Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery | Book Review

"I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string."

Anne of Green Gables is like a warm hug from your childhood best friend, mixed with the drama of a soap opera and the cozy vibes of a perfect autumn day. Meet Anne Shirley, the ultimate daydreamer, a redheaded tornado of big words, bigger feelings, and a knack for getting into hilarious trouble. Prince Edward Island is basically another character here, with its rolling green hills and cherry blossoms setting the scene for a story about found family, kindred spirits, and learning to love your weird self. Trust me, by the end, you’ll be wishing you could move to Avonlea and be Anne’s neighbor.

(Anne of Green Gables kayak pelukan hangat dari sahabat masa kecilmu, dicampur drama sinetron dan suasana cozy kayak hari musim gugur yang sempurna. Kita bakal berkenalan dengan Anne Shirley: si pemimpi, si rambut merah, omongannya lebay, perasaannya lebih lebay lagi, dan jago cari masalah yang bikin ketawa. Prince Edward Island tuh kayak karakter tambahan di sini dengan perbukitan hijau dan bunga-bunga jadi latar cerita tentang found family, sahabat sehidup semati, dan belajar mencintai keanehan diri sendiri. Percaya deh, abis baca, kamu bakal pengen pindah ke Avonlea jadi tetangganya Anne.)

BOOK INFORMATION

Title                       : Anne of Green Gables

Author                  : Lucy Maud Montgomery

Language             : English

Publisher             : Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Released             : April 15, 2018

Read                      : October 15-31, 2021

Length                  : 408 pages

GR Rating            : 4.30

My Rating            : 5.00

TL;DR: The original chaotic, dramatic, cottagecore queen. Orphan Anne (with an E, pls) turns a simple farm life into a ✨vibes✨-filled journey of found family, hilarious fails, and slow-burn academic rivals to no-spoilers. 

⚠️ SIDE EFFECTS

🔺Uncontrollable urge to rename boring things

🔺Sudden appreciation for nature (wtf, why is frost kinda beautiful?)

🔺Emotional damage

🔺Shipping Gilbert & Anne harder than your OTPs

🔺Desire to move to a farm and adopt a sarcastic old lady as your mom

🔺Reality feels bland after Avonlea’s cottagecore aesthetic

🔺Standard friendships now seem weak compared to "bosom friends"

📖 PERFECT FOR YOU IF YOU’RE INTO:

🔺Found family tropes ("They’re not my real parents but I’d die for them")

🔺Relatable messes (Anne = the blueprint for "well-intentioned disaster")

🔺Cottagecore aesthetic (PEI > your city’s polluted park)

🔺Books that make you feel (happy-sad-nostalgic all at once)

🚫 AVOID IF YOU HATE:

🔺No plot, just vibes (It’s slice-of-life, not Hunger Games)

🔺Old-timey dialogue ("Oh, Marilla!" might test your patience)

🔺Secondhand embarrassment (Anne’s fails are painful)

BOOK REVIEW

You know what makes classics like Anne of Green Gables so special? They don't sugarcoat life. While modern kids' stories often wrap everything in bubble wrap, Anne's world gives you the real awkward moments, the heartaches, and all those big feelings we try to protect kids from. But it makes those difficult emotions feel safe to explore. Anne's not some perfect role model, instead she's a hot mess of daydreams and dramatics who screws up constantly, and that's exactly why we love her. She's like that one friend who turns every little thing into An Entire Production, but in the best way possible.

Turns out, Anne feels so real because she basically is real. Lucy Maud Montgomery poured her own childhood memories into this story. That's why Anne's cringe-worthy moments (we've all been there) and her over-the-top reactions hit so close to home. Who hasn't wished for a fancier name or gotten way too mad over a dumb nickname? Montgomery just gets how kids think like the way small things feel huge, and how friendship can literally feel like life-or-death when you're eleven. It's like she kept a diary of every embarrassing, wonderful, mortifying moment of being a kid and turned it into art.

Now let's talk about Anne's greatest hits: desperately wanting to be called Cordelia (mood), her ride-or-die friendship with Diana (goals), and slowly winning over the Cuthberts (the OG found family). She's a perfect mix of ridiculous and relatable, one minute she's crying over her ugly hair, the next she's having a full-on spiritual experience about some trees. We've all been that kid who took everything too seriously while also living in our own imaginary world. Anne's secret superpower? She never stops believing things can get better, even when life keeps throwing curveballs.

But don't let the cherry blossoms fool you, because Anne's story has some real depth. Back in the day, being an orphan was basically social kryptonite, which makes the Cuthberts taking her in way more meaningful than just a cute adoption story. That moment when grumpy Marilla finally admits she loves Anne? Chef's kiss. It's a story about finding a home, and proving you're worthy of love when the world's told you you're not. And that's why this book is so memorable, it's got all the warm fuzzies, but also that ache of knowing what it's like to not belong until suddenly, miraculously, you do.

Anne's imagination here is cute, but it's actually her survival kit. This girl could turn a boring walk home into a fairy tale adventure just by calling it "The White Way of Delight" (and honestly, mood). While most of us would complain about chores, Anne's over here giving dramatic backstories to trees and turning her hair dye disaster into local legend. That's the magic of it, her daydreams might be seen as just escapism, but they're alchemy of turning loneliness into wonder and mistakes into stories. Even when she messes up something big (RIP that spoiled pudding), she owns it with that perfect mix of "I regret everything" and "but wasn't it an interesting experience?"

Then there's Gilbert, the OG enemies-to-academic-rivals-to well, we won't spoil it. Their love-hate thing is so relatable, who hasn't pretended to hate someone they low-key admired? Then there's Diana, Anne's ride-or-die "bosom friend" (though that raspberry cordial incident proves even soulmates can accidentally get each other drunk). These friendships aren't perfect because they're messy, real, and full of the kind of drama that makes middle school look like a Shakespeare play.

But the real tearjerker? The grown-ups. Quiet Matthew who says more with his silences than most do with words. Tough-as-nails Marilla who slowly melts like spring frost. Even the town busybody Mrs. Lynde becomes an unlikely cheerleader. These adults don't just tolerate Anne's theatrics, because they're changed by them, proving family isn't about blood but about who lets you be your extra, dramatic self. Miss Stacy especially gets MVP for being that one teacher who actually gets you.

Here's the secret sauce of Green Gables: it turns ordinary moments into pure magic. The cherry blossoms? She has full-on spiritual experiences about them. Her ability to geek out over frost patterns or the smell of rain is basically a guide to not becoming a jaded adult. That's why we keep coming back: to remember that life's ordinary moments, if we really look, can be as dazzling as Anne's "Lake of Shining Waters."

(Kalian tau nggak sih apa yang bikin buku klasik kayak Anne of Green Gables istimewa? Mereka nggak nunjukin kehidupan yang bertabur meses. Kalau cerita anak zaman sekarang kayak dibungkus bubble wrap, dunia Anne justru kasih kalian momen-momen cringe, sakit hati, dan semua perasaan yang biasanya bikin kita melindungi agar anak-anak gak merasakannya. Tapi di sini, emosi-emosi berat itu justru terasa aman buat dijelajahi. Anne bukan tokoh sempurna, dia malah kacau balau, suka melamun, dramatis, dan sering banget ngaco. Dan justru itu alasannya kita suka banget sama dia. Dia kayak temen yang bikin hal kecil jadi drama level sinetron, tapi dalam versi yang paling wholesome.

Nah, ternyata Anne terasa begitu nyata karena sebenernya emang nyata. Lucy Maud Montgomery menuangkan kenangan masa kecilnya sendiri ke dalam cerita ini. Makanya momen-momen cringe Anne (yang kita semua pernah ngerasain) dan reaksi lebaynya itu relate banget. Siapa sih yang nggak pernah pengen nama yang lebih keren atau kesel banget gara-gara dijuluki sesuatu? Montgomery paham banget cara pikir anak kecil, gimana hal sepele bisa terasa besar, dan pertemanan bisa terasa kayak hidup-mati waktu kita masih 11 tahun. Rasanya kayak dia nulis diary tiap momen memalukan dan indah sebagai manusia, terus diubah jadi karya seni.

Nah, sekarang kita bahas best moments-nya Anne: Pengen banget dipanggil Cordelia (big mood), persahabatan ride-or-die sama Diana (friendship goals), da perlahan menaklukkan hati keluarga Cuthbert (found family yang original banget). Dia tuh perpaduan sempurna antara konyol dan relatable, satu menit nangis gara-gara rambutnya "jelek", menit berikutnya kayak dapat pencerahan spiritual karena lihat pohon. Kita semua pernah jadi anak yang nganggep semuanya terlalu serius sambil hidup di dunia imajinasi sendiri. Rahasia kekuatan Anne? Dia nggak pernah berhenti percaya kalau semuanya bisa jadi lebih baik, bahkan ketika hidup terus melemparkan masalah ke kita.

Tapi jangan terkecoh sama pemandangan indahnya, karena cerita Anne punya kedalaman yang beneran menyentuh. Jaman dulu, jadi anak yatim tuh kayak social suicide makanya ketika keluarga Cuthbert nerima Anne, itu nggak cuma sekadar cerita adopsi yang cute. Detik ketika Marilla yang jutek akhirnya ngaku sayang sama Anne? Perfect banget. Ini cerita tentang nemuin rumah, dan membuktikan kalau kita layak dicintai meski dunia bilang kita nggak pantas. Itu sebabnya buku ini nggak cuma feel-good, tapi juga bikin baper, kita tau gimana rasanya nggak punya tempat, sampai tiba-tiba kita nemuinnya.

Imajinasi Anne tuh emang kelihatan bikin gemes, tapi sebenernya itu survival kit-nya. Dia bisa mengubah jalan pulang biasa jadi petualangan fairy tale cuma dengan namain "Jalan Putih yang Menggembirakan" (dan honestly, big mood). Sementara kita ngeluh soal tugas rumah, Anne malah sibuk kasih backstory dramatis ke pohon dan mengubah bencana cat rambut jadi legenda lokal. Inilah keajaibannya, lamunannya mungkin keliatan kayak cuma pelarian, tapi sebenernya itu semacam cara yang mengubah kesepian jadi keajaiban dan kesalahan jadi cerita. Bahkan pas dia mengacaukan sesuatu (RIP puding), dia ngakuin dengan sempurna kayak "I regret everything" tapi juga "tapi kan lumayan jadi pengalaman menarik?"

Terus ada Gilbert, si OG enemies-to-academic-rivals-to yaudah nggak usah spoiler. Dinamika cinta-benci mereka tuh relate banget, siapa sih yang nggak pernah pura-pura benci sama seseorang yang sebenernya dikagumi diam-diam? Terus ada Diana, "bosom friend"-nya Anne yang sehidup semati (meskipun insiden raspberry cordialnya membuktikan bahwa soulmate pun bisa tanpa sengaja bikin kita mabuk bareng). Persahabatan mereka nggak sempurna karena emang berantakan, nyata, dan penuh drama yang bikin masa kecil kelihatan kayak naskah Shakespeare.

Tapi yang bikin mewek beneran? Orang-orang dewasanya. Si pendiam Matthew yang bisa ngomong banyak cuma dengan diam. Marilla yang keras tapi perlahan luluh kayak salju di musim semi. Bahkan si tukang gossip Mrs. Lynde jadi supporter Anne yang nggak terduga. Mereka nggak cuma bertahan dengan tingkah dramatis Anne, tapi mereka berubah karena Anne. Hal ini membuktikan bahwa keluarga nggak harus sedarah, tapi sama siapa yang biarin kamu jadi versi paling extra dan dramatis dari dirimu. Miss Stacy khususnya layak dapet gelar MVP sebagai guru yang beneran memahami muridnya.

Inilah resep rahasia Green Gables: mengubah momen-momen biasa jadi sesuatu yang ajaib. Bunga-bunga? Buat Anne itu pengalaman spiritual. Kemampuannya untuk takjub sama pola embun beku atau bau hujan tuh basically tutorial biar nggak jadi orang dewasa yang sinis. Makanya kita selalu balik lagi ke cerita ini buat ingetin diri sendiri bahwa momen-momen biasa, kalau kita perhatiin beneran, bisa secantik "Danau Air Berkilau"-nya Anne.)

WHY I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THIS BOOK

Let me tell you why this book is a whole mood, a comfort blanket, and a kindred spirit all rolled into one. I mean, where do I even start?

■ Anne Shirley. The messy, dramatic queen we all need. This girl is a mood. One minute she’s sobbing over her "horrible" red hair, the next she’s giving poetic names to boring roads like "The White Way of Delight" (iconic). She’s flawed, she’s extra, and she owns it whether she’s accidentally dyeing her hair green or getting Diana drunk on raspberry cordial (oops). But that’s why I love her. She’s not some perfect little heroine. She’s a real, messy kid who grows up but never loses that spark. And honestly? Same.

■ Found family forever. Anne is not the only magic in this book, we can find it in the way she finds her people. Matthew, the quiet king of awkward dad energy, who loves her without saying much. Marilla, who starts off all "children should be seen and not heard" and ends up completely wrapped around Anne’s finger. And don’t even get me started on Diana, the OG ride-or-die "bosom friend." This book gets that family isn’t just blood, but it’s the people who choose you, flaws and all. And in a world that could be cruel to orphans, Anne’s journey from unwanted to cherished? Ugh, my heart.

■ All the feels, zero sugarcoating. This book doesn’t baby you. It’s got real emotions: the sting of humiliation, the ache of loss (it still wrecks me), and the cringe of regretting your dumb feuds (looking at you, Gilbert Blythe). But it also celebrates the little joys like Anne’s pure, unfiltered delight in nature. Who else would make you stop and appreciate frost like it’s a miracle? It’s nostalgic in the best way, like flipping through an old photo album where every memory is bittersweet.

■ Avonlea: the ultimate cottagecore fantasy. Prince Edward Island is a vibe. Montgomery’s writing is so lush, you can practically smell the cherry blossoms and feel the crunch of autumn leaves. Reading this book is like teleporting to a simpler time, where the biggest drama is whether Anne will survive geometry class. In our chaotic, screen-glued lives, Avonlea is the cozy escape we all crave.

■ Hilarious blunders and life lessons. Anne’s disasters are legendary. Green hair? Check. Accidentally getting her bestie drunk? Check. But every mistake means something. It’s never just "don’t do this, kids", but it teaches you about growing, learning, and laughing at yourself. And honestly? We could all use more of that energy.

■ Relationship goals (all kinds!). Anne & Diana: The purest friendship ever. They’re basically the Victorian-era version of texting your bestie at 2 AM with "YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED." Anne & Gilbert: The original slow-burn anything. From "I hate you" to "I will destroy you in academics" to well, no spoilers, but chef’s kiss. Anne & Marilla: The gruff-to-soft character arc we live for. Watching Marilla go from "children are nuisances" to "I would die for this dramatic redhead" is everything.

■ Prose like a warm hug. Montgomery’s writing? Chef’s kiss. It’s poetic but never pretentious, funny but never mean, and so comforting it feels like chatting with your wisest, kindest aunt. Lines like "Dear old world, you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you." are simple but felt so true.

(■ Anne Shirley, si drama queen yang kita semua butuhkan. Dia literally hidupnya kayak rollercoaster. Baru aja nangis bombay karena rambut merahnya "jelek", eh besoknya udah kasih nama puitis ke jalan biasa kayak "Jalan Putih yang Menggembirakan" (iconic banget sih). Dia imperfect, lebay, tapi totally own it, mau itu rambutnya kehijauan gegara salah cat atau tanpa sengaja bikin Diana mabuk (ups). Dan itulah kenapa aku suka banget sama Anne. Dia nggak kayak heroine sempurna ala Disney. Dia cewek real yang tumbuh besar tapi tetep mempertahankan keunikannya. Honestly? Same, sis.

■ Found Family = OTP. Yang bikin buku ini ajaib nggak cuma Anne, tapi juga caranya dia nemuin orang-orang yang bener-bener nerima dia. Ada Matthew, the awkward dad yang pendiem tapi sayangnya nggak ketulungan. Marilla yang awalnya sok tegas "anak-anak harus seen not heard" tapi akhirnya soft banget sama Anne. Belum lagi sama Diana, the ride-or-die yang beneran friendship goals. Buku ini ngajarin bahwa keluarga nggak harus sedarah, tapi sama orang yang milih untuk mencintaimu apa adanya. Dan di dunia yang kejam ke anak yatim, perjalanan Anne dari nggak diinginkan jadi dicintai? Ugh, baper banget.

■ Feelsnya autentik, nggak pake sensor. Ini bukan cerita manis bertabur gula. Ada momen cringe dipermalukan, sakitnya kehilangan (Matthew, why???), dan menyesal gegara pertengkaran konyol (eh, Gilbert). Tapi juga ngajarin kita untuk apresiasi hal-hal kecil kayak cara Anne menikmati alam. Siapa lagi yang bisa bikin kita berhenti dan mikir, "Wow, embun beku itu ternyata indah ya?" Nostalgianya tuh kayak lihat album foto lama, manis tapi bikin baper.

■ Avonlea: surga cottagecore. Prince Edward Island tuh vibe-nya aesthetic banget. Deskripsinya Montgomery bikin kita kayak beneran bisa menghirup wangi bunga dan mendengar suara daun maple jatuh. Baca buku ini kayak teleport ke zaman yang lebih sederhana, di mana drama terbesarnya cuma Anne nggak bisa ngerti geometri. Di tengah hidup kita yang chaotic dan screen-addicted, Avonlea tuh escape yang kita butuhkan.

■ Kegagalan yang lucu, tapi ngajarin tentang hidup. Kesalahan-kesalahan Anne tuh legendary. Rambut hijau? Check. Bikin temennya mabuk? Check. Tapi setiap fail ada artinya, nggak cuma "jangan lakuin ini", tapi tentang berkembang, belajar, dan bisa ketawa ngelihat kebodohan sendiri. Dan kita semua butuh lebih banyak energi kayak gitu.

■ Relationship goals. Anne & Diana: Pertemanan paling pure. Kayak WhatsApp-an jam 2 pagi "KAMU GAK AKAN PERCAYA APA YANG BARU TERJADI" tapi versi jaman dulu. Anne & Gilbert: Slowburn-nya bikin sabar. Dari "aku benci kamu" ke "aku bakal hancurin kamu secara akademik" sampai, no spoiler. Anne & Marilla: Perkembangan karakter dari "anak-anak itu menyebalkan" ke "aku rela mati buat bocah rambut merah ini" tuh everything.

■ Tulisan yang kayak pelukan hangat. Gaya penulisan Montgomery? Chef's kiss. Puitis tapi nggak sok, lucu tapi nggak mean, dan nyaman kayak ngobrol sama tante favorit kalian. Kutipan kayak "Wahai dunia yang tua dan indah, aku senang hidup di dalammu" sederhana tapi nyentuh banget.)

CONCLUSION

Finishing Anne of Green Gables feels like saying goodbye to your favorite summer vacation. You’re sad it’s over, but dang, it leaves you smiling. Anne’s the friend who taught us that it’s okay to be dramatic, that mistakes make great stories later, and that even the toughest beginnings can lead to somewhere beautiful. Whether you’re a first-time reader or revisiting Avonlea for the hundredth time, this book’s magic never fades. It’s that feeling of hope Anne gives you, like every morning is a blank page (and yeah, maybe you’ll dye your hair green by accident, but hey, at least it’ll be interesting). As Anne would say: "There’s so much scope for imagination." And honestly? She’s so right.

(Tamatin Anne of Green Gables tuh rasanya kayak pamitan dari liburan favorit, sedih udah selesai, tapi bikin senyum-senyum sendiri. Anne tuh kayak temen yang ngingetin kita: "Gapapa jadi dramatis, itu bisa jadi bahan cerita seru nantinya, dan awal yang berat bisa bawa kita ke tempat yang indah." Mau baru baca pertama kali atau lagi nostalgia baca untuk keseratus kalinya, pesona buku ini nggak pernah pudar. Anne memberi kita perasaan hopeful kayak tiap pagi adalah awal yang baru (iya, mungkin rambutmu bakal kehijauan gegara salah cat, tapi paling nggak jadi bahan ketawaan). Kayak kata Anne: "Banyak banget ruang untuk imajinasi." Dan bener banget sih.)