Anne of Green Gables Centennial, Part 1
This year is the centennial celebration of the publication of Anne of Green Gables. L. M. Montgomery is in the top ten list of Most Important Authors Read in My Youth. I'm thrilled that conferences and activities are being presented in her honor for such an important book. See www.anne2008.com. I'm tempted to finally make that trip to Prince Edward Island this year as part of my own celebration.
No one introduced me to Anne. I found her on my own in the mall-based Waldens at age twelve. During the last week of December, I had Christmas money to feed my reading addiction and splurged part of it on the Illustrated Junior Library edition of Anne of Green Gables, one of the first hardcover books I ever bought for myself. The cover was attractive and reminded me of Little House and Little Women, two other series I had already devoured. I wish the annotated version had been available during subsequent rereadings, but my original copy is still my favorite to reread. For an instant, whenever I pick it up, I am immediately that little girl reading it for the first time.
I started the book one day and didn't sleep that night until I was finished with it. Fortunately it was the winter holidays from school or I would have had a miserable day the next day. Instead, I spent a long winter's night, bitterly cold, huddled into my sleeping bag, my fingers so cold they could barely turn the pages, but refusing to move to my bed or anywhere else because I was engrossed by the book.
(I have vivid memories of the sleeping bag and the terrible cold on the floor. That was back in the day when slumber in a sleeping bag meant a free night and fun, even if friends weren't present to share the experience.)
Since the story was completely unknown and never described to me, I was shocked by Matthew's death, tears streaming down my face as Marilla, Anne and myself said good-bye to a sweet man. I was also happy Anne had finally forgiven Gilbert by the end, although I was disappointed at the lack of resolution to their relationship.
Most of all, I was excited to read a book about a spunky, imaginative girl who managed to be intelligent and true to herself, rarely bending to peer pressure. She could be silly and make bad decisions. She wasn't perfect and had a temper. She became an icon to me for several years, albeit a private one, since no one among my circle of friends was interested in reading about her.
I was grateful for the first two Kevin Sullivan movies starring Megan Follows when they came out. I watched them almost as much as I reread the books. They provided the vehicle for sharing my beloved character with others. Some went on to read the books and enjoy them, too. Still, many of my dearest friends have become such over our shared love for Anne of Green Gables, among other things. I don't enjoy the films as much now, especially the second one which really diverges from Anne's character in the books, but they were important then.
Disclaimer: I still love the first one, but I am perturbed with Anne's treatment of Diana and Gilbert in the second movie. She comes across as very selfish and even nosy with a bit of bitchiness thrown in. Don't howl at me over it. Those are my impressions after years of repeated viewings. I still watch them and prefer them to other movies, but still. She is not Anne, my Anne in the second movie. The third movie? Well, that was a complete devastation which doesn't merit discussion. I do think Richard Farnsworth and Colleen Dewhurst are brilliant as Matthew and Marilla, even if Dewhurst isn't physically built like Marilla.
I also bought and watched the old BBC version of Anne of Avonlea when it was released last year. Wow. Anne Shirley with an Irish brogue. And very, very fake freckles. Interesting and definitely more faithful to the books, but very flat for me.
More about Anne of Green Gables and L. M. Montgomery tomorrow. Here's links to my lists of Anne of Green Gables at 100, L.M. Montgomery Library: Fiction and L.M. Montgomery Library: Nonfiction.
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