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★★★✬☆ 3.5 stars
Carrying on with my Anne readalong, I was a bit late to read the second part. That’s mostly due to the fact that at first it completely failed to draw me in. I felt like it’s just filler up to like a third of the book in! Where’s all the fun? Where did Anne’s spunkiness go?
But thankfully, the book picked up, and by the end I can say I enjoyed it almost as much as the first one. I’ll certainly be reading on!
Last time I gave you 5 reasons to read about Anne. I’ve decided to do the same this time too! So here we go.
The Shenanigans
The funny scrapes Anne gets into is part of the fun in stories about her. So at first, as I was reading it, I was so baffled by the fact that Anne grew up – a school mistress now, what fun is there even going to be?? At first it does go like that, but it picks up, and you’ve got Anne traipsing around Green Gables making a fool of herself as always. Hilarity ensues. (I won’t be kidding when I say I literally laughed out loud about the roof scene. Good lord.)
The Kids
There are a lot of children in this book, and if you’ve read Montgomery before, you’ll know that she is great at writing them. From the best to the worst – you’ll find kids with a heart, kids with a brain, and kids that basically crawled their way up from hell (I’m looking at you, Davy Keith.) Good or bad, they are truly entertaining to read about and something chug out some quite deep thoughts. (Although I was a little sad Dora was so disregarded because she was ‘too good and docile’)
The Romance
Oh, the romance. If you’re thinking anything finally happens between Anne and Gilbert – well, think again. But Montgomery has some other romance to offer, and it’s truly adorable in the way it can be only from this particular time – the turn of the century. So innocent, so beautiful and lovely, so plainly obviously orchestrated – in a way that makes you like it even more. Swoon!
The Feel
I will risk repeating myself, but I can’t take away from the book. Anne of Avonlea will let you enjoy another “episode” oh the calm and quiet that you loved when you were reading the first book. Most of us long for something like that… once we get old and overworked enough, I suppose. The promise of green, rolling fields, sunshine and flowers picked in the field………….
The Promise For More
As it’s the second book, you’re getting into a sort of pleasant sync with the story. And you don’t want it to end. The ending of Anne of Avonlea promises our heroine a nice, bright future just round the bend, and you’ll want to find out all about it. It reminds me the time I was going off to university myself, off to a new start, to a life I knew nothing about. So let’s hope that it will be as Anne would probably hope it would be:
So that’s why I think you should continue with this series! It might be slow to start, but it gets good afterwards. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it if you pick it up.
So have you read about Anne yet? Maybe you remember her stories from your childhood or teens?
I’m Evelina and I try to blog about books that matter, with a bit of fun there too! Disability and equality will be topics you see a lot, but there’s also a lot of scifi, fantasy and… GIFs. I’m also the proud founder of #ARCsAnonymous.
Great post
I’ve just bought Anne of Green Gables, as I’ve never actually read it!
Amy x
Cool, thanks! Maybe you still want to join us for #AnneReadalong2017? 🙂
Great review! I confess I have never read this series, but I definitely want to try and read at least the first book now some time this year.
The first book is definitely worth it 🙂 it’s such a vacation from our 21st century life! Definitely recommended.
Ahh! I love your gifs! You make this novel sound really fun and good!
Thanks! The books are truly great 🙂 I don’t know if they have enough action for you, you seem to be the action packed type 🙂 but they surely are lovely books.
I am completely on the same page you are, Evelina. I struggled to get hooked in this book. That said, the beginning with Mr. Harrison really captured me. I love the misadventures with the parrot and cow! But you’re right, this book just felt a bit like filler in some places. Don’t worry, it picks back up in the next book. I think book #3 is my favorite so far! Blasphemy, I know. But we get more of the romance and it is certainly complicated! Silly Anne. Great review! Keep up the awesome work– it’s nice to have you participating… Read more »
The parrot 🙂 I’m so sorry about the parrot though! T_T such a miserable end. I love animals, just can’t stand when they suffer :/ yep, I’ve heard book 3 is super good. In the end, book 2 was great as well, so I’m not disappointed at all 🙂
Anne and romance 😀 I know that the 2nd book set everything up for it. But I still just can’t imagine Anne and romance 😀 bet it will be something like I was. Trying to be hopelessly romantic, but messing up in the silliest ways 😀
I absolutely love the old Anne of Green Gables miniseries with Meegan Follows, but I’ve only ever read the first book in the series. I’ve always wanted to go back and read the whole thing.
And I’ve never watched any show! Yeah, the series is great, I hope one day you do read it all 🙂
These are books I feel I should have read as a child and didn’t. I’m not sure they appeal to me enough now and have a feeling the slow start would leave me not finishing the book. With Elise btw on loving the gifs
Thanks, Emma! Yeah, I bet you would have loved them as a child. But Anne is only a child in like half the first book 🙂 she’s an adult later on. They’re not childish books, just very naive and innocent. Pre-21st century, I’d say 🙂
Your review! I smiled and laughed until I cried. So fun!
I’m so glad you liked it, Laura 🙂
Ahh, this post reminds me why I love these books! I have only read the first three (this particular volume I read a couple years ago). I also thought Anne of Avonlea felt a bit strange, as it focuses on a growing up Anne, but I love that she can grow up and still retain her distinctive characteristics.
Yeah, it does have that strange feel about her growing up. It’s just… different. I wonder what the next book will be like 🙂
Although I don’t feel that it’s strange that she kept her strange traits 😀 I am kind of like her myself, although maybe less cheerful 😀 I envy her optimism and cheerfulness for sure.
Oh my goodness, I ADORE THIS BOOK AND I ADORE LITTLE SWEET ANNE WITH ALL MY HEART. I’ve read the entire series– I admit that I was partially motivated by an overwhelming desire to see Anne and Gilbert together– and I still remember to this day! The Netflix show, Anne with an E, is just as heartwarming. I’d forgotten just how much I liked Diana, too!
I have only read two of the books so far but I’ll definitely continue 🙂 Anne is like a cloud with a silver lining, it brings so much positivity to your life to read about her 🙂