Best-Selling Author's Heartwarming Coming-Of-Age Tale Among Goodreads' Top-Rated Classics of All Time
Over a century after the book was first published in 1908, the coming-of-age story about an orphaned 11-year-old redheaded girl named Anne Shirley continues to be a favorite among readers everywhere.
The classic novel, Anne of Green Gables, written by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, proves that the best stories are timeless, as it's one of the top-rated classic novels on the popular reading social media site, Goodreads. According to data shared with Parade, the book is one of the top 10 highest-rated classics on the website.
Anne of Green Gables, which was originally published under the pen name L. M. Montgomery, currently has a rating of 4.33 on Goodreads. It stands among many other renowned novels taught in schools as part of literature courses and regularly listed as readers' favorite books.
The list includes the highest-rated classic on the site, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, as well as other books like East of Eden by John Steinbeck, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, and Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen.
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Montgomery's classic is a beloved children's story, but it's suitable for readers of all ages. The book follows the titular Anne, who is adopted by unmarried adult siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert after a mix-up with the orphanage.
Green Gables is the name of the Cuthberts' farm where Anne grows up, with the young girl facing difficulties fitting in and making friends. Anne of Green Gables depicts Anne's life throughout her upbringing and into adulthood.
Selling over 50 million copies, it's one of the best-selling books in the world. Anne of Green Gables has also been adapted for the screen many times, with a few notable examples being the 1985 miniseries starring Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie, and the Netflix series Anne with an E that came out in the late 2010s.
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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 9:28 PM.