Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Anne Update

I'm about a third of the way through Anne of Green Gables, and how did I forget how hilarious this book is? Anne's melodrama and love of romantical things, contrasted with the day-to-day sensibility of Avonlea, Green Gables, and Marilla, never fail to crack me up. I think it's more entertaining now that I'm aware of the historical literary context Montgomery is working within. While published in 1908, I think it's supposed to take place around the 1880's or 90's, a time when Victorian melodrama and romanticism was going full throttle.

I was afraid that a book I loved so much as a child would fall flat reading it as an adult . . . but then again, Montgomery actually wrote it for all ages. Probably why it has endured so well.

1 comment:

Gail Gauthier said...

I didn't read Anne of Green Gables until a few years ago when we were going to Prince Edward Island on vacation. I thought the book seemed to plod along and didn't see what the big deal was.

And then Anne appeared. She really is a marvelous character.