Anne of Green Gables

When I set out to read this book I believed I would find it highly enjoyable. I had seen the film before and the numerous made for TV series, so it seemed a foregone conclusion that I would love the book, Right?

Wrong !!!

I did not enjoy it at all. Talk about a struggle. This is supposed to be a favourite among many children, but how they managed to understand what the hell Montgomery was talking about is beyond me.

Montgomery had me reaching for the dictionary at least 10 times in the first chapter, which I hate. Whenever a word comes along that I do not know, I feel the need to look it up, otherwise I feel the book has not been completed in some way, and that that misunderstood word could change the whole chapter and feel of the story.

Stupid I know, but it is just how I read. However, I feel that these words are so obscure and rarely used that a lot of other readers would have had to glance at a dictionary as well, especially the many people who claim that this is their favourite all time children's book.

There are other reasons why this book will not be finding a permanent place on my book shelf. I am not a huge fan of pages and pages of descriptive writing. I know an author has to set a scene, and try to bring the reader into the book, but page after page of how the woods smelt and how the trees looked, and how the stream trickled is not my bag at all.

It's a shame as the story is a good one. A young orphan girl going to live with a brother and sister, getting up to all sorts and having a cheerful disposition, but a fiery stubborn temper, is  a fine basis for a story. God, she could almost be me.

I will always love the TV series and the film versions of this book and it's sequels, but the literature for me is a struggle.  

Sorry L.M Montgomery.