Over the years of the Victoria Classics Book Club, our group has grown to encompass thousands of members connected by a love of reading. Below, find discussion questions for past volumes, which can be explored further on our Book Selections page. We also invite you to join the ongoing conversation on our Facebook page, where you will meet a delightful coterie of devoted readers.
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Author Lucy Maud Montgomery invites readers to explore picturesque Avonlea through the eyes of exuberant main character Anne Shirley in her book Anne of Green Gables. When the high-spirited orphan arrives at Green Gables, she surprises everyone with her bright red hair, wild imagination, and tendency to talk a mile a minute. But she also has a sweet disposition and quick wit, and “Anne with an e” soon finds her place among new friends.
Reading the Anne of Green Gables series by author Lucy Maud Montgomery is almost a rite of passage for girls. How old were you when you first became enchanted with the tales of this irrepressible, redheaded heroine? How were you introduced to her?
Despite her background as an orphaned waif, Anne Shirley is no shrinking violet. She is considered intelligent, precocious, strong-willed, imaginative—and possessed with a generous dollop of pure spunk. Which of her personality traits do you admire most? Why?
A half-dozen books comprise the original Anne of Green Gables series. Anne is eleven years old when the first volume opens, and she is forty at the close of the last. Do you have a favorite book among the six? Why do you favor it?
The Anne of Green Gables series is brimming with memorable moments. Is there a particular scene or event that stands out to you? What do you think makes it special?
Do you think the enchanting rural setting of the fictional Avonlea, based on the real-life town of Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, is important to the development of the story? Would the series lose a bit of its charm if it were set in a big city?
Lucy Maud Montgomery creates many unforgettable—and often endearing—characters in the Anne books, from the flirtatious Ruby Gillis and handsome, oh-so smart Gilbert Blythe to Anne’s “bosom friend,” Diana Barry. Other than Anne, who is your favorite character in the series, and why?
Miss Muriel Stacy is Anne’s teacher and mentor at the Avonlea school, someone Anne sees as a “kindred spirit.” Think back to your favorite teacher. What made them so special?
One of the themes that runs throughout the Anne series is the importance of friendship. Who is or was one of your special friends, and what drew you together? Was there a certain moment or event that cemented that relationship?
Lucy Maud Montgomery is a veritable font of quotable prose. One of our favorite lines spoken by Anne is, “I don’t know what lies around the bend, but I’m going to believe that the best does.” What is your favorite Anne-ism?
Anne always lamented her red hair and once tried to dye her fiery tresses black—with the catastrophic result of green hair. Our heroine also crashed through the roof of an old duck house while peeking through a window at a neighbor’s home. In both cases, her motive was well meaning, but the results were disastrous. Can you share an experience that turned out badly despite the best of intentions?
Anne leaves Avonlea—and thus Prince Edward Island—to attend college in her native Nova Scotia. It is here she realizes that her true home is the island. Do you consider your birthplace or current residence your “true home,” or is there another place that feels like home in your heart?
While at college, Anne meets and becomes friends with Philippa Gordon. After their first year is spent in boardinghouses, they move to a cottage near campus called Patty’s Place which they share with another classmate and a chaperone. What was your first “grown-up” home like?
Have you introduced Anne of Green Gables to a young friend, student, daughter, or granddaughter? We would love to hear how today’s generation is enjoying this classic. What makes the book, first published in 1908, a timeless tale that stands the test of time?
Although most known for the Anne of Green Gables series, Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote several other series, as well as many stand-alone novels and short stories. Have you read any more of the beloved author’s works? If so, are there any titles you would recommend?
As we close this volume of Victoria Classics Book Club, are there any lingering thoughts you would like to share on the legacy of Lucy Maud Montgomery or the impact that Anne of Green Gables had on your life?
Find Victoria Classics Book Club resources—including discussion questions, companion materials, and a reader forum—at Victorimag.com!