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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Part of the same story I loved as a child. I was probably a couple years older when I read this one, but I still enjoyed it.
I was excited to read the last book, of the series I just read for the first time, and what a let down.
I didn't know it was published after Laura's death, and when I read the foreword, it didn't prepare me as to how different this book was going to be.
I understand and appreciate nobody retouched the draft and it was left as it was written. To me it just lacked the joy, the poetry and optimisms of the rest of the series.
I think it being a draft plays a good part in it. And in this one Laura's married, it's a big change in the tone being more adult maybe?
Or maybe I just missed all our beloved characters, the family (Pa! Ma! Even Laura's musings about Mary) and even Laura, because it wasn't written the same way didn't feel like the one we knew from previously.
And I can assure you I feel weird writing this, because despite being novelised, it's still Laura writing about Laura (herself) so if someone knows what's up it's her but still.
It also felt rushed and too short to cover 4 years and everything was brushed over. Almost no dialogue. Again, I think it is because of it being a draft.
I'm left wondering if I would rather have left things at the end of book eight, who was a perfect ending for the series. And then read a biography on her life (or watch the tv series eeheh shush)
Oh one last thing: Manly ?!! I got so confused for a short while and I think never really got used to Almanzo's nickname as a reader, while I understand why an older Laura would have used her husband's nickname. It just felt weird ;/
I'm going to read her biography though ;)
I didn't know it was published after Laura's death, and when I read the foreword, it didn't prepare me as to how different this book was going to be.
I understand and appreciate nobody retouched the draft and it was left as it was written. To me it just lacked the joy, the poetry and optimisms of the rest of the series.
I think it being a draft plays a good part in it. And in this one Laura's married, it's a big change in the tone being more adult maybe?
Or maybe I just missed all our beloved characters, the family (Pa! Ma! Even Laura's musings about Mary) and even Laura, because it wasn't written the same way didn't feel like the one we knew from previously.
And I can assure you I feel weird writing this, because despite being novelised, it's still Laura writing about Laura (herself) so if someone knows what's up it's her but still.
It also felt rushed and too short to cover 4 years and everything was brushed over. Almost no dialogue. Again, I think it is because of it being a draft.
I'm left wondering if I would rather have left things at the end of book eight, who was a perfect ending for the series. And then read a biography on her life (or watch the tv series eeheh shush)
Oh one last thing: Manly ?!! I got so confused for a short while and I think never really got used to Almanzo's nickname as a reader, while I understand why an older Laura would have used her husband's nickname. It just felt weird ;/
I'm going to read her biography though ;)
A very different feel than the other books. It's certainly the saddest.
Another month coming to a close (😱), another trip down memory lane to revisit Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. 'The First Four Years' is more of a novella, and a little less polished than her other books as it was taken directly from the manuscript found in Rose Wilder Lane's possession at her death. But back to the book... what a difficult first four years Almanzo and Laura have! 😥 I particularly loved when Laura showed her bookish side-- a neighbor gave her a set of Sir Walter Scott's novels, which helped her through a rough pregnancy. "She forgot to feel ill at the sight and smell of food, in her hurry to be done with the cooking and follow her thoughts back into the book. She brought some of their magic and music back into the little house with her." Books bringing magic and music-- so true! 📖✨🎶
This was a nice conclusion, I suppose, but I definitely didn't like it as well as the other books. I suppose because it was so brief and zoomed thru four years, not like her other books with such attention to detail. I was heart broken for her, though, to learn her son died and about the house fire. Heavens, she was younger than I when it happened...22 or so.
This is a miserable, depressing book. I would not recommend it to readers younger than fifteen years, simply because the subject matter is so grim and it's completely different in tone to the other Little House books.
For all their flaws I appreciated this series. This book adds a nice hint of depth at the end by suggesting that maybe the main character wasn't as simple and straightforward as she made herself seem.
Unrelievedly depressing and told at some distance further than arm's length. Interesting period detail, but so many sad things happen I can understand why Wilder didn't publish this with the rest of the series. I didn't get any real sense of who Laura was as the writing was so dispassionate as to be almost off-putting.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really fascinating to see the differences in marriage then and now and to watch all these struggles. Good overview but definitely short.