If you ask a casual reader about the genre of Anne of Green Gables, they’ll probably shrug and say it’s a children’s book. Or maybe "classic literature" if they're feeling fancy. They aren't wrong, exactly. But they’re missing the weird, wonderful complexity that has kept L.M. Montgomery’s red-headed orphan relevant for over a century.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a shapeshifter.
Most people encounter Anne Shirley when they’re ten years old. You remember the puffed sleeves and the accidental raspberry cordial intoxication. It feels like a simple story about a girl finding a home. However, look closer and you’ll find a text that's fighting with its own identity. It’s part pastoral idyll, part domestic realism, and surprisingly, part proto-feminist manifesto.
The Core Identity: Children's Literature or Something Else?
The most obvious bucket to drop the genre of Anne of Green Gables into is juvenile fiction. When it was published in 1908, that was the market. But Montgomery didn't actually write it for kids. In her journals, she noted that she was quite surprised by how much children loved it. She wrote it for "all ages," which is why the prose is often denser and more lyrical than your average modern middle-grade novel.
It fits the Bildungsroman tradition. That’s just a fancy German word for a "coming-of-age story." We follow Anne from age eleven to sixteen. We watch her transition from a "skinny, homely" child who talks to her own reflection to a poised young woman heading off to college.
This isn't just about growing tall. It’s about the death of the imagination in the face of adulthood. That’s a heavy theme for a "kid's book." Montgomery uses the genre of Anne of Green Gables to explore the specific grief of losing one's childhood wonder, even as you gain independence. It's bittersweet.
Why the "Pastoral" Label Matters
You can’t talk about Anne without talking about Prince Edward Island. The setting isn't just a backdrop; it’s a character. This places the book firmly in the "Pastoral" genre.
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Pastoral literature celebrates the rural landscape. It’s an escape from the grit of the city. For readers in 1908—who were dealing with the smog of the Industrial Revolution—Avonlea was a dream world. Montgomery describes the "White Way of Delight" and "Lover’s Lane" with such sensory intensity that the book almost becomes a work of nature writing.
- It romanticizes the farm.
- It finds divinity in the blossoms of an apple tree.
- It suggests that soul-growth is only possible away from the urban "hurry and bustle."
Is It a "Girl's Book"? (The Gendered Genre Debate)
For decades, the genre of Anne of Green Gables was dismissed as "sentimental fiction" or a "girl’s story." This was often a way for male critics to ignore its literary merit. Because the book focuses on domesticity, female friendship, and tea parties, it was seen as trivial.
That’s a mistake.
The book is actually a "Regionalist" or "Local Color" novel. Think of it alongside Sarah Orne Jewett or Willa Cather. These writers were masters of capturing the specific dialects, social customs, and quirks of a particular geographic area. Montgomery wasn't just writing about a girl; she was documenting the soul of a Maritimes community.
And then there's the "Kindred Spirit" element. Anne’s obsession with finding people who understand her is a hallmark of the Romantic genre. Not romance as in kissing—though Gilbert Blythe certainly tries—but Romanticism with a capital R. It’s about the primacy of emotion, the sublime nature of the world, and the individual spirit.
The Influence of the "Orphan Narrative"
We have to acknowledge the elephant in the room: the orphan trope.
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The genre of Anne of Green Gables leans heavily on a specific 19th-century tradition. You see it in Oliver Twist, Heidi, and Pollyanna. The "unwanted child who transforms a community" is a powerful narrative engine.
But Anne is different.
Unlike Pollyanna, who is relentlessly cheerful to the point of being annoying, Anne is moody. She has a temper. She falls into "depths of despair." This psychological realism makes the book feel less like a Victorian moral fable and more like a modern character study. She isn't there to be a perfect angel; she’s there to be herself, and the community of Avonlea has to catch up to her.
Breaking Down the Sub-Genres
If we really want to get technical, we can slice the genre of Anne of Green Gables into several layers:
- Domestic Realism: Focuses on the everyday lives of ordinary people. No dragons, no wars, just the high stakes of a burnt cake or a dyed-green head of hair.
- Epistolary Elements: Especially in the sequels, but even in the first book, the way characters share stories and letters drives the plot.
- The School Story: A huge chunk of the book is dedicated to the rivalry between Anne and Gilbert and the pressure of the Queen's Academy exams. This was a massive sub-genre in the early 20th century.
Realism vs. Idealism
Is it realistic? Sorta.
Montgomery doesn't shy away from the hardness of life. Matthew Cuthbert’s death is a sudden, brutal shock. It’s a moment where the "pastoral dream" breaks and real-world consequences take over. Anne has to give up her scholarship to stay with Marilla. That's a high-stakes, realistic sacrifice.
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Yet, the book is undeniably idealistic. The colors are brighter, the air is sweeter, and the coincidences are a little too convenient. This mix is what experts call "Canadian Idealism." It’s a way of looking at the world that acknowledges the cold winters and the hard work but chooses to find a spiritual glow beneath it all.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Genre
The biggest misconception? That it’s a romance novel.
If you’re looking for a spicy Regency romp, you’re in the wrong place. The "romance" between Anne and Gilbert is a slow burn that takes several books to even ignite. In this first novel, the primary relationship isn't romantic at all—it’s the platonic love between a lonely old woman (Marilla) and a lonely young girl.
That’s the "Domestic Fiction" heart of the book. It’s about the family you choose, not just the one you’re born into. In 1908, the idea of an adoption gone "wrong" (they wanted a boy, remember?) turning into a perfect emotional match was actually quite a progressive take on family dynamics.
Why This Matters for Readers Today
Understanding the genre of Anne of Green Gables helps you appreciate why it still works. It isn't just nostalgia. It’s the fact that Montgomery was a "modern" writer trapped in a Victorian setting. She used the tropes of children’s literature to smuggle in big ideas about female ambition, the necessity of art, and the preservation of nature.
If you’re a writer, look at how she balances tone. She can move from a hilarious comedy of errors (the liniment cake) to deep, soul-crushing grief in the span of a single chapter. That’s not just "kid stuff." That’s high-level craftsmanship.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans and Researchers
If you want to go deeper into the world of L.M. Montgomery and the specific literary traditions she occupied, here is how you can actually engage with the material beyond just re-reading the book for the tenth time.
- Read the Journals: L.M. Montgomery’s published journals (The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery) are eye-opening. They reveal a woman who was often depressed and felt trapped by the very "domesticity" she wrote about. It adds a fascinating, darker layer to Anne’s world.
- Explore the "Local Color" Movement: Check out A New England Nun by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman. It will help you see how the genre of Anne of Green Gables fits into a wider North American movement of women writers documenting their specific "corners" of the world.
- Visit the L.M. Montgomery Institute: They have an incredible digital archive. You can see her original scrapbooks and photos, which show exactly how she "constructed" the genre of her life and her fiction.
- Analyze the Sequels: If you only know the first book, read Anne of the Island. It shifts the genre again, moving into "Campus Fiction" as Anne navigates university life in the big city. It’s a great study in how a character can evolve while staying true to their generic roots.
The genre of Anne of Green Gables is a house with many rooms. You can enter through the "children’s book" door, but once you’re inside, you’ll find hallways leading to complex social commentary, vivid nature writing, and a timeless exploration of what it means to be a "kindred spirit" in a world that often prizes conformity over imagination.