An Ode to Anne

I love Anne of Green Gables. The books are my favorites and I love the movies, too. All you have to do is take one look at my Pinterest page and you'll know that I'm a Green Gables freak. Anne is so dear to me for so many reasons. I've loved Anne since I first watched the movies with my grandma. I later read the books and fell dearly in love. They're a part of me; I grew up with them. As a teenager, I wanted to be Anne Shirley and have a friend like Diana Barry and marry Gilbert Blythe. There's just something about Anne that's so endearing. Her vivid imagination, her theatrics, her temper and her kind heart. Anne's just the type of person everyone wants to be friends with. Well, except for maybe Josie Pye, of course. Yet one could even argue that Miss Pye herself secretly just wanted to be Anne's "bosom friend."

There are eight books in the series and they include:

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Avonlea

Anne of the Island

Anne of Windy Poplars

Anne's House of Dreams

Anne of Ingleside

Rainbow Valley

Rilla of Ingleside

The series starts out with eleven-year-old Anne Shirley being accidentally picked up by the old bachelor Matthew Cuthbert whom, along with his sister, spinster Marilla, was looking for a boy to help out on the farm. The wildly imaginative and dramatic Anne comes into the quiet lives of the older brother and sister adding color, fun and new life. She dreams of having a "bosom friend," later found in Diana Barry, becoming an author and falling in love with someone tall, dark, handsome and who "isn't really wicked, but could be if he wanted to."As the series goes on, we see Anne go to college and become a B.A., principal a private school and finally figure out that Gilbert Blythe can be a little wicked when wants to. ;) The two later marry after Gilbert finishes medical school. They find their house of dreams in a small sea-side town in which Gilbert practices medicine, where they make many new friends and go on to have 7 children.

As the series draws near its end, it becomes less about Anne and more about her kids, who are every bit as imaginative as she is. Though it is a little sad to think of Anne being all grown up and not hearing from her quite as much, these later books are delightful as well.

Anne Shirley is a beloved character not only in my own life, but in the lives of people all around the world. People are drawn to this talkative, theatrical, and lovable heroine for her realism. So many people can see themselves in Anne, in her loneliness and longing for companionship and a place to belong. And a lot of people can relate to her love of simple things like words, pretty things (such as puffed sleeves!) and the change of seasons, as well as her daydreams.

For people who grew up with the Anne books, these books helped to ease the of growing up. Anne herself expresses many times how it seems almost unfair to have to grow up. I think most are in agreement with that.

Throughout the series, we see Anne go through many transitions, from being an awkward and hot tempered school girl to a confident B. A. who can deal with the worst of the Pringles, and into a graceful wife and mother, with hair that's "darkened to a real handsome auburn."

I could sit here and talk to you for hours about our dear Anne-girl. I could tell you all the special memories the franchise holds for me as I dreamt of becoming an author as a teen, watching the movies with my "bosom friend," who just so happened to be my grandmother, and wondered what it'd be like to marry someone like Gilbert Blythe. But I think to truly understand why I love Anne of Green Gables so much, you'd just have to read the books and watch the movies yourself.