O Pioneers! (Dover Thrift Editions)

MY ÁNTONIA by Willa Cather is a classic, award-wing novel I somehow missed in my younger years. It is so moving, with the setting and the characters truly coming to life. The author paints a landscape with her words. The reader can smell the earth and feel the heat of those early Nebraska lands. I came away with a better understanding and appreciation of the early people who settled the area. I purchased this one for my iPad. I have ordered several books in this format now and do enjoy them.

I enjoyed the first half of this little book more than the second. The first half gave such a portrait of the times--totally believable because it was written by someone who had lived on the Great Plains when it was still vast and unpopulated. I don't think any book has ever given me such an idea of the solitary loneliness of The Plains and what it was like to live there. The second half of the book became more of a typical story written in the genre of the 1913. Even that portion of the book was insightful as to a unique depiction of 'the place' for women living on the Great Plains in the late 19th century

"My Antonia" is a moving and culturally interesting story of a young girl recently emigrating from Bohemia with her family to the plains of Nebraska. Antonia as seen through the eyes of a young boy is courageous determined to make her way in her new country. Willa Cather has created the interesting and little known situations found in the mid west by nineteenth century emigrants who are without the knowledge and skills to settle there.
Antonia personifies those whose determination finds success.

This is a beautifully written book by the incomparable Willa Cather. It is one of those books that is meant to be read over and over again. The characters are complete and fully believable. The story is one of a million similar ones of the Europeans who settled in America to make better lives for themselves. But it is also the singular story of the relationship between a young boy and girl as they grow into adulthood. The interplay between the two main characters is beautiful, sad, and at times angry. You can't do better than this book. This is literature at its finest. Don't pass it up.

I discussed this novel with my English students 50 years ago. It has been that long since I read it, but now, after having earned an advanced degree in English, I have grown to appreciate Cather's brilliance at a much deeper level. The edition offers very informative secondary information, and I have learned that Cather visited some of the locations in the American southwest that are familiar to me. Cather has drawn a moving portrait of the central character of the novel, a woman whose love of the initially forbidding land and its mixed Northern European families is vivid. This novel of the struggles of the pioneer families and the destinies of their offspring is one I would highly recommend to teachers of the upcoming generation.

Reading this book in its semi-antiquated form is a like a breath of fresh air. So naive compared to modern times but that is what makes it so charming. I look forward to reading the subsequent books.

I found the writing interesting and different.and obtained an insight into an area, society and history of which I had not been fully aware. The characters too were a little beyond my previous experience yet the human situations very recognisable. Like much such writing, it gives a uniquely "American" view and the humour, emphasis and general.presentation enlarges my appreciation of that culture and past. Antonia was a delightful and engaging protagonist despite the fact that the story was related by another - she was a constant presence..

I had fallen into the bad habit of reading poorly written mystery novels. As a 71 year old University of Michigan English grad, I decided this summer to read a few American authors I had missed in college. In My Antonia, I was happily reexposed to the rich language and brilliant imagery I had put aside. Willa Cather and her contemporaries will be a significant part of the rest of my life.

The narrator of this story makes a point of mentioning that the name of the heroine is pronounced with a stress on the first syllable, like the male name 'Anthony', with an 'a' on the end. This is not an insignificant choice by the author, who in her youth dressed in men's clothes and called herself 'William'. Not that this is a 'lesbian novel' as such, but it is a very particular viewpoint, in which strong, androgynous women carve a civilization out of a hostile landscape often despite their menfolk rather than thanks to them.

There are some parallels with Owen Wister's The Virginian, where the narrator often leaves the scene to be replaced by the heroine, so that the two take turns in interacting with the idealized hero. Here, Cather has a male narrator speak for her and to interact with Antonia. However, he often adopts a distinctly womanly perspective, with feminine references to hairstyles and fashions and so forth, references that sound somewhat out of character. Many readers have been puzzled by the relationship between the narrator and Antonia, but if you occasionally think of him as really being a woman, it all makes perfect sense.

The story unfolds in a gentle, understated manner. It is about characters and their relationship to the landscape, and how the former and the latter evolve together. There is a hint of mystery associated with a violent death early in the story, but this is not developed or remarked on again.

What makes the novel worthwhile is the fine quality of the writing and the authenticity that Cather brings to the narrative. This is my second Cather novel, the other being Oh Pioneers! which I did not particularly like. If you are new to Cather, I think My Antonia is the place to start.

The Barnes & Noble Classics edition has an excellent introduction by Gordon Tapper (but, as with all introductions to novels, you should read it after reading the novel itself, as it summarizes the plot) plus useful notes. As it is also cheap, it can be heartily recommended.

Cather's Details:
All the reviews of My Antonia are more or less useful; mine moves away from the usual content-based critique (the narrative voice, Antonia-as-character, Nebraska and immigrant settlement of the plains, etc) and focuses on a brief analysis of the emotive detail in this by-now 20th-century American classic. The detail I am underlining is the Peter/Pavel incident with the wolves in their native Russia and how Cather, in no more than two-three pages, elicits a strong and enduring response that marks the incident and its consequences for the two characters named, but also creates a tone of renewal through death (dealing with death) that informs the novel as a whole.
The friends drive the lead sleigh, the one with the bride and groom, back to the home town after the wedding reception. It's winter, it's night, and the wolves have begun their attack on the wedding party. As sleigh after sleigh is overturned behind them, and the screams of the passengers as they are attacked fill the night air, Peter and Pavel realize that they must "lighten" or perish. Cather's use of the euphonism "lighten" for 'throw the bride and groom to the wolves' seems a mere detail, but the emotional response, keyed to the fact that the friends are continually ostracized from that night on, never leaves the reader's consciousness, and helps raise the book from historico-dramatic American realist-romantic fiction to poignant memoir.

This American classic really needs no review per se. My Antonia focuses on a period in our history that reveals the vital role immigrants have played in developing a strong country. Having taught this novel over a period of forty years convinces me that novels such as this one play a significant role in depicting history in an entertaining medium that works for young people. They not only see an accurate portrayal of history, they also feel the impact that the political and economic conditions had on people. The human struggles to survive are poignant examples of our ability to overcome problems when we need to do so. My Antonia needs to be on a required list for all American literature students to study. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it again as an adult. The reading group I belong to also found this classic to be well worth revisiting and discussing.

Willa Cather was such an excellent prose stylist that a four star rating seems low. But compared to some of her other works, like, "O Pioneers," this one seemed a bit uneven. There were great moments, and it is definitely worth reading, but she has done better. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this work and would hate to dissuade others from reading it, and then disagreeing with my rating.

Willa Cather presents a wonderful story of life on the Great Plains as experienced by early settlers. Her descriptions of the plant and animal life
found by homesteaders are a valuable record of Plains ecology as it is impacted by human occupation. Beautiful writing and captivating story, it
should be required reading in our school systems.

Willa Cather makes hardship blessed. Her words turn the mundane to magic. She pairs the ugly with beautiful phrases that gives the reader new visions of the old, the unnoticed, and the rejected. For all the beauty in her poetic constructions, she holds the reader firmly in reality. Her insights bring a love of life to the readers heart.

You will fall in love with the people. You want to know more about them. You will hurt, rejoice, rage for them.

I decided to read this book based upon a recommendation from the University of Montana's Alumni Association as it is the "book of the month" for October, 2012. Written over a century ago about homsteading, immigrants coming to America, and lifestyles of the time, I found the book to be verbally picturesque, the characters to be genuine, and the story engrossing. Interesting to me, too, was to read that even over this span of time we are not so different than those who were working 24/7 to have a better life. It definitely is an excellent book!

An American Classic. I bought it for my husband to read after we had been from Fargo to Mt. Rushmore for his birthday. I think his reading tastes haven't allowed him to read My Antonia yet. Nevertheless, it should required reading and on everybody's shelf by the time they finish high school. People talk about must-reads--this one truly is for every American.

I decided to read this book based upon a recommendation from the University of Montana's Alumni Association as it is the "book of the month" for October, 2012. Written over a century ago about homsteading, immigrants coming to America, and lifestyles of the time, I found the book to be verbally picturesque, the characters to be genuine, and the story engrossing. Interesting to me, too, was to read that even over this span of time we are not so different than those who were working 24/7 to have a better life. It definitely is an excellent book!

An American Classic. I bought it for my husband to read after we had been from Fargo to Mt. Rushmore for his birthday. I think his reading tastes haven't allowed him to read My Antonia yet. Nevertheless, it should required reading and on everybody's shelf by the time they finish high school. People talk about must-reads--this one truly is for every American.

Beautifully written and a beautiful read! Written by a woman yet the narrator is male; the text is lyrical with very descriptive phrasing. The characters come to life as does the prairie, almost another character in the book. I loved it, in fact read it twice!

Very easy clear writing. A story written in the 50s yet seems to have no time. It could have been written today. Great historical story about the harsh life of the immigrants and their harsh life in Nebraska. Author gave a great description of the environment and the people. Wonderful realistic characters.

Though this book was assigned reading, I enjoyed it. It prompted me to do research on Willa Cather... There are so many interesting but little known facts about her.
"My Antonio" is also an accomplishment for a woman of Willa Cather's day ... 1800's when woman had to hide their true feelings and thoughts. White women were considered property of their husbands. They had no rights. They were not slaves but they were not treated equally.

After a lifetime of avoiding Willa Cather works, I finally decided to give one of her books a shot. I chose O Pioneers because it's one of her best-known and it's about pioneer life on the Midwest prairies, a topic I've grown interested in. The book is about a strong woman who needs to help her family survive; she not only does that but she becomes quite successful over the years. Cather's writing is top notch. The story drew me in from the opening page, and I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Do yourself a favor and try it.

Excellent coverage of the way the the prairie was settled . Vivid mental pictures painted.of how
they led their livers and how the environment influenced their lives. Their character was built
By the experiences they had.

This story starts to feel languid as the years wear on for Alexandra, but ice returns when tragedy strikes. This change if fortune brings the story to its inevitable conclusion but so sadly. Definitely worth hanging in for the end!

There are quite a few long and ehaustive reviews of "My Antonia" on this site; I have no intention of equalling them in terms of insight or length. I will say, however, that this is one of the finest books I have ever read -- accessible more than ninety years after it was written. The narrator's long, deep friendhip -- I believe others misunderstand the relationship; it is a loving friendship, not a romance -- with the title character is engrossing and touching, and the other characters, who are a melting pot of different ethnic backgrounds, are presented memorably and with vivacity. I could not recommend this book more highly.

Our book club selection for January is "My Antonia" and I had never read anything by Willa Cather previously. I found her character depictions and her feel for the frontier life to be quite gripping. At times funny but many times tragic, this story gives all 21st Americans a reason to feel fortunate in not having to deal with the forces of nature and the perils of the frontier. It also paints a picture of a time where neighbors truly took care of each other and family meant real committment.

This is a beautifully written book, and it still stands the test of time--despite the latest criticism of the book tying it to some sort of homosexual agenda. It's the story of the strength of the immigrant families--women, in particular, who settled the American Southwest, and the story is told through the eyes of Jim, an outsider who admires them as he chronicles their struggles. Antonia is a wonderful character, always positive and relentless in her pursuit of happiness and success.

Willa Cather’s novel My Ántonia was originally published in 1918. It is the final novel in her Prairie Trilogy, following O Pioneers! and The Song of the Lark. Since the three books don’t share any common characters or setting, the designation of trilogy is questionable, so don’t feel like you have to read either of those preceding volumes in order to enjoy this book.

My Ántonia is set in and around the fictional town of Black Hawk, Nebraska. The story is narrated by Jim Burden, an attorney, who recalls memories of his boyhood, in particular his friendship with a girl named Ántonia Shimerda. Jim loses his parents at the age of ten, and moves from Virginia to Nebraska to live on his grandparents’ farm. On the train out West he encounters the Shimerda family, just arrived from Bohemia, who turn out to be his new neighbors. The Shimerdas are a proud and hardworking family, but they don’t take readily to farming the prairie, and they eke out a poor existence form their land. The Burdens befriend the Bohemian family and offer them as much help as they can, but the two families don’t always see eye to eye.

Jim and his grandparents eventually move into the town of Black Hawk. Ántonia is not far behind, for like many immigrant farm girls, she takes a job in town as a household servant and once again becomes Jim’s neighbor. Because the immigrant families don’t speak the language as well as the native-born residents of Black Hawk, they are treated as second-class citizens. No “American” boy would ever consider marrying one of these Norwegian or Bohemian hired girls, yet that doesn’t lessen their attraction. Having been raised in the country, Ántonia and her foreign friends are more free-spirited than their city-bred counterparts, with no inhibitions about socializing or dancing with men. Thus these girls are branded as bad girls by the gossips of the town, whether they deserve such a reputation or not.

In plain-spoken but poetic prose, Cather brilliantly depicts both the pleasures and pains of growing up in small-town middle America. Jim’s recollection of youth includes many nostalgic joys, but it’s not all sunshine and roses. When Cather shows the negative aspects of Black Hawk—its insularity, its conventionality, its narrow-mindedness—she does so in a matter-of-fact way that’s free of condescension or cynicism. The relationship between Jim and Ántonia is fascinating to watch as it progresses, but the supporting cast is equally well-drawn and engaging. Even when Cather goes off on a tangent to examine some of these minor characters, the result is fascinating. The story of Peter and Pavel is a tour de force, and ought to be excerpted and inserted into every high school literature textbook. The book’s final act is a little weak and unimpressive compared to all that came before, yet overall My Ántonia is a masterpiece of American naturalist literature. Cather finds real epic drama in the everyday lives of ordinary people as they try to make a life for themselves in this isolated hamlet on the Great Plains. If you grew up in a small town or rural area, My Ántonia will make you consider your own life and times, and how the people and places you knew in your childhood shaped the person you are today.

My Ántonia is generally considered Cather’s greatest work, though I think it’s a toss-up between this and O Pioneers! The first and third books in the Prairie Trilogy are both excellent, while the middle volume, The Song of the Lark, is clearly the weak link in the chain and a poor fit with the other two in terms of style and subject matter. For any fan of classic literature looking for that Great American Novel, My Ántonia is a must-read.

I'm glad the store is making available classic literature. I love Willa Cather's writing and liked O! Pioneers very much, the sense of space, the characters, which were all very believable. I wasn't wild about the ending but I'm not much into romance. My favorite book of hers is Death Comes for the Archbishop which I recommend to anyone who has an affinity to the southwest, or would like to visit without leaving the comfort of your own home.

I love novels about people who left the comforts of their homes, wherever they might have been, to go into the western United States and homestead in the late 1800 or early 1900s. This book does well to describe what day to day life was for them, while building strong, like able characters.

I have already purchased another of her books and am looking forward to reading it. She is a great writer and worth reading.

Willa Cather is a great writer. The book is fresh and alive even 100 years later and the characters become meaningful, as if part of one's family. If you like the story of the people as this country was forming, you will love this book. The immigrant experience and the beginnings of the "melting pot" are a theme along with the difficulties encountered by the pioneers, and especially pioneer women.