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Showing posts with label Prince Edward Island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prince Edward Island. Show all posts

Friday, 27 June 2014

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: ANNE OF GREEN GABLES - LM Montgomery author ~ Colleen Winton narrator

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES
by Lucy Maude Montgomery
Narrated by Colleen Winton
Anne, a young orphan from the fictional community of Bolingbroke, Nova Scotia (based upon the real community of New London), is sent to Prince Edward Island after a childhood spent in strangers' homes and orphanages. Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, siblings in their fifties and sixties, had decided to adopt a boy from the orphanage to help Matthew run their farm. They live at Green Gables, their Avonlea farmhouse on Prince Edward Island. Through a misunderstanding, the orphanage sends Anne Shirley.
Anne is described as bright and quick, eager to please, talkative, and extremely imaginative. She has a pale face with freckles and usually braids her red hair. When asked her name, Anne tells Marilla to call her Cordelia, which Marilla refuses; Anne then insists that if she is to be called Anne, it must be spelled with an e, as that spelling is "so much more distinguished." Marilla at first says the girl must return to the orphanage, but after a few days she decides to let her stay. Marilla feels that she could be a good influence on the girl and had also overheard that another disagreeable woman in town might take Anne in instead.-publisher
Series: Anne of Green Gables #1
Audiobook Edition
Published: May 30.13
Publisher: Post Hypnotic Press
Length: Unabridged 10 hrs 6 min


My Thoughts?

There's nothing like Anne to inspire laughter and Lucy M Montgomery for atmospheric descriptions of beauty!

Elderly unmarried siblings, Matthew, and sister, Marilla, have sent word to a neighbouring villager, Mrs Spencer, to bring them a boy to help as a farmhand when she visits a Nova Scotia orphanage in the spring. The message gets twisted enroute, delivering them the unexpected 11 year old Anne! 

The joys and tribulations of Anne's addition to their tranquil Prince Edward Island lives are delicious to experience. A girl of dreams and dialogue beyond her years, unlimited ideas and imagination to share with anyone lacking, Anne is quickly endeared to the reader by Lucy Maud's characterizations and descriptions. 

“Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” 

The humour of Anne's escapades is effectively and dramatically juxtaposed against the societal expectations of the Victorian era and island culture. 

“It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly
that you will.”
 

It’s easy to immerse oneself into the life of Anne as we cheer her on in pursuit of kindred spirits!  


“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. 
It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” 

An especially satisfying read expressing much appreciation of beauty, a turn of the century girl's journey from childhood to young womanhood, and a realistic cast of characters populating this introductory story of Anne...

This time round I've had the pleasure of Anne on audio via the Post Hypnotic Press audiobook presentation. Narrated by Colleen Winton, the characters of the story were differentiated and personalized with varying voice expression, inflections and range of tone. Ms WInton captured their personalities well. My personal preference would have been the choice of a younger voice to represent Anne, especially as the main character of the story, an essential consideration. Ms Winton was capable and steady in her narration.

Post Hypnotic's recording was clear and uninterrupted by background interference. Dubbing or retakes were seamless, allowing for a pleasurable listening experience. 

A lovely way to enjoy our beloved Anne of Green Gables.



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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. 

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


For more information, please see 
http://en.wikipedia...more
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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).
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Post Hypnotic Press audio of the Anne series is available 
for your listening enjoyment online HERE
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* Appreciation to Post Hypnotic Press and Audiojukebox for providing an mp3 for listening and reviewing without cost or compensation.
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Thursday, 24 February 2011

Ann with an 'e'...

what fresh FuN!
when i discovered Renee Ann's
i am not a fiction reader,
but Renee Ann
offered an open book choice
with review to be published from Feb 25th to 28th
and my fancy was captured!
probably due to the large amount of work scheduled
and recognizing i needed some distraction ~
'lite'!
so here's my contribution to be added to the review mix ~

Lucy Maud Montgomery's
"Anne of Avonlea"
published first in 1909

reading this was like visiting an old friend!
the warmth and delight of discovering
impetuous red-haired Anne
as a child in "Anne of Green Gables"
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 slendor 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
provides 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!  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 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 characters
and plentiful humour,
kept me enjoyably occupied
to the final page.

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!

a delightful break in my routine,
i sincerely thank you Renee Ann
for offering up this book challenge!


and many thanks also to Sharon of
who created the GorGeous velvet bookmark
for her One World One Heart GiveAway ~
i can hardly wait to begin using it for my upcoming reading!

 i do hope a reader of this review
will take "Anne of Avonlea" as a selection of their own.
would you let us know your response if you do? 
*THANK YOU to you who already have!!*

many thanks for sharing my enjoyment!

Miss Spenser has tea for us today
in the tradition Anne would approve!
feel free to stop in ~












2011 Reading Challenge






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