Sonderbooks Book Review of Anne of Avonlea

Reviewed October 17, 2001.
A Sonderbooks' Best Book of 2001
Copyright has expired, so this is available from many different publishers. Available at Sembach Library (JF MON).

This is the second book of L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series. I admit, it’s my least favorite of them all, but L. M. Montgomery’s worst is better than many people’s best!

This is only the third book she’d written, and there are some flaws. She annoyingly tells us periodically that we can read about some incident in Anne’s first book of adventures. My opinion is that in a series, it’s best to simply assume that the reader read the first book, or drop pertinent information in little bits as you go. Terry Brooks does this, at least, well in his latest series. Even J. K. Rowling has a horribly boring second chapter in her second book where she summarizes what went before. So I can’t hold it against L. M. Montgomery, and she learns her lesson and never does it again. (Same for J. K. Rowling, so far.)

L. M. Montgomery’s strong point is never plot, and this book is one of the weaker in that respect. It’s the story of sixteen-year-old Anne’s two years of teaching school in the one-room schoolhouse in Avonlea. The book is tied together mostly by being a chronological period in Anne’s life. The author’s strong point is character. She creates quirky and entertaining characters who are delightfully interesting. In this book, a set of twins, Davy and Dora, come to live at Green Gables. Davy is a holy terror of mischief, and his antics are great fun. Anne’s experiences teaching are also presented well. Can you imagine teaching school at sixteen? L. M. Montgomery did the same herself, so perhaps that’s why her description is so entertaining.

I’m on a roll now. Every few years, I feel the need to revive my spirits with L. M. Montgomery’s books, and now I’ve definitely gotten going on the Anne series again. So you’ll be hearing about the rest, too!

-top of page-

Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

*****Anne of Avonlea*

by L. M. Montgomery

Related Reviews