Reviewed by Patricia A.
Grade 7
Join Anne and Gilbert Blythe as they discover their little “house ‘o dreams”, soon full of the laughter and love of past and present generations, the shared joys of new camaraderie, the bitterness of tragedy and the mystery which life at the mystic, seafaring town of Four Winds offers so abundantly. Read Anne’s House of Dreams for this continued story of red-haired, fanciful Anne, who brings her gift of winning friendships, however improbable, to the new life, full of surprises, that she embarks upon with her husband, Gilbert. Meet Captain Jim, Cornelia Bryant, Leslie Moore, and Owen Ford, friends of the Blythes’, whose unique life stories are woven together in this captivating novel. Altogether, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s tale teaches us an important lesson, and is flavored with remarkable descriptions complimented by the complexity of the characters.
Shortly after arriving at Four Winds, Anne and Gilbert befriend Captain Jim, a lovable old sailor with a past full of perilous adventures and a knack for storytelling, and Cornelia Bryant, a kind, yet strong willed woman with a tongue for gossip. Next, Anne tries to reach out to poor, gorgeous Leslie Moore, whose tragic past and nearly forced marriage keeps her soul imprisoned. Sometimes at gatherings in the “house ‘o dreams”, Leslie would appear her clever, merry self, only to disappear behind bars of cold, contemptness again. Anne knew that Leslie was torn between love for Anne and hatred for her happiness, and it was only when Anne’s beloved baby, Joyce, dies that Leslie is reconciled. Soon afterward, Owen Ford, a novelist boarding at Leslie’s house, and grandson of Captain Jim’s friend, was welcomed into the group often gathered at the “house ‘o dreams”, and promptly agreed to write Captain Jim’s life book. Owen Ford later confided miserably in Anne that he loved Leslie, and Leslie told Anne confidentially that she loved Owen, but felt ashamed if he suspected as she, married to Dick Moore, was not free to do so. Meanwhile, Gilbert wanted to inform Leslie that if her husband was taken to an expensive hospital and given medical treatment, his mental illness might be cured, but Anne argued that he shouldn’t, for Leslie was happier with her husband mentally challenged than drunk and violent. Leslie was informed, for Gilbert believed that “the truth would set Leslie free”, and Leslie, poor as she was, consented to the treatment. The results of the treatment explained that Dick Moore had died on a voyage and that Captain Jim had accidentally brought back George Moore instead because the brothers were almost identical. So everyone was delighted to know that Leslie was free at last, but you’ll have to read Anne’s House of Dreams for the concluding events of Anne’s story and to discover what Leslie’s unexpected new life brings.
I especially loved the diversity, uniqueness, and admirable traits of the characters. For example, beautiful, but distant and miserable Leslie Moore makes quite a contrast with homely–looking yet joyous and friendly Captain Jim. In addition, each character has used their different life experiences to accomplish various things, in Leslie’s case, to isolate herself from the world, but in Captain’s Jim’s case to build and improve his character. Some exemplary traits from the characters include Gilbert’s hospitality, shown as he welcomed many into his home, as well as his honesty, demonstrated when choosing to inform Leslie of the possible cure to her husband’s illness. Anne shows empathy and cleverness as she, from the first, determinedly sees beyond Leslie’s hostility, and never ceases struggling to befriend and understand her. Captain Jim proves his generosity when giving genially of both his financial resources to Leslie and his words to all of his friends, compliments bestowed so fondly and received as riches. Leslie reveals hidden vivaciousness when joining and adding laughter and clever remarks into the lively discussions at the little “house ‘o dreams.” Lastly, it was wonderful to “meet” all of the awesome characters throughout this book.
I would recommend Anne’s House of Dreams to anyone who loves books with inspiring morals and would appreciate and enjoy the author’s style of creating meaning with breathtaking descriptions. Montgomery quoted poetry, used many similes and metaphors, and drew from her expansive knowledge of vocabulary and that of the actual setting of the story to further emphasize and produce wonder at the beauty of Anne’s surroundings and to bring other aspects of the story to more vivid focus, so that you become part of the story. For instance, Montgomery describes the view from Anne’s window with the beautiful, somewhat mysterious words, “A magic casement opening on the foam of the perilous seas in fairy lands forlorn.” Furthermore, the lesson that I learned from Anne’s House of Dreams is that everyone has a different life story, and to understand someone you must first understand the situations in their life that have probably shaped their personality. If Anne had not known Leslie’s tragic childhood and current predicament, she might have always thought of Leslie as overly conceited and miserable, but since she understood Leslie’s past, she was able to eventually become her first true friend. In conclusion, this book is extremely well written, with amazing descriptions and a wonderful moral behind it all; I really would like to encourage more people to read it, and be rewarded.
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