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A "Blond" Anne of Green Gables


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That is horrible. So many things wrong with that cover. No red hair. No freckles. You simply can not separate Anne from her red hair. You'd lose all context for the "carrots" debacle, and the green hair and all the comments that people make to her about what a shame it is about her hair and what a kindness it is when Mrs Lynde tells her she knew someone with hair every bit as red and when she grew up it became a very handsome auburn. She is referred to as skinny several times.

 

Maybe this is supposed to be Ruby Gillis. She was blond and no better than she should be until her untimely demise from consumption.

 

Does that girl on the front even have puffy sleeves?

 

I am appalled.

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That is horrible. So many things wrong with that cover. No red hair. No freckles. You simply can not separate Anne from her red hair. You'd lose all context for the "carrots" debacle, and the green hair and all the comments that people make to her about what a shame it is about her hair and what a kindness it is when Mrs Lynde tells her she knew someone with hair every bit as red and when she grew up it became a very handsome auburn. She is referred to as skinny several times.

 

Maybe this is supposed to be Ruby Gillis. She was blond and no better than she should be until her untimely demise from consumption.

 

Does that girl on the front even have puffy sleeves?

 

I am appalled.

 

You did a fantastic job explaining what was wrong with the picture. It looks like my niece's graduation picture. So unless there has been a serious reimagining of the book - it's wrong.

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Appalling. One wonders if the person who made that decision has ever read the book. And aside from the fact that the cover is completely inappropriate hair-color-wise and time-wise, its just a . . . bad photo. It looks like someone didn't want to pay a pro for senior portraits so they let their cousin-with-a-DSLR take them.

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That's pretty stupid. Why would they do that?

 

Good news. The search is over. I found new cover art for Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

 

 

 

I almost just spit Diet Coke all over my computer screen. Thanks! I needed a good laugh tonight.

 

Might as well rename it Ann of Green Gables while you're at it.

 

Ha!

 

I couldn’t agree more. This cover is wrong on so many levels. And as a red-headed freckled person I feel particularly insulted. smile.gif

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I showed my red headed dd who absolutely loves Anne. She was not happy. She said if she finds that cover in her school library she will remove it and offer to buy them a 'real' copy. She said she wants to start a petition to have that travesty removed forever. She then went on and on about how some people must not be using their brains. Did I mention she's not happy?

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This thread is an awesome example of what makes this forum wonderful and unique.

 

That cover, however, is a sad example of the importance of literature in the world today. I'm glad my grandmother never had to lay eyes on that photo on the cover of her most beloved series!

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I usually re-read the entire series, all 8 books every year, usually in the Fall. It kind of stabs in the heart, the photo.... I can joke about it and roll my eyes, but it does hurt a bit, Anne is a very beloved part of myself. :(

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My 11yo Anne fan was shocked and upset when I showed her the cover. She was "outraged" and had to inform us of all the reasons the cover was wrong. Then I read her some of the comments above. She was laughing so hard, she couldn't catch her breath. :smilielol5: You ladies are priceless. That book cover is appalling.

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While the young lady in the picture clearly looks nothing like Anne, I don't know WHY anyone thinks the photo is sexy, nauseating, or that it would upset their grandmother. The girl is pretty and dressed VERY conservatively.

 

I think the grandmothers would be upset because they are fans of the puffy sleeve wanting ginger Anne. Not the teenager 21st century blonde Ann.

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If it makes anyone feel better this a a cr@ppy self published book someone smacked together with a no longer copyrighted work and is selling through the Amazon self publishing thing. No professional book publisher did this. You won't be seeing in on the shelves of your library or local bookstore.

 

That said, seeing a pretty blonde girl as Anne Shirley? I think I threw up a little in my mouth. Yikes.

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If it makes anyone feel better this a a cr@ppy self published book someone smacked together with a no longer copyrighted work and is selling through the Amazon self publishing thing. No professional book publisher did this. You won't be seeing in on the shelves of your library or local bookstore.

 

That said, seeing a pretty blonde girl as Anne Shirley? I think I threw up a little in my mouth. Yikes.

 

I was coming here to point this out too.

 

The Kindred Spirits email list has blown up about this, and all of the LMM scholars there (both professional and amateur) are horrified. However, someone also pointed out that throughout the 20th century there have been other similar instances of marketing Anne to teenage girls that involve covers that are questionable. I don't know that any went so far as to change Anne's hair color, but there were certainly liberties taken with dress. I found several examples on Etsy (more if you search for "vintage Anne of Green Gables"):

 

http://www.etsy.com/...-l-m-montgomery

http://www.etsy.com/...tion/107467087?

 

There's a CBC interview with Mary Beth Calvert here about the cover: http://www.cbc.ca/as...pIds=2332585901

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That is horrible. So many things wrong with that cover. No red hair. No freckles. You simply can not separate Anne from her red hair. You'd lose all context for the "carrots" debacle, and the green hair and all the comments that people make to her about what a shame it is about her hair and what a kindness it is when Mrs Lynde tells her she knew someone with hair every bit as red and when she grew up it became a very handsome auburn. She is referred to as skinny several times.

 

Maybe this is supposed to be Ruby Gillis. She was blond and no better than she should be until her untimely demise from consumption.

 

Does that girl on the front even have puffy sleeves?

 

I am appalled.

 

 

And now I have to go search my closet to find my copy of the book so I can read it for the millionth time. Can't have all those reminders and not reread it.

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I loved this comment:

 

"They mixed up the covers with that other children's classic, Britney of the Kitty Kat Ranch."

 

I do feel kind of bad for that poor model, though. All she did was have her photo taken and now half the reading world is vilifying her (I know, not her personally, but still...). She probably thought she was posing for the cover of some paranormal teen romance. In a barn. I don't know.

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