Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne of Avonlea

Anne of Avonlea - # 2 - Anne Series

cedar winslow

Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one's life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one's side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music; perhaps… perhaps… love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath. 

"Another chapter in my life is closed," said Anne aloud, as she locked her desk. She really felt very sad over it; but the romance in the idea of that "closed chapter” did comfort her a little.

That is one good thing about this world ... there are always sure to be more springs.

Life is rich and full here... everywhere... if we can only learn how to open our whole hearts to its richness and fulness.

"Oh, how perfectly lovely!" three of the girls cried. Anne only gazed in eloquent silence.

Let's try to make this a really golden day, girls, a day to which we can always look back with delight. We're o seek for beauty and refuse to see anything else.

I have a conviction that there are scores of beautiful nooks there that have never really been 

Anne returns to Avonlea to teach in her former school and discovers the pleasures and puzzles of growing up.

madeleine

There is no plot in it, you see. It's just a string of fancies. I like writing such things but of course nothing of the sort would ever do for publication, for editors insist on plots.

When I think something nice is going to happen i seem to fly right up onto the wings of anticipation; and then the first thing I realise I drop down to earth with a thud. But really Marilla, the flying part is glorious as long as it lasts... it's like soaring through a sunset. Ithink it almost pays for the thud.

After all, when one can see stars and skies like that, little dissapointments and accidents can't matter so much, can they?

Everything that's worth having is some trouble.

She said whenever you looked foward to anything plesant you were sure to be more or less dissapointed... that nothing ever came up to you expectations. Well perhaps that is true but there is a good side to it too. The bad things don't always come up to your expectations either...they nearly always turn out ever so much better than you think.

Emily Netherland

"…I think," concluded Anne, hitting on a very vital truth, "that we always love best the people who need us."
--------------------
Another entirely sweet, funny, wholesome chapter of the lovely Anne’s life.

Although it doesn’t have the immediate charm and disarmingly innocent shenanigans as the first book, this was nevertheless a genuine comfort read for the dark times. I can’t wait to continue on with this classic, and feel light as clouds as I do so.

4.5/5

Ceej Manaloto

I don't think I would give any book from this series anything less than 5 stars.

shru

after watching anne with an e i finished this somehow, but it was bOrinG as compared to book 1 :( i really wanted to enjoy it though

At sixteen, Anne is grown up... almost. Her gray eyes shine like evening stars, but her red hair is still as peppery as her temper. In the years since she arrived at Green Gables as a freckle-faced orphan, she has earned the love of the people of Avonlea and a reputation for getting into scrapes. But when Anne begins her job as the new schoolteacher, the real test of her character begins. Along with teaching the three Rs, she is learning how complicated life can be when she meddles in someone elses romance, finds two new orphans at Green Gables, and wonders about the strange behaviour of the very handsome Gilbert Blythe. As Anne enters womanhood, her adventures touch the heart and the funny bone.

deva

Chloe Garcia

i would legitimately give this a billion stars if it was possible

oh to see the world as anne see it. then again, I have been known to see fairies on the right sunny day. this book quite pleasant, though not as iconic and gripping as the first in the series. reading it does make me feel like I am growing up as anne grows up, and it makes growing up less scary , there is no need to forsake childlike wonder 

Loved it. It was so heartwarming to see Anne slowly leaving behind girlhood to approach womanhood. My only remark was that it was a bit less magical than the first book, but it still had that special feeling about it <3

loisesya

Briar's Reviews

Back into the world of Anne of Green Gables...

I read the first book for a class in University and fell in love with the story telling. At that moment, I knew I wanted to continue this wonderful Canadian story by L.M. Montgomery! It took a little digging, but I managed to find a few more books in this series, so I continued on my journey to learn more about Anne.

My professor had made interesting comments about this series. She said the second book focused on Anne's career/professional and personal development but the third book took a firm twist and went into romance. I was intrigued to see how this turned out! This book did seem to follow what she said, but I do wish I had my professor's comments on this book too! There's so much to unpack and unwind in this story. Anne is such an oddball and interesting character, and the scenarios she gets into are positive and impact change.

One nice thing about this story is that it aged well (for the most part). You can get over the fact that technology isn't there and can sink away into the book. Maybe a 16 year old being a teacher is a little different than our current times, but the drama and situations she gets herself into feel quite real. I can see a sixteen year old worrying about her friends and family members. I was a sixteen year old worrying about their future and if they were doing the right thing. I empathized with Anne quite often and could put myself in her shoes.

There's definitely some sour points in this book, like Davy being more loved than Dora, but I took that as a slice of the times. L.M.'s life experience seemed quite rough from what my professor taught us... So perhaps she reflected what she saw in her own life in this book (and according to my professor, that's exactly what happened.).

Overall, this was a nice book to sink into. I'm likely going to be reading further into the background, lore and theming of this book. What can I say? My University English classes rubbed off on me.

Three out of five stars.

Anne Of Avonlea

Moriah Howard

Absolutley adore this book and series, i think this may be my favourite book in the series so far.

Absolutley adore this book and series, i think this may be my favourite book in the series so far.

Avonlea is my fictional home.

Annabella

Jasmine Stanway

I reread this book every year and it never fails to fill me with a deep sense of wonder and longing for times gone by; for spring to last the twelvemonth, for the beautiful haunting echos of Miss Lavender’s lodge; for the sweet simplicity of Gilbert and Anne’s love. 💛

The second book in the Anne Shirley series. 'Having adventures comes natural to some people,' said Anne serenely. 'You just have a gift for them or you haven't.' Five years ago, Anne arrived at Avonlea a skinny orphan without a friend in the world; now it would be impossible to imagine Green Gables without her. Anne's high spirits and warm heart have won her a family and friends who love her. But when she starts a job as a teacher at her old school, the real test of her character begins: at 'half past sixteen', she's not much older than her pupils and has a lot to prove. How can she inspire a love of learning in young minds - especially when some of her students are even naughtier than she ever was? This is a collection of the best children's literature, curated by Virago, which will be coveted by children and adults alike. These are timeless tales with beautiful covers, that will be treasured and shared across the generations. Some titles you will already know; some will be new to you, but there are stories for everyone to love, whatever your age. Our list includes Nina Bawden (Carrie's War, The Peppermint Pig), Rumer Godden (The Dark Horse, An Episode of Sparrows), Joan Aiken (The Serial Garden, The Gift Giving) E. Nesbit (The Psammead Trilogy, The Bastable Trilogy, The Railway Children), Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Little Princess,The Secret Garden) and Susan Coolidge (The What Katy Did Trilogy). Discover Virago Children's Classics.

eliz

I think, the more anne meets new people the less I care about their roles in anne's life. overall, I noticed how I only liked the parts about flashbacks when anne was still young. really hoped it would feel good watching her grow but I guess I'll be stuck with the first book forever

excerpts:
p. 118 "It must be delightful to come intro the world with the mayflowers and violets. You would always feel that your were their foster sister."
p. 150 "'Not failure but low aim is crime.' We must have ideals to live up to them, even if we never quite succeed."

Anne d'Avonlea

Anna

J’adore toujours autant cette fille haute en couleur ! J’ai hâte d’acheter le troisième livre pour découvrir sa vie à l’université !

J’ai mis 4 étoiles et non 5 (comme au premier tome) car c’est en quelque sorte prévisible, je n’ai plus la surprise du premier tome. En plus j’étais tellement optimiste pour pour une avancée entre Gilbert et Anne mais il apparaît à peine … 
Bref vraiment hâte de continuer (hehe je sais déjà comment ça va finir entre les deux)

Mary Horton

This lacks a lot of the elements I so loved about the first book . . . and yet, it still holds a bit of that magic feeling you get when you hold an Anne book in your hands. <3


   L I K E S:


- the "golden day" chapter almost made me burst with happiness
- GILBERT AND ANNE FOREVERRRRRRR <3333 (can we talk about that last page, though?? *flails*)
- the friendship between Anne and Diana ALMOST made me cry. They shared some super sweet moments together that reminded me of myself and my bestie . . . and that was just so special.
- Marilla's sarcasm never fails to make me laugh; I don't even know why, haha
- The writing is just . . . *happy sigh*
- I want to live in Avonlea, please and thank you
- Paul Irving and Miss Lavender were lovely (though I wish less time had been spent on them)
- Anne's optimism and dreamy demeanor
- the parts where Anne was teaching were my fave
- so many good quotes, oh my
- honestly, the things this book had to say about change could not have come at a more poignant time in my life


  D I S L I K E S:


- not enough of Gilbert *grumpy face* (seriously, he only had a few scenes with Anne. I mean what now??)
- Although Davy grew on me, I was unsettled by the fact that Anne and Marilla clearly played favorites. They even admitted to liking him better than Dora, and that made me feel so bad for the poor girl.
- ehhhh, so I was kind of bored with it? Like, I loved a lot of things about it, but I got tired of seeing the same three characters (Paul Irving, Davy, and Miss Lavender) over and over again. Much as I liked most of them . . . it did get old after a while and I just wanted to get back to Gilbert and Anne. 
 and all the "original" characters. :P
- not enough time spent on Anne's teaching
- IT LACKED SOME OF THE MAGIC OF THE FIRST ONE *sniffles*
- okay, I promise I really liked it but . . . yeah. I'm a bit put out by a few things. ;)

Overall, I have a few qualms, but those two sections with Gilbert and Anne (LIKE THE LAST PAGE *squeals into eternity*) made the book. I'm definitely going to read the next one at some point because I need more of Anne and Gilbert pleaseeeeeee.

3.5 stars

Celeste Richardson

Full review now posted!

Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite books ever. But the story doesn’t stop there! I’ve never read the entire series, so I’m on a mission to do just that. This second installment I have read before, and I love it just as much as the preceding book. Here, Anne takes her first halting steps into adulthood, and the change is both charming and sad. Anne will always be a free spirit, but seeing her temper that spiritedness enough to become an effective teacher was fascinating to behold.

I’ve always loved schoolmarm stories. There’s something about one-room schoolhouses and having to teach to so many age groups simultaneously that blows my mind. I’m a teacher, but I can’t even fathom having to teach every subject to every age group every single day. I don’t know how teachers of the past did it. The thing is, I know that if I had lived in the same time period, I would have sought out to do exactly that. Though it was undoubtedly hard work, there’s a romance to being a schoolmarm that has always appealed to me. Because of this, I love reading about school teachers of the past. I have to say, Anne Shirley made a remarkable schoolmarm. She’s kind and thoughtful and is just barely out of childhood herself, so she remembers what it’s like to be on the other side of the blackboard, so to speak. All of those traits coupled with her renowned imagination means that Anne can relate to her students better than most, and that she finds new and unique methods of teaching them.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the introduction of two new little boys: Paul Irving and Davy. I don’t think you could possibly find two more radically different boys in real life or in fiction. Paul Irving is a sweet, smart, thoughtful boy with an imagination that rivals Anne’s, and he and Anne are undoubtedly kindred spirits. Davy is a spitfire, a rambunctious boy with the greatest propensity for questioning I’ve ever seen. And the questions that boy comes up with! There’s no way I could’ve kept a straight face while trying to answer some of those questions. Though both boys are as different as can be, they’re both incredibly dear to Anne.

In this book we also visit Echo Lodge for the first time and meet Miss Lavendar, another kindred spirit. Miss Lavendar is an old maid unlike any other. She refuses to go gently into spinsterhood, and has instead built a beautiful if lonely life for herself. Echo Lodge is beautiful and magical, almost like a fairy realm. And Miss Lavendar makes a stunning fairy queen; the only way you could guess her age is by her snow-white hair. She’s just as imaginative as Anne, and she gets a wonderful happy ending in this book.

The book ends with Anne and Gilbert both deciding to head off to college. Even though I love knowing where their story is heading (after all, theirs is often billed as one of the greatest romances in fiction), I’m loving every second of the journey. It’s so nice to have a romantic element that isn’t instantaneous, but instead builds over the course of multiple books. Romance when approached this way just feels both more realistic and more wholesome to me.

Can you tell I love this series? I wish I had discovered it when I was a child, but I’m enjoying it immensely now as an adult. If you love historical fiction with a bright and uplifting worldview, you owe it to yourself to read this series. It’s one of easiest classics to read that I’ve yet to come across.

For more of my reviews, as well as my own fiction and thoughts on life, check out my blog, Celestial Musings.

In the years since she arrived at Green Gables, Anne has earned the love and respect of the people of Avonlea--as well as a reputation for getting herself into predicaments. Now sixteen years old--and bound and determined to look after Marilla in the wake of Matthew's death--she's about to begin her job as the town's new schoolteacher. Soon enough she is the one learning lessons, however, as she starts to realize how complicated life can be. In her usual well-intentioned but meddlesome way, Anne is quickly interfering in a new friend's thwarted romance, coping with two new orphans at Green Gables, and getting drawn into the lives of her mostly charming and occasionally exasperating students at Avonlea school.
     The once awkward, freckle-faced little girl is now a mature and responsible young woman, but Anne's imaginative spirit is as strong as ever in this sequel to the much-loved Anne of Green Gables.

Eszter Baranyi

I enjoyed it more than the other. Anne 's character development and her being an adult now was perfectly showed, and the new characters were extremely loveable too

Vanessa

Paula

Davy Keith it’s absolutely the worst! I was ready to give this book 2 stars, but he didn’t appear much in the last half a dozen chapters, so that made the ending very pleasant.

Aviya 

Anne continues to be an amazing heroine with an optimism and penchant for misadventures that you can't help but to love.

Daisy Cole

I loved loved loved the first one, it was not as imaginative I would say as the first one but still was special, I am so happy there are many more books where we can watch anne go throughout her life!

Grace O'Callaghan

How excited I was to be back on Prince Edward Island with Anne.

I loved seeing Anne mature and become a teacher. She starts to realise that things aren't as black and white.

Marilla and Anne look after twins Dora and Davy in this book. I've seen some people not like Davy which is fair, but i can't bring myself to dislike a child so young. I just wish that Marilla and Anne were better at keeping him in check especially when he does some awful things to his sister.

Miss Lavender is my new role model. I aspire to live out of the way in a nice cottage in the middle of the woods.

We only get glimpses of Anne and Gilbert but when we get them I clutch them tightly to my chest and squeal, I can't wait to read on.

Aayusma Aryal

There was hint of romance towards the end. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Anne of Avonlea

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