Anne of Green Gables - I have questions

Thirding a call for a reading thread!

One aspect I find interesting as an influence on my own life is that there are quite a lot of very content ‘old maids’ in her stories. Growing up in a very dysfunctional home I thought this sounded like a delightful thing to be. While everyone else was pairing up, I just couldn’t stomach the idea of settling down (trapped, agh!) so I’ve pretty much always been single. The books gave me a nice blue print for how happy an eternally single life could be.

Of course I have to work for mine and the women in LMM’s stories who are happy like this have inherited property from their parents. Those living with siblings are a bit less happy and I appreciate it would’ve been quite different to be single and without assets. But I really liked how it showed that you didn’t have to marry. Even now the world just pushes towards an entwined coupled life and that’s not for me.

Thank you all for inspiring me to order the entire Anne series from Amazon. Has been many years since I read it and am loving it.
I am desperate to rewatch the Megan follows Anne series. It was my absolute most beloved tv programme ever. Has anyone ordered the dvd recently? The ones on Amazon get very mixed reviews on quality. I am tempted to order from Sullivan entertainment and get the remastered ones but is 70 dollars. Anyone have advice?

@EmpressaurusWitchDoesntBurn
Yes! And she was portrayed as elderly (until Paul's father reappeared)
I loved Mrs Lyndes take on their romance

You may enjoy Pat of Silver Bush series too. Maybe a bit more sickly sweet than Anne but the equivalent of comfort eating for me. I loved the Emily books, really resonated with teenage conflicts, jealousies and embarrassments.

I always felt that Ruby Gillis is a bit like Lucy in Dracula in that her flirtatious nature means she is the one to die of consumption and she is shallow so has no consolation.!

Did anyone else notice the Susan age thing - when she is installed in the house of dreams she is described as 'Susan Baker, a grim-faced, kind-hearted elderly spinster of the Glen,

24 ish years later when she is proposed to by Whiskers-On-The-Moon she is 64

@AKASammyScrounge - I’ve read A Girl of the Limberlost! It was Gene Stratton Porter though not LMM.

@TrashyPanda - he had sticky out ears as well as a cumbersome name!

@TheMarzipanDildo - totally agree re Anne with an E - made me really cross. I’ve always had a soft spot for Anne of Ingleside but agree Windy Poplars dull. I also quite like the chronicles. I have them all and re read when knackered.

Thanks kindred spirits, think I'll skip watching Anne with an E and instead re-read the entire series.

Last time I stopped at Anne's House of Dreams as it was just too heart wrenching. I also find Captain Jim boring!

Seconding a call for a re-read thread.

I wanted Marilla as a middle name for DD but DH refused, she got Anne instead.

The Emily books are good too but much darker and there's one character there who certainly be considered a groomer these days
Dean Priest?

Considered Katherine with a K for my daughter, with a K was because I have the Anne books.
Jonathan Crombie was a wonderful Gilbert its sad he died so young.

Walter wrote poetry 'to' Faith Meredith as a teen, didn't he? Although I like to think he appreciated Una by the end, even though he wasn't in love with her.

Susan's proposal is one of my favourite things ever

I loved Anne of the Island. The end with Anne’s book of revelation I thought was wonderful. I found it in a school library recently when DD was at an activity and wallowed in it.

Loved the Meghan Followes version

And Rilla and Dog Monday. 🥲

@Ladylornax12 oh I loved Walter. I never thought he was gay though - just had his mind on higher things! Una was clearly in love with him and his death was just so sad. I love Rilla of Ingleside even more than the books about Anne as it's such an interesting period of history.

The Emily books are good too but much darker and there's one character there who certainly be considered a groomer these days

Sorry haven’t read the whole thread but did anyone else find the character of Walter (Anne’s son)interesting. Didn’t he have s platonic friendship with a girl but never a romance. He hated war and loved poetry and was a gentle child. I often wonder if the author intended this to be a nod to his sexuality? Maybe I’m looking too much into it though!

How has nobody mentioned Susan yet? 😁
She's an absolute baller in Rilla of Ingleside.

Might have to start using "and that you may tie too" in every day conversation.

I also love Miss Cornelia.

Paul was very annoying. Katherine was great, I loved her prickly self - and yes, the K is important because Catherine is a dreary sanctimonious name but Katherine is exciting and dramatic.

Yes, not yea!

Yea thought people would immediately get the Cordelia reference here! My other daughter has a middle name, Maude, but not the same spelling or inspired by LMM I'm afraid.

I considered using Marilla instead of Cordelia, but only briefly. It's a second middle name, so rarely used anyway.

I think I just associate Bertha with Bertha Rochester so imagine some woman in a nightie wandering round setting fire to things.