Between Friends Book Club discussion

This is the discussion thread for Anne of Green Gables. This month I'd like to try something different. So I'd like everyone to tell me 3 things in this discussion, please.
1) What was your favorite part? Why?
2) Who was your favorite character? Why?
3) What is your overall opinion of this book?

What can I say, this had been a favorite of mine for years! I have always sympathized with Anne's personality, and felt that I was free to dream freely because of Anne. She was one of the strong female role models that helped me find the courage to "be me"

I think the bridge scene with Gilbert is one of my favorites, while she doesn't realize at that moment, it becomes a turning point as she starts to mature and see some of her childish faults in a different light.

Anne is obviously my favorite character, but I love the relationships she has with these "stern & grumpy" older ladies (i.e. Marilla and Mrs Barry) and how she softens their hearts.

I love this book, and have since I was young.

I used to love this when I was younger—me and a friend would have Anne of Green Gable weeks where it would be all about the Anne of Green Gables series. Now that I’m older, I don’t have the same passion for it that I did. Anne got on my nerves a little bit and the fact that things found a way to work out quite often seems far-fetched. Yes, there were some spots where anything that could go wrong did but I think that was just to show Anne’s character; when it came to other things it felt like it was one of those movies where you can predict the outcome—she wants something so of course it’s going to happen.

I agree with the message—be yourself—but after a while I got tired of reading these long sometimes dramatic speeches where everything was “the most romantic thing” or if something didn’t happen her life would be ruined—such as not being able to attend a picnic. I understand she’s an eleven year old girl, so she’s going to be dramatic and imaginative, but I guess it just felt redundant after a while.

My favorite character was Matthew. I liked the relationship he had with Anne and how he wanted her to feel like she fit in with the other girls, and he just let her sit and talk his ear off without telling her to hold her tongue. I also like that he made his feelings known, that she was an important part in his life, whereas Marilla always felt like she had to hold it in and just focus on bringing her up correctly. Matthew just seemed like a sweet man.

I’m not sure I had just one favorite part in the book. Aside from Matthew’s death, there wasn’t a spot where I was overly moved by anything in it. I think that every situation where Matthew put his “two cents” in when it came to raising Anne were my favorites, because he had left the raising to Marilla but there were occasions where he just put his foot down and said his piece and Marilla had to acknowledge it.

Overall I thought the book was okay. It has a nice message, but I enjoyed it more when I was younger.