A review by baybod
My Antonia by Willa Cather

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I LOVE Willa Cather. She writes in a way that makes me miss a Nebraska I never lived in. Her description of the land fosters a love and appreciation for it that few authors can create so well. Her characterization is masterful. She brings her characters to life so vividly and succinctly that I feel I know them and care about them after an introductory paragraph. I loved how this novel presented several strong female characters, each following a different life path, but each achieving success in the way that they define it. I love how the women in the story lift each other up and celebrate their successes even when what one of them succeeds in doing, another would never want to do. Cather’s representation of female agency and diversity in life paths for the women in her stories is distinctly feminist.
I love that Lena, Tiny and Ántonia are all viewed as incredibly successful though they live such different lives—a successful, but not rich, dressmaker, an adventurous and rich woman, and a mother of eleven who has led her farm to success. The way the three of them celebrate each other just adds to my love for it. I appreciate the books deep respect for the cultures of the several immigrant communities who developed Nebraska into what it is now and appreciate the strong stance, through Jim’s character, that Cather takes against those who look down on the diversity of culture in the countryside. I love that Jim values Ántonia’s culture so much, visiting her home land and referring to her language as a rich, old language. Additionally, I think the book represents well the hardship Ántonia went through, especially with her father’s death, and shows how she is able to find joy while also still carrying him with her. Finally, the value the book puts on the past and shared childhoods, emphasizes by the epigraph, optima dies.. prima fugit, makes it a splendidly nostalgic experience. The book is at once melancholy and hopeful.
Overall, I really appreciate this novels representation of and respect for the diversity which existed in the great plains in its early days and the nostalgic feel of the story. Jim’s overwhelming respect and love for Ántonia really drives the book home. As always, Willa Cather delivers with another quaint, country masterpiece.  
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