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jennifermreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
When I learned my husband had never read Pippi Longstocking, we decided to listen to the audio version. Pippi is just as delightful and mischievous as I remember from when I first read her stories as a child and when I re-read the original three novels in 2017. I love that her antics bring a smile to my face and guarantee a few laugh out loud moments. She is a treasure!
eesh25's review against another edition
2.0
Before I get into why this book didn't work for me, I wanna say that I think the narrator of the audiobook did a great job. And that, even though her voice started to grate after a while, it was because of Pippi's inability to shut her trap for more than half a second.
Now, let's get to it. Pippi Longstocking is a classic. Not only that, but it's also a part of a lot of people's childhood. Not mine, though, so don't feel too bad about not liking it. But I do feel a little bad because I wanted to like it. And because I'm sure a lot of subtext flew right over my head because I didn't pay enough attention while reading. Though I've heard finding subtext is just what people do when it comes to classics. Half the time when it's not even there.
Anyway, this is a story about a nine-year-old girl who lives alone. Both her parents are dead, but her father left behind a house. That's where she lives with her pet monkey and horse. Pippi is extraordinarily strong. But due to growing up at sea, she knows very little about social norms. So even as she's perfectly happy and making friends, she often scolded for her poor manners.
And that's the bit of subtext that I did get. Pippi is a child. And she's never learnt what the acceptable ways of behaving around others are. So she can be quite strange because she doesn't know any better. And all the adults—in the typical fashion of adults in a childrens' book—are content in scolding her rather than teaching her. Which, I'm assuming, is the author's way of showing us how society often treats children. We expect them to be born knowing how they should behave, and we put too many restrictions on them. Enough to sometimes kill their imagination. But here's what my issue is with how the book shows that.
Yes, Pippi is a very imaginative young girl. And she always means well. But her behaviour, to me, feels too manufactured. The author wants her to be peculiar, but she does so by making her behave in the most annoying way possible. You also can't compare her to an ordinary kid because not only is she extraordinarily strong, she's also filthy rich, has her own house, and seems perfectly capable of getting by on her own.
Also, the book just wasn't funny to me. There were times when it was sad because I felt bad for Pippi. But more often than not, I just wished Pippi would stop talking. Because oh my god, she talked so much! If someone even hinted at asking a question, she would just go on and on about what she thought, what she'd heard, and what the people of yet another country were like (that last one always made me cringe). And it got more and more annoying as the book went on.
I spend less than two hours on the audiobook and, by the end, I was so fucking done with Pippi Longstocking.
Now, let's get to it. Pippi Longstocking is a classic. Not only that, but it's also a part of a lot of people's childhood. Not mine, though, so don't feel too bad about not liking it. But I do feel a little bad because I wanted to like it. And because I'm sure a lot of subtext flew right over my head because I didn't pay enough attention while reading. Though I've heard finding subtext is just what people do when it comes to classics. Half the time when it's not even there.
Anyway, this is a story about a nine-year-old girl who lives alone. Both her parents are dead, but her father left behind a house. That's where she lives with her pet monkey and horse. Pippi is extraordinarily strong. But due to growing up at sea, she knows very little about social norms. So even as she's perfectly happy and making friends, she often scolded for her poor manners.
And that's the bit of subtext that I did get. Pippi is a child. And she's never learnt what the acceptable ways of behaving around others are. So she can be quite strange because she doesn't know any better. And all the adults—in the typical fashion of adults in a childrens' book—are content in scolding her rather than teaching her. Which, I'm assuming, is the author's way of showing us how society often treats children. We expect them to be born knowing how they should behave, and we put too many restrictions on them. Enough to sometimes kill their imagination. But here's what my issue is with how the book shows that.
Yes, Pippi is a very imaginative young girl. And she always means well. But her behaviour, to me, feels too manufactured. The author wants her to be peculiar, but she does so by making her behave in the most annoying way possible. You also can't compare her to an ordinary kid because not only is she extraordinarily strong, she's also filthy rich, has her own house, and seems perfectly capable of getting by on her own.
Also, the book just wasn't funny to me. There were times when it was sad because I felt bad for Pippi. But more often than not, I just wished Pippi would stop talking. Because oh my god, she talked so much! If someone even hinted at asking a question, she would just go on and on about what she thought, what she'd heard, and what the people of yet another country were like (that last one always made me cringe). And it got more and more annoying as the book went on.
I spend less than two hours on the audiobook and, by the end, I was so fucking done with Pippi Longstocking.
julietrose13's review against another edition
4.0
this was on my enno vatti top 100 books list so i decided to pick it up, i never read it as a child so it was honestly really fun to read. don't have much to say because it is a children's book but overall just a fun experience lol
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
3.0
Pippi Longstocking is a girl with gumption. I've always been vaguely aware of her as she's a fairly popular classic character but I didn't realize her stories were so absurd. I figured she was an Anne of Green Gables type.
Really the only similarity the two share is the getting into trouble part and Anne outgrows that phase to become a 'proper young lady'.
Pippi is forever getting into scrapes because she was raised by a single father on a ship her whole life. Thus, she never learned any of the normal social conventions everyone else did. She's exceedingly forthright - except for when she's lying which she does often for fun - and abnormally strong. She's a right terror when she wants to be which is surprisingly never the case as she doesn't intend to upset people or foil plots. She simply doesn't know enough to correct the behavior. Without any adults willing (or able) to take charge of her she has no inclination to do so.
Kids will enjoy Pippi's silly adventures. I did as well but that only extended so far. I know it wasn't her fault for a lot of her behavior, still I found her obnoxious personality annoying quite often.
I'd rate Pippi fairly high on my scale of boss classical girls: So it's Anne, Sara, Pippi, Mary, Pollyanna, then Heidi.
Really the only similarity the two share is the getting into trouble part and Anne outgrows that phase to become a 'proper young lady'.
Pippi is forever getting into scrapes because she was raised by a single father on a ship her whole life. Thus, she never learned any of the normal social conventions everyone else did. She's exceedingly forthright - except for when she's lying which she does often for fun - and abnormally strong. She's a right terror when she wants to be which is surprisingly never the case as she doesn't intend to upset people or foil plots. She simply doesn't know enough to correct the behavior. Without any adults willing (or able) to take charge of her she has no inclination to do so.
Kids will enjoy Pippi's silly adventures. I did as well but that only extended so far. I know it wasn't her fault for a lot of her behavior, still I found her obnoxious personality annoying quite often.
I'd rate Pippi fairly high on my scale of boss classical girls: So it's Anne, Sara, Pippi, Mary, Pollyanna, then Heidi.
ria_ray's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5 Ngl forgot I even started this book I picked it back up in November every now and then I read a bit. Pippi is a very weird girl; the book honestly has almost no plot at all very flat line book. But I do understand I am not the target audience for this book anymore I could see kids enjoying the book. They could see Pippi as their superhero. Not being scared to do anything (she can do anything she puts her mind to.
rattledragons's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
eggjen's review against another edition
3.0
I read this out loud to my kids and they loved it. Pippi's shenanigans were very funny to them. I've got to be honest though, as a grown up I found the story very weirdly paced and the ending was very anticlimactic. Not my favorite.
lizziebennett's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
isathetiefling's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5