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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
This sat on my To Read list for 2 years before I finally pulled it off my shelf on a whim. And then I could not stop reading it. The back cover of my edition says something about the Nebraska landscape being as much a character as the characters, and that's part of what drew me in so completely. Cather's Nebraska is harsh yet beautiful, and her writing reveals a deep respect and love for the land she grew up in. And then there's how she handles the plot, interweaving multiple storylines that are tied together in the Big Picture. I often found myself pausing to reflect on the masterful storytelling. This is a new all-time favorite for me.
Shocking and poetic, like most great books. I've never read Willa Cather before and I can see why she's such a celebrated author.
Beautifully written, captivating story. A classic for a reason!
I really liked this book. It is poetic in nature, short and straight to the point. Some unexpected twists took me off guard.
I saw myself watching a historical drama through the book and was able to imagine the parts in between. I will be reading the next book while it is all fresh in my memory.
I saw myself watching a historical drama through the book and was able to imagine the parts in between. I will be reading the next book while it is all fresh in my memory.
I was so certain this was headed for a 5* rating, until the very last part. Regardless of the ending, the prose is so beautiful and the first four parts are so great I couldn't give this anything less than four stars.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
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
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Alexandra drew her shawl closer about her and stood leaning against the frame of the mill, looking at the stars which glittered so keenly through the frosty autumn air. She loved to watch them, to think of their vastness and distance, and of their ordered march. It fortified her to think of the great operations of nature.
At the surface, O’ Pioneers is an old-timey novel with a few very unfortunate left-overs from the time it was written. Unless you’re a special kind of farmland-enjoying nerd like me, I can completely understand this book being boring as rocks to you in the beginning. If you dig deeper though, at the core it’s a deeply emotional book about purpose, death, desire, community, and nature, brought to life by the author’s interesting characters and rich description.
This is the first book to really make me realize that stories can not only be entertaining, but connect with you on an emotional level and tell you something about life. I loved the characters of Alexandra and Marie. Alexandra is remarkably strong, diligent, and intelligent. She cares very deeply for her community and family (spoiler with more details:
There are these themes of one's purpose and one's relationship to the world around them. How our surroundings, the people we pass by, the very dirt under our feet, the natural wonders we behold, can drive us mad or soothe our hearts when they're breaking.
I really like this novel on a technical level. The chapters are often bite-sized chunks that say exactly what they need to say. I’d say it’s well-paced. I adore Cather’s voice and her use of language. I’m not sure how Cather can describe grass and wheat so many times and make each description so vivid and lovely. Somehow she can make dirt sound beautiful and bring out the charm of shacks.
One last spoiler:
Alright, that's enough rambling from me. This book will live with me forever I think.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder
I think I was’t in the mood. The writing was lovely though.
I was worried I wouldn’t like this book because of the foreword by Doris Grumbach (hated that!). But thankfully, the book was much more delicately written than the foreword. Willa describes Nebraska, the farms, the hope in the land, and the complex connections between characters so beautifully. There’s a tenderness and admiration to her words and you find yourself romanticizing the land as you read.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes