Reviews

صاحب الظل الطويل by Jean Webster

sarahastrid3's review against another edition

5.0

I loved this. I'm really get into this orphan lit. I was about 30% in when I decided that Jervis had to be Daddy Long legs and wondered if they would marry. I pretty much read on just to see if they would marry. So predictable yes, but also enchanting.

kaitlanjean's review against another edition

Negative views about faith

marym_mohamed's review against another edition

5.0

الآن عرفتُ لِم لمْ أكمل مشاهدة صاحب الظل الطويل حينما بدأت فيها من شهور .. كان يجب أن أقرأ الرواية أولًا و التي عرفت عنها بالصدفة البحتة .. رواية رائعة حقيقة و الأسلوب ساحر للغاية ..
أعجبني أن كانت جودي تمتلك حس السخرية الذي ينمو عند كل من يتجرّع المأساة حتى الثمالة .. لم تكن تلك الفتاة الطيبة المستكينة التي ترى ماحدث لها كـ هبةٍ من العالم تقدم له القرابين عليها .. بل تعاملت مع الأمر بواقعية فبعد كل شيء .. العالم من أساء إليها بدايةً في الملجأ و إن لم تنسى بالطبع شكر السيد جون سميث .. و بالمناسبة أليس اسم جابروشا أحلى ؟
ختامًا ..
السيد چون سميث ،
لا أعرف أي اللقبين تفضل أكثر .. أبي طويل الساقين أم صاحب الظل الطويل لأناديكَ به .. لكن أظن أنه من الأنانية أن أناديك أبي فيكون لديّ أبوان في حين حُرِم البعض من واحد ..
لذا .. عزيزي ياصاحب الظل الطويل
أشكرك لكل مافعلته لـ جودي .. و أشكرك لأن لقبك يبدو لي رقية سحرية للبداية في تدفق الكلام فما إن يبدأ أحدهم بـ ' عزيزي ياصاحب الظل الطويل ' حتى أوقن أنني سأرى قطعة من الجمال بعدها .. أو أكتب أنا بعدها ، و هذا أجمل .. تحياتي ..

phantomgecko's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

It's a fun story. Basically only good things happen, but that's okay. There's still a lot of substance. It's easy to imagine this as a hefty novel. A lot of time passes and a lot of things happen.

However, the charming epistolary style works. In fact, it's brilliant. It's not possible to get a deep sense of the side characters, I feel. But for Judy, she feels like a real person. Her moods and playfulness are perfectly captured with the letter writing.

I'm having trouble bringing all my thoughts together for this inadequate review. Suffice it to say, it's a nice little book that I would recommend.

berachele's review against another edition

5.0

Awesome! I saw this play/musical a few weeks ago and have been in love ever since! It was a great perspective to read the book and compare. It's a great short read with lovable and quirky character Jerusha Abbott. I definitely love the ending of the play better though, seems a bit more realistic of how someone would react to meeting "Daddy Long Legs".

kathryn14's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

4.75

"My dear, dear, daddy, haven't you any sense? Don't you know that you mustn't give one girl 17 Christmas presents? I'm a socialist, please remember."

I am now accepting applications for my very own Daddy-Long-Legs ...

9.5/10

vaudevillianveteran's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted fast-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? No

3.5

telercoi's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

mborer23's review against another edition

4.0

Somehow, I never read this book as a child, so I'm glad I had the opportunity to do so now. This is a lovely epistolary novel telling the story of Jerusha (Judy) Abbott, a girl who grew up in an orphanage never having known her parents. She's unexpectedly delivered from her life of servitude in the orphanage by a mysterious benefactor who declines to make his identity known. He'll send her to college and provide her with spending money, but she has to agree to write him a letter every month, to which he will not respond. This unusual arrangement leads Judy to imagine an entire life for her "Daddy Long Legs." This is a quick, sweet read, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

estherfilbrun's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

It’s hard to know how to gather my thoughts about this book because I loved it so much. I can sometimes struggle to get through classics, but not this one! Aside from a few turns-of-phrase and older words, it felt like a modern novel. I’ve discovered that I love epistolary novels, so that was an especially favorite part of the story. 

And then: My all-time favorite parts of books—well-drawn, dynamic characters! Judy Abbott is a hoot. She’s naturally self-deprecating in the best way possible, able to poke fun at the most mundane things. I laughed at quite a few of her observations. Here’s one of my favorites: 

“I’ve burned a hole as big as a plate in the front of my chemistry apron, with hydrochloric acid. If the theory worked, I ought to be able to neutralize that hole with good strong ammonia, oughtn’t I?” 

The only thing I didn’t appreciate so much was her disregard for God. She’s almost anti-God several times, which is somewhat understandable, considering her background and what she observed growing up. Still, it was sad. 

Overall, I loved this read and would have gotten through the whole thing in an afternoon or two, if I had the opportunity. I can’t wait to read Dear Enemy and find out what happens next. I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up rereading this book at some stage, too. So. Much. Fun! Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys epistolary works, and especially historical works with a dash of romance and a good dose of humor.