My Antonia

Rating:
Summary: This book is STILL ABHORRENT
Review: I am convinced that the plot of this book was thought up by some dewling ape wallowing in its own filth in a cage barely suitable to sustain its pointless and meaningless existence. This book is a piece of literary filth, the very core of all that can go wrong when you give a loonie a pen and a publishing contract...

Rating:
Summary: This book is abhorrent....
Review: Imagine yourself on a gentle plain of tall red prairie grass with your childhood love by your side. Beautiful. Then imagine this scene portrayed in the most drawn out and illogical way possible. That is what you get with this book. (...) Love is not and never will be like it is in this piece. Love is a sweet and beautiful thing, an emotion to rival every earthly satisfaction. This book portrays love as something that no one in their right mind would want to live through. I would be absolutely horrified of love if it was like this book says (but it's not...).
Admitedly, I was forced as a Junior in High School to read this pitiful piece of literary disatisfaction (and that couldn't help things), but this is none-the-less the most abhorrent book I've ever read (even Things fall Apart was a little beter than this). My personal opinion is that we should revert to our lifestyles of midevial times.... Crucify the writer (she's dead).... then Crucify the publishers... (all of them sir??).... Yes,... all of them....
Don't get me wrong, I read a great variety of literature (and happily enjoy most of it), the best of which so far is The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (which is also about an immigrant family). But this is the most utterly unsatisfactory and unfulfilling work I have ever read (why am I even calling it a work... it doesn't deserve it). And no, I do not recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: ...
Review: This book is the worst piece of "literature" that I have ever had the misfortune of turning my nose up to. I fell asleep, 2 pages into the book. The next time, I managed a 3 page chapter, and fell asleep again. It took me several tries to read, and everytime I read this book, I felt a feeling of incredible tiredness and depression settle upon me. I hated every page of this book, and think that any good reviews given to it came from the worst lying scum to ever deface this planet we call Earth. I suggest not buying it. It isn't even worthy of the 1 star that I gave it.

Rating:
Summary: My...Whatever her name was
Review: Alright so let us just say this book lacked a little bit of action. This may sound a little shallow coming from a junior in high school forced to read this book. Although, through many long hours of boredom, I was able to pick up on a few very credible qualities in My Antonia (which is mainly why I gave it a 3 instead of a 1). Some of these qualities consist of Cather's uncanny ability to mold the harsh and seemingly boring prairie of Nebraska into the perfect childhood environment. Cather also shows her talent for character creation in the many complex characters that find their place in My Antonia. In a nutshell Willa Cather displays a relationship between Jim Burden and Antonia, to me it is a strange relationship; wobbling on the line between romance and family-like love. For the romantics and historical fiction buffs who wont mind a little boredom, this is your book. Don't get me wrong, there are a couple exciting portions of this book, but if you are the type of reader that is looking for boatloads of action and suspense, steer clear of My Antonia.

Rating:
Summary: "My Antonia" The great American Love Story
Review: I love the way My Antonia was written, I feel like the strong use of words and and the way the story was written in general was wise in the way it might captivate most audiences. But I was expecting more of how hard it was to survive back in those days, I wanted to see the day to day struggles, like surviving animals attacks, or fending off a roaming band of Indians. But that is more of a personal feeling rather than a review. I do feel like Cather is able to captivate the feelings of love between Jim and Antonia. At parts in the story I feel like I have a relationship with Antonia and Jim and I root for them to get together. I catch myself smiling when they laugh and wanting to shed a tear when they shed tears. When lifes little twists of fate separates the love of the two, I caught myself cursing cruel, mean fate. Beautiful words twisted togehter in a web of love, happiness, friendship, sadness, and basic human kindness is what this book is all about, and if your into that sort of reading, then My Antonia is definetly the book for you. In the end Cather has you rooting for Antonia and Jim, but alas, love has a different plan.

Rating:
Summary: This very boring mid-life crisis book
Review: The novel My Antonia takes place in Nebraska at a time where there was even less in Nebraska then there is now. Willa Cather decides to place a love story in an event where you can focus on the innocence of the main characters and the purity of them compared to their boring landscape.
This book is a love story without a happy ending; it is very boring because it never goes anywhere. Poor Jim is always in love with Antonia, and Antonia always looks to Jim as a friend while looking else where for a lover. The book although written with great description leads a very boring storyline. I believe that Cather took on too great of a challenge trying to place in interesting story in an ever most boring setting and time. Minus the descriptions of some of the sunsets and simple landscapes that we take for granite, the reader is left with a dorky kid and a flaky teenage girl.
All in all, this story is about exciting as a frog jumping out of a pond. You are surprised when it happens but it really isn't that great. You are left with some nice moments and beautiful writing but both are greatly dulled out by just another boring love story. There are no great twist or turns, just simply a rough life for a couple individuals. Stories like this help reinforce the true stereotype about Nebraska, there really isn't that much to do there. I find that this book is best for an older audience that doesn't have much going on or simply a person who needs no excitement in their life. This book I imagine would be great for a person going through a mid-life crisis trying to decide when they got old and lost their youth. I on the other hand look for a story that makes me think a little bit more about un-knowns of the world not just a rehashed love story that puts me to sleep instead of leaving me begging to go on.

Rating:
Summary: Capturing the American Spirit
Review: Willa Cather writes an wonderful and vivid account of the spirit of the American West. Through her brilliantly portrayed characters one almost feels to be for a brief moment part of this pioneering stage in our history. Cather examines the struggles of immigrants to this county, while at the same time paints a picture of hope and perserverence that came from those brave enough to make the journey. The relationship of Jim Burden and Antonia is a love story unlike any other. It is a love that goes above romance and physical need to a platonic love that forever endures time. There love for each other in many ways symbolizes modern generations longing for the untouched, unspoiled frontier. Jim had a desire to go back, just as many Americans have that desire to go back even today. This is a well written story and was a joy to read

Rating:
Summary: My Antonia
Review: Cather displays a relationship between to unlike souls, who make a connection that lasts forever. Even though Jim and Antonia never explore their relationship beyond a platonic level,I loved the ending. It was maybe not the ending that everyone would want but that is what made it an interesting read. Once I started reading the novel I could not put it down. Cather also hints but never really mentions how the women are the strong and independent women. There was a matriachy of sorts in Mrs. Shimereda which is unusual for the time period. I recommend the book for a raining day when you have a couple of hours to relax. It is an easy read and you won't be able to put the book down.

Rating:
Summary: Love's Lesson
Review: My Antonia was a touching book. Deep down inside it meant to tell readers not to let the one that you truly love go, no matter what. Jim didn't fallow this and ended up with a life of only thoughts of "his Antonia", and a longing to have her as a part of his everday life and not just his everday thoughts. This book tells us to keep the ones that are dear to us and have taught us the most about anything close to us. Not just close in our hearts but also close to us physically, so that we may enjoy thier presence in our lives. Jim and Antonia are in love with each other and yet they refuse to just give into the feelings that they have for one another. Because of this they lose out on an experience that may have been the greatest love of thier lives. This book tries to teach its readers an amazing lesson about the importance and power of love.

Rating:
Summary: To Love An Immiagrant
Review: Willa Cather's My Antonia is a great book filled with the joys, pain, tolls life had and the average person in the mid 1900's.
My Antonia was published in 1918 and was based on a setting in Nebraska. It was about the relationship of young Jim Burden and a young Bohemian immigrant girl, who Jim falls in love with.
The story starts out when young Jim moves in with his grandparents after the death of his parents. At the same time Antonia's family entered a world of what they thought would be heaven. As time past Jim and Antonia became great friends. They shared everything from their hopes and dreams to their fears and pain. Antonia loved the new land her parents found but after a short time she realizes that the new world is taking a toll on her father. He starts missing his homeland and his old friends, and the work was not what he expected so he takes the cowardly way out and took his life.
As time pasted, Antonia and Jim grew farther apart but Jim's love for her grew stronger. They eventually went on with their own lives. Jim went to the University in Lincoln and Antonia started her family. Although many years went by Jim never forgot the face of Antonia.
After Jim heard about the death of Antonia's husband he went home to be with her and her children.
Willa Cather showed the struggles an immigrant family had to over come for a better life and how after many years, hard and good times love overcomes all. She also showed a young girl's desire for love, family, and companionship and how you can't always be with the one you love.
My Antonia was a great book that I assume will be read and enjoyed for many years to come!