Anne of Green Gables Abridged

(Retold from the Lucy Maud Montgomery original by Kathleen Olmstead. Illustrated by Lucy Corvino. New York: Sterling, 2005)

If you remember, I liked Sterling's abridgment of Little Women. I felt it stayed true to the original. This abridgment of Anne of Green Gables does not. The word "retold" says it all. Olmstead takes liberties with the original and gives readers a mixed up tale that is rushed and only matches the original slightly.

The only success this abridgment can claim is that it does reduce the number of chapters and pages. The original version has 320 pages and 38 chapters (100th Anniversary Edition from Putnam). The Classic Starts' version has 145 pages and 24 chapters.

The first chapter was fine. It was after that it started to go downhill. This book is "retold" to the point the story is changed. Nothing happens the right way or in the right order. The whole book seems rushed. Remember, Anne of Green Gables covers Anne's life from age 11 to 16. 145 pages doesn't seem like enough to do justice to 5 years in the coming of age of such a heroine. L. M. Montgomery was known for her beautiful descriptions. These are totally ignored. Anne's quirkiness is also not as evident. Such an abridgment is what gives all abridgements a bad name. I was sorely disappointed and cannot recommend this book to younger readers. They should definitely wait and read the original.

Great Illustrated Classics also has an abridged version of Anne of Green Gables. I haven't read it for comparison. I only hope it stays true to the original.

Little Women retold by Deanna McFadden

Published in 1868, Little Women was a classic from the first. Girls adored it which lead to the publication of a second volume in 1869 (Originally tittled Good Wives, it has since been incorporated into Little Women as Part II.) Little Women is a lengthy novel . I first read it when I was 12. Part I in my dogeared and bedraggled copy has 217 pages.

The Little Women from Sterling's Classic Starts series retells Part I of Little Women in 144 pages. 23 chapters are reduced to 17. The language e is updated and simplified. This is a story for younger readers (i.e., ages 7 and up)

What I thought: Though I am a librarian, I don't oppose abridged classics for children. I received my first taste of Little Women when I received the Great Illustrated Classics version for my ninth birthday. I was fascinated with the story of the March sisters. Three years later, I read the original. I have re-read Little Women every year since.

The advantage of abridged classics is that they can introduce younger readers to books that are above their reading level. The original Little Women, as lovely as it is, is lengthy with old-fashioned language. I can't see and eight- or nine-year-old reading it with much enjoyment.

But with the Classic Starts series, young readers can experience the essence of the original story. The pickled limes, Jo's burnt frocks. and Laurie's antics are all there. My only complaint (and bear in mind that I am a veteran reader of Little Women) is that some of the more memorable phrases are changed. For example, "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents" becomes "Christmas won't be the same without presents" (1). Overall, I am prepared to like the Classic Starts series. I think they accomplish their goal--introducing younger readers to classic books.
(Illus. Lucy Corvino. New York: Sterling, 2005)