Anne of Green Gables
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| Author | Lucy Maud Montgomery |
|---|---|
| Publisher | L. C. Page & Co. |
| Released | April 1908 |
Anne of Green Gables is a book written by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery; it was first published in 1908. It was written as fiction for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book. Montgomery found her inspiration for the book in a newspaper article describing a couple that was mistakenly sent an orphan girl instead of a boy, yet decided to keep her. Montgomery also drew upon her own childhood experiences in rural Prince Edward Island. Montgomery used a photograph of Evelyn Nesbit, clipped from an American magazine and pasted to the wall near her writing desk, as the model for Anne Shirley, the book's protagonist.
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[edit] Plot summary
Anne Shirley is a skinny, red-haired, freckled orphan who is mistakenly sent to live with friendly, elderly man, Matthew Cuthbert, and his sister, Marilla Cuthbert. They live together in the fictional town of Avonlea, situated on the charming, scenic north shore of Canada's Prince Edward Island, and had submitted a request to adopt a young boy who could work on the family farm.
Her wild imagination, outgoing chatter, fiery temper, and rambunctious spirit ensure that she is the centre of a series of entertaining adventures. As she matures, nurtured by the love and discipline of Marilla and Matthew, she develops into an intelligent and independent young woman who harnesses her imagination constructively. Other important characters include her best friend, Diana Barry, class rival and eventual love interest, Gilbert Blythe, and town gossip, Mrs. Rachel Lynde. Anne is 11 at the novel's beginning and 16 at the end.
The novels have inspired two popular musicals, Anne and Gilbert, The Musical and Anne of Green Gables - The Musical.
[edit] Sequels
Montgomery continued the story of Anne Shirley in a series of sequels. They are listed in the order of Anne's age in each novel.
| # | Book | Date published | Anne Shirley's age |
| 1 | Anne of Green Gables | 1908 | 11 — 16 |
| 2 | Anne of Avonlea | 1909 | 16 — 18 |
| 3 | Anne of the Island | 1915 | 18 — 22 |
| 4 | Anne of Windy Poplars | 1936 | 22 — 25 |
| 5 | Anne's House of Dreams | 1917 | 25 — 27 |
| 6 | Anne of Ingleside | 1939 | 34 — 40 |
| 7 | Rainbow Valley | 1919 | 41 |
| 8 | Rilla of Ingleside | 1920 | 49 — 53 |
| # | Book | Date published | Anne Shirley's age |
| — | Chronicles of Avonlea | 1912 | — |
| — | Further Chronicles of Avonlea | 1920 | — |
[edit] Tourism
Many tourist attractions on Prince Edward Island have been developed based on Anne. The Green Gables farmhouse which Montgomery drew her inspiration from, is located in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. Click here to view a panoramic image of the farmhouse.
Balsam Hollow and the forest that inspired the Haunted Woods described in the book are also located in the vicinity. <ref name="PEI">Gables Government of Prince Edward Island. Retrieved on July 24, 2006</ref> Each summer the musical Anne and Gilbert and the musical Anne of Green Gables is performed at theatres in Prince Edward Island.
The popularity of Anne has extended into many countries and Anne of Green Gables has been translated into seventeen languages. Tourism from Anne fans is an extremely important part of the Island economy. The novels have a huge national following in Japan, and Anne is an icon there.
Bala's Museum With Memories Of Lucy Maud Montgomery located in Bala, Ontario, Canada is dedicated to Montgomery information and heritage, located in the former home of Fanny Pike where Montgomery and her family stayed for a vacation in 1922. She based her novel The Blue Castle on the region, changing the town's name to Deerwood, the only book she wrote not to be set in Atlantic Canada.
[edit] Adaptations
[edit] Film
- 1919: Anne of Green Gables - a silent film adapted to the screen by Frances Marion, it was directed by William Desmond Taylor and starred Mary Miles Minter as Anne.
- 1934: Anne of Green Gables - directed by George Nichols Jr., this Black & White version was made with RCA Victor sound and starred Dawn O'Day as Anne. It is worth noting that after filming, O'Day changed her stage name to Anne Shirley.
[edit] Television movies
- 1956: Anne of Green Gables - made for television, this version directed by Don Harron starred Toby Tarnow as Anne.
- 1972: Anne of Green Gables - a made for television 5-part mini-series, this British version was directed by Joan Craft with Kim Braden in the role of Anne.
- 1985: Anne of Green Gables - a highly acclaimed made for television 8 hour television mini series, it was directed by Kevin Sullivan with Megan Follows as Anne.
- 1987: Anne of Avonlea, a sequel to the 1985 film which was subsequently retitled Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (in the US) on video.
- 2000: Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story was an original film that was not based upon the novels.
[edit] Television series
- 1979: Akage no An ("Red-Haired Anne") - an anime television series which was produced in Japan in 1979, directed by Takahata Isao with the voice of Eiko Yamada as Anne.
- 1989 - 1996: Road to Avonlea - a live action television show produced by Kevin Sullivan based upon characters and episodes from several of L.M. Montgomery's books. Anne herself did not appear in the TV series, but Gilbert Blythe, Marilla Cuthbert, and other characters from the Anne books are included.
[edit] Stage
The Harbourfront Jubilee Theatre in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, hosts the acclaimed musical Anne and Gilbert, The Musical based on the L. M. Montgomery's sequel novels to Anne of Green Gables.
Written by Canadian songwriting icon Nancy White, Bob Johnston and New York's Jeff Hochhauser, it has enjoyed sold out houses since 2005. Productions are planned across Canada in 2007 and Tokyo in 2008.
The Confederation Centre of the Arts' annual "Charlottetown Festival" headlines Canada's longest-running mainstage musical production Anne of Green Gables - The Musical. This show having run every summer since the Centre opened in 1964 has played to over 2 million viewers. Anne of Green Gables - The Musical was composed by Canadian theatrical legends Don Harron and Norman Campbell, with lyrics by Elaine Campbell and Mavor Moore. The production has played to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and has also toured across Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan and has played to numerous distinguished figures in audiences every season.
A West End musical has also been based on the story adapted by Moore and Harron.
[edit] Parodies
As one of the most famous characters in Canadian literature, Anne of Green Gables has been parodied by several Canadian comedy troupes, including The Frantics (Fran of the Fundy) and any was secretly producing an Adele of Beaver Creek porn knockoff.
In response to massive funding cuts to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during the later tenure of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, the Vancouver-based political satire duo Double Exposure noted the effects of the budget cuts on CBC Television productions were so severe that several prominent fictional Canadian characters were being sent out to raise funds independently. There followed the sound of a doorbell, and the words: "([ding-dong]) Anne of Avon, calling!"
[edit] References
- Anne of Green Gables, available freely at Project Gutenberg.
- Japanese Animated Series Official Site
- An L.M. Montgomery Resource Page Resource for all things Anne and L.M. Montgomery
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[edit] External links
- The Anne and Gilbert Homepage
- Anne Shirley Home Page
- Annetoon The Sullivan Entertainment animated series
- An Anne of Green Gables Project An Anne of Green Gables Project
- UPEI LMM Institute University of Prince Edward Island L. M. Montgomery Institute
- AvonleaTreasures An Anne of Green Gables fansite
- AV Trust.ca - Anne of Green Gables AV Trust MasterWorks recipient 2005da:Anne fra Grønnebakken
de:Anne auf Green Gables es:Ana de las Tejas Verdes fr:Anne... la maison aux pignons verts ko:빨간 머리 앤 ja:赤毛のアン pl:Ania z Zielonego Wzgórza zh:清秀佳人
