I haven’t posted in a while and thought an easy series of articles to write and share would be the books I’ve read (completed or in the process of reading) lately. The following are highlights and my own personal reactions, and by no means a formal book review.

 

Anne of Green Gables

Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Genre: Fiction

Status: Finished Reading

Back during the summer I was on a Netflix binge when I came across the series Anne with an E. I was mostly unfamiliar with the story about Anne Shirley and always assumed it to be just another Little House on the Prairie. In my boredom I gave it a shot and was very pleased by the experience. The show itself is very well produced and acted. The young girl who plays Anne Shirley goes all-out in her portrayal of the titular character. Some might accuse her of overacting but after having read the book, I don’t think that’s a fair criticism. The character of Anne Shirley is what motivated me to read the book and see for myself if the cinematic portrayal was anything like the original literary version. In my opinion, she was.

In the book and television series Anne is something of a romantic soul (in the literary/philosophic sense) in a child’s body. She is a bit awkward, often found daydreaming, is highly imaginative-playing out fanciful stories in her head, is easily distracted by beautiful nature scenes, loves reading (especially poetry), uses complicated words to explain simple things, is uncompromising to a fault about peculiar things, is teased for her red hair, is constantly fearing the worst of outcomes, and is haunted by her past.

She is a paradox of sorts. She is quite naive about some practical things in life, and yet experienced in life in a way that is tragic for a child to be. She grows over the course of the book, yes, in age but more importantly in character. She moves away from her romantic idealism (partially) and takes on a new sense of realism and sensibility.

Being an adult-male it seems strange to say this, but I resonated with much of her personality and experience. And maybe that was the goal of the author, or is the earmark of a good author, that the reader regardless of sex, age, time, and context is able to connect with the main character at some human level.

Another part of the book I enjoyed was Anne Shirley’s introduction to religion (Christianity) through her relationship with Marilla. Anne’s forgivable-innocence combined with her impassioned-inquisitiveness is juxtaposed against Marilla’s (and Rachel’s) strict-regimented approach to daily prayers and Bible reading. There’s much to say and learn from this dynamic that is a timeless lesson for any reader of any generation.

I hope you enjoyed this quick highlight of a book I enjoyed. Below is a list of some others I plan on reviewing in the future.

 

Future Posts (Maybe?):

Generous Justice, Tim Keller (Finished).

The Uneasy Conscience of the Modern Man, Carl F.H. Henry (Finished)

Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution, Michael Behe (Currently Reading)

American Slavery: History in an Hour, Kat Smutz (Finished)

Pollution and the Death of Man, Francis Schaeffer (Finished)

Living with Other Creatures: Green Exegesis and Theology, Richard Bauckham (Currently Reading).