Reviews for Dreams

The average rating for Dreams based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-03-17 00:00:00 Michael Hardesty I originally read the entire Anne series when I was 11. In fact, the Anne books were among the first ones I bought with my money, money I had earned doing odd chores or watching my younger brothers for an hour or two. I recently went to an event at the Margaret Mitchell House featuring romance authors, and one of the questions was "What's your favorite literary kiss?" I started thinking about my own answer, and decided it might be the very end of "Anne of the Island" - FINALLY Anne realized she and Gilbert were meant to be. That led to a re-reading of the end of "Anne of the Island," and before I knew it I had flipped the Kindle to "Anne's House of Dreams" (alas, I don't possess "Anne of Windy Poplars" in e-form.) "Anne's House of Dreams" was among my favorite Anne books, and it held up for me all these many years later. I think it's the most personal of the Anne books, the most poignant. Montgomery wrote many angry and disillusioned characters, but in my opinion Leslie Moore is the most nuanced character in the entire series - and that includes Anne. It's also the most romantic book in the series- there's not only the sweet newlywed relationship between Anne and Gilbert, but also Captain Jim and Lost Margaret, Leslie and Owen. And the setting is romance personified - an out of the way cottage, a wild seashore, a lighthouse still manually operated by its keeper. This is not the close-knit village of Avonlea, or the large, rambling, center of town Ingleside manor where Anne and Gilbert will raise their family. In those books, the greater community plays a large role in Anne's life. "Anne's House of Dreams" is more self-contained, centering on a smaller cast of characters: Anne, Gilbert and their immediate neighbors Miss Cornelia, Leslie and Captain Jim. In fact, "dreams" is very apropos because there is a dream-like quality to much of the book. Anne is often referred to as a "dreamer of dreams" - most of them centering around building a family with Gilbert. Captain Jim sees Lost Margaret in his dreams. Leslie's dreams are dead - or so she thinks. Even Gilbert refers to his dreams coming true, and hates to argue with Anne lest he finds his marriage to his long-sought after love is nothing but a waking dream. But for all the dream references, this is also (along with "Rilla of Ingleside") the most poignant of the Anne novels. There is plenty of romance, and even humor in the form of Miss Cornelia, but also tragedy and sadness. This is the last book to focus exclusively on Anne - subsequent books are more about the children than her - and Anne is truly a grown-up by the end: a wife, a mother, a survivor of grief and joy. I find the reviews disappointed in Anne's choice to marry Gilbert and become a wife and mother rather...puzzling. Anne is a product of her times. More important, she is a product of L.M. Montgomery's particular times. Anne was never set up to be a bohemian or to flout society. Anne wanted more than anything to fit in and have a family of her own - go read the scene in "Anne of Green Gables" where Matthew gives her the dress with the puffed sleeves. She doesn't settle for Gilbert - she actively chooses to be with him. Anne had examples of women who chose careers away from home instead of marriage before her: Stella went to Vancouver, Jane went out West (and landed a millionaire, true, but it wasn't Jane's stated goal), Aunt Jamesina's daughter was a missionary in India, Katherine became a secretary to a globe trotting MP. And Anne saw that women could remain unmarried and still lead productive lives, Marilla being only one example. So she could have followed in their footsteps. But Anne LOVES. That is Anne's great gift. She loves people unconditionally. She gave love to Matthew and Marilla, to Davy and Dora, to Diana and Phil and Katherine and Leslie. She's everyone's favorite confidante - not because she's some saccharine, two-dimensional Mary Sue, but because Anne demonstrates a deep and abiding interest in and care for others. For Anne to chose career over love and a family of her own just wouldn't be in her character. At all. Creating a home and a community for Gilbert and their family - and for Leslie, Captain Jim, Miss Cornelia, and all the other characters who spend more time in her house than their own - that's Anne's true calling. Is it anti-feminist? Not at all. Anne isn't held back, she isn't put down, she doesn't kowtow to Gilbert. In fact, he, more than anyone, knows that Anne had plenty of choices and he's still amazed and grateful that she chose him. Also: written in 1917, people. If anything, Montgomery is rather subversive in showing that women truly call the shots in the communities she creates.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-03-17 00:00:00 James Bonnell What happened to Anne?? You'll stay right here with me, Anne-girl," said Gilbert lazily. "I won't have you flying away from me into the hearts of storms. Oh, that's right. She got married. I miss the adventuring Young Anne - with haunted woods and dryad's bubble. I wish we still had the College-gal Anne - with her little cottage of friends. I would even prefer the Schoolmistress Anne - battling the Pringles and educating young minds. Anne was strong, independent, with dreams and ambitions of writing. I liked to see how she reached out and over the heads of many women who were confined to traditional rolls. And all of a sudden, her highest goal is to be married and to raise children. It's like L. M Montgomery flipped a switch. I suppose at those times, women were expected to contentedly give up everything to raise the children but Anne used to have her heart set on so, so many things. And for her to give all that up without even the slightest protest?? She does still have her quiet dreamy-ness and her thoughtless meddling, but everything is so much tamer. So much more domestic. Oh, Marilla, I thought I was happy before. Now I know that I just dreamed a pleasant dream of happiness. This is the reality. So...she does it because...happiness? This whole book had me questioning everything. Namely, what was even the point of the first four books? We spend so much time following Anne through her education. She spent so many of years of her life doing her best in school solely so she could become a school teacher. Then, only a few years in, she completely drops everything?? L. M. Montgomery forced Anne into marriage and erased convenient bits of her personality to fit her into the mold. Audiobook Comments Read by Susan O'Malley and while the audiobook wasn't terrible...the plot of this book just gave me an overall negative impression. YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads