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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
This is another book I somehow neglected to read during high school and college. High school is excusable, as the school I attended had a joke of an English curriculum. But I'm rather surprised that I never had to read this in any of my American Literature classes at UWM.
I was hooked after reading the poem that precedes Part I, (The Wild Land). She combines lyricism and spareness of prose in a way that I've always admired. My friend Kate told me that F. Scott Fitzgerald was actually so concerned about copying her style in The Great Gatsby that he wrote her a letter of apology. While he certainly is his own author, it is impossible to deny her influence on his writing. Even some of the characters in The Great Gatsby seem as though they could have been born out of his reading of O Pioneers!
But this is about Willa Cather. She is tremendous. The land is as much a character as any person in the book. And the relationship of the people with the land is of equal substance to that of the interpersonal relationships to the characters. Perhaps it is this quality, this combination of love, awe and respect for the land that defines American Literature. When you think about the canon of American writers, doesn't an image of land come to you as much as that of a memorable character. Who is Huck Finn without the Mississippi River?
I want to write more, but there are so many layers of accomplishment within this book that my mind is slowly working its way through, that it would take ages. For now, it's suffice to say that the story is as engaging as the writing is remarkable.
I was hooked after reading the poem that precedes Part I, (The Wild Land). She combines lyricism and spareness of prose in a way that I've always admired. My friend Kate told me that F. Scott Fitzgerald was actually so concerned about copying her style in The Great Gatsby that he wrote her a letter of apology. While he certainly is his own author, it is impossible to deny her influence on his writing. Even some of the characters in The Great Gatsby seem as though they could have been born out of his reading of O Pioneers!
But this is about Willa Cather. She is tremendous. The land is as much a character as any person in the book. And the relationship of the people with the land is of equal substance to that of the interpersonal relationships to the characters. Perhaps it is this quality, this combination of love, awe and respect for the land that defines American Literature. When you think about the canon of American writers, doesn't an image of land come to you as much as that of a memorable character. Who is Huck Finn without the Mississippi River?
I want to write more, but there are so many layers of accomplishment within this book that my mind is slowly working its way through, that it would take ages. For now, it's suffice to say that the story is as engaging as the writing is remarkable.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Originally published in 1913, Willa Cather’s O Pioneers! is the first installment in the Great Plains Trilogy, a series that ends with Cather’s most famous novel My Antonia.
Pioneers follow mostly Scandinavian settlers in the great plains, following the hardships and digging into the underlying reasons so many of these people left lives behind that were often not related to farming, to attempt to survive on the plains.
Cather is an early feminist, although her brand would barely register with most modern women. What she does well is write strong women who buck trends of the time, demanding respect for the hard work that they often do better than the men around them. While historically accurate, this portrait of women at this time and place was rarely shown by other writers, instead limiting women to the home even when circumstances demanded equal labor. There is still an ingrained misogyny in the writing. When the protagonist's brother is murdered by a violent and jealous husband, the protagonist not only forgives the murderer, but works to release him blaming her brother and the man’s wife for their own deaths.
I preferred My Antonia, but this was an interesting walk back in time
While the tone of [b:My Ántonia|17150|My Ántonia|Willa Cather|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389151307s/17150.jpg|575450] was mostly happy with a few sad parts, this one seems to be the opposite, with an overlying sad tone with a few lighthearted parts...but I still really liked it. Once again the prose is just beautiful and I'm wondering why I haven't read Cather's works sooner. Looking forward to [b:The Song of the Lark|48214|The Song of the Lark|Willa Cather|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388631383s/48214.jpg|1385675].
"We come and go, but the land is always here. And the people who love it and understand it are the people who own it—for a little while."
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!
"We come and go, but the land is always here. And the people who love it and understand it are the people who own it—for a little while."
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!
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great prose but the story is a little stupid
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
This was another meandering book. It wasnt superbly interesting, but it was a sweet little story at the beginning which turned realistically tragic near the end. I loved the character of Alexandra, which surprised me since I tend to be literarily attracted to more imaginative characters and Alexandra is very down to earth and described as having no imagination. I didnt care for Marie or Emil, mostly because I cant really relate to people who are constantly happy or constantly depressed. But Alexandra was beautiful as a character. The story was good, and managed to surprise me a little at the end, but I can see why people describe it as anti climactic.
Very good short read about life in the Great Plains. More emotional than I was expecting. The author, Willa Cather, is from Nebraska which is close to my heart.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot