Honestly, if you haven’t heard of Anne of Green Gables, you’ve probably been living under a very large, very un-scenic rock. Most people think of it as just a "cute" book about a red-headed girl who talks too much. But there’s a lot more to the story than just puff sleeves and raspberry cordial.
The book was a massive hit from the jump. When Lucy Maud Montgomery published it in 1908, it sold 19,000 copies in the first five months alone. That’s wild for the early 1900s. Since then? It’s moved over 50 million copies. It’s basically the Harry Potter of its era but with more cows and existential dread.
The Weird Truth Behind the Inspiration
Montgomery didn’t just pull Anne Shirley out of thin air. She actually got the idea from a newspaper clipping about a couple who wanted to adopt a boy but got a girl instead.
She also had a literal "vision" for Anne's face. She clipped a photo of Evelyn Nesbit—a famous American model and "it girl" of the time—from a magazine and stuck it on her wall. That photo became the model for Anne’s "youthful idealism."
It’s kinda funny because Anne is famous for being plain and hating her red hair. Meanwhile, her real-life inspiration was a literal supermodel.
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Anne of Green Gables: The Japanese Obsession
You might not know this, but Japan is absolutely head-over-heels for Anne. Like, bordering on a national obsession.
They call her "Akage no An" (Red-haired Anne). In the 1970s, the book was actually added to the Japanese school curriculum. Why? Well, scholars think it's because Anne’s feistiness and frankness provided an "antidote" to the strict, passive roles often expected of women in traditional Japanese society.
- The Translation of Legend: Hanako Muraoka translated the book in secret during WWII. She risked her life keeping the manuscript safe while air raid sirens were going off.
- The Tourism Factor: Thousands of Japanese fans travel to Prince Edward Island (PEI) every year.
- The Potato Incident: In the 1980s, a Japanese businessman signed a deal to import $1.4 million worth of potatoes simply because they were from "Anne's island."
Why the Tourism in PEI is Exploding Right Now
If you tried to visit Cavendish, PEI, lately, you probably noticed the crowds. In 2024, the province saw a record-breaking 1.7 million visitors. That's a huge spike.
Green Gables Heritage Place specifically saw a 20% increase in visitors during the 2025 season compared to the year before. On some days, nearly 3,000 people were trampling through the "Haunted Woods" and "Lover’s Lane."
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Parks Canada even had to adjust how they handle the flow of people. They've seen a shift from big tour buses to smaller, independent families. People are staying longer. They want to actually feel the vibe of the 1890s, not just snap a selfie and leave.
The Dark Side of the "Happy" Author
Here is the thing most people get wrong. They think Lucy Maud Montgomery was a sunny, cheerful woman just like her characters.
She wasn't.
Montgomery’s life was actually pretty tragic. She suffered from severe depression. Her husband, Ewen Macdonald, was a minister who struggled with religious melancholia and believed his family was predestined for hell.
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By the end of her life, both she and her husband were heavily addicted to barbiturates and bromides. Doctors back then prescribed them like candy for "nerves." In 2026, we look back and see the signs of a serious mental health crisis. When she died in 1942, many—including her family—believed it was a suicide. Her final note was heartbreaking, basically saying her "position was too awful to endure."
Which Adaptation Should You Actually Watch?
Look, there are a million versions. Everyone has a favorite.
- The 1985 Megan Follows Miniseries: This is the GOAT. Megan Follows is Anne. It’s the version that made the world fall in love with Gilbert Blythe (played by Jonathan Crombie).
- Anne with an E (Netflix): This one is controversial. It’s gritty. It deals with trauma and PTSD. Some purists hate it; Gen Z loves it. It’s beautiful but definitely "darker" than the book.
- The 1979 Anime: Directed by Isao Takahata (who co-founded Studio Ghibli). It is incredibly faithful to the book. Like, almost word-for-word.
What You Can Do Right Now
If you’re feeling the Anne-fever, don’t just re-read the first book.
Try reading Anne’s House of Dreams. It’s book five. It covers her early married life and deals with some surprisingly heavy themes like loss and neighborly feuds. It’s way more "adult" than the first installment.
Also, if you're planning a trip to PEI, go in the "shoulder season." June or September is better. You’ll avoid the 3,000-person-a-day crowds at the Green Gables house and actually get to experience the "thin veil" between reality and beauty that Montgomery wrote about.
The legacy of Anne of Green Gables isn't just about a girl with a temper. It's about the fact that even if you're an outsider, you can carve out a space for yourself if you have enough imagination—and maybe a few "kindred spirits" along the way.