I recently decided to take it upon myself to read the eight books
written by L. M. Montgomery concerning Anne Shirley. From what I
recalled, I had only ever read the first two books. Now that I’ve
finished the second volume, I can’t be sure I ever read even that one.
Certain parts of it rang familiar, but I suspect that is only because of
the second film and the series Road to Avonlea, which I caught on TV a couple times. Most of it seemed new to me, and I was struck by just how far the film Anne of Avonlea
strayed from the books after such a close adaptation of the original.
Precious little from this book made it into the film, and the most
memorable event – Anne accidentally selling her neighbor’s cow – is
transferred to the established Mrs. Lynde, omitting altogether the new
character this incident introduced.
Quite a few new characters
spring up in this second installment. The aforementioned Mr. Harrison
moves into the farm near Green Gables and seems at first to be quite the
crusty old curmudgeon, but Anne soon finds that this eccentric,
outspoken fellow is a kindred spirit after all. She spends a good deal
of time with him throughout the novel discussing local politics, and at
one point she is indirectly responsible for bringing about a major
change in his life. Another new face is Miss Lavendar Lewis, a
middle-aged woman who lives in a charming stone cottage with her young
helper, devoted Charlotta the Fourth. Anne comes upon her home by
accident and discovers a woman whose imagination is just as fertile as
hers and whose eyes are just as young, if her hair is a bit grayer. Her
interaction with Miss Lewis eventually leads to what might be called the
book’s climax.
Anne has grown into a sparkling young woman,
still romantic and imaginative but not quite so disaster-prone. Lest
there be too much calm in the previously sedate Green Gables, Montgomery
introduces twins Dora and Davy, orphans of one of Marilla’s cousins.
They are six years old when Marilla takes them in, and while Dora is so
prim and dutiful as to be nearly invisible, Davy more than makes up for
her good behavior. He is always getting into trouble and asking dozens
of frustrating questions, but his affectionate nature keeps Anne and
Marilla from being too aggravated with him; in fact, they confide in one
another that they both prefer Davy over Dora in spite of his
rambunctious nature. In contrast to Davy is a wisp of a boy named Paul
Irving. Though Anne tries not to choose favorites among her pupils, she
can’t help loving Paul most of all. Wise and sensitive, Paul also
possesses a most extraordinary imagination and is wholeheartedly devoted
to his teacher.
There is a wise quote from The Hobbit which could be applied to Anne of Avonlea
and explain the director’s reasoning for using so little of it in his
sequel. “Now, it is a strange thing, but things that are good to have
and days that are good to spend are soon told about, and not much to
listen to.” The second installment of the Anne books is very pleasant
but a bit dull in comparison with Anne of Green Gables. I still
enjoyed it a great deal, but I missed Anne’s ridiculous propensity for
getting into scrapes and the melodrama of her early adolescence. She
remains a passionate person, but already she is far more sensible and
tactful than the 11-year-old waif who first talked Matthew’s ear off on
her first ride to Green Gables. As a result, the most outrageous
incidents generally are initiated by Davy, not Anne.
Anne of Green Gables was full of childhood milestones, all the more thrilling because the first 11 years of Anne’s life were so desolate. By Anne of Avonlea
she has grown so used to her new life that it seems it has always been
hers, and the bulk of the book is two years in which not too much
happens to Anne. She is a part of a village improvement committee, she
helps raise Davy and Dora, she serves as schoolteacher for the Avonlea
children. But these are ongoing tasks and for the most part, monumental
events occur to others in the community, though Anne’s vicarious nature
allows her to experience them with as much vigor as the participants
themselves.
Marilla and Mrs. Lynde remain characters of great
importance. Both seem to have softened up a bit since Anne’s arrival;
Marilla is less stern and Mrs. Lynde less judgmental. They were the
first major characters Anne met in the first book, aside from the dearly
departed Matthew, who I missed in this novel. I suspect the book would
have played out far differently, however, had Matthew still been alive.
The climactic event in Anne of Avonlea is joyful and half the
book in the making, but it cannot match the emotional impact of
Matthew’s death in the first book. Still, it sets us up nicely for the
next book and the hints of romance that will begin to creep into Anne’s
life. We see too little of Gilbert once again. Though he may actually
appear more in Anne of Avonlea, his presence doesn’t pervade the book as it does in Anne of Green Gables,
where Anne’s refusal to forgive him is a dark blight on her otherwise
magnanimous soul. I almost forgot about poor ol’ Gil until the end of
the book, whose last page was once again occupied with a change in the
relationship between Gilbert and Anne.
Looking through my
books, I discovered that I have all the Anne books through the sixth, so
it will be a while before I must invest in the last two in order to see
this feisty heroine’s adventures through to Montgomery’s conclusion.
Though I probably will not love any quite as much as the first, the lush
language and engaging characters will keep me coming back six more
times.
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