misslulabelle's review against another edition
4.0
This was a lucky find at the library book sale. The third "autobiography" of Ralph Moody's life was just as enjoyable as the first two. I was engrossed in the story, attached to the characters and greatly enjoyed this book. Very clean, highly recommended and a wonderful slice of America.
khuisjen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
5.0
jamie_o's review against another edition
5.0
This one started out painfully. Ralph, who struggled with city life in Boston, was sent to live with his grandfather on his farm in Maine. Grandfather was so cantankerous and all the time berating poor Ralph that I was thinking it was going to make for a long book.
Grandfather was known to be a notoriously difficult person. He'd previously driven off all of his children, many hired hands, and finally his housekeeper/cook Millie, and Ralph. Due in large part to Uncle Levi's (grandfather's brother) intervention, things radically changed with grandfather, and Ralph and eventually Millie too, returned to the farm. Ralph and grandfather both had their areas of expertise, and it was great when they could finally both use their knowledge and skills and work together to make the farm flourish.
From the beginning, I thought this would be my least favorite book the in the series, but I ended up enjoying it immensely. Ralph's ingenuity never ceases to amaze me.
"Get it off your stomach, Ralph," he told me. "It's the things he keeps down that poisons a man; not the things he gets rid of." "Well, I might be a fool," I said, "but I don't like to be told it forty times in five minutes." "A tarnal fool?" Uncle Levi asked, and winked at me.
"Was all men as respecting of the Almighty as bees is of their queen, there'd be no call for neither jails nor courthouses."
Then he said, "Time wears lots of things out of a man's mem'ry, too, Ralphie. Ones he hates to lose, and ones he yearns to."
Grandfather was known to be a notoriously difficult person. He'd previously driven off all of his children, many hired hands, and finally his housekeeper/cook Millie, and Ralph. Due in large part to Uncle Levi's (grandfather's brother) intervention, things radically changed with grandfather, and Ralph and eventually Millie too, returned to the farm. Ralph and grandfather both had their areas of expertise, and it was great when they could finally both use their knowledge and skills and work together to make the farm flourish.
From the beginning, I thought this would be my least favorite book the in the series, but I ended up enjoying it immensely. Ralph's ingenuity never ceases to amaze me.
"Get it off your stomach, Ralph," he told me. "It's the things he keeps down that poisons a man; not the things he gets rid of." "Well, I might be a fool," I said, "but I don't like to be told it forty times in five minutes." "A tarnal fool?" Uncle Levi asked, and winked at me.
"Was all men as respecting of the Almighty as bees is of their queen, there'd be no call for neither jails nor courthouses."
Then he said, "Time wears lots of things out of a man's mem'ry, too, Ralphie. Ones he hates to lose, and ones he yearns to."
charlizzy's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes hard for 10, 8 and 6yo boys to keep pace with as a read aloud but the story is so good and character building!! Will likely have them read again independently as 11-12yo. We have read all the Little Britches aloud and while this one moved slower, the lessons of hard work, ingenuity, compromise, and self-control are worth the commitment.
satyridae's review
2.0
Easily my least favorite of the series. Grandfather's an evil, abusive, horrible man. I don't give the proverbial south end of a northbound rat that he shows his softer side by the end, he's still a pure D jerk. Every time he opened his mouth to berate someone, I cringed. Every time he begrudged Ralph or Millie the very food they ate, I got mad.
This book was also much more overtly religious than the others, with the unlikely proselytizer being the evil grandfather. I can't imagine that such a deeply misanthropic git as the grandfather would be welcomed by St. Peter, based on what I know of religion.
I understand the lesson here, about loving those who are not lovable, and suffering long and becoming a better person because of it. However, I don't believe this philosophy, and would have run away to Colorado by the end of the first week. Though I did, in fact, suffer through every word of this book.
The narrator, in addition to the over-enunciation I've almost grown used to, mispronounces several words throughout. It sounds inauthentic in the extreme to hear farm people referring to 'vicTWOulls' and 'hay MOs', among other things.
This book was also much more overtly religious than the others, with the unlikely proselytizer being the evil grandfather. I can't imagine that such a deeply misanthropic git as the grandfather would be welcomed by St. Peter, based on what I know of religion.
I understand the lesson here, about loving those who are not lovable, and suffering long and becoming a better person because of it. However, I don't believe this philosophy, and would have run away to Colorado by the end of the first week. Though I did, in fact, suffer through every word of this book.
The narrator, in addition to the over-enunciation I've almost grown used to, mispronounces several words throughout. It sounds inauthentic in the extreme to hear farm people referring to 'vicTWOulls' and 'hay MOs', among other things.
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