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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Huge fan of re reading your childhood favorite novel!! It hit even better as an adult. I broadly remembered the story but had forgotten specific details, yet sometimes they came back to me as I was reading and it was so nostalgic towards my childhood. I remember sitting in my bedroom reading it. I remembered what color my walls were painted at the time (purple, if you dare to wonder). I remembered some of my thoughts, even, from when I first read it. I’ve never felt so close to my younger self. I am excited to read this book to my children one day.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“There sat Heidi, reading a story to Klara, and with glowing eagerness pushing into the new world opened to her; men and things suddenly became alive and stepped out of the black letters and took part in affecting stories.”
After the death of her parents, Heidi is sent to live with her grandfather in the Swiss mountains. Eventually, she is sent to Frankfurt to begin her education with the sickly Klara, which leads to a beautiful bond between the two charming but opposite girls blossoming. Along the way, Heidi develops her relationship with learning, Christianity, and nature.
This was a dazzling children’s novel. Wherever Heidi is, there is never a dull moment. Whether Heidi was slurping down goat's milk, reading hymns to her grandmother or causing mischief in Frankfurt, she is a delightful character. Klara is equally charmed by the energetic Heidi, and they develop a wonderful friendship, practically becoming sisters! It is often said that this book is for those who love children, as well as children themselves. This is undeniable as Heidi’s character is a celebration of a child’s unbridled excitement for life, whilst Klara’s demonstrates a child’s unprejudiced kindness. Though the cheeky, yet lovable Peter, conveys the struggles with morality and education that children have.
Meanwhile, the adults (Heidi’s grandfather, known as the Alm-Uncle; Klara’s father, Hesseman; the endearing doctor; the grandmothers; and so on) only encourage the precocious Heidi. The relationships that the children have with their respective adults are overflowing with love (excluding Rottenmeier) portraying how reciprocal the relationships between adults and children can be – an underrated idea if you ask me!
The pacing was near perfection. The dialogue and eventful narrative kept the novel blazing. The lyrical descriptions of the Swiss countryside served as a grounding presence within the story, which provided an immersive reading experience. I, too, wanted to drink the Alm-Uncle’s goat milk! Translated from German, the translator did fantastically to maintain the picturesque prose – though it was often rather verbose for a children’s book.
Overall, I would rate this book a 4.75/5 stars. I would recommend everyone to read ‘Heidi’ by Johanna Spyri, and to dabble in children’s literature. We might already be familiar with the morals explored, but we mustn’t underestimate how inspired by the young characters’ determination, excitement for life, and unconditional kindness we all can be.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Now I remember why I love this book so much! This is my third time reading Heidi and it was even more heartwarming and touching this time around. Oh, how I love everything about this story! I think that my favorite character besides sweet little Heidi is Mrs. Sesemann. Her loving care, practical nature and spiritual guidance help poor Heidi immensely when she is ill. We all need someone like Mrs. Sesemann in our lives. Reading this book makes me want to move to Switzerland and live in a small cottage surrounded by flowers, mountains and frolicking goats. The story of Heidi is timeless and I feel like I learn something new each time I read it. A definite hug-worthy book and one of my top 10 favorites!
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Here I am reading another classic for the first time, and I have to say I can see why this would be a great classic for a younger reader. It's a very simple story with an energetic main character and some great side characters and cute animals to help it along. There was also no "villain" or anything like that. Just the life of this girl and the people she impacted. Which in itself is a great story to tell children, letting them know that they can make a difference in people's lives despite their young age.
Something for the older readers to enjoy is the themes in this book. There is a huge emphasis on nature and how a simple life on the mountains compares with living in the city. Overall the book shows that Heidi's life is much better while she lives on the mountains with her grandfather, even though she is given every comfort while in the city. In the last third we see that the mountain air actually has a healing affect on Clara, allowing her to walk for the first time.
I was also pleasantly surprised with how religion was portrayed in this book. Focusing on the story of the prodigal son in particular was a nice touch and how it was later reflected in the grandfather. I even like how the book addressed something that is still a problem today: people believing God doesn't listen to them simply because He hasn't done whatever it was they prayed for. The explanation was done very well and in the end, it's clear that God is seen as good to all the characters.
Though speaking of the grandfather, one thing that puzzled me from the beginning was how other characters perceived him and how he actually behaved. He was built up as this bitter, solitary man who could have even posed a danger to Heidi. Yet from their very first encounter he shows to be nothing but kind to her, going out of his way to make her feel at home and comfortable with him. He lets her spend her time as she pleases and tries to raise her in the way he thinks is best. Of course the inaccurate perception could've been another reflection on country life versus city life, but it still boggled me how every character assumed the worst from this man when he only ever showed himself to be good.
Overall this was a nice book to read. It's just the life of this girl and what happens to the people around her, and there's really nothing wrong with that.
Something for the older readers to enjoy is the themes in this book. There is a huge emphasis on nature and how a simple life on the mountains compares with living in the city. Overall the book shows that Heidi's life is much better while she lives on the mountains with her grandfather, even though she is given every comfort while in the city. In the last third we see that the mountain air actually has a healing affect on Clara, allowing her to walk for the first time.
I was also pleasantly surprised with how religion was portrayed in this book. Focusing on the story of the prodigal son in particular was a nice touch and how it was later reflected in the grandfather. I even like how the book addressed something that is still a problem today: people believing God doesn't listen to them simply because He hasn't done whatever it was they prayed for. The explanation was done very well and in the end, it's clear that God is seen as good to all the characters.
Though speaking of the grandfather, one thing that puzzled me from the beginning was how other characters perceived him and how he actually behaved. He was built up as this bitter, solitary man who could have even posed a danger to Heidi. Yet from their very first encounter he shows to be nothing but kind to her, going out of his way to make her feel at home and comfortable with him. He lets her spend her time as she pleases and tries to raise her in the way he thinks is best. Of course the inaccurate perception could've been another reflection on country life versus city life, but it still boggled me how every character assumed the worst from this man when he only ever showed himself to be good.
Overall this was a nice book to read. It's just the life of this girl and what happens to the people around her, and there's really nothing wrong with that.
emotional
hopeful
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Transporting; inspires a longing to live on the Alm almost as visceral as Heidi's.