Book Versus TV Series: Anne of Green Gables

But What About the Movie?

If you are a long time reader of the blog, you know I have my series Book Versus Movie where I compare each medium against each other to see who the ultimate winner will be.

But today, I decided to switch things up and go with a TV series instead. It seems over the last few years streaming services have adapted several book series including One Day, The Queen's Gambit, and The Kissing Booth just to name a few. Well today's book is included in that list too, Anne of Green Gables or otherwise known as Anne with an E on Netflix. I'd been wanting to watch it for some time and figured this was the perfect opportunity to read a book and watch a series. Watching the first season and reading the book I felt it was a good start to my review.

Overview

When brother and sister, Matthew and Marilla, decided to adopt a boy to help around the farm, they are pleasantly surprised when a girl is sent instead. Unlike other young girls her age, Anne is eccentric with a wild imagination.

Upon deciding to keep her, Anne learns to adapt to her new lifestyle in this coming of age story where she doesn't really fit in. Making new friends, speaking accordingly, and keeping her thoughts to herself, all while trying to outsmart the boy Gilbert Blythe.

Book

Anne of Green Gables is a 256-page novel published in 1908 by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. The children's novel was published through L.C. & Co. focusing on the coming of age for an orphaned girl and is the first in a series of 8.

The book opens through the POVs of the Cuthbert siblings as well as Anne for the duration of the novel in which dialog is the main focus. In doing so, we see Anne's upbeat personality shine through her talkative, yet imaginative ways. Unlike women and children in the 1880's Anne does not mind speaking up for herself or others when need be even if it is over the top and dramatic. The Cuthbert's who themselves are conservative and bade to societal ways open to the possibility there is more to life through Anne's eyes.

In the home this is great, but throughout the book you see Anne still struggling to find her footing when it comes to others who do not support her ways. Linguistically Anne finds herself in situations most children her age(11) don't normally get up to getting her in trouble at school and with families around the community. As the reader you see societal norms or the shifting of progress throughout the book which is highly redeemable especially in that day in age where women still didn't have many rights.

As the story continues though these scenes are no longer needed thus creating chapters that could have been completely erased from the story altogether. This is because the story starts strong with a plot and towards the middle loses all sense of where the story is going. Anne who is now older(13-15 years old), is now accepted in the community and the romance plot which was slightly mentioned in the beginning has no purpose or feeling of emotion as it was continued through the book, nor does the death of Matthew have any emotional pull since he wasn't mentioned often through the book.

The book as a strong sense of womanhood following many of the girls and women in the community, but lacks many male counterparts. In doing so, the ending lacked as I feel the author lost purpose of the story long before then. Especially when it comes to Anne's education. The whole time, the journey felt like she was off to do amazing things when in the end she stays back to help the family. Which is what she has only ever wanted but the years following pointed else where. Overall it gave the reader a sense of wanting more as it was not complete.

Even though set in 1880 and written in 1908 this book has a very modern feel when it comes to the language which I can see still having in a hundred years time.

Television Series

Anne with an E was is a Netflix series released from 2017-2019 in which 3 seasons were produced. It starred actors Amybeth McNulty, R.H. Thomson, Geraldine James, and Lucas Jade Zumann.

The first season opens with 7 episodes with the first being an hour and half long. Here you meet the Cuthberts and Anne, as well as one or two other side characters. Scenes are copied right from the book almost line by line where you get to hear Anne's highly verbalized imagination and outlandish wordplay for a girl of 13(much older than the book).

The series does stick to mainly to the book as the episodes continue but there are some differences, including adding characters that weren't seen in the book, or plot points that were either combined moved to a different spot.

The book, which mostly focuses on Anne, is expanded to other characters including Matthew and Gilbert.

Through the series watch the hardship Anne had gone through prior to her time at Green Gables through flashbacks of abuse and shows a more realistic take a girl her age would go through when placed in a new community. These can be seen through her outbursts or inability to make friendships. Even so, her spirit does not wane and can be seen through through her ability to problem solve or speak her way in and out of situations.

The show does feel more realistic in the ways things were done back in 1880's which is nice to see but shows progression through women's education.

The actors are great and feel real unlike some shows I have seen lately where the acting is terrible. This goes for both the adult and kids alike. The show is easy to watch and I can see it be comforting to some, but I do find it to be slow going in some parts or uninteresting which is why I believe the show has added so much extra to the plot. The first season does take a majority of the books content but I will be interested to see what they do for season 2-3.

Winner

This was a hard decision when it came to picking the winner. I think the show improves on areas the book lacked while other times the show was a little to slow moving compared to the book.

Even without watching all of the seasons I think the Anne with an E takes the winners spot when it comes to the overall storyline and the feeling of completeness I had at the end of season 1. Even though I do believe you see more of Anne's character throughout the book the other storylines give the universe a roundness to other characters the book was lacking.

What book to tv adaptation should I have face off against each other next? Let me know in the comments below! Read my last Book versus Movie reviews, Let the Right One In and The Last Unicorn to see which format won me over.