Question for Anne of Green Gables fans

sequoia

Thu, Jan 12 2012, 7:53 pm

Mrs. Rachel Lynde is supposed to have eight adult children. Where are they? Why do we never see them? Where were they when their father died? Why did Rachel have to move in with Marilla eventually? If Rachel has such a big family, why does it seem like Marilla is the closest friend she has?

Chana Miriam S

Thu, Jan 12 2012, 8:08 pm

Cause Mrs. Lynde was a pretty high pressure person. Bet they all moved away cause she annoyed them too much.

BetsyTacy

Thu, Jan 12 2012, 8:24 pm

Ooh, fun topic! I don't have time to pull out the books now, but as memory serves, one daughter, Eliza, lived in town (possibly Charlottetown) and Mrs. Lynde didn't care for Eliza's husband. Others had moved away. Marilla mentions that the Lyndes had mortgaged their farm in order to give their youngest son a start to move west. This also explains why she had to move in with Marilla-after the farm was sold and the mortgage settled and the cost of Mr. Lynde's illness taken into account, there wouldn't be too much $ left. She states that there would be enough for Mrs. Lynde to live on --her children would see to that--but I guess not enough to run the farm (with the hired help she would need) and pay off the mortgage.

Ima_Shelli

Thu, Jan 12 2012, 11:03 pm

and I was going to marry Gilbert Blythe when I grew up. (can't help you with the Rachel's children question, sorry.)

sequoia

Thu, Jan 12 2012, 11:07 pm

chanamiriam wrote:

Cause Mrs. Lynde was a pretty high pressure person. Bet they all moved away cause she annoyed them too much.

Yeah, I figured that, but... wouldn't at least one of the eight kids be enough of a mensch to come back and help their mother during a difficult time?

It was just always so odd that Rachel kept bragging about all her kids and yet seemed like such a lonely person.

EmesOrNT

Thu, Jan 12 2012, 11:21 pm

Yeah that was the point about her. She was the person with all the good advice, but who never managed to live up to it. She calls anne homely at the very start, probably because she was lonely and would have rathered that marilla stay lonely as well.

EmesOrNT

Thu, Jan 12 2012, 11:21 pm

faigie wrote:

OMG I LOVED the show......is it on hulu or somewhere?? id love to see the series again.......

Watching something doesn't add up to actually taking out the books and reading them.

sequoia

Fri, Jan 13 2012, 1:13 am

emesornt wrote:

You're right.

Truly a timeless series of books. Time to re-read, I guess.

EmesOrNT

Fri, Jan 13 2012, 12:15 pm

I read the first one in 6th grade, and I reread the series every once in a while. I always find a new part that I didn't notice before!

Jewishmofm

Tue, Jun 26 2012, 7:56 pm

Our 9 year old son is a voracious reader, and pulled my anne off the shelf recently, so of course I'm rereading
it . . . If Mrs. Rachel were any mother of mine, I would NEVER come back. Sorry lady, you are toxic.

chatouli

Tue, Jun 26 2012, 8:20 pm

I cried like a baby at the end of the series. So romantic, remember "Rilla, my Rilla?" Thanks sequoia, you just brought back so many happy memories of reading these books Smile

Hatemywig

Tue, Jun 26 2012, 8:28 pm

As far as I remember, she had 8 children, not necessarily adult children, a few of whom died at birth or childhood.

DREAMING

Tue, Jun 26 2012, 8:29 pm

did anyone read the "prequel" to anne of green gables? I don't recall the name or title off hand but some author wrote a book about where Anne was born and her experiences before she got to Green Gables.

abby1776

Tue, Jun 26 2012, 8:50 pm

I am a huge Anne of Green Gables Fan
My understanding is that Mrs Rachel Lynne was a very contrling personality and had a difficult relationship with her children and she was very independent and didnt want to be a burden and dependant on them so she prefered to move in with Marilla and keep her autonomy.

dee's mommy

Tue, Jun 26 2012, 9:12 pm

DREAMING wrote:

The book is called "Before Green Gables" by Budge Wilson. It was published in 2008. I read it once, and I remember being quite impressed by it.

As for Mrs. Lynde, I don't quite remember, but I think she just doesn't want to leave Avonlea. True, her children may find her difficult, but I think her decision had more to do with her own sense of home.

zaq

Tue, Jun 26 2012, 9:21 pm

sequoia wrote:

It was just always so odd that Rachel kept bragging about all her kids and yet seemed like such a lonely person.

'Cuz she was the MIL from Hell, a domineering, interfering machashefah, and Marilla was the only person in town or out who would put up with her. Her kids clearly fled as soon as they could and never looked back.

shnitzel

Tue, Jun 26 2012, 9:58 pm

chatouli wrote:

I cried like a baby at the end of the series. So romantic, remember "Rilla, my Rilla?" Thanks sequoia, you just brought back so many happy memories of reading these books Smile

The last book was one of my favourites. I loved the first Anne as a kid and the books seemed to mature with her.

My heart is still with The Story Girl, and the sequel The Golden Road made me cry and cry, although it was really hard to track down a copy.

I had no idea there was a prequel! Is it something adults would enjoy?