Anne with an E - A TV Series Review
In this month's Blog Post I will be sharing with you my thoughts on the Netflix TV series, Anne with an E.
“I was Elizabeth Bennet dancing with Mr Darcy.”
Anne Shirley-Cuthbert from Anne with an E
There will be no spoilers in this Blog Post, just a few points so you roughly know what happens in the TV series, but without giving away the big answers! 😊
Overview
Anne with an E is a Netflix TV series based on the amazing and charming Anne of Green Gables books by L. M. Montgomery. There are three seasons of this TV show and they follow a similar story line of Anne Shirley, an orphan girl sent by mistake to two middle-aged siblings (Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert), who originally wanted to adopt a boy to help them out on their farm. At first it takes a while for Anne to settle into her new life, as she is a little different from everybody else. She has an amazing imagination and as Marilla says, “She could talk the hind leg off a mule, that’s for certain.” for Anne is always talking away about her day dreams!
Amybeth McNulty played Anne so well, portraying Anne’s imaginative and talkative nature in a different light than those before her. She made Anne’s character more hopeful and passionate about life and in one of her interviews she says how similar she is to Anne in many ways.
“It didn’t really feel like I was acting, it just felt like I was incorporating different personality types into myself. We’re definitely very similar, we both love books and we both don’t know when to shut up! We’re awkward and uncomfortable and we have a fiery temper every so often.”
Amybeth McNulty
Old characters like, Diana Barry, Gilbert Blythe, Rachel Lynde and Mrs Stacy come up in the episodes too and we also get to meet new characters like Mary, Cole, Bash and Jerry. The humour between Mrs Rachel Lynde and Marilla really brought some nice comedy into the program and you can laugh hard over their funny disagreements and jokes!
The filming was vibrant, the scenery beautiful and the actors and actresses really brought the characters to life! One of my favourite parts of the series that makes me all happy when I watch it (I am a big horsey fan!) is when, on one of the opening scenes, Anne is seen riding Belle, the Cuthbert’s horse, through the snowy Winter landscape of Prince Edward Island. It is such a simple scene, but on seeing them galloping through snow, Anne’s red flaming hair flying and the lovely landscape of Canada all around—it just makes me so excited to start watching!
My Thoughts
For those like me who have read all of the Anne of Green Gables books and have grown up on the 1980s movies, you might at first be a little disappointed that the directors didn’t stick exactly to the books. Normally, I like movies and TV series to stay strictly to the books they are set on, using the original stories and keeping the characters as they are, but as I watched more of the series I actually really enjoyed seeing new characters come into the episodes and new storylines being added. Like, along with Anne’s life with the Cuthberts, you also get to know more about the other characters backstories and their home life. Diana Barry’s, Gilbert Blythe’s and Marilla and Matthew’s lives are all shared throughout the episodes and you see them differently, instead of knowing them through Anne’s eyes.
The fashion and home decor throughout the seasons was also amazing! The clothes, hats, pictures and furniture really made you feel like you were in that time period (1890s) and living alongside them.
All in all I loved seeing a new side to the beloved books written by L. M. Montgomery and watching Anne’s character grow. Be careful, for you may have to binge watch this series as it will keep you wondering “What happens next!?”
Feel free to comment below if you have watched Anne with an E or any of the Anne of Green Gables adaptations! 😊 I will be watching the original 1934 Anne of Green Gables movie soon and the DVD boxset of the 1980s movies, I will share my thoughts later on.
An Extra Post from May…
Here is an extra post I wrote in the middle of May about a Summer Reading Challenge I am taking part in this June! Feel free to check it out. 😊
Binge-worthy, for sure!! So many lovely memories of Anne throughout my life. So glad you love her too.💗🌸
I started watching the series back in 2022 and didn't continue because I am extremely picky so I wasn't liking that it doesn't strictly follow the books. But I think it captured the essence of the series so well, the atmosphere, the characters. Especially Anne, like she was Anne.
My mother who has never read the books however really enjoyed the series.