Funny how my ten-year-old came to read Anne of Green Gables, in this reduced, adapted version illustrated by Brenna Thummler. I think the original novels are still a bit above her reading level, but several years ago I tried to get her to watch the tv version from 1985, which I remembered so well from my childhood. Not successful- she found the pace too slow. Later I watched Netflix’s Anne with an E and enjoyed it immensely- tried to get my teenager to watch that version with me, no go. Sigh. But- a week ago my youngest read another novel that had a character quoting from Anne of Green Gables a lot- which inspired her to give this a try. I’m glad she did, but hope she’ll also read the original someday.
Actually, reading this one made me remember that I haven’t read the original myself! Which is probably why I don’t feel as disappointed by it as some. It has all the basics of the story- orphaned Anne Shirley arrives on a Prince Edward Island farm to live with an elderly brother and sister who need assistance. They were intending to adopt a boy, but got Anne instead. She is nearly sent back, but then is allowed to stay- and slowly settles in with her new adopted parents. Matthew Cuthbert is soft-spoken and mostly silent, Marilla a very no-nonsense person, but Anne is imaginative, full of spirit and a flow of words. I know there’s more to her character than that, but in this book it mostly comes across that Anne likes to talk a lot with descriptive language, applying her imagination to everything (my daughter said “it was really wordy“). She struggles to fit in, gets teased at school (for her hair color and hot temper) but is also a high achiever. There were so many scenes in here I remember well- walking on the ridgepole of the roof, floating in the boat and getting rescued by Gilbert, accidentally dying her hair green, innocently getting her best friend Diana drunk on wine (I thought it was sherry?) competing for top place in class with the boy she despised- Gilbert- though eventually she does forgive him. There were a few moments I didn’t recognize, which made me realize I hadn’t yet read L.M. Montgomery’s original, but it also made me notice that the pacing isn’t great- those moments felt awkward because there was little flow to how they fit into the story. The rest of it was so dear and familiar to me I hardly noticed, however to someone who hasn’t encountered the story before, (or a reader with keener memory than myself) it could come across as uneven. Also the blank eyes of all the characters are a bit unsettling at first. But overall I really liked it, brushing aside my personal criticism.
And I do hope that if my kid reads L.M. Mongomery’s novel someday, she’ll find it dear and familiar in the opposite way, because she enjoyed it first in this visual story.
Borrowed from the public library.
4 Responses
Tell you what, I would just be grateful that the kids are reading at all. These days, I think reading a book, especially a classic, is a lost art that kids don’t even know they are missing out on. Too many of them stay glued to a screen of some size all day long. Turning pages is just too slow for most of them anymore.
I guess I just expect my kids to be readers- and they are! They both have bookcases in their rooms with rather extensive collections (more than I had at their ages). I was really pleased my ten-year-old recently got back into reading via graphic novels, after a long streak of only being interested in games on her phone, videos online, etc. They vie very strongly for her attention!
I always loved Emily of New Moon more than Anne of Green Gables, to be honest! Her character resonated with me more, and also I just found the books funnier and enjoyed the events of them more. The only thing Anne has on Emily is a better love interest. Also, you should read The Blue Castle and Jane of Lantern Hill, which are my true favorites among LM Montgomery’s books.
Yes, I liked the Emily books a lot- I have all of them, whereas I haven’t even read through Anne of Green Gables. I’ll definitely look for the other two you mentioned- thanks!