Anne Shirley is the plucky, imaginative, red-haired orphan. Her parents die when she is baby, and so she spends the first 11 years of her life going between homes and orphanages, with no one really wanting to keep or to love her. By a mistake, she is brought to Avonlea--instead of a boy--to be adopted by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a pair of farmers who never thought they would be raising a girl in their old age.

You may want to skip this next part of my review, because I am going to sum up each book briefly. No plot spoilers will be revealed, but some of the contents will, and if you haven't read all the books, then maybe you don't want the content revealed ahead of time.

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES covers a span of Anne's first 5 years in Avonlea. She will age from 11 to 16. Her immortal antics that have made this book so beloved include her rivalry with Gilbert Blythe, dyeing her hair, and falling off of Mrs. Barry's roof...

ANNE OF AVONLEA spans two years. Anne is 18 at the novel's finish. She has become a teacher. Marilla adopts twins. Also, Anne has some more humorous and immortal moments.

ANNE OF THE ISLAND spans 4 years--Anne college years at Redmond. She will be 22 at the end of the novel. Anne discovers the real meaning of romance and love and courtship in this novel.

ANNE OF WINDY POPLARS also known as ANNE OF WINDY WILLOWS covers the 3 years of Anne's engagement to Gilbert. She is a Principle at Summerside High School where she has to deal with the Pringle clan, Katherine Brooke, and plenty of other interesting folks.

ANNE'S HOUSE OF DREAMS covers the first two years of Anne's married life. She and Gilbert now live in Four Winds Point, 60 miles east of Avonlea. Gilbert is making a living as a doctor, and the Blythes have new and interesting neighbors. **My favorite book of the series.**

Note: there is about a 6 year break between AHoD and AoI.

ANNE OF INGLESIDE covers about 6 years. Anne and Gilbert have moved to Glen St. Mary, near Four Winds Point, and now have children. This novel covers the birth of Rilla to the 15th wedding anniversary of Anne and Gilbert. More about Anne's children's adventures than Anne herself.

RAINBOW VALLEY takes place in 1 year. It is about Anne's children, and more specifically their neighbors, the Merediths--Faith, Una, Jerry, and Carl--and Mary Vance, but Anne does come in at important points within the novel. Faith is reminiscent in many ways of the young Anne.

Note: there is about a 9 year break between RV and RoI.

RILLA OF INGLESIDE is a heroine in her right. She ages from 15 to 19 during World War 1, the setting of this novel's time period. Anne is by now in her 50s and is a background character, but Rilla is a delightful and outgoing heroine with or without her mother.

This series was meant to be loved and reread and reread. Read the books in chronological order, or read them out-of-order but you'll still find them as fresh and enjoyable and as humorous as the first time you read them.

***Montgomery wrote some books about Anne's neighbors in Avonlea (CHRONICLES OF AVONLEA, FURTHER CHRONICLES OF AVONELEA) and in Glen St. Mary (THE ROAD TO YESTERDAY). And so if you enjoy the Anne books you might enjoy those books as well---although any Montgomery book is a reccommended read.***


Charming   November 23, 1999
 90 out of 94 found this review helpful

I first loved the "Anne-girl" books at 12 or 13. Since then, whenever I am feeling glum, I re-read the detail-filled tales of an orphan girl from PEI with a vivid imagination and an enviable, wholly positive outlook on life. I recently realized that I skipped volumes #5 and 6 so it was a real treat to go back to read them (I could relate better at 25 and a newlywed to "Anne's House of Dreams.") It's hard not to see the beauty and romance in these books. Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote charming tales--I imagine it's the sort of thing that Anne wrote during her B.A. days at Redmond.

I'm back online to buy the boxed set for my sister, age 10. I hope she learns to love Anne, Diana, Gilbert and the host of other kindred spirits Lucy Maud Montgomery created as much as I do.


Practically one of the best!   August 5, 2000
 34 out of 36 found this review helpful

I started the Anne of Greene Gables series when I was 10 or so and could not stop reading it. This book is one of the best classics and one of my all time childhood favorites (Ramona Quimby being the other)! I read all the series that followed as well and they were equally excellent. Lucy Montgomery has created characters that are so endearing and heartwarming that you feel as if they are real and that you can identify with them. The story is a beautiful story with so much imagination, depth, and heart, and even subtle sweet romance...stories that are very rare to come by these days. It truly touched my heart and has continued to warm my heart even to this day at the age of 24 when I am down or just need some inspiration and good fun reading! Girls and women alike should all read this as this series should never fail to inspire you and make you see the world in a more beautiful and different light. Truly touching, inspiring, romantic, and humorous all at once!


The most wonderful books in the world   October 23, 1999
 25 out of 25 found this review helpful

When I was in high school I was a mean, black leather wearing, heavy metal girl. A long time friend forced me against my will to read the first "Anne" book and my life has been so much more beautiful ever since. These books made me see the magical beauty in nature, bosom friends, family, imagination, and even crabby old ladies (this last has come in handy on many occasions). I now have made a point of buying the set for every girl I consider a friend. I am now 23, and when I have children of my own, girls or boys, I will read them "Anne" as soon as they can understand what I am saying. If you liked the "Anne" books I would also recommend books by Louisa May Alcott (Little Women)and Frances Hodgson Burnett (A Little Princess)


A Classic Story For All Ages   June 19, 2001
 20 out of 21 found this review helpful

In our present world, there are so many silly, pointless books about violence and action heroes, books that lack sense and have neither morals nor character development. This story reflects a time when novels were about people just like you and me - people with the same problems, thoughts, and feelings as us.

Anne of Green Gables is a story where a young orphan is adopted by a family in Prince Edward Island, a beautiful area in Canada. The young optimistic girl's imagination often get her into trouble, which makes the book both humorous and enjoyable. The important point about her problems is that they are conflicts faced by many young girls in today's society, despite the fact that she "lived" over a century ago. The character development through the series is what truly makes this piece of literature a classic.

Finally, I would like to say that this is an ideal story for a mother and daughter to read together. This lovely book, full of laughs for all generations, has earned its five stars.