My Antonia

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Summary: The Life of Pioneers
Review: My Antonia is a novel talking about how the life changed for pioneers. The point of view is from Jim Burden who taught Antonia English and grown up with her when they were met each other in their childhood. He saw everything, which is changed from Antonia's whole life step by step. Antonia's family moved to Nebraska from Bohemia. At that time, Nebraska is a wasteland that had nothing on it and they had to start their life over again. When they were in their country, they were rich, but after they used all of the money on traveling expenses, they were lacked of money when they arrived in Nebraska. They even couldn't have a regular meal and there were some huge changes for them. Consequently, her father killed himself because he couldn't accept the situation, which they had. And this let them lose the support, which were from their father so the children in the family had to work instead of studying. For this reason, the children in their family didn't had a good education and had a hard time to get used into America society because they couldn't communicate with people in English very well. This novel expresses the life changing of pioneers amply which are the situations of unaccepted mind and the substance changing. Therefore, the novel is a really good book to read because you can understand the process about how pioneers and immigrators get through the hard time which they had when they moved to a foreign country.

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Summary: Do not read this book with conventional expectations
Review: I think a lot of the problems people have reading this book arise out of our expectations of what a novel should be like, ie with a plot that (usually) follows the hero's journey. Once you accept that the narrator has chosen this form of flowing narration (and for good reasons, realism being one) it is possible to enjoy the novel. The beautifully evoked settings and concentration on day to day non-events, and detailed description of a cohort of insignificant-yet-significant characters, reminds me of the experience one gets from a Steinbeck novel. The main difference is that My Antonia is far more idealistic and optimistic in tone than say, The Grapes of Wrath or East of Eden, although there is suicide and illness, death and decline. It is very bouyant, and written with a loving eye and expressive pen.

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Summary: An Excellent Book
Review: This is a superb book about growing up, about the Americans plains, about longing for a voice from the past even while it is changing before your eyes. If you like contemporary action, the big city, mystery, sex, violence, etc, forget this book. But if you have a feeling for the land and its immigrants, or a glimmer of understanding of people stuggling and yet living full lives, this is a book definitely worth considering.

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Summary: For those who can appreciate it
Review: My Antonia is proof that a novel does not have to be conventionally plotted and have a traditional happy ending to be meaningful and enjoyable. When I read it, I felt as if I were living Jim's childhood along with him. I think many people, including older teenagers like myself who aren't always in a hurry to finish a book and get it over with, would enjoy reading this. If it is read quickly and impatiently one will miss the essence of the novel. It must be read slowly, in a dreamlike state; there is no other way. The characters then become real, the prarie grass appears before your eyes, and your own life begins to vanish. The novel is not perfect; at times Jim tends to generalize and make droll speeches rather than do what he does best: tell a good story. I would not recommend this novel to everyone, because it was obviously not written for the masses.

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Summary: sounds simple, but deep inside......
Review: This is a great book which filled with happyness, sadness and warnness. It may appear that the novel is lack of development'cause the plot is lose, however, it does follow a line and a time development. It especailly presents the relationship between bourgeoisie & proletariat and relationship between man & woman. In reading the novel, we can find a true American history. Importantly, the book seems to reveal the "American dream"........This book is being used in my English course, as what i learn from the book, i believe it has it's own value if we read it with enjoyment,with positive view and with understanding!!

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Summary: heart-warming story about life on the prairie
Review: Almost no plot, but a wonderful, enchanting read nevertheless. Loved everyone in this novel. Jake and Otto and Lena and Jim were all so real to me. The friendship that blossomed between Jim & Antonia was sweet w/o being too sappy. I'm surprised (actually not that surprised) that this moving piece of literature is rated as 4 stars while poorly-written drek like the Notebook gets higher ratings & bestsellerdom. To make the bucks, ya gotta cater to the mindless masses I guess. Read My Antonia!!!

Rating:
Summary: Well written, but not worth the time.
Review: I had to read this book for my English class in my senior year. I can't belive i read the whole thing. Its a very slow, almost love story, with almost no plot at all. It is, however, very well written. Cather uses good words and expression in describing every character and ever situation, but that isn't neraly enough to make this an interesting book. Nice try, but not good enough.

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Summary: Willa Cather is one of the greatest women writers ever!
Review: I felt like I really knew & cared about Antonia & Jim Burden & Lena Lingard & Tiny Soderball after finishing this novel. Cather's writing is so pure & simple that it makes your heart ache. Cheesy, but true. If you want emotion & warm fuzzy feelings, read this!

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Summary: World's most boring book
Review: I'm sorry I did not like this book at all. I do have to admit that the some of the discriptions were pretty good, but the book has no plot. This is one of these books that I wish I would have acted like I read, as I did with a few other books we had to read. So I only found one interesting part in the whole book and that was the wolve story with Peter and Pavel and that was it. I feel asleep reading it, and during class could barely keep my eyes open because it is like reading a text book, or a report on something. So reading it for most teenagers like myself is more like a tourture, a good idea for a punishment.

Rating:
Summary: Awful
Review: Ugh this was the worst book that I have ever read I hope that this woman is retired so she dosn't scare us with another horrid book. This book has absolutly no meaning no theme or anything. My English teacher assigned this book to us which shows how bad a English techer she is. This book is an insult to American Lititure. Please throw this book in the garbage.The only reason I gave this book a star is because of the picture.It dosn't even deserve that.