Penguin Minis: Anne of Green Gables (The Puffin Bloom Collection) Paperback – Illustrated, 18 Oct. 2019

I can't add much to the actual reviews here: lots of useful, interesting and perceptive comments about the entire 'Anne of Green Gables' series have been submitted already, at both Amazon.co.uk and American Amazon.com.However, I'm not as familiar with the books as I was during my library ticket prime some three decades ago, and I needed to piece together a reading order now that I'm re-discovering them with younger members of the family.Pinning this order down is surprisingly difficult - the 'Anne' books were not written in chronological order, and there are two books of short stories that are set in Avonlea, but not about Anne Shirley. Also, 'Anne of Windy Poplars' and 'Anne of Windy Willows' are one and the same novel; the latter title was used in the UK upon first publication, but now appears to be used only in the Penguin paperback edition. There are two 'sequels' that are actually about Anne's children, and then several more books by L. M. Montgomery that sound similar but are not part of the `Anne' series.So, in the hope other customers find this useful, here's the reading order for the series, at least as far as I can make it out:1)'Anne of Green Gables'2)'Anne of Avonlea'*2.5) Short stories 'Chronicles of Avonlea'3)'Anne of the Island'4)'Anne of Windy Poplars' (also known as 'Anne of Windy Willows')5)'Anne's House of Dreams'6)'Anne of Ingleside'7)'Rainbow Valley' (a sequel, in which Anne is an adult background character, with her daughter Rilla taking up the juvenile protagonist role)*7.5) Short stories 'Further Chronicles of Avonlea'8)'Rilla of Ingleside'(another sequel primarily featuring Rilla, obviously!)There are also at least two further sequels and short story compilations which opportunistic editors and publishers have assembled in recent years from previously discarded manuscripts. I haven't read these, and probably won't - L.M. Montgomery had a fifty year writing career, and I'm reluctant to read material that she herself rejected lest it diminishes my huge fondness for her works.Now, having sorted out the running order, here are a few cautions to avoid disappointment when you decide to read the whole series:Firstly, at least at the time of writing, not all the books in the series are available on Kindle. I downloaded all those that are, but had to go back and fill in the gaps with hard copies; now we have an incomplete set of paperbacks and an incomplete set on Kindle, so not ideal.Secondly, as seems often to be the case with Kindle editions, there are a surprising number of typos. This is confusing when L.M. Montgomery has certain characters employ Prince Edward Island dialect, and you're not sure whether the eccentric vocabulary is intentional, or a misprint. A few are so key that they actually affect comprehension.Finally, some - but not all - of the Kindle editions use American spellings. This didn't bother me, but if you're buying these books for a child still learning to be confident in their reading, I'd strongly recommend you stick to the actual books rather than the Kindle versions, despite the temptations of money-saving and convenience.Individually, not all the books merit five stars; some are better than others, and 'Anne of Ingleside' is probably my favourite. The Kindle editions don't do justice to the books as yet, and need further revision. But overall, I loved these books, it was great fun to return to them, and you don't need children in the house to enjoy them all over again.

I so enjoyed this book so beautifully written.... I could see the colours of the flowers and I could smell them. The characters were fantastic each one so different. A perfect read ❤️

First published in 1908 and reprinted so many times since, 'Anne of Green Gables' hardly needs an introduction as many people, even if they have not read the book, will at least know some of the story through the television adaptations of the novel and its sequels. Therefore, briefly, L.M. Montgomery's children's novel, which is set on Prince Edward Island in Canada, tells the story of eleven-year-old auburn-haired orphan girl, Anne Shirley, who arrives at Green Gables, the home of Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert and, despite not being the boy they expected to adopt, nevertheless wins the hearts of the Cuthberts - and, indeed, all of those around her. With a cast of sympathetic and interesting characters and filled with all of the adventures (and misadventures) that the highly imaginative Anne encounters, this little novel was one that I read several times as a child and loved it, but not one that I have read as an adult - therefore, it was with some trepidation that I began rereading the first book in the Anne of Green Gables series. Well, I needn't have worried, because although I understandably didn't feel quite the same way about the story as I did when I read it as a child (and it's full of homespun philosophies and tales with a moral to them - which may not appeal to some readers today), I still very much enjoyed this little book and found it a heart-warmingly nostalgic read.4 Stars.

I tried to read Anne Of Green Gables at the age of about 7, didn't "get it" and had to admit despite my precociousness that I was "probably a bit too young".Anne Of Green Gables then remained unread and misremembered as tedious until I had a dream in which I was held hostage by terrorists in a bookshop whilst trying to buy a copy! After a dream like that - well I had to read it then, so I downloaded it for humour value.It was not at all as I remembered it. I fell in love with it from the off. Unmarried brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert getting on in years decide they will take in a young boy from an orphanage to help on their farm, in the days before emails and phones and general legal enquiry, their message goes awry, and Matthew is met by a red haired eleven year old Anne Shirley.Anne Shirley is no ordinary girl. With a flair for imagination, the dramatic and romantic notions about the world, she talks non stop and takes interest in everything around her.Anne makes the book what it is, she is actually hilarious, over the top, and theatrical, her long speeches made me smile so much. She reminded me of a young me, and I hope that if I ever get to have a daughter she is a total Anne. Anne's funniest moments often come when by some unintentional mishap she gets into trouble, which like any teenager usually leads to her behaving as if the world had ended and refusing to leave her room.Secondary characters are fun as well, Anne's touching relationship with Marilla that develops over time, and her understated secret love hidden beneath animosity for academic rival Gilbert Blythe.Anne Of Green Gables was an utter joy to read, and there are several sequels yet to be read, though I doubt any of them will quite live up to this, I tore through this book, smiling constantly. From a book I once dismissed as being complicated and dull I'm now a massive, massive fan. 10/10

Great book