My Experience with Anne of Green Gables

I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers!
-Anne of Green Gables

Woohoo! It’s finally time! Welcome everyone, to my very first Anne of Green Gables blog post!

In case you missed my announcement last week, during the month of October I’m going to be posting about all things Anne of Green Gables. I have endless ideas of things to share on this topic, and am very excited for this month! If you have even the slightest fondness for Anne, please follow along and go through this month along with me!

Today I’m talking about my own experience with Anne. From the very first chapter of Anne of Green Gables to this blog series right now there are a lot of ways the books have been a part of my life, and I can’t think of a better way to start this series than right at the beginning. Besides, if you’re going to spend the next month reading what I have to say about these books it’s only fair you know where my love of them grew from.

My Experience with Anne of Green Gables

Ah, Anne of Green Gables. This book holds so many special memories and joys for me. When anyone asks me what my favorite book is (which as you know is an impossible question, all books considered), this is always the first one to come to mind. I’m rereading it right now for the third or fourth time, and somehow it gets even better with each new read.

My first taste of Anne of Green Gables (or with any of L. M. Montgomery’s work, for that matter) was in spring of 2020. It was a bright green day, and I was laying out in my backyard on a dark blue picnic blanket, reading about Anne’s unexpected arrival at Green Gables. It was a lovely copy of the book, elegantly bound in red and black binding with gold lettering. Reading this book is one of my most distinct and fondest memories of that time.

From the very beginning, I remember thinking how much I loved the book. I couldn’t even have told you why I enjoyed it so immensely! I could feel that as I was reading in the quality of the words, the beauty of the sentences, and the way I couldn’t help but fall in love with the little red headed girl in the pages.

Months later I received the whole Anne series as a Christmas gift, and was overjoyed at the prospect of reading more of these books. I read through the series pretty quickly, considering their length, teaching myself exactly how to hold the mass market paperbacks in my hand so that they wouldn’t crease (hence the reason the bindings get steadily less creased with each book throughout the series).

When I finished the last book I was so truly sad because I would never be able to read them the same way again. I remember talking with my mom in her bedroom one night, trying to express how tragic it felt to be done with the series, and, of course, utterly failing to convey that feeling. It still remains the hardest I have ever felt the ending of a favorite book, perhaps because they have remained my favorite books to this day.

Two years ago this fall I took an online writing class that read through Anne of Green Gables, and had the chance to bond over it with people in amazing ways (in fact, I eventually got to meet some of these friends, which you can read about here). If the class had not been about my beloved Anne I might never have taken it, and would have missed the priceless opportunities and friendships it has given me.

Then last fall I had an Anne of Green Gables themed birthday party for my 16th birthday (you can find two posts I did on that here, and here). It was such a wonderful time, with some of my dearest friends and of course plenty of Anne themed food. As I was rereading the first Anne book this last week I kept being reminded of that weekend, since I had taken so many scenes from the book to incorporate into my party.

Over the last three years I have certainly grown a strong love for Anne, built by carefully collecting many copies of the books, rereading my favorite pages over and over, and talking with other Anne loving friends. There is no other series I could love in quite the same way, and Anne will forever hold a special place in my book loving heart.

Final Thoughts

Wow! I had never realized just how many ways Anne slipped her way into my life. It was wonderful getting to look back and remember all the ways I experienced her. There are so many ways my life would be different if it wasn’t for the books. Some of them are small, subtle but sweet, and others are huge, important points in my life!

But now I want to hear from you! What is your experience with Anne? How did you find the books? I would love to hear your story with Anne.