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bookish_leslie's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
2.5
My rating scale, for reference:
- 1 Star: Hated it
- 1.5 Stars: Really didn't like it
- 2 Stars: Didn't like it
- 3 Stars: Meh
- 4 Stars: Liked it
- 4.5 Stars: Really liked it
- 5 Stars: Loved it
I liked Anne as a character in this book. I liked the way she viewed the world, and I liked her optimism, her refusal to give up on even the most prickly of people, and the gift she had for lifting and brightening the lives of those around her.
I liked the setting of this book: Anne’s cozy tower room, the garden gate through which she spoke with little Elizabeth, the graveyard she walked through when she needed to think, the groves of trees, the red ribbon of road with white houses, the blue hill Anne nicknamed the Storm King, the blustery storms…
And I liked Montgomery’s poetic writing style, as always.
But plot wise? It pains me to say that this book was not very interesting. Sure, I enjoyed watching Anne (spoiler)
“There is an attractive Palmer girl who is reported to be throwing herself at his head, and his sister is said to have said that his mother has said that her son has no need to dangle for years at any girl's apron-string.”
If I don’t know or care about the first person you’re mentioning, I’m for sure not going to care about who they’re related to or how their multiple-removed connections think or feel about a situation. And this is what the bulk of the book seemed to consist of: little stand-alone / incoherent vignettes of Anne interacting with the locals in gossipy ways that I honestly didn’t find very compelling. This makes me feel sad, because this is Anne of Green Gables we're talking about! There’s so much childhood nostalgia wrapped up in the Anne stories for me, but I've found that the further away I've gotten from the original book, the more these books have felt rambly and full of convoluted connections and talk of people who were introduced on one page and then disappeared a few pages later.
And, apart from a few key people (like little Elizabeth), these superficial connections or interactions seemed to happen at the expense of any real connections. When Anne went home for visits to Green Gables, for example, we hardly heard anything about the people she’s loved her whole life. Marilla, Diana Barry, and her adopted younger siblings barely got a mention. Even Gilbert! It was weird because most of the book was written as letters to him (oddly, with any lovey-dovey bits redacted), but we didn’t get anything from his point of view, nor did we get any scenes of Anne and Gilbert together. And then when Anne left Summerside after 3 years of living there, it was only the people she was leaving behind that seemed to feel sad at her departure; Anne herself didn't really seem to care all that much. So the book was chalk-full of superficial connections but lacked the magic and depth of Anne's prior connections and friendships.
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
annelihghh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Death and Abandonment
soph22's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Oh, Anne. I love you with all my heart, you are my happy place and you didn’t disappoint in this fourth book. I can’t wait to read the other four!
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Abandonment
kindred_reader's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
3.75
Just as always, Anne is a delight to spend time with. I missed seeing her interact with some of our favorites (Marilla, Davy, Gilbert, etc.) but watching her charm a whole town with her lighthearted spirt and kind heart was a treat. I loved the drama with the Pringles and the young people Anne listened to that had problems similar to her own or at least with just as must enthusiasm. The Aunts and Rebecca Dew were darling and amusing. Little Elizabeth stole my heart from the minute she arrived, and I'm so glad Anne meddled when she did.
It sometimes felt a little tedious to read because I just can't wait for her and Gilbert to be married and live in their house of dreams, but this book isn't worth skimming because the people she met and the experience she had really shaped her. And her letters to Gilbert are something I'm sure formed their relationship for the long three years they were apart.
It sometimes felt a little tedious to read because I just can't wait for her and Gilbert to be married and live in their house of dreams, but this book isn't worth skimming because the people she met and the experience she had really shaped her. And her letters to Gilbert are something I'm sure formed their relationship for the long three years they were apart.
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
carys_ene's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Cannibalism, and Abandonment
ghostly_monstera's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
3.75
Just as always, Anne is a delight to spend time with. I missed seeing her interact with some of our favorites (Marilla, Davy, Gilbert, etc.) but watching her charm a whole town with her lighthearted spirt and kind heart was a treat. I loved the drama with the Pringles and the young people Anne listened to that had problems similar to her own or at least with just as must enthusiasm. The Aunts and Rebecca Dew were darling and amusing. Little Elizabeth stole my heart from the minute she arrived, and I'm so glad Anne meddled when she did.
It sometimes felt a little tedious to read because I just can't wait for her and Gilbert to be married and live in their house of dreams, but this book isn't worth skimming because the people she met and the experience she had really shaped her. And her letters to Gilbert are something I'm sure formed their relationship for the long three years they were apart.
It sometimes felt a little tedious to read because I just can't wait for her and Gilbert to be married and live in their house of dreams, but this book isn't worth skimming because the people she met and the experience she had really shaped her. And her letters to Gilbert are something I'm sure formed their relationship for the long three years they were apart.
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent