Truly one of the great American literary voices, Willa Cather belongs on every bookshelf. My Antonia was my first taste of her writing and I look forward to reading the whole Cather canon.
Back to the classics! I missed My Antonia when I was a girl and just completed it on my Nook. (it was one of the 0.00 books!) I enjoyed it tremendously. What a hard life the women had during the pioneer days. The book was beautifully written with descriptions that made me feel as if I were a part of the story. I actually had nightmares about the Russians Peter and Pavel throwing the bride to the wolves! This is an American classic that doesn't need to be forgotten.
I enjoyed this book. It isn't exciting, but it is a nice story with lots of emotion and some drama from a simpler time when the country was changing.
One of classic American novels - originally published in 1918, this copy was pub. in 1994. Has many threads to the plot: romance, adventure, history. Well worth reading.
the lives of Nebraska's immigrant farmers and farm women rise fromt he memories of Willa Cather..an extrodinary work of literature. This particular book having a wonderful center section of pictures from
the Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas Historical Societies.
Great book, marvelously read!
This book was a real sleeper. It was warm, and funny , and I felt I was living in that difficult time in the past where people actually died of hunger if they did not raise their chickens and plant their gardens properly. It was also a charming friendship story. I ordered some more books by this author because I love her voice.
Classic american novel--must read
My Ántonia is a portrait of a life well lived that begins in early childhood and moves all the way through adulthoodwith all the foibles and mishaps in between. What a beautiful, lovely, rambling narrative of the old West! Life in the early settlements was so difficult. There were many dangers known and unknown, such as snakes and wild animals, devastatingly cold and brutal winters, loneliness, depression, accidents and amputationsmany times without the aid of hospitals, doctors or medicines! Throw into that mix a brand new country with a language you dont understand and you have the makings of some pretty desperate circumstances! I loved when the narrator talked of reading Swiss Family Robinson, or Robinson Crusoe, and complaining that they were very dull compared to his real life experiences! Regardless of the harsh circumstances, however, the focus truly remains on the joys of life and the wonder of the experiences of childhood. We see what it means to be a true friend and neighbor. We feel the power of forgiveness. We explore the beauty of the land through each season as the world turns. We enjoy the simple pleasures of life. The simplicity of this novel is refreshing, yet the meaning is complex and all-encompassing. Life passes us by, with all its ups and downs laid out before us, and while the narrative is simple and naïve, we are swept away in its beauty and grandeur.
Great book - a good read!
This is a classic. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the writing.