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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
Read my full review here: http://thepulitzerblog.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/entry-58-so-big-by-edna-ferber-1925/
I’m rating this a 4 because of the compelling story, and because I overall found it a fascinating literary journey to experience what a woman who won the Pulitzer in 1924 churned out. I was engaged in the story and warmed to the characters, but the reason that I debated the lower rating was because the writing was all ‘tell’ and not enough ‘show’ when it came to the character development. I’m not sure if that’s categorically bad, but it’s not my preference. I’d recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something a little different, and has patience for ‘telling’ over showing in a character driven novel.
In my quest to read classics I've never read, So Big is a confirmation of why I need to continue this effort.
A simple, short novel, So Big was a pleasure to read from a literary and historical point of view. Starting in the 1890s, Ferber tells the story of Selina DeJong - her childhood with a gambler father, her sudden move to become a teacher in a Dutch truck farm community (somewhere south/west of Chicago - you Chicago folks I'm sure can tell me exactly where this was), her marriage and survival as a vegetable farmer. Selina succeeds in getting her son, Dirk, to move away from the farm, yet she is not, in the end, pleased with Dirk's choice of careers.
So Big won the Pulitzer Prize in 1924. In the novel, Ferber reflects the changes in the status of women going on in the 1920s and, I feel reflects the 1920s/post-war/pre-Depression love of art and creativity.
The ending left me puzzled. It felt somewhat rushed and unfinished - like there is another paragraph/chapter out there. Yet, it leaves the reader the the freedom to decide on their own what exactly does Dirk decide to do????
A simple, short novel, So Big was a pleasure to read from a literary and historical point of view. Starting in the 1890s, Ferber tells the story of Selina DeJong - her childhood with a gambler father, her sudden move to become a teacher in a Dutch truck farm community (somewhere south/west of Chicago - you Chicago folks I'm sure can tell me exactly where this was), her marriage and survival as a vegetable farmer. Selina succeeds in getting her son, Dirk, to move away from the farm, yet she is not, in the end, pleased with Dirk's choice of careers.
So Big won the Pulitzer Prize in 1924. In the novel, Ferber reflects the changes in the status of women going on in the 1920s and, I feel reflects the 1920s/post-war/pre-Depression love of art and creativity.
The ending left me puzzled. It felt somewhat rushed and unfinished - like there is another paragraph/chapter out there. Yet, it leaves the reader the the freedom to decide on their own what exactly does Dirk decide to do????
Reading "classics" always seemed like such a chore in school (and that's speaking as an English major), but now that I can read on my own terms, I'm rediscovering the magic of early 20th century literature. I've always been fascinated by this period of history (turn of the century to about the 1940s). I love Dorothy Parker, so when I read that Edna Ferber was a member of the Algonquin Round Table, I knew I'd find something to love in this book.
It's a simple story, but it captures so many bits of Americana. The immigrant experience. The transition from farms to cities. The children born to a world experiencing rapid advances in technology and the shift to a leisure class. Chicago is one of my favorite cities, and I spent a few years in the midwest, so many of this book's elements resonated with me. Lovely prose, an interesting story, and enough human drama to keep things moving - I'm very glad I finally made the time to read this Pulitzer Prize winner.
It's a simple story, but it captures so many bits of Americana. The immigrant experience. The transition from farms to cities. The children born to a world experiencing rapid advances in technology and the shift to a leisure class. Chicago is one of my favorite cities, and I spent a few years in the midwest, so many of this book's elements resonated with me. Lovely prose, an interesting story, and enough human drama to keep things moving - I'm very glad I finally made the time to read this Pulitzer Prize winner.
"If you think giving your whole life to making the boy happy is going to make him happy you ain't so smart as I took you for. You go trying to live somebody else's life for them."
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
How did I miss this book??? I completely fell in love with this short, classic novel. The story chronicles the life of a young woman around the turn of the 20th century. Selina is forced to make tough choices and work hard throughout her life, but she never loses her appreciation of beauty. She is a heroine that I understood so much better than Daisy from Gatsby or Miss Marple. I'm not sure why I never read this in any of my American lit classes in college but I'm so glad I got to read So Big now.
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated