Status
Available
Local notes
PB Mon
Collections
Series
Publication
Starfire (1984), 277 pages
Description
The mother of five, Anne never has a dull moment in her home, and, now with a new baby on the way and insufferable Aunt Mary Maria visiting-and wearing out her welcome-her life is full to bursting. Still, Mrs. Doctor can't think of any place she'd rather be than her own beloved Ingleside-that is, until the day she begins to worry that her adored Gilbert doesn't love her anymore. But how could that be? She may be a little older, but she's still the same irrepressible, irreplaceable redhead-the wonderful Anne of Green Gables, all grown up and ready to make her cherished husband fall in love with her all over again!.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1939
1997 (Nouvelle édition française, Presses de la Cité)
Physical description
277 p.; 4.19 inches
User reviews
LibraryThing member atimco
Anne of Ingleside has always been my least favorite of the Anne books, and I was never sure why. Now that I've done a little research, I know that it was written long after Montgomery thought she was done with the series — 1939, to be exact — and during a period of personal distress in
Anne's children are quite young in this story; little Rilla, the youngest, appears at age six in one of the last stories. Anne starts to fade out of the series at this point; Anne's House of Dreams is really the last one that really focuses on her, and even then other characters like Leslie Ford and Miss Cornelia are coming to the forefront. Perhaps I rebelled against this inevitable shift in the series and that was my initial, uninformed reason for not caring for it as much as the others. But since then I've noticed other weaknesses as well.
Several of the episodes in the lives of Anne's children are a bit borrowed. The frantic search for Jem reminded me of Marilla's and Anne's search for Dora in Anne of Avonlea. There are three separate stories involving the twins Nan and Di being deceived by a young friend; after the second it became predictable. I never really warmed to Nan; she and Di always stayed in the background. And most of the other stories just weren't that interesting somehow.
Montgomery does do a good job with the advent of Aunt Mary Maria and the misery she causes at Ingleside during her extended stay there. Rebecca Dew has a cameo appearance and the chapter with Rebecca and Susan discussing the ills of the situation is delightful. I also enjoyed the chapter describing the Ladies' Aid meeting at Ingleside and their love of gossip. Somehow the women's unique personalities all come out clearly even when they only get a few sentences of dialogue and one or two narrative lines. Montgomery is such a master at the casual, concise character sketch.
And I will always, always love the concluding chapter in which Anne feels that after fifteen years of marriage Gilbert doesn't care for her anymore, that this is what all marriages come to in the end. Anne is even jealous of the insufferable Christine Stuart! Montgomery really gets into Anne's head and it's a brilliant little look at some common issues of married life: lack of communication, apathy, jealousy, insecurity, and just plain tiredness. The cares of a large family will inevitably wear a couple down. The important thing is that they realize it and take steps to protect their marriage. I do find the end of this book very satisfying, whatever weaknesses are in the rest of it.
Anne fans shouldn't miss this installment in the Blythe family history, and it certainly is amusing and humorous in parts. But it isn't the highlight of the series by any means.
Show More
Montgomery's life. This book is by far the weakest in the series, though still quite an enjoyable read. Anne's children are quite young in this story; little Rilla, the youngest, appears at age six in one of the last stories. Anne starts to fade out of the series at this point; Anne's House of Dreams is really the last one that really focuses on her, and even then other characters like Leslie Ford and Miss Cornelia are coming to the forefront. Perhaps I rebelled against this inevitable shift in the series and that was my initial, uninformed reason for not caring for it as much as the others. But since then I've noticed other weaknesses as well.
Several of the episodes in the lives of Anne's children are a bit borrowed. The frantic search for Jem reminded me of Marilla's and Anne's search for Dora in Anne of Avonlea. There are three separate stories involving the twins Nan and Di being deceived by a young friend; after the second it became predictable. I never really warmed to Nan; she and Di always stayed in the background. And most of the other stories just weren't that interesting somehow.
Montgomery does do a good job with the advent of Aunt Mary Maria and the misery she causes at Ingleside during her extended stay there. Rebecca Dew has a cameo appearance and the chapter with Rebecca and Susan discussing the ills of the situation is delightful. I also enjoyed the chapter describing the Ladies' Aid meeting at Ingleside and their love of gossip. Somehow the women's unique personalities all come out clearly even when they only get a few sentences of dialogue and one or two narrative lines. Montgomery is such a master at the casual, concise character sketch.
And I will always, always love the concluding chapter in which Anne feels that after fifteen years of marriage Gilbert doesn't care for her anymore, that this is what all marriages come to in the end. Anne is even jealous of the insufferable Christine Stuart! Montgomery really gets into Anne's head and it's a brilliant little look at some common issues of married life: lack of communication, apathy, jealousy, insecurity, and just plain tiredness. The cares of a large family will inevitably wear a couple down. The important thing is that they realize it and take steps to protect their marriage. I do find the end of this book very satisfying, whatever weaknesses are in the rest of it.
Anne fans shouldn't miss this installment in the Blythe family history, and it certainly is amusing and humorous in parts. But it isn't the highlight of the series by any means.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Although currently considered the sixth entry in Canadian author L.M. Montgomery's classic series of children's novels about red-headed heroine Anne Shirley - the first (and most famous) volume, Anne of Green Gables, was released in 1908, while the eighth and final one, Rilla of Ingleside, appeared
Meant to fill in gaps between Anne's House of Dreams (1917), which chronicles the first year of Anne's married life with Gilbert Blythe, and Rainbow Valley (1919), which focuses almost entirely upon the six Blythe children, the narrative of Anne of Ingleside is divided between Anne and her children, sometimes chronicling the former's trials and tribulations, as when she comes to doubt Gilbert's regard for her, toward the end of the book; and sometimes featuring the children's adventures and misadventures, from Jem's dog-related sorrows to Di's string of false friends. The result is a book that feels, much like the epistolary Anne of Windy Poplars, rather episodic. I found it quite charming, for all that, and while I'm not entirely sure it succeeds as a novel, enjoyed many of the individual episodes enough that it didn't make much difference to me. Anne's reunion with her childhood friend, Diana, and their day of remembrances of times past; the visit of the deliciously obnoxious Aunt Mary Maria Blythe to Ingleside, and the unexpected cause of her departure; the birth of little Rilla, and Walter's anguish, when exiled from home that day; the poignant discovery, on Jem's part, that you can buy a dog, but not his love - these episodes all appealed to me immensely, even if others - Nan's castle-in-the-air, regarding the GLOOMY HOUSE, for instance - strained my suspension of disbelief.
Anne of Ingleside is, in my estimation, the weakest of the Anne books, and despite my enjoyment, I am always cognizant of its flaws. There are some classist undercurrents here - the almost gleefully detailed descriptions of the poorer houses visited by the children, from Jenny Penny's run-down home, with its noisy, crowded dinner table, to the filthy seaside shanty of six-toed Jimmy Thomas - that I find rather unpleasant, and Anne herself sometimes appears as a distant figure, implausibly perfect as a mother, and curiously inactive, compared to her younger days. That said, I do think that the positives outweigh the negatives, and the realization that this was the last of Montgomery's books - something I had not been aware of, when reading it previously - gave the reading experience added interest and poignancy. When Anne describes herself as "a creature in an nightmare, trying to overtake someone with fettered feet," or laments that "Nothing had any meaning any longer. Everything seemed remote and unreal," one wonders whether Montgomery was writing from her own experience, at the moment of composition.
Show More
in 1921 - Anne of Ingleside was actually published in 1939, long after its companions. It was, in fact, the last of Montgomery's works to appear in her lifetime, making it into print just three years before her death in 1942. I was very conscious of that fact, and of the recent revelations about Montgomery's likely suicide, during my rereading of the book, undertaken for a group discussion over in The L.M. Montgomery Book Club to which I belong, and was especially struck by some of the more melancholy passages that appear in its pages.Meant to fill in gaps between Anne's House of Dreams (1917), which chronicles the first year of Anne's married life with Gilbert Blythe, and Rainbow Valley (1919), which focuses almost entirely upon the six Blythe children, the narrative of Anne of Ingleside is divided between Anne and her children, sometimes chronicling the former's trials and tribulations, as when she comes to doubt Gilbert's regard for her, toward the end of the book; and sometimes featuring the children's adventures and misadventures, from Jem's dog-related sorrows to Di's string of false friends. The result is a book that feels, much like the epistolary Anne of Windy Poplars, rather episodic. I found it quite charming, for all that, and while I'm not entirely sure it succeeds as a novel, enjoyed many of the individual episodes enough that it didn't make much difference to me. Anne's reunion with her childhood friend, Diana, and their day of remembrances of times past; the visit of the deliciously obnoxious Aunt Mary Maria Blythe to Ingleside, and the unexpected cause of her departure; the birth of little Rilla, and Walter's anguish, when exiled from home that day; the poignant discovery, on Jem's part, that you can buy a dog, but not his love - these episodes all appealed to me immensely, even if others - Nan's castle-in-the-air, regarding the GLOOMY HOUSE, for instance - strained my suspension of disbelief.
Anne of Ingleside is, in my estimation, the weakest of the Anne books, and despite my enjoyment, I am always cognizant of its flaws. There are some classist undercurrents here - the almost gleefully detailed descriptions of the poorer houses visited by the children, from Jenny Penny's run-down home, with its noisy, crowded dinner table, to the filthy seaside shanty of six-toed Jimmy Thomas - that I find rather unpleasant, and Anne herself sometimes appears as a distant figure, implausibly perfect as a mother, and curiously inactive, compared to her younger days. That said, I do think that the positives outweigh the negatives, and the realization that this was the last of Montgomery's books - something I had not been aware of, when reading it previously - gave the reading experience added interest and poignancy. When Anne describes herself as "a creature in an nightmare, trying to overtake someone with fettered feet," or laments that "Nothing had any meaning any longer. Everything seemed remote and unreal," one wonders whether Montgomery was writing from her own experience, at the moment of composition.
Show Less
LibraryThing member susanbevans
Anne of Ingleside is the sixth book in L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series. This novel takes place about seven years after Anne's House of Dreams (book 5,) and Anne is the married mother of five children.
Anne in her mid-thirties is not as fun-loving a character as she was in the earlier
Most of the story however is really about Anne's children in this novel and unfortunately, they all seem like paler versions of their mother. They are a little boring and ill-formed, and their so-called "adventures" are not very interesting at all. All in all, Anne of Ingleside was a disappointment and I am worried about the next two books...
Anne in her mid-thirties is not as fun-loving a character as she was in the earlier
Show More
books. She has much more responsibility now and this is plainly illustrated for the reader in Anne of Ingleside. I understand that Anne's freedom has been curtailed a bit by her choices, but Montgomery paints her life in such a negative light that I can't help but wonder what happened to the real Anne? Anne Shirley was always a "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" kind of girl, but as a wife and mother she seems bitter and resentful of the people around her. Most of the story however is really about Anne's children in this novel and unfortunately, they all seem like paler versions of their mother. They are a little boring and ill-formed, and their so-called "adventures" are not very interesting at all. All in all, Anne of Ingleside was a disappointment and I am worried about the next two books...
Show Less
LibraryThing member amerynth
Definitely not my favorite book in the series.... "Anne of Ingleside" is not really about Anne at all -- but is instead about her six children. Told in short episodes featuring each child, the stories get a little bit repetitive and the adventures aren't as interesting as those that Anne had when
Show More
she was a youngster. Gilbert pretty much disappears for most of the book (he's out doctoring, I guess) and Anne only makes occasional appearances. I think L.M. Montgomery wanted to make sure Anne had a happy life and there isn't a lot to say when it's just happiness all of the time. I'm glad I read the book overall, but I just didn't love it in the same way I loved the rest of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Anne of Ingleside captured the charm that had been missing in the last couple of Anne books for me. From the opening pages that described a picnic that Anne shared with her friend Diana while on a trip home to Green Gables, to her joy at returning home to her husband and children, this was a
The focus of this book is on her family. Anne’s children are an assorted group from the two older boys, down-to-earth Jem and dreamer Walter, the twins Nan and Di, youngest son Shirley and the baby, Marilla, named after Anne’s beloved foster mother. The wonderful housekeeper, Susan rounds out the family and is an important member to both the adults and the children. As the seasons turn and time passes we get a bird’s eye view of their home called Ingleside and the happiness, laughter and love contained in that home. Of course, there are sad times as well, the death of a loved pet, the difficulties of an extended visit of an older, crabby great-aunt, a child’s fear when a parent becomes ill.
I personally believe that L.M. Montgomery excels in her writing of children. Yes, the story is old-fashioned and sentimental and these children are perhaps a little too good for total believability but she captures the essence of young hopes and dreams effortlessly. I very much enjoyed her descriptive writing of nature, seasonal changes and the society of rural Prince Edward Island. Anne of Ingleside both soothed and captivated me and certainly deserves it’s place on my shelf of best loved books.
Show More
fitting goodbye to the young Anne as she slips into a gracious middle age.The focus of this book is on her family. Anne’s children are an assorted group from the two older boys, down-to-earth Jem and dreamer Walter, the twins Nan and Di, youngest son Shirley and the baby, Marilla, named after Anne’s beloved foster mother. The wonderful housekeeper, Susan rounds out the family and is an important member to both the adults and the children. As the seasons turn and time passes we get a bird’s eye view of their home called Ingleside and the happiness, laughter and love contained in that home. Of course, there are sad times as well, the death of a loved pet, the difficulties of an extended visit of an older, crabby great-aunt, a child’s fear when a parent becomes ill.
I personally believe that L.M. Montgomery excels in her writing of children. Yes, the story is old-fashioned and sentimental and these children are perhaps a little too good for total believability but she captures the essence of young hopes and dreams effortlessly. I very much enjoyed her descriptive writing of nature, seasonal changes and the society of rural Prince Edward Island. Anne of Ingleside both soothed and captivated me and certainly deserves it’s place on my shelf of best loved books.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rainbowdarling
It's with this book that I felt distinctly the Anne series began to have a sort of decline. The books are interesting, but not quite as much as the earlier books were. The stories lose some of their spark, and I think that is a direct result of Montgomery's having to continue a series with a
The introduction of Anne's children as the focus is interesting, though. They provide sweet little anecdotes of life in Glen St. Mary and while there's less focus on Anne, it seems natural for it to be that way. Anne is so busy in her maternal duties that she seems to have little time for anything else, so her story is told through the actions of and ministrations to her children.
The book is still enjoyable as a coninuation of the story of Anne's life, but it lacks that special something that Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea have in such strong amounts.
Show More
heroine whom she would rather set aside.The introduction of Anne's children as the focus is interesting, though. They provide sweet little anecdotes of life in Glen St. Mary and while there's less focus on Anne, it seems natural for it to be that way. Anne is so busy in her maternal duties that she seems to have little time for anything else, so her story is told through the actions of and ministrations to her children.
The book is still enjoyable as a coninuation of the story of Anne's life, but it lacks that special something that Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea have in such strong amounts.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Magadri
Not the best Anne book. I honestly did not like this one, though intensely devoted fans may.
LibraryThing member ThorneStaff
In the sixth book of the series, Anne and Gilbert now have six active children who mostly (except for Shirley) get their own episode. It is interesting to see the similarities between their imaginations and their mother's, but also to see the differences. Given her pre-Green Gables life that we
It's especially gratifying to see that Anne tries to take each of their silly episodes seriously, never betraying to them when she wants to laugh long and loud. She shows respect for her children and treats them as she would want to be treated at their age. Hence, Anne is their confidante, and they often bring their trials to her. So there is a lot of Anne's children, but still a lot of Anne too.
Show More
know of, Anne seems to have been much more world-wise than her children, so some of their adventures come of being too trusting (both Nan and Di have this problem) or just having a skewed view of the world (Rilla). It's especially gratifying to see that Anne tries to take each of their silly episodes seriously, never betraying to them when she wants to laugh long and loud. She shows respect for her children and treats them as she would want to be treated at their age. Hence, Anne is their confidante, and they often bring their trials to her. So there is a lot of Anne's children, but still a lot of Anne too.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Stewartry
The focus of the series begins to shift from Anne, all grown up, married, in a beautiful home surrounded by her children; instead, her children begin to take center stage. It was sweet, and fun, and very dear, but at times hard to read because of the hints and omens of the future, a future I
Show More
remembered all too well from other times reading the series: the death of a favorite character in the still-far-off Great War. Ingleside still lingers with Anne, and there were glimpses of Diana and the twins and the college friends, all the folk who had become beloved through the series – but not enough. Not my favorite among the Anne books, this, but still solid, stolid, and lovely. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm12
This, the sixth book in the Anne of Green Gables series, focuses more on Anne's growing children and their reaction to various scraps they get themselves into. I missed Anne's voice in this story. Although she's in the book and we occasionally hear from her, she's mainly phased out.
I did hate
I do love Montgomery's descriptions of life. The wonderful character of Anne finds such joy in the smallest things and has a very healthy view of dealing with change.
"Well that was life. Gladness and pain... hope and fear ... and change. Always change! You could not help it. You had to let the old go and take the new to your heart... learn to love it and then let it go in turn. Spring, lovely as it was, must yield to summer and summer loses itself in autumn. The birth ... the bridal ... the death."
I love the series and I'm glad I read the book, but it's definitely not my favorite.
I did hate
Show More
reading one section where Anne, who was a published author in earlier books, says, "Occasionally I do write a little story, but a busy mother hasn't much time for that." I understand that this was written in a very different era, but still. Anne always dreamed of being an author and it seems like she gave up that dream entirely. She has certainly become a wonderful mother, but can't she be both?I do love Montgomery's descriptions of life. The wonderful character of Anne finds such joy in the smallest things and has a very healthy view of dealing with change.
"Well that was life. Gladness and pain... hope and fear ... and change. Always change! You could not help it. You had to let the old go and take the new to your heart... learn to love it and then let it go in turn. Spring, lovely as it was, must yield to summer and summer loses itself in autumn. The birth ... the bridal ... the death."
I love the series and I'm glad I read the book, but it's definitely not my favorite.
Show Less
LibraryThing member linda-irvine
L.M. has been a constant companion through adolescence, and difficult time in adulthood.
LibraryThing member savageknight
I guess it had to happen some time. I finally reached a book in the series that had very little appeal. As much as it was used to introduce us to the children/ family, there were also quite a number of names/ neighbours brought up which got confusing and easy to dismiss.
I was extremely disappointed
I was extremely disappointed
Show More
in this book and I believe the main reason was that Anne herself was no more than just a wraith floating around the background. Heck, at times, it seemed like Susan the helper was more front and center! This was actually brought to light at the very last chapter when Anne once again took center stage as a "closing off" of the book. Suddenly, it was fun to read again and it was those last 10 pages that reminded me of why I had enjoyed the series so much. Show Less
LibraryThing member dilldill
Not as good as the first.
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
This is a book made up of childhood adventures, but I love the glimpses into the grown up Anne life - especially because I'm now at that stage in my life. Anne's children are funny and fanciful and Anne is so good with them. Makes me want to be a better mom!
LibraryThing member MrsLee
It's been too long since I've read this to give a proper review. The first three books were my favorites, the rest were perfectly readable.
LibraryThing member nancynova
Last in the Anne series with Anne as the heroine. Anne has been married to Gilbert for 15 years, and is the mother of 5 rambunctious children. The story continues to follow her family, Susan who has lived with the family for years, and the townspeople's adventures, while introducing the children
Show More
who are featured in the next books. Show Less
LibraryThing member JenneB
So this one is not my favorite. It has these wild mood swings from creepy domestic abuse survivors showing up at funerals to mawkishly cutesy lisping children getting into "adorable" scrapes. There is essentially no plot, just a bunch of random anecdotes.
I did like the story of Peter Kirk's
I did like the story of Peter Kirk's
Show More
funeral though, and SUSAN BAKER REBECCA DEW = BFFS 4 ALWAYS Show Less
LibraryThing member MickyFine
Anne and Gilbert are happily settled in their home of Ingleside with their growing family. With six children there's never a dull moment and Anne hasn't entirely outgrown her own ability to get into mischief every once in a while either.
A loosely connected series of vignettes, these books remain as
A loosely connected series of vignettes, these books remain as
Show More
charming as ever. While the majority of the adventures focus on Anne and Gilbert's children, there are still glimpses into the more adult problems that Anne and Gilbert face as a married couple which added nice depth to the narrative. Show Less
LibraryThing member BookConcierge
2.5**
This is the sixth book in the series that follows the irrepressible Anne Shirley as she grows from a young orphan to adulthood. NOTE: Spoilers ahead if you haven’t read this far in the series
This book focuses on Anne and Gilbert’s six children, who seem to all share their mother’s gift
However, I really missed Anne in most of the book. Yes, it was fun to watch one child after another learn from his/her mistakes or be scared of shadows or foolishly believe a tall tale or relish a summer day playing in the valley and letting their imaginations soar. But, I read the earlier books in the series for Anne, and she wasn’t as prevalent in this episode. I’m not sure I’ll continue reading the series at all.
This is the sixth book in the series that follows the irrepressible Anne Shirley as she grows from a young orphan to adulthood. NOTE: Spoilers ahead if you haven’t read this far in the series
This book focuses on Anne and Gilbert’s six children, who seem to all share their mother’s gift
Show More
of imagination and tendency toward fantasy. The chapters focus on different children and their adventures / flights of fancy. Their dear mother, Anne, as well as housekeeper Susan hold the book together. However, I really missed Anne in most of the book. Yes, it was fun to watch one child after another learn from his/her mistakes or be scared of shadows or foolishly believe a tall tale or relish a summer day playing in the valley and letting their imaginations soar. But, I read the earlier books in the series for Anne, and she wasn’t as prevalent in this episode. I’m not sure I’ll continue reading the series at all.
Show Less
LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
I was disappointed with this book. Ten years have passed since the previous book and Anne is now the mother of six children! Sadly, she was hardly in the story. Instead, the chapters focused on the various Blythe children and read more like a collection of short stories rather than a cohesive
Show More
novel. However, with only two more books to go in the series, I will continue following Anne's journey. Show Less
LibraryThing member DrFuriosa
Family life is sometimes a hard sell, but Montgomery tells the stories of Anne's children with a deft and humorous hand. And her commentary on marriage is nuanced and poignant.
LibraryThing member leah152
Anne of Ingleside is the sixth & last book in the Anne series. This story is the continuing story of Anne, Gilbert & their children. I read my mum's copies of the Anne series, not realising there were a couple missing until I spied them in an op shop one day. I was very glad I did! This story is
Show More
told with LM Montgomery's beautiful prose charming storytelling. Show Less
LibraryThing member briandrewz
Not my favorite of the Anne books, but a good read just the same. I wish there was more of Anne in it. This book seemed to center a good deal around her children. Walter and Jem are my favorites. There was a lot of animal dying in this book, which disturbed me greatly.
Still, a pleasant way to
Still, a pleasant way to
Show More
immerse yourself in the world of Anne of Green Gables, even if Anne's appearance is not as prevalent as it might be. Show Less
LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
This book picks up from Anne's House of Dreams, but many years down the road. At the end of that novel, Gilbert and Anne are moving to a new home with their first child, who is still a baby. At the beginning of this novel, Anne is pregnant with her umpteenth child. Gilbert's great-aunt is staying
As this series continues, it seems to be a case of diminishing returns. I really hated the jump in time between the last novel and this one because I felt I didn't get to know these new children well and could never keep them straight in my head, which wouldn't have happened if a mess of them hadn't been introduced in one breath but instead been added to the family slowly over time.
I also disliked that the focus came away from Anne. It's not that hearing about the children's lives wasn't cute (and it did add back in the mishaps and foibles from the first two books in the series), but it's that we didn't see these from Anne's perspective. Instead there's a collective narration at times from the point of view of the children as a faceless mass. For instance, there's many passages such as this one: "That year was always referred to in the Ingleside chronicles as the one in which Dad almost had pneumonia and Mother had it. One night, Anne, who already had a nasty cold, went with Gilbert to a party in Charlottetown...wearing a new and very becoming dress and Jem's string of pearls. She looked so well in it that all the children who had come in to see her before she left thought it was wonderful to have a mother you could be so proud of." Also, I hated that our fierce, funny, and all-around likeable Anne is reduced to having her great accomplishment be looking pretty.
In addition, with all these children and their adventures to keep track of, we hardly ever hear a peep about Avonlea folks, which has unfortunately been the case in several of the later books. There's a brief recap in the beginning of the book that felt nostalgically nice, but after that any mentions became few and far between. However, we also barely hear about all the new acquaintances and friends that Anne made in Glen St. Mary during the previous title either, other than their live-in housekeeper Susan. Others make an occasional appearance or brief mention. I wish we heard more about Leslie at least but she's barely a cameo.
One thing that several editions of this book mention in the short blurb is how Anne needs to convince Gilbert to still be in love with her, or something to that effect. This is only one short vignette, which is literally in the last chapter! By this time, it has been 15 years since their wedding day and an old beau of Gilbert's is in town, so Anne starts to get jealous. Although brief, this chapter felt more like an Anne of Green Gables book, with a feisty Anne and some misunderstandings that all get cleared up.
I will continue with the next two books since I've almost completed my re-read of this series. I just wish it had held up to my memory of it better, because these later books have been disappointing.
The audiobook narrator for this book was just so-so. She tried to give different voices to different characters but they are all just okay. I felt her general narration could have been a little more lively overall.
Show More
with them, and no one likes her overbearing ways but they don't have the heart to send family away. After this part, the book becomes about the Blythe children and little vignettes from their lives such as worrying that Anne is ill and dying when she is in labor, saving up money to buy a strand of pearls for Anne, making bargains with God over silly things during nightly prayers, becoming friends with schoolmates who have a tendency to over exaggerate, and so on.As this series continues, it seems to be a case of diminishing returns. I really hated the jump in time between the last novel and this one because I felt I didn't get to know these new children well and could never keep them straight in my head, which wouldn't have happened if a mess of them hadn't been introduced in one breath but instead been added to the family slowly over time.
I also disliked that the focus came away from Anne. It's not that hearing about the children's lives wasn't cute (and it did add back in the mishaps and foibles from the first two books in the series), but it's that we didn't see these from Anne's perspective. Instead there's a collective narration at times from the point of view of the children as a faceless mass. For instance, there's many passages such as this one: "That year was always referred to in the Ingleside chronicles as the one in which Dad almost had pneumonia and Mother had it. One night, Anne, who already had a nasty cold, went with Gilbert to a party in Charlottetown...wearing a new and very becoming dress and Jem's string of pearls. She looked so well in it that all the children who had come in to see her before she left thought it was wonderful to have a mother you could be so proud of." Also, I hated that our fierce, funny, and all-around likeable Anne is reduced to having her great accomplishment be looking pretty.
In addition, with all these children and their adventures to keep track of, we hardly ever hear a peep about Avonlea folks, which has unfortunately been the case in several of the later books. There's a brief recap in the beginning of the book that felt nostalgically nice, but after that any mentions became few and far between. However, we also barely hear about all the new acquaintances and friends that Anne made in Glen St. Mary during the previous title either, other than their live-in housekeeper Susan. Others make an occasional appearance or brief mention. I wish we heard more about Leslie at least but she's barely a cameo.
One thing that several editions of this book mention in the short blurb is how Anne needs to convince Gilbert to still be in love with her, or something to that effect. This is only one short vignette, which is literally in the last chapter! By this time, it has been 15 years since their wedding day and an old beau of Gilbert's is in town, so Anne starts to get jealous. Although brief, this chapter felt more like an Anne of Green Gables book, with a feisty Anne and some misunderstandings that all get cleared up.
I will continue with the next two books since I've almost completed my re-read of this series. I just wish it had held up to my memory of it better, because these later books have been disappointing.
The audiobook narrator for this book was just so-so. She tried to give different voices to different characters but they are all just okay. I felt her general narration could have been a little more lively overall.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ElizaJane
This takes place nine years after the last book and ends with Anne's 15th wedding anniversary therefore covering Anne's years 36-40. Anne mostly has capers matchmaking, as usual, and her children each get into a major, for them, hijinx or problem. Anne is the perfect understanding mother. The first
Show More
portion of the book has old Aunt Mary Maria visiting and won't leave until Anne lets out her age publically which is the grand old age of 55. The end of the book has Anne jealous and feeling as if Gilbert doesn't love her anymore. This is totally out of character and is, of course, a misunderstanding. My least favourite of the books but I do appreciate that Gilbert shows up as a character again. Show Less
Other editions
Anne of Ingleside (Anne of Green Gables, No. 6) by L. M. Montgomery (Paperback)
Similar in this library
Lexile
800L
Pages
277