Anne of Green Gables

By Lucy Maud Montgomery; Adapted by Mariah Marsden; Illustrated by Brenna Thummler

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery is one of the most endearing books a young reader could hope to find. Anne lives with the conviction and imagination that so many of us let rule our lives, before a world of adult concerns take hold; when the most important things are the puffiness of your sleeves and the names given to plants in your backyard. My first experience with the series was when my local community theater put on the musical and I read the first couple books while unused in rehearsals. The urge to launch into “Ice Cream” still comes over me whenever I pick out my flavors. 

Mariah Marsden and Brenna Thummler did wonderful work adapting Anne of Green Gables in their graphic novel. Marsden brings the stories to the shortened format without missing any of the heart of the original book. She condenses the several hundred pages into a tighter format that allows room for Thummler’s illustrations. They make this version of the story perfect for a younger reader, not yet ready for chapter books, or someone who wants to revisit a childhood favorite but doesn’t have time in their schedule to afford a reread. Marsden cuts Montgomery’s work, making room for the important sections to remain, but she does so with an invisible hand. There was never a moment where I felt bogged down by dialogue, or that the importance of the original words usurped the intent of the adaptation.

Brenna Thummler knows how to craft a color palette that her expressive characters can pop against. As with Sheets, every emotion is clear and without question. Perfect for Anne who rarely wears anything but her truest feelings on her face. Still, the characters look from a completely different style than they were in Sheets. If I didn’t know better, I’d never have guessed the same illustrator managed to pull off both books. One constant in both her works is the dedication to setting. Every scene holds a level of detail you could hang in a museum. There are breathtaking, two-page spreads that help communicate Anne’s sense of wonder by letting the reader see through her eyes. Talent of line work aside, Thummler’s use of color only solidifies the majesty of Anne’s world, bringing the beauty of Prince Edwards Isle to life. 

There’s plenty to say of Anne in her self-titled book, but part of the charm in Montgomery’s writing and this adaptation is the depth of other characters. Relationships between Anne and others sing throughout, but so do those of Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, or the gang of mean girls who seek out their own belonging amongst their crowd. Every once and a while you’ll get a single frame of Diana reading or Mrs. Lynde knitting that further deepens the already well crafted world. I hope anyone who manages to find this story of a sweet, overly-imaginative orphan finds this version as well. It was like seeing a childhood friend and sharing nothing but fond memories.