L.M. Montgomery, best known for her beloved *Anne of Green Gables* series, captured the hearts of readers with her timeless wisdom and heartwarming insights. Her words continue to inspire, uplift, and resonate with people across generations. In this post, we’ve gathered a curated collection of the top 59 L.M. Montgomery quotes that celebrate life, hope, imagination, and the beauty of the human spirit. Whether you’re seeking motivation or simply a moment of reflection, these quotes offer something truly special.
1. “But I just went to work and imagined that I had on the most beautiful pale blue silk dress — because when you are imagining you might as well imagine something worth while…” - L.M. Montgomery
2. “Oh, here we are at the bridge. I'm going to shut my eyes tight. I’m always afraid going over bridges. I can't help imagining that perhaps, just as we get to the middle, they'll crumple up like a jackknife and nip us. So I shut my eyes. But I always have to open them for all when I think we're getting near the middle. Because, you see, if the bridge did crumple up I'd want to see it crumple. What a jolly rumble it makes! I always like the rumble part of it. Isn't it splendid there are so many things to like in this world? There, we're over. Now I'll look back. Good night, dear Lake of Shining Waters. I always say good night to the things I love, just as I would to people. I think they like it. That water looks as if it was smiling at me.” - L.M. Montgomery
3. “Anne, are you killed?' shrieked Diana, throwing herself on her knees beside her friend. 'Oh, Anne, dear Anne, speak just one word to me and tell me if you're killed.” - L.M. Montgomery
4. “I can't cheer up — I don't want to cheer up. It's nicer to be miserable!” - L.M. Montgomery
5. “I don't know that she is as amusing as she was when she was a child, but she makes me love her and I like people who make me love them. It saves me so much trouble in making myself love them.” - L.M. Montgomery
6. “But Anne with her elbows on the window sill, her soft cheek laid against her clasped hands, and her eyes filled with visions, looked out unheedingly across city roof and spire to that glorious dome of sunset sky and wove her dreams of a possible future from the golden tissue of youth's own optimism. All the Beyond was hers, with its possibilities lurking rosily in the oncoming years — each year a rose of promise to be woven into an immortal chaplet.” - L.M. Montgomery
7. “Well now, I'd rather have you than a dozen boys, Anne,' said Matthew patting her hand. 'Just mind you that — rather than a dozen boys. Well now, I guess it wasn't a boy that took the Avery scholarship, was it? It was a girl — my girl — my girl that I'm proud of.” - L.M. Montgomery
8. “Everything that's worth having is some trouble…” - L.M. Montgomery
9. “I wonder what a soul…a person's soul…would look like,' said Priscilla dreamily.'Like that, I should think,' answered Anne, pointing to a radiance of sifted sunlight streaming through a birch tree. 'Only with shape and features of course. I like to fancy souls as being made of light. And some are all shot through with rosy stains and quivers…and some have a soft glitter like moonlight on the sea…and some are pale and transparent like mist at dawn.” - L.M. Montgomery
10. “I read somewhere once that souls were like flowers,' said Priscilla.'Then your soul is a golden narcissus,' said Anne, 'and Diana's is like a red, red rose. Jane's is an apple blossom, pink and wholesome and sweet.''And your own is a white violet, with purple streaks in its heart,' finished Priscilla.” - L.M. Montgomery
11. “It takes all sorts of people to make a world, as I've often heard, but I think there are some who could be spared,' Anne told her reflection in the east gable mirror that night.” - L.M. Montgomery
12. “The knowledge of that land's geography…'east o' the sun, west o' the moon'…is priceless lore, not to be bought in any market place. It must be the gift of the good fairies at birth and the years can never deface it or take it away. It is better to possess it, living in a garret, than to be the inhabitant of palaces without it.” - L.M. Montgomery
13. “…I'm so thankful for friendship. It beautifies life so much.” - L.M. Montgomery
14. “She looks just as music sounds, I think,' answered Anne.” - L.M. Montgomery
15. “How sympathetic you look, Anne…as sympathetic as only seventeen can look.” - L.M. Montgomery
16. “I'm really a very happy, contented little person in spite of my broken heart.” - L.M. Montgomery
17. “That's the worst…or the best…of real life, Anne. It won't let you be miserable. It keeps on trying to make you comfortable…and succeeding…even when you're determined to be unhappy and romantic.” - L.M. Montgomery
18. “I'm just tired of everything…even of the echoes. There is nothing in my life but echoes…echoes of lost hopes and dreams and joys. They're beautiful and mocking.” - L.M. Montgomery
19. “…the Lake of Shining Waters was blue — blue — blue; not the changeful blue of spring, nor the pale azure of summer, but a clear, steadfast, serene blue, as if the water were past all modes and tenses of emotion and had settled down to a tranquillity unbroken by fickle dreams.” - L.M. Montgomery
20. “I believe I've put forth a tiny soul-root into Kingsport soil this afternoon. I hope so. I hate to feel transplanted.” - L.M. Montgomery
21. “Heaven must be very beautiful, of course, the Bible says so — but, Anne, it won't be what I've been used to.” - L.M. Montgomery
22. “Most of the trouble in life comes from misunderstanding, I think,' said Anne.” - L.M. Montgomery
23. “There's always a piece of unfinished work left,' said Mrs. Lynde, with tears in her eyes. 'But I supposed there's always some one to finish it.” - L.M. Montgomery
24. “I don't believe Old Nick can be so very ugly,' said Aunt Jamesina reflectively. 'He wouldn't do so much harm if he was. I always think of him as a rather handsome gentleman.” - L.M. Montgomery
25. “Mrs. Lynde says Mrs. Wrights grandfather stole a sheep but Marilla says we mustent speak ill of the dead. Why mustent we, Anne? I want to know. It's pretty safe ain't it?” - L.M. Montgomery
26. “You must pay the penalty of growing-up, Paul. You must leave fairyland behind you.” - L.M. Montgomery
27. “We are never half so interesting when we have learned that language is given us to enable us to conceal our thoughts.” - L.M. Montgomery
28. “Anybody is liable to rheumatism in her legs, Anne. It's only old people who should have rheumatism in their souls, though. Thanks goodness, I never have. When you get rheumatism in your soul you might as well go and pick out your coffin.” - L.M. Montgomery
29. “I know I haven't much sense or sobriety, but I've got what is ever so much better — the knack of making people like me.” - L.M. Montgomery
30. “Poor soul, she always knew everything about her neighbors, but she never was very well acquainted with herself.” - L.M. Montgomery
31. “We've had a beautiful friendship, Diana. We've never marred it by one quarrel or coolness or unkind word; and I hope it will always be so. But things can't be quite the same after this. You'll have other interests. I'll just be on the outside.” - L.M. Montgomery
32. “I wish I were dead, or that it were tomorrow night,' groaned Phil.” - L.M. Montgomery
33. “Words aren't made — they grow,' said Anne.” - L.M. Montgomery
34. “But was anything in life, Anne asked herself wearily, like one's imagination of it?” - L.M. Montgomery
35. “I do know my own mind,' protested Anne. 'The trouble is, my mind changes and then I have to get acquainted with it all over again.” - L.M. Montgomery
36. “Kindred spirits alone do not change with the changing years.” - L.M. Montgomery
37. “Isn't it queer that the things we writhe over at night are seldom wicked things? Just humiliating ones.” - L.M. Montgomery
38. “Or she may find out what is at the end of the harbor road…that wandering, twisting road like a nice red snake, that leads, so Elizabeth thinks, to the end of the world. Perhaps the Island of Happiness is there.” - L.M. Montgomery
39. “…and he wasn't reconciled to dying. Dora told him he was going to a better world. "Mebbe, mebbe," says poor Ben, "but I'm sorter used to the imperfections of this one.” - L.M. Montgomery
40. “You are the only person who loves me in the world," said Elizabeth. "When you talk to me I smell violets.” - L.M. Montgomery
41. “Of course we have a Tomorrow on the map…located east of Today and west of Yesterday…and we have no end of "times" in fairyland. Spring-time, long time, short time, new-moon time, good-night time, next time…but no last time, because that is too sad a time for fairyland; old time, young time…because if there is an old time there ought to be a young time, too; mountain time…because that has such a fascinating sound; night-time and day-time…but no bed-time or school-time; Christmas-time; no only time, because that also is too sad…but lost time, because it is so nice to find it; some time, good time, fast time, slow time, half-past kissing-time, going-home time, and time immemorial…which is one of the most beautiful phrases in the world.” - L.M. Montgomery
42. “It isn't fair she should have everything and I nothing. She isn't better or cleverer or much prettier than me…only luckier.” - L.M. Montgomery
43. “I hope you don't think I'm one of those terrible people who make you feel that you have to talk to them all the time.” - L.M. Montgomery
44. “…hate's got to be a disease with me.” - L.M. Montgomery
45. “One can always find something lovely to look at or listen to,' said Anne.” - L.M. Montgomery
46. “She suddenly found herself laughing without bitterness.” - L.M. Montgomery
47. “…you'll be spared an awful lot of trouble if you die young.” - L.M. Montgomery
48. “But is there not something strange about any room that has been occupied through generations? Death has lurked in it…love has been rosy red in it…births have been here…all the passions…all the hopes. It is full of wraths.” - L.M. Montgomery
49. “Why should one hate you when you were so small? Could you be worth hating?” - L.M. Montgomery
50. “…could not have understood what perverted shaped thwarted love can take.” - L.M. Montgomery
51. “The gods, so says the old superstition, do not like to behold too happy mortals. It is certain, at least, that some human beings do not.” - L.M. Montgomery
52. “Strange, ain't it, how folks seem to resent anyone being born a mite cleverer than they be.” - L.M. Montgomery
53. “The woods call to us with a hundred voices, but the sea has one only — a mighty voice that drowns our souls in its majestic music. The woods are human, but the sea is of the company of the archangels.” - L.M. Montgomery
54. “It's the worst kind of cruelty — the thoughtless kind. You can't cope with it.” - L.M. Montgomery
55. “Even when I'm alone I have real good company — dreams and imaginations and pretendings. I like to be alone now and then, just to think over things and taste them. But I love friendships — and nice, jolly little times with people.” - L.M. Montgomery
56. “…but youth yearned to youth.” - L.M. Montgomery
57. “She had never before minded being alone. Now she dreaded it. When she was alone now she felt so dreadfully alone.” - L.M. Montgomery
58. “But you have such dimples," said Anne, smiling affectionately into the pretty, vivacious face so near her own. "Lovely dimples, like little dents in cream. I have given up all hope of dimples. My dimple-dream will never come true; but so many of my dreams have that I mustn't complain. Am I all ready now?” - L.M. Montgomery
59. “The dark hills, with the darker spruces marching over them, looked grim on early falling nights, but Ingleside bloomed with firelight and laughter, though the winds come in from the Atlantic singing of mournful things. "Why isn't the wind happy, Mummy?" asked Walter one night. "Because it is remembering all the sorrow of the world since it began," answered Anne.” - L.M. Montgomery
