Anne of Windy Poplars (Anne of Green Gables) (original 1936; édition 1992)

I wrote this review in 2007:

I love, or should I say LOVE, the "Anne" series by Lucy Maud Montgomery, but this one is my least favourite. For me, it just lacks the sparkle of all the others.

Anne of Windy Willows (or Windy Poplars, as it was originally published) is the fourth book in the series, the sequel to Anne of the Island, but it was actually written long after book three (1915) in 1936. By this point Lucy Maud had already written Anne's House of Dreams (1917), Rainbow Valley (1919), and Rilla of Ingleside(1921) - books 5, 7 & 8 - and she went back and slotted in this one, and later Anne of Ingleside, to fill in a couple of gaps.

The book does fill a useful gap in Anne's story, but lacks just a little bit of the flow and dreaminess of the other novels, possibly because much of the novel is written in the form of letters to Gilbert. That said, it's lovely to see romance blossoming with Anne & Gilbert. She was never supposed to fall in love with that dapper Roy Gardner, and was engaged to Gilbert at the very end of the previous book. However, Gilbert must be away for his doctor's training for the next three years... so the couple are in for a long engagement...

Anne secures the position of principal at Summerside High School, and in true Anne-style this is not without its difficulties. She finds a lovely place to board and we meet the charismatic "Aunts Kate & Chatty", and hilarious Rebecca Dew. And then there is Anne's relationship with the forlorn little girl, Little Elizabeth, living next door... not to mention Anne's mission to reform and befriend the miserable school teacher Katherine!

It's still a lovely book to read, but as I re-read the Anne series this is the one I'm always least eager to pick up. The Anne books are wonderful stories for all ages from 8+. If you haven't read any before, start with number 1 which is Anne of Green Gables. I can't recommend them enough. ( )

This is a charming chronicle of Anne's three years of principalship before she marries. Of all the faerie-like children she writes, Elizabeth is easily the most charming and winsome. And of course, Rebecca Dew is a most enjoyable secondary character. ( )

The Anne books are just plain lovely. I absolutely loved them when I was young and they still make me warm inside thinking about them now. This was one of my favourites. Possibly THE favourite. ( )

Because of this book, I think I now understand what people mean when they say, “cozy reads.” I LOVE Anne. To put it simply, her and I are kindred spirits. It’s been quite some time since I read Anne of the Island, but Anne has always been a character I hold close in my heart. It was so nice to revisit her. The book is mostly told in letters that she writes to Gilbert, her fiancé, and I love the candor in which she shares her life with him while they are apart. As a lover of Gilbert Blythe, I would have loved to have read his responses back to her.

My full review can be found here. ( )

As I mentioned in previous reviews, I'm finding that I enjoy these books a bit more now that I'm older. L.M. Montgomery is wonderful with her description of the quirky characters, yet always keeps Anne's positive side and gentle amusement shining through. ( )