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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
On the continuum of great-fiction-about-early-American-settlers, this falls somewhere between Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books and Conrad Richter's phenomenal Awakening Land trilogy. Closer to Richter, in that this is a story for grown-ups, but still a far cry from the excellence he achieved. I found "O Pioneers!" so easy to read that, once or twice early on, I checked Wikipedia to see if the intended audience was young people. It's not, especially (and has a climactic scene that would be troubling for YA readers), and that is a testament to the clear and concise writing that Cather presents, without pretension.
She does quickly move over long periods of time without reflection, which barred me from emotionally connecting with these characters. But her descriptions of the earth -- particularly the bitter winter patches -- were especially strong. The closing passage, jarringly presented as a one-paragraph editorial, struck me as silly. But as a while this is a very strong tale, and I'm likely to read the other two books in the series.
Opening passage:
One January day, thirty years ago, the little town of Hanover, anchored on a windy Nebraska tableland, was trying not to be blown away. A mist of fine snowflakes was curling and eddying about the cluster of low drab buildings huddled on the gray prairie, under a gray sky. The dwelling houses were set about haphazard on the tough prairie sod; some of them looked as if they had been moved in overnight, and others as if they were straying off by themselves, headed straight for the open plain. None of them had any appearance of permanence, and the howling wind blew under them as well as over them.
Closing passage:
They went into the house together, leaving the Divide behind them, under the evening star. Fortunate country, that is one day to receive hearts like Alexandra’s into its bosom, to give them out again in the yellow wheat, in the rustling corn, in the shining eyes of youth!
She does quickly move over long periods of time without reflection, which barred me from emotionally connecting with these characters. But her descriptions of the earth -- particularly the bitter winter patches -- were especially strong. The closing passage, jarringly presented as a one-paragraph editorial, struck me as silly. But as a while this is a very strong tale, and I'm likely to read the other two books in the series.
Opening passage:
One January day, thirty years ago, the little town of Hanover, anchored on a windy Nebraska tableland, was trying not to be blown away. A mist of fine snowflakes was curling and eddying about the cluster of low drab buildings huddled on the gray prairie, under a gray sky. The dwelling houses were set about haphazard on the tough prairie sod; some of them looked as if they had been moved in overnight, and others as if they were straying off by themselves, headed straight for the open plain. None of them had any appearance of permanence, and the howling wind blew under them as well as over them.
Closing passage:
Spoiler
She leaned heavily on his shoulder. “I am tired,” she murmured. “I have been very lonely, Carl.”They went into the house together, leaving the Divide behind them, under the evening star. Fortunate country, that is one day to receive hearts like Alexandra’s into its bosom, to give them out again in the yellow wheat, in the rustling corn, in the shining eyes of youth!
One good thing about reading novels by people who lived it is that you don't have to worry about false dialogue, and other anachronisms. They bother me. I like being able to trust the reality of the setting.
This book was a lot like My Antonia - not plot-wise, but with a sense of the land so strong that you could fairly call the Nebraska prairie a character. Especially in this book. Hey! I think I just got a bit of symbolism in this book - I usually miss them. The land itself really was a character. I'd tell you how, but that'd be a spoiler.
I like Cather's sparse writing. It'd be a real stretch to compare it to Hemingway, but they both have that 'less is more' aesthetic. Just as in Hemingway's case, where it's easy to understand why the brevity and scrubbing of sentamentalism work well in novels set against backgrounds of war, or fishing, or fishing in a war, it's equally easy to see how it works well in Cather's novels set against the backdrop of young untamed prairie. Still, in Cather's case, it's more surprising, 'cause she's a girl.
This book was a lot like My Antonia - not plot-wise, but with a sense of the land so strong that you could fairly call the Nebraska prairie a character. Especially in this book. Hey! I think I just got a bit of symbolism in this book - I usually miss them. The land itself really was a character. I'd tell you how, but that'd be a spoiler.
I like Cather's sparse writing. It'd be a real stretch to compare it to Hemingway, but they both have that 'less is more' aesthetic. Just as in Hemingway's case, where it's easy to understand why the brevity and scrubbing of sentamentalism work well in novels set against backgrounds of war, or fishing, or fishing in a war, it's equally easy to see how it works well in Cather's novels set against the backdrop of young untamed prairie. Still, in Cather's case, it's more surprising, 'cause she's a girl.
I always had in the back of mind while I was reading this book that it had been written in a much more conservative time. I suspect that it pushed the limits more back then than it feels to be doing now, especially in regard to women's rights. I was struck by how undated the writing was, not stiff in any way, but not exactly free-spirited either. At times, the narrative is quite eloquent, but it had too many wordy, bland passages for me to forgive its variable quality. For the most part, I chock that up to this being an early work for a gifted writer. I expect to enjoy My Antonia even more.
emotional
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Willa Cather has captured the pioneer spirit and the heart-wrenching struggles of settling the Great Plains of the United States during the 19th century. This is a great book. I can't believe it has taken be so long to read my first Cather book.
emotional
reflective
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:
No
I loved everything about this book until the last couple of pages. I loved how Alexandra ran the farm and refused to give in to her brothers just because she's a woman. I enjoyed the setting. I enjoyed how she showed the transition from farming to college and the conflicts that caused between the older boys and the youngest, the one who went to college. You still see men today reacting the way the older two reacted, like real men don't go to college and they feel the need to belittle college because they are afraid and insecure.
But then....the climax happens and I was surprised and intrigued and then Alexandra forgives the perpetrator????? No no no. Trying not to post spoilers but her forgiveness scene totally ruined this story for me. It seemed completely out of no where and not necessary. It might have worked better had the book had more overtly religious themes and the forgiveness came from her religion, but it just seemed like she was mad at the other people involved and so this was her response. If it wasn't for that this would have been a four-star read but now not so much.
But then....the climax happens and I was surprised and intrigued and then Alexandra forgives the perpetrator????? No no no. Trying not to post spoilers but her forgiveness scene totally ruined this story for me. It seemed completely out of no where and not necessary. It might have worked better had the book had more overtly religious themes and the forgiveness came from her religion, but it just seemed like she was mad at the other people involved and so this was her response. If it wasn't for that this would have been a four-star read but now not so much.