Author | Lucy Maud Montgomery |
---|---|
Illustrator | M. A. and W. A. J. Claus |
Cover artist | George Gibbs [1] |
Language | English |
Series | Anne of Green Gables |
Genre | Novel |
Set in | Prince Edward Island |
Published | June 13, 1908 |
Publisher | L.C. Page & Co. [2] |
Publication place | Written and set in Canada, published in the United States [3] [4] |
Followed by | Anne of Avonlea |
Text | Anne of Green Gables at Wikisource |
Anne of Green Gables is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery.) Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, the novel recounts the adventures of an 11-year-old orphan girl Anne Shirley sent by mistake to two middle-aged siblings, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who had originally intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm in the fictional town of Avonlea in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The novel recounts how Anne makes her way through life with the Cuthberts, in school, and within the town.
Since its publication, Anne of Green Gables has been translated into at least 36 languages and has sold more than 50 million copies, making it one of the best-selling books worldwide to date in any language, [5] and is taught to students around the world. [6] It was the first of many novels; Montgomery wrote numerous sequels. In 2008, an authorized prequel, Before Green Gables [7] by Budge Wilson [8] was published on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the series. [6]
The book has been adapted as films, television films, and animated and live-action television series. Musicals and plays have also been created, with productions annually in Canada, Europe and Japan. [9] [10] [11]
In writing the novel, Montgomery was inspired by notes she had made as a young girl about two siblings who were mistakenly sent an orphan girl instead of the boy they had requested, yet decided to keep her. She drew upon her own childhood experiences in rural Prince Edward Island, Canada. Montgomery used a photograph of Evelyn Nesbit, which she had clipped from New York's Metropolitan Magazine and put on the wall of her bedroom as the model for the face of Anne Shirley and a reminder of her "youthful idealism and spirituality." [12]
Montgomery was inspired by the "formula Ann" orphan stories (called such because they followed such a predictable formula) that were popular at the time, but distinguished her character by spelling her name with an extra "e". [13] [14] She based other characters, such as Gilbert Blythe, in part on people she knew. She said she wrote the novel in the twilight of the day while sitting at her window and overlooking the fields of Cavendish. [15]
Anne Shirley, a young orphan from the fictional community of Bolingbroke, Nova Scotia (based upon the real community of New London, Prince Edward Island), [16] [17] is sent to live with Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, unmarried siblings in their fifties and sixties, after a childhood spent in strangers' homes and orphanages. Marilla and Matthew had originally sought to adopt a boy from the orphanage to help Matthew run their farm at Green Gables, which is set in the fictional town of Avonlea (based on Cavendish, Prince Edward Island). Through a misunderstanding, the orphanage sends Anne instead.
Anne is fanciful, imaginative, eager to please, and dramatic. She is also adamant her name should always be spelled with an "e" at the end. However, she is defensive about her appearance, despising her red hair, freckles, and pale, thin frame, but liking her nose. She is talkative, especially when it comes to describing her fantasies and dreams. At first, stern Marilla says Anne must return to the orphanage, but after much observation and consideration, along with kind, quiet Matthew's encouragement, Marilla decides to let her stay.
Anne takes much joy in life and adapts quickly, thriving in the close-knit farming village. Her imagination and talkativeness soon brighten up Green Gables.
The book recounts Anne's struggles and joys in settling into Green Gables (the first real home she's ever known): the country school where she quickly excels in her studies; her friendship with Diana Barry, the girl living next door (her best or "bosom friend" as Anne fondly calls her); her budding literary ambitions; and her rivalry with her classmate Gilbert Blythe, who teases her about her red hair. For that, he earns her instant hatred, although he apologizes several times. As time passes, however, Anne realizes she no longer hates Gilbert, but her pride and stubbornness keep her from speaking to him.
The book also follows Anne's adventures in Avonlea. Episodes include playtime with her friends Diana, calm, placid Jane Andrews, and beautiful, boy-crazy Ruby Gillis. She has run-ins with the unpleasant Pye sisters, Gertie and Josie, and frequent domestic "scrapes" such as dyeing her hair green while intending to dye it black, and accidentally getting Diana drunk by giving her what she thinks is raspberry cordial but which turns out to be currant wine.
At sixteen, Anne goes to Queen's Academy to earn a teaching license, along with Gilbert, Ruby, Josie, Jane, and several other students, excluding Diana, much to Anne's dismay. She obtains her license in one year instead of the usual two and wins the Avery Scholarship awarded to the top student in English. This scholarship would allow her to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree at the fictional Redmond College (based on the real Dalhousie College) on the mainland in Nova Scotia.
Near the end of the book, however, tragedy strikes when Matthew dies of a heart attack after learning that all of his and Marilla's money has been lost in a bank failure. Out of devotion to Marilla and Green Gables, Anne gives up the scholarship to stay at home and help Marilla, whose eyesight is failing. She plans to teach at the Carmody school, the nearest school available, and return to Green Gables on weekends. In an act of friendship, Gilbert Blythe gives up his teaching position at the Avonlea School in favor of Anne, to work at the White Sands School instead, knowing that Anne wants to stay close to Marilla after Matthew's death. After this kind act, Anne and Gilbert's friendship is cemented, and Anne looks forward to what life will bring next.
Anne of Green Gables was first published by L.C. Page & Co. of Boston on June 13, 1908. [18] The book quickly became a best-seller, selling over 19,000 copies in the first five months. Since then, over 50 million copies have been sold worldwide. [19] A full scan of the first edition, first impression is provided by the L. M. Montgomery Institute.
Montgomery's original manuscript is preserved by the Confederation Centre of the Arts, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Since 2022, the Centre has hosted a project in which digital images of the entire manuscript can be examined online. A transcript of the manuscript was published by Nimbus Publishing in 2019.
Montgomery's original typescript and the corrected proofs are lost. [20]
The first edition has errors in the text. Critical editions will identify corrections that have been applied to the text by the editor. The choice of corrections depends on the editor and varies across editions. As an example, the Penguin Classics edition, [21] edited by Benjamin Lefebvre, lists the following corrections:
Chapter | Page | Text With Link | Description |
---|---|---|---|
TOC | vii | Mrs. Rachael Lynde Is Surprised | Change to Rachel, to match the body of the text |
TOC | vii | Mrs. Rachael Lynde Is Properly Horrified | Change to Rachel, to match the body of the text |
1 | 3 | people called “Rachel Lynde’s husband—was | Add close-quote, after husband |
1 | 8 | Barnado boy | Misspelled, should be Barnardo |
8 | 82 | anl then studied diligently | Misspelled, should be and then |
16 | 169 | to forget, said Anne | Missing end-quote after forget |
17 | 187 | Ella May Macpherson | Capitalize to MacPherson |
20 | 231 | resent the license | Change to repent |
25 | 272 | it is much as he did | Change to it is as much as he did |
30 | 335 | must win. because it | Change to comma must win, because it |
30 | 335 | tucked ‘Ben-Hur’ between | Change to Ben Hur, to make consistent |
32 | 365 | Spurgeon stayed resolutely away | Add period after away. |
35 | 398 | professor Tremaine | Capitalize to Professor Tremaine |
38 | 426 | told her Thomas that night. | Change period to colon that night: |
Based on the popularity of her first book, Montgomery wrote a series of sequels to continue the story of her heroine Anne Shirley.
№ | Book | Date published | Timeline year | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Anne of Green Gables | 1908 | 11–16 | |
2 | Anne of Avonlea | 1909 | 16–18 | |
3 | Anne of the Island | 1915 | 18–22 | |
4 | Anne of Windy Poplars (Canada and USA) Anne of Windy Willows (UK and Australia) | 1936 | 22–25 | |
5 | Anne's House of Dreams | 1917 | 25–27 | |
6 | Anne of Ingleside | 1939 | 34–40 | |
The following books focus on Anne's children, or on other family friends. Anne appears in these volumes, but plays a lesser part. | ||||
№ | Book | Date published | Timeline year | |
7 | Rainbow Valley | 1919 | 41–43 | |
8 | Rilla of Ingleside | 1921 | 49–53 | |
9 | The Blythes Are Quoted | 2009 | 40–75 | |
Anne Shirley features in one story (and is referenced in other stories) in each of the following collections: | ||||
№ | Book | Date published | Timeline year | |
— | Chronicles of Avonlea | 1912 | approx. 20 | |
— | Further Chronicles of Avonlea | 1920 | approx. 20 |
The prequel, Before Green Gables (2008), was written by Budge Wilson with the authorization of the heirs of L. M. Montgomery.
The Green Gables farmhouse is located in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. Many tourist attractions on Prince Edward Island have been developed based on the fictional Anne, and provincial license plates once bore her image. [22] Balsam Hollow, the forest that inspired the Haunted Woods and Campbell Pond, the body of water which inspired The Lake of Shining Waters, both described in the book, are located in the vicinity. [23] In addition, the Confederation Centre of the Arts has featured the wildly successful Anne of Green Gables musical on its mainstage every summer for over five decades, until 2020 and the Covid pandemic. [24] The Anne of Green Gables Museum is located in Park Corner, PEI, in a home that inspired L. M. Montgomery. [25]
The province and tourist facilities have highlighted the local connections to the internationally popular novels. Anne of Green Gables has been translated into 36 languages. [26] [27] "Tourism by Anne fans is an important part of the Island economy". [28] Merchants offer items based on the novels.
The novel has been popular in Japan, where it is known as Red-haired Anne (赤毛のアン (Akage no An)), [29] [30] and where it has been included in the national school curriculum since 1952. 'Anne' is revered as "an icon" in Japan, especially since 1979 when this story was broadcast as anime, Anne of Green Gables . Japanese couples travel to Prince Edward Island to have civil wedding ceremonies on the grounds of the Green Gables farm. Some Japanese girls arrive as tourists with red-dyed hair styled in pigtails, to look like Anne. [31] In 2014, the Asadora 'Hanako to Anne', which was about Hanako Muraoka, the first person to translate Anne into Japanese, was broadcast and Anne became popular among old and young alike.
A replica of the Green Gables house in Cavendish is located in the theme park Canadian World in Ashibetsu, Hokkaido, Japan. The park was a less expensive alternative for Japanese tourists instead of traveling to P.E.I. The park hosted performances featuring actresses playing Anne and Diana. The theme park is open during the summer season with free admission, though there are no longer staff or interpreters. [32]
The Avonlea theme park near Cavendish and the Cavendish Figurines shop have trappings so that tourists may dress like the book's characters for photos. [33] Souvenir shops throughout Prince Edward Island offer numerous foods and products based on details of the 'Anne Shirley' novels. Straw hats for girls with sewn-in red braids are common, as are bottles of raspberry cordial soda. [34]
The first filmed appearance of Anne Shirley was in the 1919 silent film, Anne of Green Gables, in which the role was played by Mary Miles Minter. The film was directed by William Desmond Taylor. As of 2011, no prints of this silent film adaptation are known to survive. The 1919 film version moved the story from Prince Edward Island to New England, which one American critic—unaware that the novel was set in Canada—praised for "the genuine New England atmosphere called for by the story". [44] Montgomery herself was infuriated with the film for changing Anne from a Canadian to an American, writing in her diary:
It was a pretty little play well photographed, but I think if I hadn't already known it was from my book, that I would never had recognized it. The landscape and folks were 'New England', never P.E Island...A skunk and an American flag were introduced - both equally unknown in PE Island. I could have shrieked with rage over the latter. Such crass, blatant Yankeeism!. [44]
Montgomery disapproved of Minter's performance, writing she had portrayed "a sweet, sugary heroine utterly unlike my gingerly Anne", and complained about a scene where Shirley waved about a shotgun as something as her Anne would never do. [45]
In the 1934 adaptation of the novel, Anne was portrayed by Dawn O'Day, who legally changed her name to "Anne Shirley." She reprised the role in Anne of Windy Poplars, a 1940 film adaptation. Montgomery liked the 1934 film more than the 1919 film, not least because now the book's dialogue could be portrayed on the silver screen and that two scenes were filmed on location in Prince Edward Island (though the rest of the film was shot in California), but still charged that neither the 1919 nor 1934 versions of Anne of Green Gables quite got her book right. [46] Writing about the 1934 version of Anne of Green Gables, Montgomery wrote in her diary that it was a "thousand times" better than the 1919 version, but still it: "was so entirely different from my vision of the scenes and the people that it did not seem like my book at all". [45] The British scholar Faye Hammill wrote that 1934 film version stripped Anne of the "Canadian and feminist" aspects that the Anne of the books possessed, stating that there was something about Anne that Hollywood cannot get right. [46] Hammill observed that the idea that Anne was entirely cheerful is a product of the film and television versions as the Anne of the books has to deal with loss, rejection, cruel authority figures, and loneliness. [46]
As one of the most familiar characters in Canadian literature, Anne of Green Gables has been parodied by several Canadian comedy troupes, including CODCO (Anne of Green Gut) and The Frantics (Fran of the Fundy ).
Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. Shirley is featured throughout the classic book series, which revolves around her life and family in 19th and 20th-century Prince Edward Island, in Canada.
Road to Avonlea is a Canadian television series first broadcast in Canada between January 7, 1990, and March 31, 1996, as part of the CBC Family Hour anthology series, and in the United States starting on March 5, 1990. It was created by Kevin Sullivan and produced by Sullivan Films in association with the CBC and the Disney Channel, with additional funding from Telefilm Canada. It follows the adventures of Sara Stanley, a young girl sent to live with her relatives in early 20th-century eastern Canada. It was loosely adapted from novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery, with many characters and episodes inspired by her stories.
Anne of Green Gables is a 1985 Canadian made-for-television drama film based on the 1908 novel of the same name by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, and is the first in a series of four films. The film stars Megan Follows in the title role of Anne Shirley and was produced and directed by Kevin Sullivan for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It was released theatrically in Iran, Israel, Europe, and Japan.
Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel is a 1987 Canadian television miniseries film. A sequel to the 1985 miniseries Anne of Green Gables, it is based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's novels Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, and Anne of Windy Poplars. The story follows Anne Shirley as she leaves Green Gables in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, to teach at a prestigious ladies' college in New Brunswick. The main cast from the original film reprised their roles, including Megan Follows, Jonathan Crombie, Colleen Dewhurst, Patricia Hamilton, and Schuyler Grant.
Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story is a 2000 miniseries television film, and the third installment in a series of four films. The film was highly anticipated among fans of Anne of Green Gables, and was the most controversial and heavily criticized of the three film adaptations written and produced by Kevin Sullivan.
Anne of Avonlea is a 1909 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, who published as L. M. Montgomery. The first sequel to Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables (1908), the book covers the second chapter in the life of Anne Shirley, from the age of 16 to 18, during the two years that she teaches at the Avonlea school on Prince Edward Island.
Anne of the Island is the third book in the Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The plot sees Anne Shirley leave Green Gables in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, for the first time to attend Redmond College in Kingsport, Nova Scotia.
Anne's House of Dreams is a novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was first published in 1917 by McClelland, Goodchild and Stewart. The fifth in a series of eight, the book chronicles Anne Shirley's early married life as she and her sweetheart, Gilbert Blythe, begin to build their life together in Four Winds, Prince Edward Island.
Anne of Windy Poplars—published as Anne of Windy Willows in the UK, Australia and Japan—is an epistolary novel by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery. First published in 1936 by McClelland and Stewart, it details Anne Shirley's experiences while serving as principal of a high school in Summerside, Prince Edward Island over three years. A large portion of the novel is presented through letters Anne writes to her fiancé, Gilbert Blythe. Chronologically, the book is fourth in the series, but it was the seventh book written.
Anne of Ingleside is a children's novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was first published in July 1939 by McClelland and Stewart (Toronto) and the Frederick A. Stokes Company. It is the tenth of eleven books that feature the character of Anne Shirley, and Montgomery's final published novel.
Gilbert Blythe is a character in Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series of novels.
Anne of Green Gables is a 1919 American silent comedy-drama film directed by William Desmond Taylor. The film was based upon the 1908 novel of the same name by Lucy Maud Montgomery. By 1999, all prints of the film were believed to have been lost.
Anne of Green Gables is a 1934 American comedy drama film directed by George Nicholls, Jr., based upon the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Dawn O'Day, who portrayed the title character in the film, changed her stage name to Anne Shirley, which she was billed as for this and all subsequent roles. The film was a surprise hit, becoming one of four top-grossing films RKO made that year as noted in The R.K.O. Story, published by Arlington House.
Anne of Green Gables is a Canadian television film directed by Don Harron that aired on 4 March 1956. The film was based upon the 1908 novel, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Anne of Green Gables is a 1972 made-for-television British mini-series directed by Joan Craft, based on the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Chronicles of Avonlea is a collection of short stories by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery, related to the Anne of Green Gables series. It features an abundance of stories relating to the fictional Canadian village of Avonlea, and was first published in 1912. Sometimes marketed as a book in the Anne Shirley series, Anne plays only a minor role in the book: out of the 12 stories in the collection, she stars in only one, and has a small supporting role in another. She is otherwise only briefly mentioned in passing in five other stories: "Each in His Own Tongue", "Little Joscelyn", "The Winning of Lucinda", "Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's" and "The End of a Quarrel".
Further Chronicles of Avonlea is a collection of short stories by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery and is a sequel to Chronicles of Avonlea. Published in 1920, it includes a number of stories relating to the inhabitants of the fictional Canadian village of Avonlea and its region, located on Prince Edward Island. Sometimes marketed as a book in the Anne Shirley series, Anne plays only a minor role in the book: out of the 15 stories in the collection, she narrates and stars in only one, and is briefly mentioned in passing in two others. Three other characters from the Anne books are seen in brief secondary roles: Diana Barry and Marilla Cuthbert in "The Little Brown Book of Miss Emily", and Rachel Lynde in "Sara's Way". As well, Matthew Cuthbert is mentioned in passing in "The Conscience Case of David Bell".
Anne & Gilbert is a musical based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's books Anne of Avonlea (1909) and Anne of the Island (1915), the second and third books in the Anne of Green Gables series. The musical is adapted by Jeff Hochhauser, Nancy White, and Bob Johnston.
Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series is a Canadian animated children's television series produced by Sullivan Entertainment and developed by writer/director/producer Kevin Sullivan, based on the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. Many supporting characters are sourced from Sullivan's television series Road to Avonlea, which is based on Montgomery's books The Story Girl and The Golden Road. One season of the series was produced, with 26 episodes, originally airing from 2001 to 2002. The series was developed for PBS member stations and was originally distributed by PBS from 2001 to 2005, then later by American Public Television from 2010-2015. It is the second animated series based on the Anne of Green Gables story. The first one is of the same name, produced by Nippon Animation in 1979.
Anne of Avonlea is a film made for television 6-part miniseries, developed in the United Kingdom by the BBC as a sequel to its 1972 Anne of Green Gables miniseries. It is based on Anne of Avonlea (1909) and Anne of the Island (1915), both sequels to the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This British version was directed by Joan Craft, with Kim Braden in the role of Anne. Both had previously worked on the 1972 adaptation of the preceding novel.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)