Did I tell you I’m working on a book of essays about Anne of Green Gables?
I had this idea years ago, and it’s just been percolating for awhile. This is a book (and series) I used to read every single year. I would estimate I’ve read all eight books about thirty times or so. Because of Reasons, I haven’t actually re-read it in a bit … and that made me sad. I really wanted to get back into it this year–this spring specifically–but I needed a little jump-start.
And I found it … Spencer and I have been reading Anne of Green Gables out loud together … and I can’t recommend it enough. Everyone should do this!
- Step one: Pick your favorite favorite book that you’ve read 19 million times
- Step two: Find a friend who has never read it
- Step three: Get that friend to read it out loud to you
- Step four: enjoy!
This is literally one of my favorite ways to spend my time right now. I always love to read this book when the spring weather hits, and this makes it even better.
We’re reading maybe a chapter or so every few times we see each other. It’s not a quick read, but the benefit of doing it together totally makes up for it. Spencer will open the book to wherever we left off, read to me the chapter title and I immediately perk up and tell him “This chapter is so great!!!” with an enormous grin on my face.
Every time.
EVERY. TIME. Every chapter. He (rightly so) teases me for it now.
But then, he starts reading and it’s like I’m hearing the book all new again. His interpretation of the characters and scenes are somewhat different than the way I’ve been reading them for the last thirty years.
The moments and characters that he most reacts to are so interesting to me. I have the context of knowing all eight books in the series intimately, but this is all new to him. So reading Marilla’s sassy sarcasm in the first half of book one has him stopping himself in the middle of a chapter to give me his opinion.
He also regularly stops his reading after one of Anne’s monologues to tell me, “I love her.”
Haha! Because, really, who can help loving Anne Shirley?
To be fair, occasionally I also stop him to quote the next line of the book. That’s how well I know this 1904 children’s book. I am a super cool person, obviously.
But my point is … getting to see this book through his eyes has made me so much more excited for my book of Anne essays.
For a long time I have said (to anyone that would listen) that everything I know to be true about life I learned from these books. Insights about humanity and ways to approach the world and so many other things.
So, now, as Spencer reads to me and sagacious lines come up, I’ll jot them down for an essay. Or, as he notices things that hadn’t previously occurred to me I’ll jot them down. Or, even, I read a couple chapters out loud to him, and his observations of ME-as-a-reader-of-my-favorite-book I jotted down.
Not only has this approach to my favorite book gotten me out of the rut of avoiding re-reading, but it has helped me so much in the brainstorming of the book of essays I’ve been dreaming of.
I can’t recommend it enough. Read books out loud with friends. Thank me later.