Scan barcode
ashley_eliza's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I particularly liked the vivid descriptions of people and events.
zbmorgan's review against another edition
3.0
Sort of like a Little House on the Prairie for grownups, this doesn't have the satisfying character arc of today's books, but still satisfies. This story about a boy moving to Nebraska and meeting his grandparents Bohemian neighbors, as well as other characters around town, is fascinating and amusing, but for all Jim, the narrator, is incredibly observant about others, he never tells us much about himself. Left me wanting to reread Ingalls Wilder.
redheadreader73's review against another edition
2.0
Some really nice descriptions of setting that occasionally break up the lack of plot, action, adventure or any event really.
delandaab's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.0
After finishing My Antonia, I strongly believe that Jim views Antonia as the embodiment of America, specifically America as the countryside. Something that is “pure” and genuine about being an American and more specifically, the concept of coming to this country and making a family that you can be proud of. I find that Jim’s fascination with Antonia is more of his fascination with this country and the cards that life can deal for you. I find that he was in no way actively pursuing a relationship with her, even though it may come off that way from the beginning, but rather, he’s more interested in her life and how she moves at every turn. With this, I find that Jim also wants to embody America, but in a hypermasculine version. This way, he’s always trying to appear “manly” to those around him and ways of his education and career. However, in his relationship with women, I find that he’s very hesitant and instead seeks more intimate relationships with men. I think it’s interesting that in Jim’s transcript, we don’t hear anything about his wife. Perhaps, he just hadn’t met her yet but we only know he marries the character from the introduction. I think this is because when bringing up Antonia, he thinks of the lives of the women he knew from the country and how they made a name for themselves, whether through business or family. And yes, while a good portion of his tale does focus on himself, I find that this connects back to himself also wanting to prove that he’s part of the “story of America.”
michaelpdonley's review against another edition
3.0
Written in 1918, this is a story of childhood friendship that never became more, life that happened afterward, and coming back together to find the friendship and longing still there. It is equally a love song to turn-of-the-century Nebraska. (And there are cringy parts that reflect the time but do not age well)
mrginger42's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
lalawoman416's review against another edition
3.0
So I loved the prose, the writing style, the poetry in the language used. But that was about it. The funny thing is I wanted a pastoral book and I got it in spades. My Antonia is essentially about midwestern life during the pioneering days. The story line, if you can call it that, follows Jim from the age of 10 into adulthood. We first meet Jim when he heads to Nebraska to live with his grandparents after his parents die. On his journey to Nebraska, Jim meets his new neighbors and instantly bonds with the oldest girl, Antonia. And that, is basically where the story stops and the meandering starts. Vivid, beautiful descriptions of Nebraska and pioneering life take up the next 150 pages. At the end, we get a wrap up of a story line, but it isn't much of a story line. Really, this book can best be described as moments in time in a boys life. In that sense, it was disappointing because I kept waiting for something to happen. Nothing ever did. And in the end, the writing wasn't enough to fully engage my interest.
sortasamm's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-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
5.0
thehawk72's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating 3.5.
This book was certainly interesting for sure, but I think Cather kind of deducts some points from herself by writing in the POV of a man rather than a woman, at least in my perspective. I found myself not really liking the narrator because I felt like he didn't appreciate what he had in the moment very much, but I suppose it's possible that Cather did this on purpose to try to reframe how we see women. I really enjoyed Antonia as a character as well as Lena, and I would still consider this book a nice, lighthearted read if you need something more low-key to indulge in throughout the day.
This book was certainly interesting for sure, but I think Cather kind of deducts some points from herself by writing in the POV of a man rather than a woman, at least in my perspective. I found myself not really liking the narrator because I felt like he didn't appreciate what he had in the moment very much, but I suppose it's possible that Cather did this on purpose to try to reframe how we see women. I really enjoyed Antonia as a character as well as Lena, and I would still consider this book a nice, lighthearted read if you need something more low-key to indulge in throughout the day.
almags_'s review against another edition
5.0
Mis dos cosas favoritas en el mundo entero en una novela: nostalgia y amor platónico.