Good storytelling is good storytelling whether complex or simple; Heidi or War and Peace. Montgomery's style is crisp, simple and enjoyable. Her stori..Show More »es were not in the style of War and Peace but on the hand, I don't think Leo Tolstoy could have written anything like Anne of Green Gables. In any case, Lucy Maud Montgomery is near the top of my favorite writers especially when I need something to enjoy without effort. I think I have read all of her dozens of books and many of her scores of short stories.

Anne is all grown up and off to the big college of Redmond. Montgomery seems to put into her stories the tales which have an oral tradition of the Maritime Provinces. I have no doubt that this is the source of many of Anne Shirley's adventures. There is a ring of truth to them. They actually happened to someone at some time. My favorites include the two old woman of Patty's Place; oh, yes and the cats! I know they were real. No one could make them up. To Anne's eternal vexation, the all grown up young lady received some of the best "worst" proposals of marriage ever. They stand alongside Mr. Collins' proposal to Elizabeth Bennet and even Mr. Darcy's first proposal to the same lady as awesomely horrible. I think Montgomery reports actual proposals. Oh, yes, she refused them all, including the rather nice expected (by the reader)one from Gilbert.

The death of Ruby Gillis, the beautiful social butterfly is one of Montgomery's best scenes. In addition, that moment when Anne thought Gilbert was dying and she has a flash of insight into her own heart is quite moving. One last thing, "playing gooseberry" or "going gooseberry" means to chaperon. I got that straight from the P.E.I. public relations department and the LM Montgomery Institute.


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Susan O'Malley is a wonderful narrator, as she narrates books the way they should be considering they were written in the early 1900's. I wouldn't wa..Show More »nt to hear anyone else narrate one of these wonderful books. She is very talented in knowing just how to narrate the 'Anne' stories.
Don't be put off by the age of these stories or by thinking they are for children. I only realized reading this story that these books weren't written for children but for adults who remember what it was to be young. They bring back the old values of the past that we wish hadn't disappeared. The stories have brought tears to my eyes and made me laugh out loud.
Start from the beginning and let Anne be a part of your life!

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While an entertaining and fun book, the core characters in the "Anne" series just make cameo appearances. I think this was one of the books L.M. Mont..Show More »gomery wrote because she was pressured to, so somehow it doesn't quite reach the level of Anne's House of Dreams or Rilla of Ingleside. One can't help being annoyed with a father who is so absent-minded that his children are in constantly in danger of serious harm, but is quite able to pay enough attention to find a wife, who is obviously meant to devote her life to raising his 4 children (dear as they are).

The narrator does not add to the listening experience at all. At least once every five minutes, she emphasizes the wrong word in a sentence, does not bring out the different characters with different voices, and is generally flat. I would have given the book 4 stars otherwise.

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Lucy Maude Montgomery's books are usually found in the children's section and children can and do gain immense pleasure from reading and re-reading th..Show More »em. As I have grown older, I found that I have outgrown categories such as children's or women's books. I think such categories can and do hide a books true merit.

Rilla of Ingleside is the conclusion of the stories begun in Rainbow Valley. As I wrote the previous sentence, I realized that it wasn'true. LM Montgomery wrote only one book during her life. It is a book of stories of and about the people of the Maritime Provinces of Canada and in particular, Prince Edward Island. At its core, Rilla is a romance, a very powerful and moving romance set against the background of World War I and oddly enough includes only two kisses. One kiss was bestowed by Rilla a silly empty headed girl and the second by Rilla the woman. I add, a woman worth having and loving. In between, the politics, privations, sacrifices and motivations of individuals and nations become understandable. One can gain an insight into the lives of ordinary people and their extraordinary accomplishments; most important of all, their quiet resolute courage both on the battlefield and in the kitchens, parlors and churches. Rilla is a story about how World War I changed the world forever and affects us and our attitudes today. It is a book older children will love as well as adults who have gown up enough.

The narrator, Anna Fields has a gift and leads us on through these stories with her clear pleasant voice as she assumes the identity of widely varying characters.

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