This may be my favorite piece I've ever read on Substack.
I came to Anne, the books and miniseries-es (the first two, not the third which shall not be named), early in life. I love Anne and I tried consciously to shape my personality to be as much like her as possible. (Though really I often may be more of a Mrs. Rachel Lynde!)
I hope that I can grow up to be as patient and kind of a mother as Anne! (I have two children, but your first two are practice kids, right? 😅)
I came to Anne later in life, as an adult and a mother of a red-head daughter. I find I identify more with Anne than with Jo March, although I’m not Canadian nor an orphan. (I also learned what “a member of the race of Joseph” meant, which someone had told me I was way back in college.) I love both the movie and the book series!
You so eloquently and succinctly summed up exactly how I feel about the 1985 adaptation! Thank you for this wonderful piece. I became an Anne fan at age 16 when I saw about twenty minutes of the miniseries on PBS and had to dig up a copy of the book to get the whole story. It has remained my most reread and absolute favorite book for the last 20+ years.
Your statement below I think is a great perspective on both the book and film:
“ In the end, I don’t suppose it matters. Is the film better, or the book? Or do they coexist in a lovely sort of symbiotic relationship, both kept alive and brought to life by the people who love Anne Shirley? “
I think possibly seeing an adaptation at a young age could be the reason why some adaptations are as beloved as the book. My introduction to the Anne movie was a bit different. Having extremely limited screen time experiences before the age of approx 10-12, meant I read and loved the entire Anne series of books for many many years (and had my own imagination of what the characters looked like) before I finally saw the movie in my early twenties or something. So if course I was rather disappointed in it; it wasn't EXACTLY like the book. Nonetheless after seeing many adaptations of other favourite books, I've come to the conclusion that it really is a remarkably close adaptation. However, the books are always better!!
This may be my favorite piece I've ever read on Substack.
I came to Anne, the books and miniseries-es (the first two, not the third which shall not be named), early in life. I love Anne and I tried consciously to shape my personality to be as much like her as possible. (Though really I often may be more of a Mrs. Rachel Lynde!)
I hope that I can grow up to be as patient and kind of a mother as Anne! (I have two children, but your first two are practice kids, right? 😅)
I came to Anne later in life, as an adult and a mother of a red-head daughter. I find I identify more with Anne than with Jo March, although I’m not Canadian nor an orphan. (I also learned what “a member of the race of Joseph” meant, which someone had told me I was way back in college.) I love both the movie and the book series!
You so eloquently and succinctly summed up exactly how I feel about the 1985 adaptation! Thank you for this wonderful piece. I became an Anne fan at age 16 when I saw about twenty minutes of the miniseries on PBS and had to dig up a copy of the book to get the whole story. It has remained my most reread and absolute favorite book for the last 20+ years.
Your statement below I think is a great perspective on both the book and film:
“ In the end, I don’t suppose it matters. Is the film better, or the book? Or do they coexist in a lovely sort of symbiotic relationship, both kept alive and brought to life by the people who love Anne Shirley? “
So glad we could share this film together!
I adored this adaption as a teen and I will adore it until I die. (Except the Continuing Story: we don't talk about that.)
I think possibly seeing an adaptation at a young age could be the reason why some adaptations are as beloved as the book. My introduction to the Anne movie was a bit different. Having extremely limited screen time experiences before the age of approx 10-12, meant I read and loved the entire Anne series of books for many many years (and had my own imagination of what the characters looked like) before I finally saw the movie in my early twenties or something. So if course I was rather disappointed in it; it wasn't EXACTLY like the book. Nonetheless after seeing many adaptations of other favourite books, I've come to the conclusion that it really is a remarkably close adaptation. However, the books are always better!!