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A review by didyousaybooks
The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
2.0
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 ;)