The immortal Anne Shirley so dearly loved by folks everywhere has grown up. It was inevitable, I suppose. We couldn't possibly have expected dear Anne to stay "Anne" forever, especially since Lucy M. Montgomery decided to shatter almost everything I liked about Anne Shirley over the course of the five books I've read that she spat out. I compare this feeling to ... say, if Marilyn Monroe had lived. She was a legend then and now, and had she lived, would've probably continued to make headlines and wonderful movies et cet era. Probably. Probably not. Also, had she lived, Marilyn would have lost her youth eventually, the aging process accelerated by excessive consumption of sleeping pills and alcohol, and the star would've faded ever so quietly, making guest appearances in the occasional movie, maybe, a taste of former glories. Then, old and wrinkly (and were her mother's illness hereditary, stricken with mental illness), Marilyn Monroe easily could have become any other lonely old woman with nothing but memories, a trophy husband, and maybe a few pets for company in her later years. Publish a children's book, maybe. Above all, she certainly wouldn't be the international household name she is even now, decades after her death.Marilyn isn't the only example I could've chosen, but she was just the easiest because I'm lazy. My point was to illustrate just how Maud murdered the Anne Shirley of my heart by letting me watch Anne become acquainted with pain and sorrow, and lose a part of herself, the part that gawks in awe at the world around her and does careless, amusing, endearing little things, that sees what others do not. Without these traits, what is she? Who is she? Why am I following these books? Mild OCD.And that is all I will say of Anne Shirley, in the interest of sparing me from enduring that entire book again.I wish I could say as much for Gilbert Blythe, who, over the course of these Anne-books has successfully been reduced to the equivalent of a sperm-donor you happen to share a home with/thing people organize wedding for once they reach the age that people start thinking it’s weird you haven’t married. Apart from the occasional conversation with Anne (addressing her patronizingly as “Anne-girl”), he spends most of his time running around playing doctor to nameless people. And every once in a while, he’s used as a tool to sort of help things move along. Getting Anne pregnant for example. Twice.There are walls, heck, gardens, with more character than Gilbert Blythe. And for all her inattention to Gilbert, Lucy does introduce some fairly interesting newbies to the neighborhood. Miss Cornelia Bryant is, quite convincingly, a middle-aged muddler/nosy parker who has ridiculous prejudices about men and Methodists. A very queer woman, but one people kind of get used to the way one gets used to birds taking a dump on one’s car. I personally imagine her as Mrs Fawlty (Up high, Fawlty Towers fans), a blonde, plumpish, perpetually dazed-looking lady who is absolutely aggravating to her husband, but quite a dear to everyone else, and is quite known for staying on the phone for unreasonable periods of time going, “Oh! I know. I know. Oh! I Know.” Miss Cornelia goes, “Isn’t that like a man.” In exactly the same way, I believe.Then of course, there’s Captain Jim, an old sea dog with an American accent who’s prone to telling stories of his younger days and is ever the kindly old man when you need him. He’s quite an interesting fellow with a soft spot for pets, especially his cat, aka his First Mate, who shares his home in a Lighthouse. A lighthouse! Scores cool points effortlessly, this man. He’s the sort of fellow you invite to your parties because he’s fun company that everyone gets along with, and he always has an interesting tale to tell. (Makes me think of Larry, actually.) In fact, Captain Jim has so many yarns that he cleverly decided to start a book, a “Life-book” to chronicle all of them (the life-book is also secretly a way to preserve the memory of his departed sweetheart, Margaret). But as talented a storyteller as he is in person, he apparently sucks at writing (which is the opposite of Larry).Finally, we come to Leslie Moore, the most tragically romantic character of the book, and probably created to satisfy Maud’s (and, by extension, Anne’s) romanticisms. Terribly beautiful, blonde with sea-blue eyes (of course), Leslie Moore nee West, was born into a poor family to an equally beautiful but selfish mother and a brainy but slightly irrational dad, and as a child was as merry, spirited and bright, and as lovable as they come. Until the day her younger brother fell off a hay wagon and was crushed to death as twelve-year-old Leslie watched from a window. Two years later, she walked in to find her dead father hanging by his neck from a lamp in the middle of the parlor. Inconsiderate ass couldn’t have done it somewhere private, like walking into a lake or something. Anyway, Rose West decides to forfeit what’s left of common sense and erect a monument to her late husband, and had to mortgage their land to pay for it. Luckily, Leslie came into a small amount of money when her grandma passed, enough to get an educated. So much hope and promise. She graduated college a year early, and came home to work as a teacher, her dream job.Then Dick Moore, a handsome sex-fiend and alcoholic lout took an interest in Leslie. Guess whose daddy holds the mortgage on Mrs. West’s farm? Rose begs and pleads with Leslie not to let her be turned out of her own home, the home she came to as a bride. Basically just asking her 16-year-old daughter to whore herself out so that she can continue to live in the same house her kid died, and then her husband committed suicide in. Loyal, clannish, and not so bright after all, Leslie married Dick Moore. Rose West couldn’t bear to be without her daughter of course, and so lived with the Moore couple for a winter, took pneumonia in the spring and died. Take a WTF moment to chill.Fortunately for his bride, Dick Moore took to the sea a while later with his cousins and didn’t come back when he said he would. A couple of years passed, and people thought he was dead by then. Wouldn’t have been a shame if he had been, but then Captain Jim has to go and stick his nose where it isn’t wanted, and he found ol’ Dick Moore with a beard (dude has Heterochromia, which sets him apart from the other bearded sailors) but apparently suffering from regression and behaving like a very old, very creepy, child. Leslie Moore is then cursed to taking care of the freak, and when we’re first introduced to her, she has been married twelve years to the mentally unsound Dick, and is at the time, 28. Anne of course, finds the poor tortured soul irresistibly appealing, and sets off to make Leslie her new bosom buddy.*Ultra Spoilers*Anne does manage to thaw out cold, proud, and sensitive Leslie ... to a point. Sadly, Anne, being Anne and all shiny and happy and blessed by her creator (at least that bit hasn’t really changed), is not the most relatable person to for someone like Leslie. Leslie understandably tends to get envious and go all Emma Frost on Anne on occasion, and resentment jets like venom from her eyes after spending too much time with Anne, especially when Gilbert is near. It’s only when Anne suffers the bitter misery of a miscarriage that Leslie finally fully opens her heart to Anne, because in her own words, “... I was grieved to the core of my heart when you lost your baby; and if I could have saved her for you by cutting off one of my hands I would have done it. But your sorrow has brought us closer together. Your perfect happiness isn't a barrier any longer. Oh, don't misunderstand, dearest--I'm not glad that your happiness isn't perfect any longer--I can say that sincerely; but since it isn't, there isn't such a gulf between us."Translated in English: It sucks you’re hurting, but hey, now that you’re in pain and not such an intolerably happy freak any more, you’re no longer better than I am. Really, it sucks that you’re miserable. But now that you are, I can finally be better friends with you. (What a bitch.)The story finally goes somewhere in the form of Owen Ford, some newspaperman who needs to recover from some illness and has decided to make a trip to Four Winds because that’s where his grandparents lived, and just so happens to be occupied by a certain Mr. and Mrs. Blythe. Captain Jim, being rather old, knew his grandparents, and especially kowtowed to Owen Ford’s granddad back in the day. Leslie Moore agrees to take him in for the extra money. Of course, when Owen arrives, he’s incredibly handsome and charming, and when he meets his landlady, it’s love at first sight. Beauty loves Beauty in storybooks. And in the days leading up to his departure, the tension grows and balloons because he realizes he loves Leslie, but Leslie is already married. Drat. And Leslie, for her part, loves him, too. Leslie because more miserable. Anyway, Owen the newspaperman meets Captain Jim, who is quite delighted to become acquainted with the descendant of his friend (who wouldn’t be), and ends up letting Owen write his Life-book, the manuscript of which he refuses to let Captain Jim read. Since I won’t get back to this later, I might as well mention that many years later, Owen sent Captain Jim his very own copy of his life-book. It was the last thing Captain Jim read, so I hope it was good. Gilbert the other tool to make stories move along, is then inserted to cause trouble, proposing to Anne a surgery that could restore Dick Moore’s faculties and memories. The characters are then split into two camps. One that thinks this was the stupidest idea ever, designed to finally push Leslie off the edge, and therefore she would be better off not knowing about it (Anne, Miss Cornelia and even the old doctor before Gilbert). And another that thinks Leslie should be informed, so she can make her own decisions, thereby cursing Leslie to decide the fate of her husband. Camp 2 wins, and Leslie decides to have the surgery, borrowing money from Captain Jim (the only person who doesn’t care if he gets repaid. See? Kindly old guy).When Dick Moore’s memories are restored, it is discovered that he’s actually George Moore, Dick’s identical cousin, and that Dick died years ago from Yellow Fever. A shocking use of Deus ex machina that I never thought Maud would ever attempt that instantly frees Leslie to go gallivanting off with Owen Ford, handsome newspaperman thus ending her misery. A decade of misery. Ten years of her life. If I were Leslie, I’d feel cheated. Cheated, damn it! All those years taking care of a man who wasn’t even her bloody husband and putting up with it all, sacrificing a happy life and most of her youth! And worse, George remembers nothing, and so doesn’t even feel grateful to her. Leslie might as well be sainted. ~Sighs~ At least she gets her long overdue shot at happily ever after with Owen, I’d say that’s better than nothing.Oh. Miss Cornelia Bryant gets married. The end. Of course, having been shocked with the Dick-Moore-revelation, I barely registered that last bit. Ultimately, I’d say the book was a bit of a mess of drama, the occasional romance, and above all, frustration.
Review December 2014: Oh this book. I mean, I love all the books in this series but AHOD has a special place in my heart because it's the first (and only) book that is all about Anne and Gilbert. The previous four books are more about Anne and all the people she meets throughout the years with Gilbert (of course) sprinkled in. And the next three books (especially the last two) are focused mainly on their kids with Anne and Gilbert mentioned in third person. But this book, this is their book with their wedding and their first few years of marriage at their little house of dreams and it's wonderful and brilliant and some moments make me cry and others make me laugh and I just love this book so much for showing me Anne and Gilbert as Anne and Gilbert.Anne watched her until she was lost in the shadows of the chill and misty night. Then she turned slowly back to the glow of her own radiant hearthstone."Isn't she lovely, Gilbert? Her hair fascinates me. Miss Cornelia says it reaches to her feet. Ruby Gillis had beautiful hair—but Leslie's is ALIVE—every thread of it is living gold.""She is very beautiful," agreed Gilbert, so heartily that Anne almost wished he were a LITTLE less enthusiastic."Gilbert, would you like my hair better if it were like Leslie's?" she asked wistfully."I wouldn't have your hair any color but just what it is for the world," said Gilbert, with one or two convincing accompaniments. "You wouldn't be ANNE if you had golden hair—or hair of any color but"—"Red," said Anne, with gloomy satisfaction."Yes, red—to give warmth to that milk-white skin and those shining gray-green eyes of yours. Golden hair wouldn't suit you at all Queen Anne—MY Queen Anne—queen of my heart and life and home.""Then you may admire Leslie's all you like," said Anne magnanimously.GR read: pre-2009, June 2009, May 2011 and December 2014
What do You think about Anne's House Of Dreams (1983)?
Another interesting one to re-read as an adult. I have to admit, I was starting to sympathize with Leslie Moore in this book when she says that she resents Anne her happiness - books 3 & 4, and maybe book 2 are all about the precious adorableness of every single thing in Anne's life (which is why I think I especially get tired of Davy, and Elizabeth, and all the other charming sad little children that Anne saves...). But this is the book where I think things start getting more interesting - we see Anne lose a child, in the next book we see her having problems with Gilbert, Rainbow Valley's a bit of a blippy lark, although it does have its moments of realism, and then we end with Rilla of Ingleside, one of the saddest, most realistic accounts of World War I and the people left behind that I've read.I'll always love these books first and foremost for the charming depictions of PEI life, for the sweet and simple romance between Gilbert and Anne, for the strength of her love for Marilla, Matthew, Diana, etc., and for Anne's ahead-of-her time brightness and creative way of looking at the world but it's interesting to revisit them and discover the subtle depth that pervades these books, particularly the later ones.
—Maryanne
PBS recently showed the "Ann of Green Gables" miniseries, which got me feeling all nostalgic about the Ann books. I decided to start reading where the miniseries leaves off. As one might expect, it's a charming book, full of the poignancy and simple joys of a more "settled" married life with Ann and Gilbert.I have to give credit to L.M. Montgomery for continuing her series past the artificial "happily ever after" of an engagement or wedding. Like all the Ann books, this one stands up well to the test of time, and I look forward to reading the series with my daughter!
—Rachel
Sadly, my enjoyment of Montgomery's Anne series diminishes as the series goes along. While even those books set outside of Avonlea still manage to contain wonderful characters who add such lovely color to the stories, especially the Redmond group and the clan at Windy Poplars, once Anne is married and sets up house the appeal goes right out the window for me. One must agree with Gilbert's statement in House of Dreams, that many people would indeed think that Anne, a Redmond B.A. and a published author, is wasted as wife to a poor country doctor. While I as a young girl could relate to Anne in her educational endeavors, I could not relate to her once she set all that aside to become a housewife and mother of six children. I so wanted to like the later books, and was sad when I did not.
—Castalia
