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The Essential L.M. Montgomery
Presenting "The Essential L. M. Montgomery: Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, and Anne's House of Dreams with an Introduction by Nicholas Tamblyn, and Illustrations by Katherine Eglund."
The character of Anne Shirley, first appearing in Anne of Green Gables (1908), has become beloved around the world. She is a character for all seasons—romantic, imaginative, passionate, and sensitive, and therefore she is kind, loving, and creative at heart.
She gains considerable knowledge over the years and, through that knowledge, becomes a teacher and a kind-hearted protector of others. As inescapable as the struggles and doubts of life can be, she chooses to be courageous in the face of daunting odds—this is why Anne Shirley will always be one of the most affectionately admired of literary companions.
The character of Anne Shirley, first appearing in Anne of Green Gables (1908), has become beloved around the world. She is a character for all seasons—romantic, imaginative, passionate, and sensitive, and therefore she is kind, loving, and creative at heart.
She gains considerable knowledge over the years and, through that knowledge, becomes a teacher and a kind-hearted protector of others. As inescapable as the struggles and doubts of life can be, she chooses to be courageous in the face of daunting odds—this is why Anne Shirley will always be one of the most affectionately admired of literary companions.
- GenresClassics
568 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1917
41 people are currently reading
175 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.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 15, 2020
Check out my reviews for each individual book on their main pages.
July 30, 2021
This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Bookworm
I have loved this series for as long as I can remember, and perhaps even longer. My first encounter with Anne of Green Gables that I can remember took place around this time of year, at least 15 years ago if not longer. I was shopping with my mum and helped her pick out all the right covers for each book in the series so they matched (I’m neurotic about that from way back!), and then she dropped a bombshell – you’re not getting these books right away. Let’s just say, it was a VERY fun Christmas that year!
This year, a new edition of these time honoured books has been released just in time to bring joy to another little girl’s Christmas. For starters, I adore the covers and they’re just so pretty! Wouldn’t you agree?
Each cover has attributes unique to each book, which I love. Anne of Green Gables has the silhouette of a young girl along with the eponymous Green Gables, representing Anne’s journey at Green Gables during her childhood. The next book in the series, Anne of Avonlea, has a silhouette of an older Anne with her schoolmarm hat along with a chalkboard and the schoolhouse, suitable for Anne’s turn as a teacher at the local Avonlea school. Book number 3, Anne of the Island, might very well be my favourite! The silhouette of Anne has lost her hat and is surrounded by a book, rings, Patty’s Place and, best of all, Gog and Magog! Anne’s college tales were always a favourite of mine, especially that ending 🙂 The fourth book of the boxed set, Anne’s House of Dreams, represents yet another chapter in Anne’s life, with the lighthouse, her house of dreams, the bottle and the teddy bear.
If you’re at all familiar with the series, I don’t have to tell you how wonderful it is. The books chosen for this library represent my favourites in the series, showcasing Anne’s journey from orphan to adoptee, from student to teacher to student again, from childhood to adulthood. The merry band of characters that join Anne along the way have always felt akin to family to me, from her kindred spirit Diana Barry, to her carers in Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, from the well-meaning busybody Rachel Lynde, to her schoolmates and neighbours along the way.
Of course, what I truly love about the four books chosen as part of this library is the progression of Anne’s relationship with Gilbert Blythe. Of the eight books in the series, these four are perhaps the most focused on that relationship and its changes over time. From strangers to adversaries, from adversaries to chums, from chums to close friends and then to something more. Their relationship is one of the factors that kept me coming back to these books time and time again, and I’ve always loved Gilbert – show me someone who doesn’t! In fact, Gilbert is easily my first book boyfriend 😀
These books hold a very special place in my heart, as does Anne. Anne is a unique character for her time; strong-willed, driven and yet imaginative at the same time. She demonstrated to me when I was younger that if you perservere you can succeed, no matter what life throws at you. I also learnt that if at first things don’t work out the way you expect, it’s no matter – take another path and you may find things working out even better than you first imagined. Finally, I think the Anne of Green Gables series taught me the value of friendship, that family may not simply be that which you’re born into, and you can love someone unconditionally even if they’re not what you first expect.
If you’re still looking for a Christmas person for that special person in your life (or even for yourself!) I highly recommend this boxed set. Heck, I recommend it even after Christmas during the Boxing Day sales and everyday thereafter! It’s a charming edition of an old favourite and one I will certainly cherish for a very long time. I only hope the remaining books of the series are also released in a similar fashion!
I have loved this series for as long as I can remember, and perhaps even longer. My first encounter with Anne of Green Gables that I can remember took place around this time of year, at least 15 years ago if not longer. I was shopping with my mum and helped her pick out all the right covers for each book in the series so they matched (I’m neurotic about that from way back!), and then she dropped a bombshell – you’re not getting these books right away. Let’s just say, it was a VERY fun Christmas that year!
This year, a new edition of these time honoured books has been released just in time to bring joy to another little girl’s Christmas. For starters, I adore the covers and they’re just so pretty! Wouldn’t you agree?
Each cover has attributes unique to each book, which I love. Anne of Green Gables has the silhouette of a young girl along with the eponymous Green Gables, representing Anne’s journey at Green Gables during her childhood. The next book in the series, Anne of Avonlea, has a silhouette of an older Anne with her schoolmarm hat along with a chalkboard and the schoolhouse, suitable for Anne’s turn as a teacher at the local Avonlea school. Book number 3, Anne of the Island, might very well be my favourite! The silhouette of Anne has lost her hat and is surrounded by a book, rings, Patty’s Place and, best of all, Gog and Magog! Anne’s college tales were always a favourite of mine, especially that ending 🙂 The fourth book of the boxed set, Anne’s House of Dreams, represents yet another chapter in Anne’s life, with the lighthouse, her house of dreams, the bottle and the teddy bear.
If you’re at all familiar with the series, I don’t have to tell you how wonderful it is. The books chosen for this library represent my favourites in the series, showcasing Anne’s journey from orphan to adoptee, from student to teacher to student again, from childhood to adulthood. The merry band of characters that join Anne along the way have always felt akin to family to me, from her kindred spirit Diana Barry, to her carers in Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, from the well-meaning busybody Rachel Lynde, to her schoolmates and neighbours along the way.
Of course, what I truly love about the four books chosen as part of this library is the progression of Anne’s relationship with Gilbert Blythe. Of the eight books in the series, these four are perhaps the most focused on that relationship and its changes over time. From strangers to adversaries, from adversaries to chums, from chums to close friends and then to something more. Their relationship is one of the factors that kept me coming back to these books time and time again, and I’ve always loved Gilbert – show me someone who doesn’t! In fact, Gilbert is easily my first book boyfriend 😀
These books hold a very special place in my heart, as does Anne. Anne is a unique character for her time; strong-willed, driven and yet imaginative at the same time. She demonstrated to me when I was younger that if you perservere you can succeed, no matter what life throws at you. I also learnt that if at first things don’t work out the way you expect, it’s no matter – take another path and you may find things working out even better than you first imagined. Finally, I think the Anne of Green Gables series taught me the value of friendship, that family may not simply be that which you’re born into, and you can love someone unconditionally even if they’re not what you first expect.
If you’re still looking for a Christmas person for that special person in your life (or even for yourself!) I highly recommend this boxed set. Heck, I recommend it even after Christmas during the Boxing Day sales and everyday thereafter! It’s a charming edition of an old favourite and one I will certainly cherish for a very long time. I only hope the remaining books of the series are also released in a similar fashion!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews