and show genuine love to each other, unlike so many of their peers who married for convenience and let themselves reach a point where they resented their spouse and seemed to think that was just the natural course of life and marriage. (hint: IT’S NOT!)
I also liked pretty much all of the Ingleside kids. Yes, they made mistakes sometimes, but the majority of these mistakes were of the entertaining variety caused by the natural immaturity and naivety of childhood, not the obnoxious, annoying, variety, like with the other kids on the island who seemed to get a kick out of lying and drowning puppies and kittens. *eye twitch* In general, the Ingleside kids seemed to be genuinely sweet kids whom I look forward getting to know better in the last two books.
I’m somewhat surprised to say that this may also be the one book in this series that didn’t make me cry my eyes out at any point. I was braced for it because it seems like Montgomery has managed to pull tears out of me once in every book up till now, and I actually did spot the thing I think was supposed to be the Sad Event of this book, but… It just didn’t make me cry. I think the reason was A) I saw it coming pretty much as soon as that section of the story started and B) this “individual” wasn’t even on the page all that long and I didn’t have that much reason to get emotionally attached to them. So… Not crying for once was actually somewhat refreshing. :p
And finally, Montgomery was once again faithful in providing a satisfying ending. It wasn’t so satisfying that I wanted to hug the book like with the previous one, but it was still a pleasant way for it to end (except for that tiny touch of foreshadowing about Walter’s future, WAH!!! ._. ) and when I put the book down, I was content.
Like I said at the start, I didn’t hate this book, but there was enough that annoyed me that I never fell in love either. That does not, however, mean I didn’t enjoy any of it, so I’m giving it a neutral 3 stars and move right along to the next book.
Content Advisory:
Sexual content: Mild hints of romance here and there. Super vague hints at Anne’s pregnancy. A mention of someone kissing someone else absently as if it has become habit and no longer means anything.
Violence: One instance where we’re told of a child being slapped in the face by an adult. A couple mentions of dogs dying early deaths because they ate an unknown poisonous substance (we do not “see” the deaths, we only know that the dogs went downhill until they died.) Two suggestions of child abuse, one from a child who turns out to be a chronic liar, and one where it sounds like it might actually be true because the child’s father is known as a drunkard. (We never “see” a child being abused.) Kids threaten each other verbally and physically, but no one is ever seriously hurt.
Other negatives: Many of the kids on the island (with the exception of the Ingleside kids, who we’re told are not lied to at home and therefore don’t expect to be lied to elsewhere and don’t have a habit of lying themselves) lie to each other and the Ingleside kids pretty frequently. Some of the lies are just exaggeration, but some of them are pretty cruel, including, but not limited to, telling a young boy who is away from home that he was sent away because his mother is dying, and in fact, is probably already dead. The kids who tell this lie have no sympathy when the boy becomes visibly upset and seem to enjoy upsetting him.
Children also badmouth each other and other children’s parents.
Women shamelessly gossip during a quilting circle and only seem to regret it when they realize a child was spying on them and have to think back to see if they said anything a child shouldn’t hear.
One episodic story is in the form of a memory of something that happened at a funeral many years ago, that everyone seems to think was pretty terrible and supposedly isn’t a story for children. (Turns out the man who died was a pretty mean person when he was alive, and the sister of his widow crashes the funeral and tells everyone the truth about how badly he treated everyone, including his wife. This woman has grown so bitter she says she’s going to laugh at the man’s dead body, but then has to leave because she’s weeping too hard. Another woman at the funeral who is apparently even more bitter than her, thanks her for telling everyone the truth.
Worldviews: Anne and Gilbert seem to be Christians: They go to church, believe in God, pray, quote Scripture, and raise their children in these beliefs. Sometimes the kids get ideas in their heads about God that are not biblical, but they are later corrected in a loving way.
As in all of the Anne books, there are some side characters who claim to be “Christian” but who do not behave as such.
In one episodic story a child’s father is said to be an atheist, and that child later tells one of the Ingleside girls that God isn’t real. This upsets the girl deeply, but when she gets home, Anne lets her talk about it the same way she lets all the kids talk about things they’re upset about, and the girl decides she still believes in God.
This was probably my least favorite book in the Anne series so far. Usually the positives in these books outweigh the negatives for me, but in this one they were about half and half. I’ll cover the negative first, and then follow up with the positives so that I end my review on a good note, because that’s how I prefer to end things.
Negatives:
For one thing, I found it jarring that 7 or 9 years (I was really confused which it was) had passed between the previous book and this one. Last I saw Anne she was in her mid-twenties with one baby, then BOOM she's mid-thirties with five kids and another on the way. I understand why Montgomery would have wanted to jump forward like that for the sake of being able to write about the kids and their lives, but it was also just making me feel like, "WHOA pump the breaks, let's slow down a little here!" Once I got used to the new time frame it didn't bother me as much, but it just wasn't the somewhat smooth transition to the new book I'd been used to. Plus, all of Anne and Diana's reminiscing about yesteryear at the very beginning of the book made me feel a bit nostalgic in a sad kind of way, partially because they were kind of talking like being thirty something is SO OLD and the best part of their lives was their childhood, which already passed. And I'm like, "Um, NO. The best part of your lives is, or at least can be, RIGHT NOW if you CHOOSE TO MAKE IT THAT WAY by appreciating all the things and people you’ve been blessed with and making the most of EVERY DAY and EVERY BREATH you’re given."
I mean, I understand that they miss the freedom they had as children and being able to spend time together the way they used to. I also don’t have a problem with looking back at the past and remembering where you’ve been so you can learn from it and better appreciate where you are now. But I think there’s a delicate balance between visiting the past and wishing you were still living in it, the latter of which is not, in my opinion, the attitude God wants us to have. Thankfully though, the story did move on (I was a little afraid this sad nostalgia would be a theme through the whole book) and it started to be apparent that Anne actually is content in her current life and is happy, which made be feel better. I just didn’t like feeling the sad nostalgia right at the beginning of the book.
Another thing that landed on the negative side for me was that, usually, I enjoy the colorful personalities of the secondary characters in the Anne books. They tend to be so outrageous that it makes me laugh (which I believe is the author’s intention). In this one, however, some of the outrageous personalities struck me as more annoying than funny. I literally kept saying “good grief!” to myself over an over because, good grief, who acts like that?! (Sadly, there are people in RL who act like that, but still!) Aunt Mary Maria was one of the big ones. I hated her negative, controlling, manipulative attitude, especially the fact that she, who didn’t have kids, thought she knew so much better than Anne and Gilbert how to raise the Ingleside kids, and even slapped one of the girls at one point. In my book, you do not slap a child in the face EVER. No. Nada. I cannot tolerate this, and the fact that it wasn’t even her own child only made me more angry. It also made me mad that Anne, Gilbert, and Susan couldn’t seem to stand up to her just because she was family and she acted like a victim every time they tried. I’m like, HECK NO. There are some lines you don’t cross, I don’t care how lonely you are living by yourself. Emotional manipulation and physical abuse of my children, my husband, my staff, and myself is the line. You crossed it. GET. OUT. OF. MY. HOUSE. *fume*
The behavior of some of the non-Ingleside children on the island also drove me a bit bonkers. I’m not even saying that it was not realistic—I remember my own childhood peers doing and saying similar things at right around the same ages as these characters (and it annoyed me just as much in real life as in fiction)—it just seemed like the ones that behaved badly got quite a bit of attention in this book. Like, we’re told that the Ingleside children have had some good friends, but we’re only TOLD about them, we do not SEE them. What we do see is super obnoxious kids lying to, bullying, threatening, and generally treating the Ingleside kids badly. I could have tolerated a couple examples of this because goodness knows kids are not always kind to each other, but I would have so much preferred the focus to be on the good friendships and seen the Ingleside children find their own kindred spirits like Diana was to Anne.
I also felt like there was way more skippable "flab" in this book than in any of the previous books. I have skipped stuff that just went on too long in previous books, but it was usually only once or twice per-book that I had to do it. With this one, on the other hand, especially in the latter half of the book, there were at least four or five instances where things were going too long, and some of it was inconsequential to anything, the section of story featuring the quilting circle ladies being the worst offender. Then there were some things that were consequential, but just went on and on and on until I was like, “I understood the point of this mini-story three page ago! Can we just get a conclusion already???”) So, I started doing what I usually don’t like doing in most books and skipping pages, sometimes upward of four or more pages at a time, and was able to do this without feeling like I’d missed anything of importance.
My final gripe is a place in the final chapter where I felt like the book actually disagreed with the back-cover synopsis in a disappointing way. The back cover of my copy says, “…[Anne] begins to worry that her adored Gilbert doesn’t love her anymore. […] She’s ready to make her cherished husband fall in love with her all over again!” I took this to mean that Anne was going to reach a place where she felt her marriage was getting stale (which did happen) and then was going to be the determined Anne we know and love and take action to put some excitement back into their marriage and it would be all romantic and cute and stuff (which didn’t happen). What actually happened was that Anne got stuck in one of those annoying ruts in life I know we all get stuck in at some point where it feels like you’re just doing the same thing day in and day out, and nothing will ever change, and you don’t know how to change it, and you get frustrated and bitter and grumpy and just in a really negative, unhealthy headspace. Added on to this was the fact that Gilbert truly seemed “out of it”, like he didn’t notice anything Anne did anymore, didn’t call her by the endearing nicknames, kissed her like it was just habit and didn’t mean anything, etc. I was waiting for Anne to get determined and take that action the back cover had promised, but she just…didn’t. What she did do was get more mad and frustrated, and decided that if Gilbert was tired of her, fine, she’d be all jealous and sad and wouldn’t even remind him of their anniversary when it came around if he was going to forget it, and basically spiraled into this pit of bitterness and self-pity until something happened (something she took no action to cause) that changed everything and made her realize how wrong she’d been to be thinking the way that she was. Realizing your mistake and learning from it and apologizing for your behavior: Good. Deciding to get mad and stay mad instead of…oh, I don’t know…COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR HUSBAND AND MAYBE EVEN ASKING HIM WHY HE’S BEEN SO OUT OF IT LATELY, WHICH WOULD HAVE ANSWERED ALL YOUR QUESTIONS AND SOLVED THE PROBLEM: BAD Of course, I can’t put all the blame on Anne in this case. The reason Gilbert had been so out of it for two weeks was because of intense job-related stress which he thought he told Anne about, but didn’t. I just…*facepalm* Really, Gilbert, really? I generally like you as Anne’s husband, so please don’t make me have to reach through the book, grab you by the collar, and give you a good talking to about women not being mind-readers!!! Well, thankfully it seems they both learned their lesson about communication and I hope I won’t have to be irritated by them in this manner again.
/end super ranty rant about the negatives of this book
Positives:
Now for the good stuff! Among the things I liked about this book, I really (minus the gripes I mentioned above in relation to the aunt-who-shall-not-be-named^) loved Anne and Gilbert as parents, and especially appreciated the way Anne handled her children’s problems: By letting them say what they needed to say without judgement or interruption, taking their feelings and their problems seriously even if they seemed silly and superfluous to her as an adult, and then simply explaining the truth to them in a matter-of-fact, non-condescending way. That’s good parenting, folks, and actually a really good way to treat kids in general. *thumbs up*
And, minus the issue at the end which was caused by lack of communication, I liked Anne and Gilbert as husband and wife in that they do actively strive to keep their marriage healthy and show genuine love to each other, unlike so many of their peers who married for convenience and let themselves reach a point where they resented their spouse and seemed to think that was just the natural course of life and marriage. (hint: IT’S NOT!)
I also liked pretty much all of the Ingleside kids. Yes, they made mistakes sometimes, but the majority of these mistakes were of the entertaining variety caused by the natural immaturity and naivety of childhood, not the obnoxious, annoying, variety, like with the other kids on the island who seemed to get a kick out of lying and drowning puppies and kittens. *eye twitch* In general, the Ingleside kids seemed to be genuinely sweet kids whom I look forward getting to know better in the last two books.
I’m somewhat surprised to say that this may also be the one book in this series that didn’t make me cry my eyes out at any point. I was braced for it because it seems like Montgomery has managed to pull tears out of me once in every book up till now, and I actually did spot the thing I think was supposed to be the Sad Event of this book, but… It just didn’t make me cry. I think the reason was A) I saw it coming pretty much as soon as that section of the story started and B) this “individual” wasn’t even on the page all that long and I didn’t have that much reason to get emotionally attached to them. So… Not crying for once was actually somewhat refreshing. :p
And finally, Montgomery was once again faithful in providing a satisfying ending. It wasn’t so satisfying that I wanted to hug the book like with the previous one, but it was still a pleasant way for it to end (except for that tiny touch of foreshadowing about Walter’s future, WAH!!! ._. ) and when I put the book down, I was content.
Like I said at the start, I didn’t hate this book, but there was enough that annoyed me that I never fell in love either. That does not, however, mean I didn’t enjoy any of it, so I’m giving it a neutral 3 stars and move right along to the next book.
Content Advisory:
Sexual content: Mild hints of romance here and there. Super vague hints at Anne’s pregnancy. A mention of someone kissing someone else absently as if it has become habit and no longer means anything.
Violence: One instance where we’re told of a child being slapped in the face by an adult. A couple mentions of dogs dying early deaths because they ate an unknown poisonous substance (we do not “see” the deaths, we only know that the dogs went downhill until they died.) Two suggestions of child abuse, one from a child who turns out to be a chronic liar, and one where it sounds like it might actually be true because the child’s father is known as a drunkard. (We never “see” a child being abused.) Kids threaten each other verbally and physically, but no one is ever seriously hurt.
Other negatives: Many of the kids on the island (with the exception of the Ingleside kids, who we’re told are not lied to at home and therefore don’t expect to be lied to elsewhere and don’t have a habit of lying themselves) lie to each other and the Ingleside kids pretty frequently. Some of the lies are just exaggeration, but some of them are pretty cruel, including, but not limited to, telling a young boy who is away from home that he was sent away because his mother is dying, and in fact, is probably already dead. The kids who tell this lie have no sympathy when the boy becomes visibly upset and seem to enjoy upsetting him.
Children also badmouth each other and other children’s parents.
Women shamelessly gossip during a quilting circle and only seem to regret it when they realize a child was spying on them and have to think back to see if they said anything a child shouldn’t hear.
One episodic story is in the form of a memory of something that happened at a funeral many years ago, that everyone seems to think was pretty terrible and supposedly isn’t a story for children. (Turns out the man who died was a pretty mean person when he was alive, and the sister of his widow crashes the funeral and tells everyone the truth about how badly he treated everyone, including his wife. This woman has grown so bitter she says she’s going to laugh at the man’s dead body, but then has to leave because she’s weeping too hard. Another woman at the funeral who is apparently even more bitter than her, thanks her for telling everyone the truth.
Worldviews: Anne and Gilbert seem to be Christians: They go to church, believe in God, pray, quote Scripture, and raise their children in these beliefs. Sometimes the kids get ideas in their heads about God that are not biblical, but they are later corrected in a loving way.
As in all of the Anne books, there are some side characters who claim to be “Christian” but who do not behave as such.
In one episodic story a child’s father is said to be an atheist, and that child later tells one of the Ingleside girls that God isn’t real. This upsets the girl deeply, but when she gets home, Anne lets her talk about it the same way she lets all the kids talk about things they’re upset about, and the girl decides she still believes in God.
December 21, 2017
I was truly disappointed.
I've read an love Anne of Green Gables for so many years that it never occurred me that I would not love all of these books.
I remember reading these books as a kid and loving every second I spent with Anne, I also remember that the "grown-up" books weren't to my liking, I really didn't like Anne growing up when I was young. Back then I though it's because she was a grown women, but today I get why I might not have like this particular book when I was younger.
It is so repetitive and unimaginative. It's like Montgomery just wrote it to write another book. The true magic was just gone.
I've read an love Anne of Green Gables for so many years that it never occurred me that I would not love all of these books.
I remember reading these books as a kid and loving every second I spent with Anne, I also remember that the "grown-up" books weren't to my liking, I really didn't like Anne growing up when I was young. Back then I though it's because she was a grown women, but today I get why I might not have like this particular book when I was younger.
It is so repetitive and unimaginative. It's like Montgomery just wrote it to write another book. The true magic was just gone.
September 27, 2010
I set out to read the full Anne of Green Gables series (I bought the set at a yard sale). But this one was the last I could take for a while. The author has difficulty making it clear who her audience is. Is it children who want stories about other children, or is it people who have grown up with Anne and want to know more about her ongoing life? As the book begins, it seems to be the latter audience, but it soon becomes clear it's the former. She starts this book in Avonlea, and we see Anne's childhood friend Diana. But we hear nothing of how Marilla, Davy, Dora, and other loved ones fare, in a book that covers six or seven years. This is disappointing. The anecdotes about Anne's children are moderately entertaining, but perhaps not as much so as stories in the other novels. The previous book, Anne's House of Dreams, has an actual plot line to follow, but this book rambles on forever about nothing.
January 10, 2018
The next book in the true Anne of Green Gables series and weirdly my least favorite of the books. We meet Anne and Gilbert many years later and Anne has quite the brood now. She has 5 children and the love of her life, what could possibly go wrong?
I miss Anne's antics in this book. We get to meet some of her children- Jem, Walter, Nan, and Diana oh and baby Bertha Marilla (really?). They are adorable and some of their adventures had memories of Anne's beginnings, but I missed Anne in this book. I did fall in love with the little cat named Shrimp. Ms Montgomery really came up with the greatest name for characters and pets alike.
I miss Anne's antics in this book. We get to meet some of her children- Jem, Walter, Nan, and Diana oh and baby Bertha Marilla (really?). They are adorable and some of their adventures had memories of Anne's beginnings, but I missed Anne in this book. I did fall in love with the little cat named Shrimp. Ms Montgomery really came up with the greatest name for characters and pets alike.
August 24, 2022
آنه! آنهٔ قشنگم! چی به سرت اومد؟
نمیدونم اگه این داستانی بیربط به مجموعهٔ آنی شرلی بود هم اینقدر برام خستهکننده و دوستنداشتنی میشد یا نه. (احتمالاً میشد.)
ولی وقتی آدم میره سراغ این سری کتابها، انتظار داره همیشه با همون شخصیت اصلی جذاب و دوستداشتنی روبهرو بشه.
این درسته که بهتبعِ تغییر آدما توی دنیای واقعی، شخصیتها هم بزرگ میشن، رشد و تغییر میکنن و همین وجودشون رو باورپذیر میکنه. من هم بهعنوان یک خواننده انتظار نداشتم آنه تا جلد آخر همونقدر شیطون و سرزنده باشه. ولی تغییراتش (از جلد پنجم تا اینجا) اون رو کاملاً تبدیل به شخصیتی دیگه کرده.
آدمی که اونطور برای درس و کارش تلاش میکرد و بهطرز جذابی از دورهٔ خودش جلوتر بود، ناگهان تبدیل شد به آدمی که کاملاً با معیارهای زن خوب اون زمان مطابقت داره و از این وضع ناراضی هم نیست.
مسئلهٔ بعدی هم اینه که نقش آنه بهشدت کمرنگه و بیشتر داستان دربارهٔ بچههاست. میشد اسم کتاب مثلاً «اینگلساید» خالی باشه تا اینطور نخوره تو ذوق خواننده. [نفس عمیق]
کلام آخر هم اینکه... دیدید یه دوستی وارد یه رابطهای چیزی میشه، بعد کمکم ارتباطتتون کم میشه و دیگه نه اون شما رو تحویل میگیره نه شما حوصلهشو دارید؟ احساسم به آنهٔ بعد ازدواج همینه. :)) جلد قبلیش رو هم بابت شخصیتهای فرعیش دوست داشتم وگرنه خود آنه بهنظرم افتاده بود تو سراشیبی.
پن: فکر کنم از ریویوم معلومه که دلم پره، ولی خب میخوام اینجا روش تاکید کنم؛ بسیار دلم پره. شب بهخیر. [میرود زیر پتو و اشک میریزد.]
نمیدونم اگه این داستانی بیربط به مجموعهٔ آنی شرلی بود هم اینقدر برام خستهکننده و دوستنداشتنی میشد یا نه. (احتمالاً میشد.)
ولی وقتی آدم میره سراغ این سری کتابها، انتظار داره همیشه با همون شخصیت اصلی جذاب و دوستداشتنی روبهرو بشه.
این درسته که بهتبعِ تغییر آدما توی دنیای واقعی، شخصیتها هم بزرگ میشن، رشد و تغییر میکنن و همین وجودشون رو باورپذیر میکنه. من هم بهعنوان یک خواننده انتظار نداشتم آنه تا جلد آخر همونقدر شیطون و سرزنده باشه. ولی تغییراتش (از جلد پنجم تا اینجا) اون رو کاملاً تبدیل به شخصیتی دیگه کرده.
آدمی که اونطور برای درس و کارش تلاش میکرد و بهطرز جذابی از دورهٔ خودش جلوتر بود، ناگهان تبدیل شد به آدمی که کاملاً با معیارهای زن خوب اون زمان مطابقت داره و از این وضع ناراضی هم نیست.
مسئلهٔ بعدی هم اینه که نقش آنه بهشدت کمرنگه و بیشتر داستان دربارهٔ بچههاست. میشد اسم کتاب مثلاً «اینگلساید» خالی باشه تا اینطور نخوره تو ذوق خواننده. [نفس عمیق]
کلام آخر هم اینکه... دیدید یه دوستی وارد یه رابطهای چیزی میشه، بعد کمکم ارتباطتتون کم میشه و دیگه نه اون شما رو تحویل میگیره نه شما حوصلهشو دارید؟ احساسم به آنهٔ بعد ازدواج همینه. :)) جلد قبلیش رو هم بابت شخصیتهای فرعیش دوست داشتم وگرنه خود آنه بهنظرم افتاده بود تو سراشیبی.
پن: فکر کنم از ریویوم معلومه که دلم پره، ولی خب میخوام اینجا روش تاکید کنم؛ بسیار دلم پره. شب بهخیر. [میرود زیر پتو و اشک میریزد.]
April 5, 2023
Generally, I have enjoyed this series, and I love reading about Anne and her adventures. This particular book revolves around her children and housekeeper so Anne took a back seat, and I think this has an impact on my overall enjoyment of this book.
I did enjoy reading about Anne and Gilbert's six children, their journeys through life and the scrapes they find themselves in, but personally, I missed Anne, and there just wasn't enough of her in this book. I totally understand times change and people age, but I was missing something. The plot wasn't consistent, and the characters were a little bland. When Anne did appear, she was a distant character, and I sometimes felt like she wasn't an important part of the book.
I did noticed that mentioned rather a lot is that being slim apparently has a huge impact on one's beauty and on one's worth and how successful you are in life. This is an incredibly sad message to emphasise, and I think it's pretty obvious to anyone that knows me what my thoughts are on that nonsense.
I think this was an average read, and it filled in the gaps of the story, but honestly I can't say that I loved it, and I think it could have been much better.
I did enjoy reading about Anne and Gilbert's six children, their journeys through life and the scrapes they find themselves in, but personally, I missed Anne, and there just wasn't enough of her in this book. I totally understand times change and people age, but I was missing something. The plot wasn't consistent, and the characters were a little bland. When Anne did appear, she was a distant character, and I sometimes felt like she wasn't an important part of the book.
I did noticed that mentioned rather a lot is that being slim apparently has a huge impact on one's beauty and on one's worth and how successful you are in life. This is an incredibly sad message to emphasise, and I think it's pretty obvious to anyone that knows me what my thoughts are on that nonsense.
I think this was an average read, and it filled in the gaps of the story, but honestly I can't say that I loved it, and I think it could have been much better.
January 17, 2021
این جلد رو خیلی دوست داشتم چون خیلی واسم تازگی داشت
تقریبا میشه گفت از جلد دوم به بعد، همه چیز با کارتون و سریال متفاوته اما این جلد دیگه قابل تصور هم نبود
بچه دار شدن آن شرلی و ماجراهای شیرین بچه هاش خیلی شیرین بود
آن شرلی که جلد اول خودش کوچولو و پرحرف و رویایی بود، حالا خودش کوچولوهای رویای داره که هر کدوم ویژگی های خاص خودشون رو دارن
تصور بچه داشتن ان شرلی خیلی لذت بخش بود و از خوندنش خیلی لذت بردم
تقریبا میشه گفت از جلد دوم به بعد، همه چیز با کارتون و سریال متفاوته اما این جلد دیگه قابل تصور هم نبود
بچه دار شدن آن شرلی و ماجراهای شیرین بچه هاش خیلی شیرین بود
آن شرلی که جلد اول خودش کوچولو و پرحرف و رویایی بود، حالا خودش کوچولوهای رویای داره که هر کدوم ویژگی های خاص خودشون رو دارن
تصور بچه داشتن ان شرلی خیلی لذت بخش بود و از خوندنش خیلی لذت بردم
February 25, 2023
"Well, that was life. Gladness and pain, hope and fear, and change. Always change, you could not help it. You had to let the old go, and take the new to your heart. Learn to love it, and then let it go in turn."
October 7, 2020
خستهکننده بود این جلد
July 3, 2024
5+ stars (8/10 hearts). I have said, in the past, that this wasn’t my favourite Anne book. It’s still true (my top favourite is
Rilla,
my second favourite is
House of Dreams,
and then the rest are tied except for
Windy Poplars,
which is still a 7/10 but not a 8/10 like the rest of the books). However, this read through, this book unexpectedly wormed its way much deeper into my heart and it shall forever remain very, very sweet and dear to me.
I adore the feeling/setting of this book. Glen St. Mary & Four Winds is such a darling, happy, beautiful, quiet little place full of emotion and life. And Ingleside is the perfect, model home—while still having its imperfections and flaws. I adore the gentle home life, the comedic ups and downs, the everyday drama, the beautiful family circle, the sweet married romance. I love the aesthetic of garden and seaside and back yard and cozy winter hearth…
I love, love, LOVE Anne. She is such a darling, wonderful, wise mother. I love how confident her children are in her love and understanding at all times. I love her relationship with each of them. I love her position in the valley and how she is so beloved and admired. I want to be an Anne, I want to live that life, I want to be that kind of mother… and I want the kind of romance she and Gilbert have. Dear Gilbert—such a hardworking man full of heart, just pouring himself out for others and determined to do all he can for their health—yet there for his family and so loved by them all. I love Susan, plain and sharp-spoken yet full of simple faith and sharp understanding, even with her slight flaws. I love the children, all so vivid and dear and true, desirous of doing good and ever seeking beauty. (And as for Mary Maria—I hate her, but I pity her so, and I only want never to be like HER.)
The writing, as always, is phenomenal—have I mentioned enough how Montgomery is my favourite author and I aspire with all my heart to emulate her writing style? It’s so classical and warm and intellectual and ALIVE and beautiful. The book is a series of vignettes and short stories, woven together with beautiful threads of description about the seasons and scenery. I love all the beautiful paragraphs about life… and life with children... and the paragraph about Walter in the last chapter makes me cry!! All the humour and beauty and happiness of this book just makes me so happy. It’s just so lovely and relaxing and full of blessing; it makes my heart sing and my mind fill with dreams, and although in my heart of hearts I know it's all too good to be true—a magical, beautiful dream that we can only aspire to and try to reproduce—yet I believe it almost can come true, and all I wish for is to do so.
Content: a few euphemisms; some mentions of fairies and such, although not really believed in; some more serious/darker stories. Recommended reading age: 14+
A Favourite Quote: Dear God… help all mothers everywhere. We need so much help, with the little sensitive, loving hearts and minds that look to us for guidance and love and understanding.
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: Well, that was life. Gladness and pain … hope and fear … and change. Always change! You could not help it. You had to let the old go and take the new to your heart … learn to love it and then let it go in turn. Spring, lovely as it was, must yield to summer and summer lose itself in autumn.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: Walter couldn't endure thinking about the widow [frog]'s woes, so he slipped down to the cellar to hunt for the gentleman toad, but only succeeded in knocking down a pile of Susan's discarded tinware with a resulting racket that might have wakened the dead. It woke only Susan, however, who came marching down with a candle[.]
“Susan, I've got to find that toad,” said Walter desperately. “Susan, just think how you would feel without your husband, if you had one.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” demanded the justifiably mystified Susan.
At this point the gentleman toad, who had evidently given himself up for lost when Susan appeared on the scene, hopped out into the open[.] Walter pounced on him and slipped him out through the window, where it is to be hoped he rejoined his supposed love and lived happily ever afterwards.
I adore the feeling/setting of this book. Glen St. Mary & Four Winds is such a darling, happy, beautiful, quiet little place full of emotion and life. And Ingleside is the perfect, model home—while still having its imperfections and flaws. I adore the gentle home life, the comedic ups and downs, the everyday drama, the beautiful family circle, the sweet married romance. I love the aesthetic of garden and seaside and back yard and cozy winter hearth…
I love, love, LOVE Anne. She is such a darling, wonderful, wise mother. I love how confident her children are in her love and understanding at all times. I love her relationship with each of them. I love her position in the valley and how she is so beloved and admired. I want to be an Anne, I want to live that life, I want to be that kind of mother… and I want the kind of romance she and Gilbert have. Dear Gilbert—such a hardworking man full of heart, just pouring himself out for others and determined to do all he can for their health—yet there for his family and so loved by them all. I love Susan, plain and sharp-spoken yet full of simple faith and sharp understanding, even with her slight flaws. I love the children, all so vivid and dear and true, desirous of doing good and ever seeking beauty. (And as for Mary Maria—I hate her, but I pity her so, and I only want never to be like HER.)
The writing, as always, is phenomenal—have I mentioned enough how Montgomery is my favourite author and I aspire with all my heart to emulate her writing style? It’s so classical and warm and intellectual and ALIVE and beautiful. The book is a series of vignettes and short stories, woven together with beautiful threads of description about the seasons and scenery. I love all the beautiful paragraphs about life… and life with children... and the paragraph about Walter in the last chapter makes me cry!! All the humour and beauty and happiness of this book just makes me so happy. It’s just so lovely and relaxing and full of blessing; it makes my heart sing and my mind fill with dreams, and although in my heart of hearts I know it's all too good to be true—a magical, beautiful dream that we can only aspire to and try to reproduce—yet I believe it almost can come true, and all I wish for is to do so.
Content: a few euphemisms; some mentions of fairies and such, although not really believed in; some more serious/darker stories. Recommended reading age: 14+
A Favourite Quote: Dear God… help all mothers everywhere. We need so much help, with the little sensitive, loving hearts and minds that look to us for guidance and love and understanding.
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: Well, that was life. Gladness and pain … hope and fear … and change. Always change! You could not help it. You had to let the old go and take the new to your heart … learn to love it and then let it go in turn. Spring, lovely as it was, must yield to summer and summer lose itself in autumn.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: Walter couldn't endure thinking about the widow [frog]'s woes, so he slipped down to the cellar to hunt for the gentleman toad, but only succeeded in knocking down a pile of Susan's discarded tinware with a resulting racket that might have wakened the dead. It woke only Susan, however, who came marching down with a candle[.]
“Susan, I've got to find that toad,” said Walter desperately. “Susan, just think how you would feel without your husband, if you had one.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” demanded the justifiably mystified Susan.
At this point the gentleman toad, who had evidently given himself up for lost when Susan appeared on the scene, hopped out into the open[.] Walter pounced on him and slipped him out through the window, where it is to be hoped he rejoined his supposed love and lived happily ever afterwards.
September 8, 2021
Anne and Gilbert have been married for fifteen years and have six children. Their lives are busier and happier than ever, but not without the challenges of everyday life.
What I liked about this story is simply being able to get a glimpse into middle-aged Anne's life as a wife and mother. She's a busy and kind mother, very much loved by all her family. The situations and emotions she faces in this stage of her life, are still relevant today.
What I didn't like is that Anne is a secondary character in this story. The six Blythe children and Susan (housekeeper/nanny) take center stage in this book. A lot of this story is based on the children's experiences and misunderstandings. While their stories are cute and entertaining, I much prefer when the story revolves around Anne.
What I liked about this story is simply being able to get a glimpse into middle-aged Anne's life as a wife and mother. She's a busy and kind mother, very much loved by all her family. The situations and emotions she faces in this stage of her life, are still relevant today.
What I didn't like is that Anne is a secondary character in this story. The six Blythe children and Susan (housekeeper/nanny) take center stage in this book. A lot of this story is based on the children's experiences and misunderstandings. While their stories are cute and entertaining, I much prefer when the story revolves around Anne.
May 14, 2011
Reading this book after so many years is like visiting a childhood haunt after many years to find only that it was not so big, not so beautiful, not so miraculous, not so mysterious, as it was then. It is like spending your early life thinking your parents are the height of perfection, compared to the day they begin to have visible (sometimes glaring) flaws. I know that this all comes full-circle in adulthood and that the day returns when you look again at your parents, at the old childhood haunt, in wonder and gratefulness. But as a reader of Anne of Green Gables, I am afraid I am smack-dab in the teenage years.
Then: no one said anything better than L.M. Montgomery. No one saw what she did in nature, no one understood people the way she did, no one understood me better than she did. That was the world I wanted to live in, Prince Edward Island, nature and small society, fully equipped with imagination.
Now: I am galled by the selfish prejudices. The only people worth knowing are the imaginitive ones, but what gets so annoying is that they all have the same imagination. Every single protagonist she ever writes of personifies a tree, has the same tastes (sometimes even so specifically as what thickness bread should be); each faces the defeat of mistaken dreams, each carries a certain pride about themselves, and each one is spiteful towards the exact same types of personalities. As a child I loved L.M. Montgomery's opinions - they were my own. Her characters' experiences of being dreamy, imaginitive and often ridiculed for it were my experiences. She seemed to get it. Now I want other things in a writer. I want the writer to see more than I see in human nature, not less. I don't want a writer only to see my point of view - I recognize that I need more than just the same ways of seeing the world. Was Montgomery capable of writing other than of herself?
Part of why I feel frustration in revisiting the Anne-world again is that it used to fit so well, and now it no longer does. It's like the perfect pair of jeans you had at age 14 or that party dress from the 80s that was your favorite. You want to go back and feel the times past as they felt then, and belong to a world that felt just about perfect when you were there. Or maybe we go back in our memories to the old places and the old times because what we really want is a perfect place of peace, happiness, security, and they were closest to us as children.
Then: no one said anything better than L.M. Montgomery. No one saw what she did in nature, no one understood people the way she did, no one understood me better than she did. That was the world I wanted to live in, Prince Edward Island, nature and small society, fully equipped with imagination.
Now: I am galled by the selfish prejudices. The only people worth knowing are the imaginitive ones, but what gets so annoying is that they all have the same imagination. Every single protagonist she ever writes of personifies a tree, has the same tastes (sometimes even so specifically as what thickness bread should be); each faces the defeat of mistaken dreams, each carries a certain pride about themselves, and each one is spiteful towards the exact same types of personalities. As a child I loved L.M. Montgomery's opinions - they were my own. Her characters' experiences of being dreamy, imaginitive and often ridiculed for it were my experiences. She seemed to get it. Now I want other things in a writer. I want the writer to see more than I see in human nature, not less. I don't want a writer only to see my point of view - I recognize that I need more than just the same ways of seeing the world. Was Montgomery capable of writing other than of herself?
Part of why I feel frustration in revisiting the Anne-world again is that it used to fit so well, and now it no longer does. It's like the perfect pair of jeans you had at age 14 or that party dress from the 80s that was your favorite. You want to go back and feel the times past as they felt then, and belong to a world that felt just about perfect when you were there. Or maybe we go back in our memories to the old places and the old times because what we really want is a perfect place of peace, happiness, security, and they were closest to us as children.
May 16, 2018
Full (mini) review now posted!
It’s fun to watch someone grow from a child into an adult with children of their own. Anne of Green Gables is now Anne of Ingleside, and her home is filled with life and laughter. She is a wife settled into her marriage, and is now the mother of a whole passel of children. This group of kids is incredibly varied in looks and personality, but they’re all children of imagination and character, like their parents. This book is mainly a collection of tales in the children’s lives, though there are still stories from Anne’s perspective, as well. It honestly felt more like a collection short stories than an actual novel, but it was still very enjoyable. Every story was entertaining and funny. Also, this is the first legitimately new to me book in this series. I had read much more of it than I had originally thought, but not this one!
It’s fun to watch someone grow from a child into an adult with children of their own. Anne of Green Gables is now Anne of Ingleside, and her home is filled with life and laughter. She is a wife settled into her marriage, and is now the mother of a whole passel of children. This group of kids is incredibly varied in looks and personality, but they’re all children of imagination and character, like their parents. This book is mainly a collection of tales in the children’s lives, though there are still stories from Anne’s perspective, as well. It honestly felt more like a collection short stories than an actual novel, but it was still very enjoyable. Every story was entertaining and funny. Also, this is the first legitimately new to me book in this series. I had read much more of it than I had originally thought, but not this one!
May 26, 2025
Any time spent with Anne and her family is time delightfully spent, ESPECIALLY through Maud's whimsical and wonder-filled eyes. ❤️
December 5, 2025
Reread for a reading vlog: https://youtu.be/Z-1p0hIp-Ng (watch for both a spoiler free and spoiler filled review of each of the eight books in the series - spoilers are all clearly marked and easily skipped!)
Written review to come ❤️
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
Written review to come ❤️
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
January 4, 2018
Ok so I finished this about a month ago maybe and I'm only just now getting to writing a review haha, but Goodreads won't let me enter the finished date for some reason...The only date that works is today's date which is kind of strange lol Oh well XD I know y'all probably don't care about that haha
I really enjoyed reading this at a slower pace and carrying it around everywhere with me at college. I felt like it was a good thing that I read it slower so I could appreciate the story more...I was also pretty busy the times I wasn't reading it, but it was nice every once and a while to slow down and de-stress with this good book! :) I enjoyed reading about Anne and Gilbert again! It was nice getting to learn about all their kid's different personalities too! Only two books left now :( But that's ok because I can always reread them :))
I really enjoyed reading this at a slower pace and carrying it around everywhere with me at college. I felt like it was a good thing that I read it slower so I could appreciate the story more...I was also pretty busy the times I wasn't reading it, but it was nice every once and a while to slow down and de-stress with this good book! :) I enjoyed reading about Anne and Gilbert again! It was nice getting to learn about all their kid's different personalities too! Only two books left now :( But that's ok because I can always reread them :))
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,468 reviews