Searching for...

Tuesday, 1 July 2014

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: ANNE OF AVONLEA ~ LM MONTGOMERY author ~ COLLEEN WINTON narrator 28.6.14

ANNE OF AVONLEA
ANNE OF GREEN GABLES  Series #2 
by LM Montgomery
Narrator Colleen Winton
At sixteen, Anne is grown up...almost. Her gray eyes shine like evening stars, but her red hair is still as peppery as her temper. In the years since she arrived at Green Gables as a freckle-faced orphan, she has earned the love of the people of Avonlea and a reputation for getting into scrapes. But when Anne begins her job as the new schoolteacher, the real test of her character begins. Along with teaching the three Rs, she is learning how complicated life can be when she meddles in someone else's romance, finds two new orphans at Green Gables, and wonders about the strange behaviour of the very handsome Gilbert Blythe. As Anne enters womanhood, her adventures touch the heart and the funny bone.  -goodreads
*
Series: Anne of Green Gables #2
Audiobook Edition
Author:  Lucy Montgomery
Narrator:  Colleen Winton
Published: May 30, 2013
Publisher: Post Hypnotic Press
Audio Book Length:  9 Hrs 25 Min
*
My Thoughts?

Reading this was like visiting an old friend!

The warmth and delight of discovering impetuous red-aired Anne as a child in
"Anne of Green Gables,"
{click for review}
now developed charmingly through two years of her teen life,as her adventures are enlarged to include the rural Prince Edward Island community of Avonlea...

*

" an August afternoon with blue hazes scarfing the harvest slopes, little winds whispering elfishly in the poplars and a dancing slendour of red poppies outflaming against the dark coppice of young firs in a corner of the cherry orchard was fitter for dreams than dead languages."

*

Postponing her 17th birthday from the vagaries of March in favour of a spring picnic with her friends, the walk through vales and lanes spanning bridges and brooks describes picturesque settings for their talk that soon takes a 'heavenly' turn ~
*

"Minnie May asked me the other day if we would wear our best dresses every day in heaven," laughed Diana.
"And didn't you tell her we would?" asked Anne.
"Mercy, no!  
"And didn't you tell her we would?" asked Anne. "Mercy, no!  I told her we wouldn't be thinkng of dresses at all there." "oh, I think we will ... a little," said Anne earnestly.
"There'll be plenty of time in all eternity for it without neglecting more important things.  I believe we'll all wear beautiful dresses... or I suppose
"There'll be plenty of time in all eternity for it without neglecting more important things.  I believe we'll all wear beautiful dresses... or I suppose raiment would be a more suitable way of speaking.   I shall want to wear pink for a few centuries at first... it would take me that long to get tired of it, I feel sure.   I do love pink so and I can never wear it in this world."
  *

Anne's role as local school teacher providing vivid depictions of student and parent personalities, scrapes of all kinds, and disciplinary reactions, had me rolling with laughter!  the unexpected arrival of 6 year old twins into her life when their mother dies, introduces comedic routine on a daily basis.

*
"If I'm as good as good can be all day tomorrow 
will you let me be just as bad as I like all the next day?" asked Davy.

*
Little Davy's propensity for trouble is matched only by Anne's own. Her wit and creativity in responding to their predicaments is unmatched!
Beautifully descriptive of rural life of another century Anne books offer great reading satisfaction~
especially in light of having lived in Anne's land 
of Prince Edward Island and experiencing first hand L.M. Montgomery's  accurate depictions of islanders' 'thought' regarding outsiders!

*


  Lovely opportunities for numerous mouthwatering tea and garden parties, proponents of conflicting theologies within the same households, well developed charactersand plentiful humour, kept me enjoyably occupiedto the final moment.

*

The variety of love stories included would satisfy the most romantically inclined reader amongst us!


*

"Gilbert wisely said nothing more;but in his silence he read the history of the next four years in the light of Anne's remembered blush..."


*

Tissues at hand, definitely recommended!

*
Having the opportunity to review an audiobook version published by 
Post Hypnotic Press and
narrated by Canadian, Colleen Winton,
added new enjoyment to the classic story.

Hearing the characters come to life in conversation and description is a pleasure.
I was part of the story as Anne leads us on her 
merry adventures.
 Each character is individually personalized by
tone, inflection and expression of Ms Winton's narration.

*
I appreciate the quality of Post Hypnotic Press audio 
of Anne's escapades and new directions.  
Whilst Ms Winton's straightforward portrayals of 
Rachel Lynde and Marilla Cuthbert are filled with character respective for their ages,
my choice for a series focused on Anne
would have tended to a more age accurate narrator's voice. 
Anne's lilting vivacity hasn't been captured, for my ear.
*
 
I've included the sampler, kindly provided by the publisher, for your convenience in having a listen.
We all hear 
and relate individually to narrators of our personal story favourites,
so I'll leave the response open to you.
*
A seamless recording of uninterrupted listening entertainment,
I thank Post Hypnotic Press for the pleasurable opportunity of hearing and reviewing their audio of Anne of Avonlea .
*
*
Author Bio:
Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE (November 30, 1874 – April 24, 1942), called "Maud" by family and friends and publicly known as L. M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908. Anne of Green Gables was an immediate success. The central character, Anne, an orphaned girl, made Montgomery famous in her lifetime and gave her an international following. The first novel was followed by a series of sequels with Anne as the central character. Montgomery went on to publish 20 novels as well as 500 short stories and poems. Many of the novels were set on Prince Edward Island, Canada and places in the Canadian province became literary landmarks. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1935.
LM Montgomery, was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, in 1911 after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911 in Prince Edward Island. Her three children were born at Leaskdale, and she wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the Macdonald family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. 


"Some people go through life trying to find out what the world holds for them only to find out too late that it's what they bring to the world that really counts."
~ Lucy Maud Montgomery
 


Maud died in Toronto April 24, 1942
and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia...more

*
Narrator:
Colleen is a Vancouver actor, singer, dancer, director and choreographer...and now a narrator. Her career has taken her all over the country and  includes the Stratford, Shaw and Charlottetown Festivals, the original Canadian companies of CATS and Show Boat, extensive film/TV credits, and numerous directing/choreographing credits. Her stage work has been honoured with numerous nominations and a Jessie and Ovation award and she received a cultural award given by her local Chamber of Commerce. She recently played Marilla Cuthbert in a production of the musical Anne of Green Gables at Theatre Calgary (Spring 2013).
*
Post Hypnotic Press audio of the Anne series is available 
for your listening enjoyment online HERE. 
*
* Appreciation to Post Hypnotic Press and Audiojukebox for providing an mp3 for listening and reviewing without cost or compensation.

*
FIND MORE FHC on PINTEREST, TWITTER, GOOGLE+, GOODREADS, FACEBOOK, NETWORKED BLOGS
*
*



SHARED WITH ~

*Inspire Me Monday*

No comments:

Related Posts with Thumbnails