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Anne of Green Gables is a 1908 novel by Canadian author . Written for all ages, it has been considered a children's novel since the mid-twentieth century. It recounts the adventures of , an 11-year-old orphan girl who is mistakenly sent to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a middle-aged brother and sister who had intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm in . The novel recounts how Anne makes her way with the Cuthberts, in school, and within the town.
Since publication, Anne of Green Gables has sold more than 50 million copies and has been translated into 20 languages. Numerous sequels were written by Montgomery, and since her death another sequel has been published, as well as an authorized prequel. The original book is taught to students around the world.
It has been adapted as film, made-for-television movies, and animated and live-action television series. Anne Shirley was played by
in the 1985 Canadian produced movie. Plays and musicals have also been created, with productions annually in Canada since 1964 of the first musical production, which has toured in Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan.
In writing the novel, Montgomery was inspired by notes she had made as a young girl, about a couple who were mistakenly sent an orphan girl instead of the boy they had requested yet decided to keep her. She drew upon her own childhood experiences in rural Prince Edward Island. Montgomery used a photograph of
as the model for the face of Anne Shirley, which she had clipped from New York’s
and put on the wall of her bedroom.
Montgomery was also inspired by the "formula Ann" orphan stories which were popular at the time and distinguished her character by spelling her name as "Anne." She based other characters such as
in part on people she knew. She said that she wrote the novel in the twilight of the day, while sitting at her window and overlooking the fields of .
Anne, a young orphan from the fictional community of Bolingbroke,
(based upon the real community of ), is sent to Prince Edward Island after a childhood spent in strangers' homes and orphanages. Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, siblings in their fifties and sixties, had decided to adopt a boy from the orphanage to help Matthew run their farm. They live at , their
farmhouse on Prince Edward Island. Through a misunderstanding, the orphanage sends Anne Shirley.
Anne is described as bright and quick, eager to please, talkative, and extremely imaginative. She has a pale face with
and usually braids her . Marilla at first says the girl must return to the orphanage, but after a few days she decides to let her stay. Marilla feels that she could be a good influence on the girl and had also learned that another disagreeable woman in town might take Anne in instead.
As a child of imagination, Anne takes much joy in life and adapts quickly, thriving in the close-knit farming village. Her talkativeness initially drives the prim, duty-driven Marilla to distraction, although Matthew falls for her charm immediately. Anne says that they are "kindred spirits."
The book recounts Anne's adventures in making a home: the country school where she quickly e her friendship with Diana Barry (her best or "bosom friend" as Anne fondly calls her); her buddin and her rivalry with classmate , who teases her about her red hair. For that he earns her instant hatred, although he apologizes many times. As time passes, Anne realizes she no longer hates Gilbert but cannot bring herself to speak to him.
The book also follows Anne's adventures in quiet, old-fashioned Avonlea. Episodes include her play time with friends (Diana, Jane Andrews and Ruby Gillis), her run-ins with the unpleasant Pye sisters (Gertie and Josie), and domestic mishaps such as dyeing her hair green (while intending to dye it black) or accidentally getting Diana drunk (by giving her what she thinks is raspberry cordial but is currant wine).
At fifteen, Anne goes to Queen's Academy to earn a teaching license, along with Gilbert, Ruby, Josie, Jane and several other students. She obtains her license in one year instead of the usual two and wins the Avery Scholarship for the top student in English. Her attainment of this scholarship would allow her to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree at the fictional Redmond College (based on the real ) on the mainland in Nova Scotia.
Near the end of the book, Matthew dies of a heart attack after learning that all of his and Marilla's money has been lost in a . Out of devotion to Marilla and Green Gables, Anne gives up the Avery Scholarship to stay at home and help Marilla, whose eyesight is diminishing. She plans to teach at the Carmody school, the nearest school available, and return to Green Gables on weekends. In an act of friendship, Gilbert Blythe gives up his teaching position at the Avonlea School to work at White Sands School instead, knowing that Anne wants to stay close to Marilla after Matthew's death. After this kind act, Anne and Gilbert's friendship is cemented, and Anne looks forward to the next "bend in the road."
—An imaginative, talkative, red-headed orphan who comes to live with Matthew Cuthbert and Marilla Cuthbert, who are siblings.
Marilla Cuthbert—Matthew's sister, is an austere woman who objects to Anne's imaginative, unusual ways, finds herself embracing Anne's ways. Though she is conservative in her rules, she does love Anne and has the glimmerings of a sense of humor and a hidden soft side.
Matthew Cuthbert—Marilla's brother, a shy, awkward man who takes a liking to Anne from the start. The two become fast friends. He is a good listener. Because Marilla has primary responsibility for rearing the girl, he has no qualms about "spoiling" her and indulging her in pretty clothes and other frivolities.
Diana Barry—Anne's bosom friend and kindred spirit. Anne and Diana become best friends from the moment they meet. She is the only girl of Anne's age who lives close to Green Gables. Anne admires Diana for being pretty and for her amiable disposition. Diana lacks Anne's powerful imagination but is a loyal friend.
—A handsome classmate who initially tries to gain Anne's attention by pulling her hair and calling her "Carrots" (unaware of her sensitivity about her red hair). Anne reacts by refusing to have anything to do with him for the next few years. Although Gilbert apologizes repeatedly, Anne rebuffs him for years. However, Gilbert never abandons his quest for her friendship (and eventually, love). Anne unknowingly forgives him when he saves her from drowning, but reconciles with him only when he gives up his job as teacher at the Avonlea school for her, so that she may live at Green Gables with Marilla.
Mrs. Rachel Lynde—A neighbour of Matthew and Marilla, and the nosiest person in town. She soon warms to the freckle-faced orphan. She is industrious and helpful, and does work for the church. She is married and has raised ten children, but her husband, Thomas Lynde, is mentioned briefly and never speaks.
Miss Muriel Stacy—Anne's energetic new teacher. Her warm and sympathetic nature appeals to her students, but Avonlea's conservative parents disapprove of her liberal teaching methods. She forms a special relationship with Anne, who views her as a mentor. Miss Stacy encourages Anne to develop her character and intellect, and helps prepare her for the entrance exam at Queen's Academy, where she finishes in a tie for first with Gilbert Blythe.
Josie Pye—A classmate generally disliked by the other girls (as are her siblings), Josie is vain, dishonest and jealous of Anne's popularity.
Jane Andrews—One of Anne's friends from school, she is plain and sensible. She does well enough academically to join Anne's class at Queen's.
Ruby Gillis—Another of Anne's friends. Having several "grown up" sisters, Ruby loves to share her knowledge of beaus with her friends. Ruby is portrayed as traditionally beautiful with long golden hair, and she suffers from consumption/.
Reverend and Mrs. Allan—The minister and his wife also befriend Anne, with Mrs. Allan becoming particularly close. She is described as pretty.
Minnie May Barry—Diana's baby sister, whose life is saved by Anne when she comes down with .
Mr. & Mrs. Barry—Diana's parents. Mr. Barry farms, and, near the end of the book, offers to rent some tracts to help out Anne and Marilla, after Matthew's passing. Mrs. Barry has a severe personality, expecting her children to follow strict rules. After Anne accidentally gets Diana drunk, Mrs. Barry rejects the girl, forbidding Diana to have anything to do with Anne... until after she saves Minnie May, of course.
Miss Josephine Barry—Diana's aunt. Initially portrayed in a negative light, she is quickly charmed by Anne's imagination, and eventually invites her and Diana to tea. She refers to Anne as 'the Anne-girl'and even sends Anne beaded slippers as a Christmas present.
Mr. Phillips—Anne's first teacher at Avonlea, whose boring and crude ways (he continually misspelled her name without the "E" and punished only her among 12 pupils who arrived late), led to his being instantly despised by Anne. He is described as lacking discipline, and "courts" one of his pupils openly... (less frowned upon then as opposed to more contemporary times).
Mrs Spencer—Anne lives with her for a portion of her life. She is very mean and cruel as a result of her husband′s death. Anne is treated more as a maid in her home than as a daughter or friend.
Based on the popularity of her first book, Montgomery wrote a series of sequels to continue the story of her heroine Anne Shirley. They are listed chronologically below by Anne's age in each of the novels.
Lucy Maud Montgomery's books on Anne Shirley:
Date published
Anne Shirley's age
Anne of Green Gables
(US & Canada)
Anne of Windy Willows (Other)
The following books focus on Anne's children, or on other family friends. Anne appears in these volumes, but plays a lesser part.
Date published
Anne Shirley's age
Anne Shirley features in one story (and is referenced in other stories) in each of the following collections:
Date published
Anne Shirley's age
approx. 20
approx. 20
The prequel,
(2008), was written by
with authorization of heirs of L. M. Montgomery.
farmhouse located in
Sign marking trail through Balsam Hollow
The province and tourist facilities have highlighted the local connections to the internationally popular novels. Anne of Green Gables has been translated into 36 languages. "Tourism by Anne fans is an important part of the Island economy". Merchants offer items based on the novels.
farmhouse is located in . Many tourist attractions on
have been developed based on the fictional Anne, and provincial licence plates once bore her image. Balsam Hollow, the forest that inspired the Haunted Woods and Campbell Pond, the body of water which inspired The Lake of Shining Waters, both described in the book, are located in the vicinity. In addition, the
has featured the wildly successful
on its mainstage every summer for the past 48 years.
The novel has been very popular in Japan, where it is known as Red-haired Anne, and where it has been included in the national school curriculum since 1952. 'Anne' is revered as "an icon" in Japan, especially since 1979 when this story was broadcast as , . Japanese couples travel to Prince Edward Island to have civil wedding ceremonies on the grounds of the Green Gables farm. Some Japanese girls arrive as tourists with red-dyed hair styled in pigtails, to look like Anne. In 2014,
''(Hanako Muraoka is the first translator in Japan) was broadcast and Anne became popular among old and young（alike).
The Avonlea theme park near Cavendish and the Cavendish Figurines shop have trappings so that tourists may dress like the book's characters for photos. Souvenir shops throughout Prince Edward Island offer numerous foods and products based on details of the 'Anne Shirley' novels. Straw hats for girls with sewn-in red braids are common, as are bottles of raspberry cordial soda. In the first book, Lucy Maud Montgomery established the cordial soda as the favorite beverage of Anne, who declared: "I just love bright red drinks!"
Panorama of Green Gable farmhouse and grounds
, located in , Canada, is dedicated to Lucy M. Montgomery information and heritage. The house museum is located in the former home of , where Montgomery and her family stayed for a vacation in 1922. She based her novel
on the region, changing the town's name to Deerwood. This was the only book she wrote that was set in other than .[]
On May 15, 1975, Canada Post issued 'Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables' designed by Peter Swan and typographed by Bernard N.J. Reilander. The 8? stamps are perforated 13 and were printed by Ashton-Potter Limited.
In the UK, Anne of Green Gables was listed at number 41 on the BBC's , a 2003 survey with the goal of finding the "nation's best-loved novel."
issued two postage stamps and a souvenir sheet honouring Anne and the "Green Gables" house.
adapted to the screen by , it was directed by
and starred
as Anne. This is considered a .
– directed by , this black & white "talkie" starred
as Anne Shirley. After filming, O'Day changed her
to "Anne Shirley".
– directed by , this black & white "talkie" starred
as Anne Shirley, now billed as "Anne Shirley".
– made for television, this version was directed by
and starred
as Anne. Tarnow performed as the first musical Anne.
– a made for television 5-part mini-series, this British version was directed by , with
in the role of Anne.
– a made for television 4-part mini-series, this British version was directed by
in the role of Anne.
4-hour television mini series, it was directed by
1987: , a sequel to the 1985 miniseries, this aired on the
as Anne of Avonlea: The Continuing Story of Anne of Green Gables.
was a television miniseries loosely based upon the novels.
is a television miniseries whose script is not based on the novels.
2015: A 90 minute made for television adaptation of the book by
is scheduled to begin filming in Toronto in May 2015. Casting was held in February 2015. (This replaces the previously announced 13-part series that had been set to film in 2013.) It has been adapted by Susan Coyne and will be directed by John Kent Harrison.
Anne as she appeared in the 1979 Japanese anime adaptation of Anne of Green Gables.
Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series
1952: Anne of Green Gables – a BBC television series starring Carole Lorimer as Anne.
("Red-Haired Anne") – an animated television series, part of 's , produced in Japan in 1979, directed by .
– a live-action television series produced by Kevin Sullivan, based upon characters and episodes from several of
books, excluding Anne Shirley. , Marilla Cuthbert, and other characters from the Anne books are included and the series is set within the same continuity as Sullivan's 1980s miniseries. Shown on The Disney Channel in the U.S. under the title Avonlea.
animated series for older children ages eight to twelve airing on PBS, created by
– part of the .
2013+: A 13-part television adaptation of the book by
is scheduled to begin filming in Canada in 2013.
. This show has been performed annually in the summer since 1964, when the
opened. Its annual
features Canada's longest-running main stage musical production, which has had a total audience of more than 2 million. Anne of Green Gables – The Musical was composed by Canadians
and , with lyrics by
and . The production has been performed before
and has also toured across Canada, the United States, and Europe. It had a run in 's
in 1969. The Charlottetown Festival production performed at the
directed and organized a successful national tour of the musical in Japan in 1991.
The Guild in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, hosts Anne and Gilbert, The Musical. Written by , Bob Johnston and Jeff Hochhauser, the production is based on Montgomery's sequels featuring Anne Shirley.
The Nine Lives of L.M. Montgomery, a musical adapted from Montgomery's novel and her life, opened at Kings Playhouse in
on June 20, 2008, the 100th anniversary of the book's publication. With book and lyrics by Adam-Michael James and music by -nominated composer , the musical depicts events from Montgomery’s life and features as characters heroines from all of her novels. Anne figures prominently, and is shown from age 12 into her 40s. Gilbert Blythe also appears. The show’s second production was at the Carrefour Theatre in
and opened July 11, 2009. Both years, the musical was nominated for The Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation's Wendell Boyle Award. In July 2010, a concert version of the show toured Prince Edward Island, with four performances at Green Gables.
Theatreworks USA, a New York-based children's theatre company, produced an Anne of Green Gables musical in 2006 at the . A revived production, with musical contributions from , is planned to tour grade-schools.
The Peterborough Players, based in , staged an adaptation by Joseph Robinette of Anne of Green Gables in August 2009.
2015: Ana of California: A Novel, by Andi Teran, a “contemporary spin on Anne of Green Gables,” is due for a paperback release by Penguin Books in June, 2015. The lead character of Anne Shirley has been adapted to Ana Cortez, a fifteen-year-old orphan who, according to pre-release copies, “can’t tell a tomato plant from a blackberry bush” when she leaves East Los Angeles for the Northern California farm of Emmett and Abbie Garber.
As one of the most familiar characters in Canadian literature, Anne of Green Gables has been parodied by several Canadian comedy troupes, including
(Anne of Green Gut) and
(Fran of the ).
Devereux, Cecily Margaret (2004). . In Montgomery , p.42.  .
Montgomery, Lucy Maud (2004) [1908]. Devereux, Cecily Margaret, ed. Anne of Green Gables. Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview Press.  .
, "The Guardian", December 12, 2009
on Anne of Green Gables (March 19, 2008)
, Irene Gammel, Looking for Anne of Green Gables: The Story of L. M. Montgomery and her Literary Classic (New York: , 2009).
Irene Gammel, "The Mystery of Anne Revealed," Looking for Anne of Green Gables.
"Anne of Green Gables has sold millions of copies in more than 36 languages"
, USA Today, August 5, 2008
CBC News (June 19, 2008). , "100 years of Anne of Green Gables".
, "The Guardian", April 5th 2007
Government of Prince Edward Island. Retrieved on July 24, 2006
"Confederation Centre of the Arts", August 14th 2012
Yuka Kajihara (April 4, 2004). . .
from the original on July 18, 2011.
, Yukazine, April 4, 2004
Morris, C. (May 11, 2008). , Canadian Press. canoe.ca
Bruni, Frank (November 18, 2007). .
Oct 10 '10. . Tacky Tourist Photos.
from the original on July 16, 2011.
. . October 12, 2010.
from the original on July 17, 2011.
. BBC. April 2003, Retrieved October 27, 2012
. Canada Post.
. Ontario Film Commission. 15 May .
. L.M. Montgomery Online. 1 April .
. ACTpei. 9 February .
. CBC News. June 11, .
. Breakthrough Entertainment 2015.
. CBC News. June 11, .
. . February 15, 2012.
. PeterBoroughPlayers.org.
Lucy Maud Montgomery (June 3, 2008). . Doubleday Canada.  .
Norman Campbell (1972). . Samuel French, Inc.  .
Ned Bustard (January 2009). . Veritas Press.  .
Irene Gammel, Looking for Anne of Green Gables: The Story of L.M. Montgomery and her Literary Classic (2008), authorized by the heirs of L. M. Montgomery.
Irene G Benjamin Lefebvre (May 30, 2010). . University of Toronto Press.  .
Andi Teran (June 2015). . Penguin Books.  .
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