Yes it's real even if he's fictional

"Gilbert, I'm afraid I'm scandalously in love with you." -Anne Shirley

If you're like me, then you have probably gotten so absorbed into a book you were reading that you developed a crush on one of the characters.  It doesn't matter that they are fictional--you still get giggly when you read their name. For me, that character was Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables.

Step aside, Mr. Darcy.  Gilbert's in town. *swoon*

Anne of Green Gables is probably my favorite book series. I could read the books over and over. In fact, I have. I'm weird enough that I've even (for fun!) annotated the books and marked passages that struck me as particularly amusing or insightful so I can go back and reread them when I need a quick pick-me-up. *pushes up nerd glasses*

The proof.

These books are simply exquisite in story and sentence. I adore Anne Shirley and her ability to make the mundane world seem magical.  All of the people in these books are charming. Which is probably why I love Gilbert so much. He is selfless, caring, generous, goes out of his way to show his love for Anne and always comes to her rescue. When you're first introduced to him he's this confident and cocky school boy that you never think you'd like but overtime you're introduced to his depth and many wonderful qualities. 

Gilbert is persistent. He continues to show his regard for Anne even when she doesn't return it. Even when she's just plain cold. Even when she's just too stubborn and scared to confess her own true feelings. (I know dat feel, Anne!)   He's patient. He's ardent. He's a good communicator. He's affectionate. He's just too freakin good to be true!

I haven't had the chance to read very much for pleasure recently because I've been so busy with school work. But I've had a bit more free time on my hands than usual recently so I decided to crack open this classic. And I'm so glad I did. I forgot how much fun reading is! You get to go on this amazing adventure and escape reality for a bit. I love reading. Because I think we can all agree that sometimes it's just more fun to live in your imagination than it is to live in the real world.

"It's delightful when your imaginations come true, isn't it?"

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I started writing this post and then a few days later saw the news that Jonathan Crombie, the actor who played Gil in the movies, had passed away. Coincidence? Synchronicity Theory?? It doesn't matter. All I know is that a little piece of my heart died today.