Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
Genre: Classics
Blurb (on back of book): New adventures lie ahead as Anne Shirley packs her bags, waves good-bye to childhood, and heads for Redmond College. With her old friend Prissy Grant waiting in the bustling city of Kingsport and her frivolous new friend Philippa Gordon at her side, Anne tucks her memories of rural Avonlea away and discovers life on her own terms, filled with surprises . . . including a marriage proposal from the worst fellow imaginable, the sale of her very first story, and a tragedy that teaches her a painful lesson. But tears turn to laughter when Anne and her friends move into an old cottage and an ornery black cat steals her heart. Little does Anne know that handsome Gilbert Blythe wants to win her heart, too. Suddenly Anne must decide whether she's ready for love.
MY OPINION: *****
This is always my favorite of the series. We really get our Shirbert endgame for real this time (not a spoiler, tbh, you should already know they're gonna get together. If not, I'm sorry. Now you do). I always DIE for the Shirbert scenes in this one. I have a very visceral childhood memory of me reading this book and reading that one scene where Anne realizes and remembering full-out sobbing because I wanted someone to love me like that. (Yes, I was a child. No, I still have not found myself a Gilbert).
Aside from the relationship drama, the rest of this book is actually one of my favorites just plot-wise. Anne is off to Redmond College to continue her education. As someone who just started college, this book really resonated with me, despite how different the education systems are (clearly). I loved seeing her compete academically and really apply herself to her studies in an admirable way. To be quite honest, it was very motivating.
Anne has definitely grown up but she's also still managed to retain her fiery personality and whimsical airs. I wish we had gotten to see more of her old friends like Diana, Jane, Ruby, and the whole gang because they were so important in the first book. We do get to see a lot of her new friends who I've honestly never really connected with (I literally forgot they existed but I've never forgotten Diana!). I do think it was well-balanced between her time at college and her time at home in Green Gables and Avonlea. We get to see an evolution but still get to enjoy her childhood memories.
This book is definitely a lot sadder than the other ones were for reasons I will not spoil. I didn't forget about it but I also wasn't really expecting it to hit as hard as it did. It really sobers you up especially if you really loved the previous books. It highlights the hard times of life and the bumps in the road.
Anyways, I'm going to cut it short here. I'd definitely definitely recommend this one if you read the first two because it only gets better in this one. I can't say the same about the rest of the series (from my memory) but at the very least, read this one. Even if you don't read the later ones, it does provide a concluding air which I enjoyed!
Main Character: Anne
Sidekick(s): Gilbert, Diana, Ruby, Jane, Priscilla, etc
Villain(s): Misunderstandings, tragedy, growing up, etc
Classics Elements: This is a classic children's book.
Comments
Post a Comment