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timelesstulip's review against another edition
5.0
Willa Cather's My Antonia is a refreshing, timeless novel about a man reminiscing on his life. Although the novel primarily takes place on the prairies of Nebraska during the days of settlers and fenceless borders, the candor in which Jim, the protagonist, narrates his story makes the novel timeless.
Cather is known for her attention to detail, and I noticed immediately the vivid descriptions of the settings and people who would occupy my imagination. I was pleasantly reminded of Steinbeck's writing style. Frankly, I am surprised My Antonia has not received as many accolades as other authors from the same genre. The novel deserves our attention. I've always dismissed My Antonia as a boring-worthy-of-the-bottom-of-my-stack-of-books-to-read type of novel. However, after reading My Antonia, I am only disappointed I did not read the book earlier in life. I've always had an appetite for historical fiction. I would have gobbled this book up in high school.
Cather is a controversial author because of her independent free-spirited lifestyle, but she deserves attention for her writing. She addressed issues that America's society would not be ready to address until decades (some could argue over a century) later. The issues are masked by an incredible story of life , death, and love in the life of Jim Burden.
Cather is known for her attention to detail, and I noticed immediately the vivid descriptions of the settings and people who would occupy my imagination. I was pleasantly reminded of Steinbeck's writing style. Frankly, I am surprised My Antonia has not received as many accolades as other authors from the same genre. The novel deserves our attention. I've always dismissed My Antonia as a boring-worthy-of-the-bottom-of-my-stack-of-books-to-read type of novel. However, after reading My Antonia, I am only disappointed I did not read the book earlier in life. I've always had an appetite for historical fiction. I would have gobbled this book up in high school.
Cather is a controversial author because of her independent free-spirited lifestyle, but she deserves attention for her writing. She addressed issues that America's society would not be ready to address until decades (some could argue over a century) later. The issues are masked by an incredible story of life , death, and love in the life of Jim Burden.
snpf's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to this as an audiobook and repeatedly rewound it to rehear passages that were just so beautifully written I wanted to truly absorb them. Cather's descriptions of the land, struggles, and people genuinely make you feel like you are there. While I had other characters that were more a favorite including Lina, I appreciated the fullness of the narrator/male character Jim as so often I am finding from authors today that male characters are somewhat hollow and he was so fleshed out especially his young and teenage self that I think all authors should read this book as a master class. :-)
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
redwavereads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
sydtravis's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
michael5000's review against another edition
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
matthewbald1's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? No
4.5
bethanechol's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed it! Reese-Anna doesn't like this book at all, and so I suspect my tastes may have become too undiscerning, and perhaps I now like everything I read... and I'm really ok with that, it's much more fun.
Willa Cather does have a way with language, a sort of plain-spoken, straightforward poetry that does well to capture the simple, familiar beauty of an American landscape. The early chapters of frontier life on a prairie homestead charmed and fascinated me as much as the Little House books did when I was a girl, but there's a mature awareness that sets it apart. It's also surprisingly feminist, and gives a wonderful praise of lower-class, working women (made even more wonderful by the flaws that persist in these women, even in Ántonia). Lena Lingard in particular - remarkably and very surprisingly admirable, I kind of want to be her a little bit. Between this, the Austens and Brontës that I've recently read, and the Woolf that I'm just beginning, I feel like I'm undertaking some great study on women in the country vs. women in town. So much fun.
Even apart from the women, Jim Burden is an excellently written male protagonist, and I feel like Cather wonderfully conveys how it feels to be a boy who loves the prairie and its pioneer women, and who misses his childhood. The sense of passing time toward the end is gorgeous and a little heartbreaking. At one point, when Jim and Ántonia reunited after 20 years, I shamefully said aloud "These people really need facebook."
Every feeling that Cather wanted to convey, I felt was excellently conveyed. Sped through it amazingly fast, and am adding more Cathers to my list!
Willa Cather does have a way with language, a sort of plain-spoken, straightforward poetry that does well to capture the simple, familiar beauty of an American landscape. The early chapters of frontier life on a prairie homestead charmed and fascinated me as much as the Little House books did when I was a girl, but there's a mature awareness that sets it apart. It's also surprisingly feminist, and gives a wonderful praise of lower-class, working women (made even more wonderful by the flaws that persist in these women, even in Ántonia). Lena Lingard in particular - remarkably and very surprisingly admirable, I kind of want to be her a little bit. Between this, the Austens and Brontës that I've recently read, and the Woolf that I'm just beginning, I feel like I'm undertaking some great study on women in the country vs. women in town. So much fun.
Even apart from the women, Jim Burden is an excellently written male protagonist, and I feel like Cather wonderfully conveys how it feels to be a boy who loves the prairie and its pioneer women, and who misses his childhood. The sense of passing time toward the end is gorgeous and a little heartbreaking. At one point, when Jim and Ántonia reunited after 20 years, I shamefully said aloud "These people really need facebook."
Every feeling that Cather wanted to convey, I felt was excellently conveyed. Sped through it amazingly fast, and am adding more Cathers to my list!
sophiaross's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jenny_cazzola's review against another edition
5.0
Just completed the audible version with a very warm and heartfelt intro written and read by Ken Burns. Book was narrated by Jeff Cummings. I first read this in jr. high and loved it. This second time through as an adult I was able to read having experienced some of the common place things in the book that were completely foreign to me previously: the care and keeping of sourdough, chickens who won't lay through the winter, buying land and attempting to create a place that feels like home from nothing. Rural Oklahoma is nothing like the Nebraska prairie, but life in the sticks offered a different, much deeper perspective. Not just from Antonia's view but all of the women in the story: Lina, Tiny, Mrs. Burden. This is the best of Willa Cather's books IMO.
tonki's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5