Anne of Green Gables

 Anne of Green Gables is a series I've never read before, but a set of movies that I loved. 

Anne is an orphan who is sent to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Anne is known for her imagination, which throws the Cuthbert siblings for a loop. Always talking and getting lost in thought. Learning to live with this adventurous, airheaded, proud, red head has become they have ever had. 

It is a very simple and straightforward book. Not some grand adventure but the adventure of everyday life for a very imaginative girl. Dealing with school, friends, constant misunderstandings, and bitter rivals with boys are the plot of the book. 

The book is mostly about characters. Becoming friends with Diana, rivals with Gilbert, Matthew and Marilla. They are the moments she has with the people around her. 

This books a light and full of character. I very much love it. 

The "Anne of Green Gables" movie with Meagan Fallows is the best. They are the most accurate to the book. Meagan is a fantastic Anne who makes her endearing as well as accurate to the book. "Anne with an 'E'" is no such representation. I very much dislike that one and could only watch a few episodes before I very willingly put it down. 

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

 I've come to the conclusion that this is my favorite Narnia book so far. 

Edmund and Lucy are now living with their aunt, uncle, and cousin and not liking it at all. Eustace, their cousin, is an annoying know-it-all who believes science is everything and any form of imagination proves you are an idiot. So when they the three of them find themselves in Narnia on Prince Caspian X's ship, The Dawn Treader, Eustace's world is thrown to a loop. Talking mice are completely nonsensical. Caspian is on a mission to find seven lost Lords who were friends of his fathers who sailed passed the known islands and haven't been seen or heard from in many, many years. They have adventures with slavers, dragons, golden lakes, invisible people, islands covered in darkness, and a pursuit to the farthest reaches of the world. 

I think it is my favorite because I've liked all these characters best. Peter and Susan are alright, but Edmund, Lucy, and Caspian have been my favorites, bring in Eustace's change of character throughout the adventure and they have a good, fun set of people to read about while the strangest things happen around them. 

I also really enjoyed the adventures of the different islands in the book too. Great imagination was brought to all of these islands  and the adventures found on them. I liked that it also didn't feel rushed or have this great need for a "mighty battle" at the end. It wasn't about the battles (which the movie did add) it was about the Journey and the things that you learn on your way. 

I didn't like the things they did in the movie to change it. Adding green mist, finding swords, the ever present "my kingship was better than your kingship" is SO annoying. It's been present in the last two movie adaptations and I hate it. I'm okay with them being friends and not having this need to one up another when they are all kings and queens and that's okay. In the books, the children realized that they wouldn't be staying and Caspian would be the one in charge, and it was okay. Narnia isn't their world even though they ruled it for some time, but their turn has passed. In the movies, none of that is the case. I understand needing a turmoil for characters to "grow out of" or what not, but to have the same thing over and over again gets annoying. Edmund didn't feel he needed to "take Peter's place" in the book because he was a King himself. He didn't need to encroach on his brother's anything because he had his own. He was King of Narnia like Caspian is King of Narnia. That bickering is just stupid  and the fact they pulled up up again made it more annoying. 

The book, however, was fantastic. As I said, my favorite so far.