November 24, 2023

November—with uncanny witchery

A quote from The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery: November—with uncanny witchery in its changed trees. With murky red sunsets flaming in smoky crimson behind the westering hills. With dear days when the austere woods were beautiful and gracious in a dignified serenity of folded hands and closed eyes—days full of a fine, pale sunshine that sifted through the late, leafless gold of the juniper-trees and glimmered among the grey beeches, lighting up evergreen banks of moss and washing the colonnades of the pines.

"November—with uncanny witchery in its changed trees. With murky red sunsets flaming in smoky crimson behind the westering hills. With dear days when the austere woods were beautiful and gracious in a dignified serenity of folded hands and closed eyes—days full of a fine, pale sunshine that sifted through the late, leafless gold of the juniper-trees and glimmered among the grey beeches, lighting up evergreen banks of moss and washing the colonnades of the pines."
-L.M. Montgomery
The Blue Castle

Read more quotes by L.M. Montgomery.

Image credit:
Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.

Purchase and read the The Blue Castle:


The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery


Created November 24, 2023. Last updated April 19, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

November 15, 2023

Five Facts About Anne of Green Gables

Megan Follows as Anne of Green Gables, Sullivan Entertainment, 1985

Here are five facts about Anne of Green Gables:

  1. Anne of Green Gables is a novel written by Lucy Maud Montgomery that was first published in 1908.

  2. The novel is a classic Canadian story that has been translated into many languages and is beloved worldwide.

  3. The story is set in the fictional town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island, Canada.

  4. Anne of Green Gables has been adapted into films, television series, and animated series.

  5. Anne of Green Gables tells the story of a young orphan girl named Anne Shirley.

Image credit:
Photograph of Megan Follows as Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables © Sullivan Entertainment

Purchase and read Anne of Green Gables:


Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Anne of Green Gables Book Set by L.M. Montgomery


Created November 15, 2023.
© worldofanneshirley.com

September 13, 2023

Anne of Green Gables Paper Doll Book

Anne of Green Gables Paper Doll Book by Eileen Rudisill Miller

Check out this wonderful Anne of Green Gables Paper Doll Book by Eileen Rudisill Miller that was published by Paper Studio Press in 2014. Miller is an illustrator and painter. You can visit her website and Etsy store to see more of her paper doll books, coloring books, and artwork.

The Anne of Green Gables Paper Doll Book includes two dressable figures: Anne Shirley and Anne's bosom friend, Diana Barry. The figures are 10 inches tall and include stands.

Anne of Green Gables Paper Doll Book, Anne Shirley and Diana Barry Paper Doll Figures by Eileen Rudisill Miller

You can dress Anne Shirley and Diana Barry in 16 outfits from L.M. Montgomery's story, including several displayed below. The outfits include Anne and Diana's school clothes, play clothes, and dresses worn when picking flowers in Lover’s Lane. There's also Anne's first dress with puffed sleeves and the gowns Anne and Diana wore when visiting Miss Josephine Barry. Additionally, the book includes Anne and Diana's outfits for the recital at the White Sands Hotel (Anne wears the pearls Matthew gave her), their clothes worn when Anne left for Queen’s College, and dresses worn when Anne returned home to teach in Avonlea.

Anne of Green Gables Paper Doll Book by Eileen Rudisill Miller


The Anne of Green Gables Paper Doll Book is available for purchase on Amazon.

Image Credits:
Images from the Anne of Green Gables Paper Doll Book (2014) by Eileen Rudisill Miller.



Created September 14, 2023.
© worldofanneshirley.com

September 07, 2023

Bibliophile Pencil Set Featuring Anne of Green Gables

Bibliophile Pencil Set Featuring Anne of Green Gables


I keep running across Anne of Green Gables-themed items in bookstores lately. They seem to be everywhere. Last night, I saw this cool bibliophile pencil set featuring literary quotes by Chronicle Books. It features the art of Jane Mount. It's a set of ten pencils with the green one featuring a quote from Anne of Green Gables: "Tomorrow is a new day, with no mistakes in it yet."

The other nine pencils feature quotes from Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, The Three Musketeers, A Tale of Two Cities, The Art of War, Moby Dick, Frankenstein, The Prophet, and The Marrow of Tradition

I'm tempted to buy a set.


Created September 7, 2023.
© worldofanneshirley.com

September 05, 2023

Lane Moore on Anne of Green Gables

Lane Moore and Megan Follows playing Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables

This week, I finished reading a book called You Will Find Your People: How to Make Meaningful Friendships as an Adult by Lane Moore. She's a writer, musician and comedian.

Having moved this summer, and feeling lonely in general, I thought the book might be helpful to me. I’m always searching for kindred spirits and hoping for that ideal bosom friendship depicted in L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. I think that this belief in true and lasting friendship is a common bond shared by people who love the Anne series. What I didn’t know when I started reading You Will Find Your People is that its author Lane Moore loves and identifies with Anne Shirley too and that Anne would turn up in her book.

In Chapter 2, Moore talks about Anne Shirley and Diana Barry’s friendship as being an exception to the general categories of female friendship depicted in the media. She writes:

"There are of course so many beautiful exceptions in pop culture. Particularly, Anne Shirley and Diana Barry's lifelong, deeply devoted, Platonic Soulmates friendship in Anne of Green Gables. (Though, their friendship is arguably two people who are totally in love with each other, and I will forever stand by this correct assumption, but that's for another book.) But if such a Platonic Soulmate exists, where do you find that devotion that sees you through adolescence, into adulthood, into marriages and kids and moving and new careers? Where do you find that magical, poetic friendship where you both grow on parallel tracks—even if they're not the same tracks exactly—into people who still connect deeply, not only as the people you once were, but also as the people you're constantly becoming?"

I wonder that too, where do you find that truest of friendships depicted in Anne of Green Gables? Sometimes I’ve wondered if this type of friendship really exists or if it’s simply fiction, but I still hope it’s something real and attainable.

Later on in the book, in Chapter 14, which is titled, "Friend Breakups: How to Know When to Leave, How to Do It, and How to Cope with the Grief," Lane Moore begins the chapter with a quote from L.M. Montgomery’s novel:

Even though we meet as strangers now I still love her with an inextinguishable love.
-Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables

Anne's statement really captures the grief when a friendship feels lost.

After finishing the book, I read a beautiful essay where Lane Moore talks about friendship and Anne of Green Gables called, "I Want a Bosom Friendship Like Anne Shirley and Diana Barry." She wrote the essay for Powell’s Books Blog on April 25, 2023. (Until just a couple months ago, I used to live a few blocks from Powell’s). Moore's essay is really lovely, and I think any fan of Anne of Green Gables should read it.

Moore writes about her lifelong goal, saying, "For me, I want a bosom friendship like Anne Shirley and Diana Barry from Anne of Green Gables more than just about anything in this world." She writes, "When I was a kid, I would read Lucy Maude Montgomery's words describing bosom friends, which boiled down this very romantic sentiment: two people who were absolutely platonic while at the same time being absolutely soulmates." She continues, saying, "I knew I wanted bosom friends. I wanted friends who I could be openly romantic with, maybe a little dramatic with, and also extremely silly with, who I could get drunk on cherry cordials with…"

I love her description of Anne and Diana’s friendship: "Their friendship was about full acceptance and full support of each other. In the face of cruel classmates, and a frustrating world, Anne had Diana's back and Diana had hers just the same."

No wonder so many of us long for a friendship like theirs.


Moore has also mentioned Anne of Green Gables in the following interviews. Check them out:

"What Attachment Styles Teach Us About Our Friendships: They’re Not Just for Romantic Relationships" by Lane Moore, Elle (June 28, 2023)

"Lane Moore: 5 Books That Make Me Feel Less Alone" by Lane Moore, Strand Book Store (October 30, 2018)

Image Credits:
Left: Photograph of Lane Moore from her website.
Right: Screen capture of Megan Follows as Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel © Sullivan Entertainment.

Created September 5, 2023.
© worldofanneshirley.com

April 20, 2023

One late April evening

A quote about April and spring by L.M. Montgomery in Anne of Green Gables.

"Marilla, walking home one late April evening from an Aid meeting, realized that the winter was over and gone with the thrill of delight that spring never fails to bring to the oldest and saddest as well as to the youngest and merriest."
-L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables

Read more quotes by L.M. Montgomery.

Image credit:
Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.

Purchase and read Anne of Green Gables:

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Anne of Green Gables Book Set by L.M. Montgomery


Created April 20, 2023. Last updated April 19, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

April 18, 2023

Read Anne of Green Gables with Reddit's Online Book Club

Read Anne of Green Gables with the Reddit Book Club

Recently, I joined Reddit's Book Club Community because I thought it would be fun to read books with a big online group. By chance, soon after joining, Anne of Green Gables was chosen as Reddit's Book Club Runner Up Read.

Read Anne of Green Gables with the Reddit Book Club

Have you ever wanted to read or re-read Anne with a group? Well, here's your chance!


Purchase and read Anne of Green Gables:


Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Anne of Green Gables Book Set by L.M. Montgomery


Created April 18, 2023.
© worldofanneshirley.com

April 12, 2023

Anne of Green Gables and the Comfort of Reading Books

Drawing of Anne Shirley reading a book in front of Green Gables from Akage no An, the anime production of Anne of Green Gables

"'My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes.' That’s a sentence I read in a book once, and I say it over to comfort myself whenever I’m disappointed in anything."


As a lonely orphan, Anne Shirley finds solace in books. Reading provides her with comfort and room to explore, learn, and grow. We learn about Anne's love of words, stories, and books early on in the novel Anne of Green Gables.

In Chapter 5, Marilla has decided to take Anne back to Mrs. Spencer. She expects that Anne will be returned to the asylum in Nova Scotia. Aware of her fate, Anne decides that she will still enjoy the buggy ride to Mrs. Spencer’s home. Anne looks around and sees beauty in an early wild rose and comments on how the color pink is "bewitching."

When Anne asks Marilla if she ever knew anyone whose hair was red when she was young that changed to a different color when she grew up, Marilla coldly dashes Anne’s hopes. Anne then quotes a sentence she read once telling Marilla, "Well, that is another hope gone. 'My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes.' That’s a sentence I read in a book once, and I say it over to comfort myself whenever I’m disappointed in anything."

Marilla is prosaic. She doesn’t see anything comforting in Anne’s quote. Anne explains that she finds the words, "nice and romantic, just as if I were a heroine in a book." Anne's imagination saves her and comforts her and provides her with hope when things are dark.

Just as Anne finds comfort in stories, quotes, and reading, the readers of Anne of Green Gables find comfort in L.M. Montgomery’s creation. Anne Shirley is a character who somehow brings comfort and joy to readers everywhere.


Image credit:

Drawing of Anne Shirley reading a book in front of Green Gables from Akage no An, the anime production of Anne of Green Gables.

Purchase and read Anne of Green Gables:

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Anne of Green Gables Book Set by L.M. Montgomery


Created April 12, 2023.
© worldofanneshirley.com

January 28, 2023

January so far has been a month of cold gray days

A quote about cold, grey, January days by L.M. Montgomery in Anne of Windy Poplars.

"January 28th.

January so far has been a month of cold gray days, with an occasional storm whirling across the harbor and filling Spook's Lane with drifts. But last night we had a silver thaw and today the sun shone."

-L.M. Montgomery
Anne Shirley in Anne of Windy Poplars

Read more quotes by L.M. Montgomery.

Image credit:
Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.

Purchase and read Anne of Windy Poplars and the Anne of Green Gables series:

Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery Anne of Green Gables Book Set by L.M. Montgomery


Created January 28, 2023. Last updated April 19, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

January 27, 2023

Anne Shirley and Diana Barry Jigsaw Puzzle

Anne Shirley and Diana Barry in Apple Orchard Jigsaw Puzzle, Akage no An, anime, Anne of Green Gables

My brother got me a sweet gift for Christmas. It's an Anne of Green Gables jigsaw puzzle. The image is from the anime Anne of Green Gables series (Akage no An, 1979), which was produced as part of Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theater series. The pretty painted scene shows Anne Shirley and Diana Barry sitting together and talking in an apple orchard. If you want one too, you can purchase the 1014-piece puzzle here.

Created January 27, 2023. Last updated March 4, 2023.
© worldofanneshirley.com

January 25, 2023

About the Oh My Anne Mobile Game

Oh My Anne Mobile Game - Follow Anne's Romantic Story

The Google Play store includes information about the "Oh my Anne" mobile app, which had its soft launch last month. Version 1.0.0 of the app was released/last updated on December 3, 2022 by NEOWIZ. The game is rated "E" for everyone, and there are in-app purchases.

NEOWIZ provided the following description of the game to the Google Play store:

A heartwarming game about Anne Shirley's story in Avonlea!
Enjoy calming, relaxing match 3 puzzle levels & renovate the Green Gables.
Unlock endless chapters about Anne’s encounters and makeover!
Adventures in Avonlea are at the doorstep!

"But if you call me Anne, please call me Anne with an 'e'."

Encouraging & Heartwarming Story!
It all began when Matthew and Marilla accepted Anne to the family..
Folllow Anne through her times of true romance, friendship, and tears - all unexpected!
Watch how her relationship with the townspeople of Avonlea flourish!

“I thought my story at Green Gables was about to end, but it was just the beginning.”

Enjoy Renovating the Green Gables
Oh my, what a dusty room!
Mop the floors! Change the carpets!
Unlock & renovate rooms, spread happiness in the air!
Help Anne Bring warmth back to the Green Gables, and to her loved ones as well.
Renovate your mansion, give it a fantastic makeover!

"Seeing the place nice and clean makes me so happy.”

Easy Match 3 Puzzle Levels
Match puzzle pieces, use delicate booster effects to beat levels!
Equip yourself with Anne’s mighty spirit!
Show off your match 3 skills by clearing various fun challenge modes ahead!

“I couldn''t tell where to begin at first,
but after placing the tiles one by one, before I knew it, I was already done!”

Experience Calming and Relaxing Game
Sit back, and enjoy relaxing makeovers.
The most heartwarming words from Anne, will certainly brighten up your day!

"You can enjoy anything if you make up your mind to enjoy it."


The Google Play store features the image above ("Follow Anne's Romantic Story") as well as the following images and screencaptures of "Oh my Anne" with explanations of how to play the game.

Meet new friends and the townspeople of Avonlea:

Oh My Anne Mobile Game - Meet New Friends and the Townspeople of Avonlea

Unlock more rooms and renovate Green Gables:

Oh My Anne Mobile Game - Unlock More Rooms and Renovate Green Gables

Watch and immerse yourself in Anne's precious moments:


Oh My Anne Mobile Game - Watch and Immerse Yourself in Anne's Precious Moments

Play match-3 levels:

Oh My Anne Mobile Game - Play Match-3 Levels

Earn daily rewards:

Oh My Anne Mobile Game - Earn Daily Rewards

Collect beautiful dresses:

Oh My Anne Mobile Game - Collect Beautiful Dresses

Anne Shirley dreams of a dress with puffed sleeves:

Oh My Anne Mobile Game Screenshot of Anne Shirley Dreaming of a Dress with Puffed Sleeves

Some of the game's aspects don't seem to relate to the story, but I'm still interested in checking out the app.

Created January 25, 2023.
© worldofanneshirley.com

January 24, 2023

Oh My Anne Mobile Game Soft Launch

Oh My Anne Mobile Game

In December, NEOWIZ, a South Korean online game developer and publisher, announced the soft launch of a mobile app called "Oh my Anne." It’s a mobile game based on the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. "Oh my Anne" has launched in Canada and in select regions so far, and the global launch of the game will soon follow. It will be available on iOS and Android.

It's a game about Anne Shirley's time in Avonlea. The player helps unlock chapters as Anne brings warmth to Green Gables and to Anne's loved ones. Through the game, Anne develops relationships with the townspeople of Avonlea. The story follows Anne through moments of friendship, romance, and sorrow. The gameplay also involves match games and makeover/renovation elements where the player collects dresses for Anne and helps her clean and renovate Green Gables.

Here are a couple of screenshots of the game from NEOWIZ's announcement on twitter:

Oh My Anne Mobile Game

Oh My Anne Mobile Game

The artwork and animation look so lovely. I'm curious about "Oh my Anne." and I hope to be able to check it out soon. Has any reader downloaded the game? What did you think of it?

Read more about the game in an article by Catherine Dellosa at PocketGamer.


Created January 24, 2023.
© worldofanneshirley.com

January 22, 2023

Anne of Green Gables Literary Quote Pencil Set

Anne of Green Gables Literary Quote Pencils

I ran across the cutest Anne of Green Gables literary quote pencils today. It's a set of six #2 HB pencils featuring the following quotes from L.M. Montgomery's classic novel:

MAPLES ARE SUCH SOCIABLE TREES
I LOVE BRIGHT RED DRINKS, DON’T YOU?
I HAVE GIVEN UP ALL HOPE OF DIMPLES.
PLEASE CALL ME ANNE WITH AN 'E."
IT’S DELIGHTFUL TO HAVE AMBITIONS.
I’M IN THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR.


I think they'd inspire me to write a poem or story like Anne's "Averil's Atonement." What about you?

Created January 22, 2023. Last updated April 19, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

January 19, 2023

The Anne of Green Gables Manuscript Digital Exhibition

The Anne of Green Gables Manuscript Digital Exhibition

Today, a digital exhibition launched called "The Anne of Green Gables Manuscript: L.M. Montgomery and the Creation of Anne" that features a digitized version of L.M. Montgomery's original handwritten manuscript for Anne of Green Gables. Fans of Anne of Green Gables can explore the text to see L.M. Montgomery's writing process and analyze how she developed the story.

Check out the exhibit at: annemanuscript.ca




Here's the press release for the exhibit by the Confederation Centre of the Arts:

January 19, 2023 – For the first time ever, L.M. Montgomery’s original manuscript of Anne of Green Gables is available to readers everywhere through a new digital exhibition.

The Anne of Green Gables Manuscript: L.M. Montgomery and the Creation of Anne officially launched online today. The digital exhibition will allow people to explore Montgomery’s original text, see what was written on the back of pages, and find out how famous moments were developed or revised. The interactive website includes never-before-seen material, such as Montgomery’s publishing contract for the novel.

“Visitors can pore over every pen stroke – there are bits of short story drafts and heavily scratched out passages that just beg for one to zoom in. We have also added hundreds of photo and video annotations to learn from,” says Dr. Emily Woster, an L.M. Montgomery scholar who curated the exhibition. “This is a celebration of Montgomery’s creative process, and we invite scholars and fans alike to explore the site and trace the origins of Anne.”

The high-quality digitization of the manuscript gives visitors a unique opportunity to learn about the author and Prince Edward Island, and reflect on Anne’s legacy in print, on screen, and on stage – including the nearly 60-year history of Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™ at The Charlottetown Festival.

The digital exhibition is presented by Confederation Centre of the Arts, the University of Prince Edward Island’s Robertson Library and L.M. Montgomery Institute, and developed with funding from the Digital Museums Canada investment program. The Digital Museums Canada investment program helps build digital capacity in Canadian museums and heritage organizations and gives Canadians unique access to diverse stories and experiences. Digital Museums Canada is managed by the Canadian Museum of History, with the financial support of the Government of Canada.

The history of the novel dates back to the summer of 1905, when Montgomery began writing Anne’s story in the kitchen of her home in Cavendish. The classic novel is beloved the world over, inspiring millions of readers in over 40 languages. The original manuscript resides in the archives at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown, and only a lucky few have been able to see it or study it in person.

“This important project will vastly increase access to the manuscript, generating new understanding and appreciation of the novel’s beginnings and of its author,” says L.M. Montgomery Institute chair Dr. Philip Smith. “The digitization by the expert staff at UPEI’s Robertson Library will allow enthusiasts around the world to discover Montgomery’s creativity in interactive ways not previously available.”

The digital exhibition is available in English and French and can be viewed online at annemanuscript.ca.



Official Site:
The Anne of Green Gables Manuscript: L.M. Montgomery and the Creation of Anne

Image Credit:
Image from The Anne of Green Gables Manuscript: L.M. Montgomery and the Creation of Anne.

Reference:
New digital exhibition explores Anne of Green Gables manuscript. Confederation Centre of the Arts. Retrieved from: https://confederationcentre.com/news/digital-exhibition-anne-manuscript/. (January 19, 2023).

Created January 19, 2023.
© worldofanneshirley.com