That's a rare kind of reaction to someone, the one that you describe here. It must be an even rarer sensation for Dean than for Emily, given how Dean is described. It's really no wonder that he wanted more. Especially since, I wonder, if he had a hard time holding on to the joy and wonder that Emily (I vaguely recall) appeared to spew.

Now, Emily was never my favorite set of books. But she is very emblematic of this sense of "how to live" that L.M.Montgomery tried to create in her books. I think -- Dean is a better character because he is a more accurate portrayal of an actual person. Emily is wishful thinking. She's a state of being/philosophy that L.M. Montgomery was aspiring to, and is therefore less interesting.