My husband and I were searching Netflix a few weeks ago for something new to watch together. We had been in a binge-worthy show lull for a while and were just aimlessly looking through the endless list of titles. That’s our thing that we do together. After we put our daughter to bed, we tidy up the house a bit (AKA throw all of the toys back into their buckets) then plop ourselves down onto our overly sized and ridiculously comfortable couch and watch some TV together.
We stumbled upon a new show called Anne with an E. We had remembered seeing a preview for it and thought it was going to be cheesy, but we put it on and the most wonderful thing happened. I met and fell in love with Anne of Green Gables. You see, somehow my childhood failed me and I had NEVER heard of Anne of Green Gables until this show aired on Netflix. It seems impossible since I have been a reader since I was a kid. How in the heck did I make it to 25 without meeting this beautiful character? Call me dramatic, but I feel like my life might have turned out differently had I met her sooner.
Anyway, we watched the show and absolutely loved it. Which led me on a hunt to find the books so I could devour and devour and devour them. And that, I did!
Anne of Green Gables is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Written for all ages, it has been considered a children’s novel since the mid-twentieth century. It recounts the adventures of Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan girl who is mistakenly sent to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a middle-aged brother and sister who had intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm in Prince Edward Island. The novel recounts how Anne makes her way with the Cuthberts, in school, and within the town.
I am not caught up on classic literature. And when I say not caught up, I mean I haven’t read any unless prompted to by an English teacher. It’s not that I don’t have a desire to read those books. In fact, I’d love to be able to say that I read, fully understood and was impacted by something by Charles Dickens, but I’m just not there right now. So, anyway, this is as close to a classic that I’ve read in a long time.
And I loved it. What else can I say? Anne Shirley is a kindred spirit. She is beautiful, inside and out, and I kept thinking throughout the whole book that I can’t wait until the day that I read this to my daughter for the first time. She is strong, feisty, and most importantly, kind. All things I aspire my daughter to be. Also, I someday really really want to live in a place as beautiful as Green Gables. Or maybe I should just start imagining that I already live somewhere that beautiful. That would be the Anne Shirley way, wouldn’t it?
I think Anne Shirley has a better understanding of God than most people do even now. She reminded me of the child-like faith that seems harder and harder to obtain as people get older.
“Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I’ll tell you what I’d do. I’d go out into a great big field all alone or into the deep, deep woods, and I’d look up into the sky – up – up – up – into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness. And then I’d just feel a prayer.”
Anne Shirley made me smile and laugh more times than I can count while reading this book. She really is a sweet, sweet character, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her. I look forward to reading the next book in the series and seeing where life takes her.
I liked the transformation Marilla’s character went through. To be honest, I wasn’t the biggest fan of her for the majority of the book. She’s the complete opposite of Anne in a lot of respects. I’m glad the entrance of Anne into her life caused her to soften her heart towards life.
I’m not going to compare the new Netflix series to the book. I don’t feel it would be fair since I (unknowingly) watched the show before reading the book. I will say that I did immensely enjoy both and plan on watching the series again and finishing all of the books in the series in the future.
So, if you are looking for a great escape to simpler times told through the experiences of an imaginative, smart and passionate little girl, pick this one up. If any of you have daughters out there, you’ll love it. I highly recommend it for moms of girls.
The Unfettered Matriarch 