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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wonderful story, wonderfully told, marred only by the typographical errors and dropped words that a spell checker ignored but a human proofreader should have caught. Shame on the publisher for having skipped this step.
Oh, and one oddity: the hired man is first called “Jan Steen,” then, later “Jan Snip.” I wonder if this error was in the manuscript Ferber submitted. This book was first published in 1924. In the intervening 95 years, it has been read hundreds of thousands of times. How come no one else noticed this error and corrected it?
Oh, and one oddity: the hired man is first called “Jan Steen,” then, later “Jan Snip.” I wonder if this error was in the manuscript Ferber submitted. This book was first published in 1924. In the intervening 95 years, it has been read hundreds of thousands of times. How come no one else noticed this error and corrected it?
What makes a life worth living? What gives life it’s purpose? These are the questions at the heart of this novel and the various characters who populate So Big have their own answers.
This is a small book, yet it is filled with epic and wonderful moments. Selina Peake DeJong might be one of the greatest heroines put to page. She’s not a scandalous antihero like Scarlett O’Hara or Becky Sharpe. Nor is she the lovable wit like Elizabeth Bennet. Her resonance comes from her quiet strength. Selina is not flashy. She quietly does the things she needs to do in order to survive and provide for her son and she doesn’t apologize for it. Throughout it all, she remains open to the beauty of the world.
This is a quiet gem of a book which despite being first published almost 100 years ago, still resonates.
This is a small book, yet it is filled with epic and wonderful moments. Selina Peake DeJong might be one of the greatest heroines put to page. She’s not a scandalous antihero like Scarlett O’Hara or Becky Sharpe. Nor is she the lovable wit like Elizabeth Bennet. Her resonance comes from her quiet strength. Selina is not flashy. She quietly does the things she needs to do in order to survive and provide for her son and she doesn’t apologize for it. Throughout it all, she remains open to the beauty of the world.
This is a quiet gem of a book which despite being first published almost 100 years ago, still resonates.
This book is a wonderful reminder that as readers we have to give a nod to the classics and not forget the books of the early 20th century. I know that I am guilty of trying to stay current with the latest best seller and "it" book, but there is so much we miss when we are only looking forward. Instead of reading a historical fiction book about the early 1900's why not read a contemporary book from the time period. It would be more authentic. Oh, and about this book. It is delightful and honest and worth a read.
Going back to an old favorite. I love Selina. This won the Pulitzer in 1925 and is based on a real person.
Wow, I read the reviews but did not believe them. How could a book written just after WWI be relevant to today? This book gets at the heart of every choice you ever made about what you do and who you are. Will you be remembered for your scars or the lack thereof?
Oh, to have finally read this one! My first Ferber. What took so long? Now to gather my thoughts for a formal review. Early-twentieth century Chicago literature is a diamond mine. This one is joining other favorites in that little drawer. Cather’s brilliance of land and place meets Fitzgerald’s eye for character and sensibility for authenticity, or waste. My, my!
This is an interesting story of life just after the start of the 20th century. There are two main characters in this story: Selina and her son Dirk.
At 19 Selina find herself orphaned and alone. She moves to the country to become a teacher where she meets her husband and raises her son.
Life isn't easy, but she is a hard worker and puts in the needed time. When her husband dies, she had to start to work for herself to support her son.
Then the story shifts to be about Dirk. He becomes an architect, but isn't happy since he isn't rich. An old friend helps him change jobs to the dismay of his mom... He did become rich and influential... But he falls in love with an artist who can't be with someone like him.
He ends the book feeling like he has made all the wrong choices in his life.
At 19 Selina find herself orphaned and alone. She moves to the country to become a teacher where she meets her husband and raises her son.
Life isn't easy, but she is a hard worker and puts in the needed time. When her husband dies, she had to start to work for herself to support her son.
Then the story shifts to be about Dirk. He becomes an architect, but isn't happy since he isn't rich. An old friend helps him change jobs to the dismay of his mom... He did become rich and influential... But he falls in love with an artist who can't be with someone like him.
He ends the book feeling like he has made all the wrong choices in his life.