About this title: This novel about the friendship between two Nebraska children, Jim Burden and Antonia Shimerda is considered Cather's masterpiece. The fortunes of the two families are opposed: the Burdens thrive while the Shimerdas decline, a downfall that culminates in the suicide of Antonia's father, which forces the girl to work in the fields and then as a ...
read more
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
"I really liked this book! It had a little of the Little House feel, with some other "immigrant" books thrown in. I read "Oh, Henry" a million years ago -- can't remember a thing of it -- but had no idea how much I'd like this one!
A fun coincidence on this book -- I took it with me over "Christmas break", and my 13 year old niece was reading it too. I love that she's turning into a reader like her aunt!
There is something beautiful about the simplicity of the time in this book. Here's a passage I particularly liked, describing a typical Christmas: ". . . when I got down to the kitchen, the men were just coming in from their morning chores -- the horses and pigs always had their breakfast before we did. Grandfather came down, wearing a white shirt and his Sunday coat. Morning prayers were longer than usual. He read the chapters from Saint Matthew about the birth of Christ, and as we listened, it all seemed like something that had happened lately, and near at hand. In his prayer he thanked the Lord for the first Christmas, and for all that it had meant to the world ever since. He gave thanks for our food and comfort, and prayed for the poor and destitute in great cities, where the struggle for life was harder than it wa here with us. Grandfather's prayers were often very interesting. He had the gift of simple and moving expression. Because he talked so little, his words had a peculiar force; they were not worn dull from constant use."
I just love this description! What powerful things it says about the grandfather's character, what was important to him, etc.
Here's another beautiful description about Lena, and girls in general: "When I turned back to my room the place seemed much pleasanter than before. Lena had left something warm and friendly in the lamplight. How I loved to hear her laugh again! It was so soft and unexcited and appreciative -- gave a favourable interpretation to everything. It came over me, as it had never done before, the relation between girls like those and the poetry of Virgil. If there were no girls like them in the world, there would be no poetry. I understood that clearly, for the first time. This revelation seemed to me inestimably precious. I clung to it as if it might suddenly vanish."
Charming, no?
As the book started, I wasn't sure who the "Bohemians" were. I thought for a time they might be Poles, as many of the references and names reminded me of things I've discussed with my Polish sister-in-law. It's very interesting to me to think about an immigrant's life through a book like this, as my father came to the U.S. from Holland at age 21 (1955), and the things I know about his life are different, and yet the same, as those described in this book.
I'm so glad I ran across this book -- and to think that I originally picked it up because the fabric of the cover was so interesting!"
"i've been rating a lot of books with "it was ok" lately - that phrase seems to cover a wide range for me. for this book i considered giving it a third star ("liked it").
i enjoyed reading about country life and then life in town. while i didn't necessarily feel the same love for Antonia that the narrator felt she was certainly key to the story & an enjoyable character. i certainly enjoyed the interesting mix of characters on the sideline of the story - in fact i think they are what kept me reading.
which brings me to my next point - there was no plot. normally i'd find this really irritating and might have put the book down or read it in frustration saying "ok, so...where is this going?" however, a plot is not a necessity for me & i think this is one of the books that manages to pull off not having one. as i mentioned, i was kept interested throughout the middle of the book because of the lives of all the characters. that being said, by the time the end came around i was past ready for it to be over. the narrator moved onto college life - and away from all the characters i loved - and i felt that the story started nowhere so i knew it would end nowhere too.
"I recently read this book in order to join a discussion group. Though it is one I should have read years ago, I am glad I waited: I loved it. The description is wonderful : ( the copper colored grass she refers to is seen in MN in two nearby state parks. The color is magnificient especially when the sun highlights it.) Antonia is full of exuberance for life even after experiencing heartache. She is resilient; all the women are strong characters, and the novel is probably a sad love story as told by Jim who counts his freindship with Antonia the highlight of his life.
Other characters are real and their stories are intertwined into the novel. For example the two Russian men have a story that sends shivers up the reader's spine
The hardships of early Nebraskan life are apparent: the country girls are the survivors and the novel serves as a celebration of a strong, happy woman."
"I love this book, I just can't say it enough. Willa Cahter writes with such beauty. I felt like I was there when she would describe the parries and the people that lived there. She really has a way of telling a story, you can almost smell and hear what is going on in her books. This is a very good look at what it was like to settle on the parries, she dosen't sugar coat how hard it was to live there. One of the familes even lives in a sod house. What I hard life that must have been. This is a story of a young boy and his journey into a first love. He falls for Antonia, who is from Europe and very difrent from him and the people he has grown up with. I think he is so taken with her beacuse she is so diffrent. This is really a coming of age stroy told with beautiful pros. I will never forget how she describes the sun flowers I felt like I was there."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
