"Don't you ever imagine things differently from what they are?" -- Anne Shirley
Kim and I have good reason to embrace modern retellings of classic literature (and we'll soon be able to tell you why). Still, I found myself shaking my head in stern, Marilla-Cuthbert fashion at recent industry news announcing that Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables is being adapted into a new contemporary TV series.
It's an interesting idea, so I'm trying to keep an open mind. After all, Anne's brand of humor is as LOL-hilarious today as when it was conceived at the turn of the last century. With the right casting (caveat: Megan Follows is sacrosanct to me) introducing a new generation to the redhead's endearing antics and poignant journey into adulthood can only be a positive thing...right? And yet, considering TV is currently enamored with period dramas like Downton Abbey, Boardwalk Empire, and the upcoming Civil War-Era Copper debuting in August, why couldn't the Montgomery books be resurrected in their original state, complete with pinafores and straw boater hats?
I shudder to think about how some modern elements will be woven into Anne's story, and how some of my favorite facets of the original will naturally be dropped. (She'd hardly need to signal BFF, Diana, with a flashlight when texting is an option.) Perhaps it's the fact that I'm too avid a fan — a purist, if you will — that's making me a little skittish about this one. While everyone else in college was off attending frat parties, my roommate, fellow English major, and all-around kindred spirit, Meg, and I threw an "Anne of Green Gables" movie marathon party complete with recipes inspired by the books and massive swooning histrionics whenever Gilbert Blythe came on screen.
What's next? Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books set in modern-day Orange County?
Gilbert Blythe... swoon.
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