Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking (originally published in Swedish as Pippi Långstrump in 1945) is likely one of the most well-known and famous Swedish children's books of all time; it has been translated into more than 50 languages and is even today globally beloved and admired.
And the original concept for Pippi Långstrump originated in 1944, when Astrid Lindgren's then seven year old daughter was ill with pneumonia and Lindgren told her imaginative stories about a fantastical and mischievous little girl named Pippi Longstocking (Pippi Långstrump). The stories were thus originally orally transmitted and might even have remained so, if Astrid Lindgren herself had not hurt her ankle later that same year. While she was recuperating, Lindgren decided to put the Pippi Longstocking stories to paper. One of the manuscripts she presented to her daughter as a birthday present, the other Lindgren sent to a Swedish publishing house (Bonnier). Well, Bonnier rejected the manuscript, but as in the meantime, Astrid Lindgren had won second place for a traditional girls' story in a writing competition sponsored by renowned Swedish publisher Rabén & Sjörgen, she decided to rewrite the "Pippi Longstocking" manuscript and submit it to the same competition and awards committee (for the following year); Lindgren's story promptly won first prize, and the novel was published as Pippi Långstrump by Rabén & Sjörgen.
Now not only do I find the history of the origins and publication details of Pippi Longstocking fascinating for its own sake, the whole and entire fact that the Pippi stories originated as oral tales also shows that oral tradition is indeed still alive and well, that oral story-telling has not been all that greatly diminished by books, by the written tradition (that oral story telling still engenders, still often is the birthplace of the written word).
So with regard to the novel itself, I originally read Pippi Longstocking in German (as Pippi Langstrumpf) when I was nine years old; in fact, my recent reread is the very first time I have actually encountered Pippi Longstocking in English. And although I do fondly remember enjoying reading about Pippi Longstocking in 1975 and in fact count Astrid Lindgren as one of my all-time favourite children's authors, Pippi Longstocking herself has actually never been one of my most beloved Lindgren characters by any stretch of the imagination (since I have always liked Madicken, Emil, the children of Noisy Village, Lotta and Ronja considerably more than I have ever managed with Pippi). But while I have certainly gained a greater appreciation and love for Pippi Longstocking as a character as a result of my recent textual encounter with Pippi Longstocking in English translation, Pippi as an Astrid Lindgren character is still not an absolute favourite, nor do I think that she will ever become one.
And yes, I do think that my GR friend Emily has hit the nail on the head when she mentioned in a discussion thread on Pippi Longstocking in the Children's Literature Group that she would enjoy Pippi Longstocking much more as a character if she were not so invincible, if she did not possess such unlimited powers and wealth. For to me, Pippi's superhuman strength and general invincibility have actually tended to make at least some of the episodes a bit dull and monotonous, as there really is never much tension, or the possibility of Pippi failing, perhaps not rescuing the children from the fire, perchance falling out of the tree (there is never even the possibility of that, for Pippi is like a superhero). Because well, as charming and irrepressible as Pippi Longstocking is, I have always found her a tad too fantastical and extreme to readily identify with and get to know on a personal and intimate basis; she is an amusing and fun character, but I cannot really call her a true kindred spirit (and maybe that is also why when I read Pippi Longstocking in German as a nice year old, I was not really all that interested in continuing on with the sequels).
Furthermore, one rather important and also interesting aspect of Pippi Longstocking as a story which I noticed while rereading the novel as an adult is that while on the surface, Pippi Longstocking might appear as the invincible super-child (a bit like Peter Pan almost and also presenting herself a bit like a trickster figure), who can do anything, feels confident everywhere, is a wonderful and imaginative playmate, and can always outsmart and outmaneuver the grown-ups and their often petty and for a child incomprehensible rules and regulations, there is also a deep element of sadness and loneliness in present Pippi Longstocking as well. For Pippi is actually quite alone in the world, and much of her "misbehaving" is not caused by wilful and and deliberate rebellion, but because the girl has no one to care for her, to show her the ins and outs, the do's and doast learning). Thus, while Pippi Lonstocking might have a suitcase full of gold, and lives alone, on her own terms in a quasi children's paradise, she is also lonely at times and in need of both human contact and loving care. And no, this loving care would and should not be the kind of "care" envisioned in Pippi Longstocking by the supposedly concerned townspeople (namely being an orphanage), but a loving individual, or a loving family, who would adopt Pippi, accept her imagination, quirks, attitudes and ideas, while at the same time provide guidance and teaching. Pippi's loneliness despite her wealth and seemingly charmed and charming life and lifestyle, her sadness whenever she realises she has made a mistake (and realises she has made a mistake, precisely because she has neither a father nor a mother anymore to guide her), has made me connect with and to her during my recent reread in a manner that I have never been able to do before; and albeit that Pippi Longstocking will never take the place in my heart of Astrid Lindgren characters like Madicken and Emil, I have come to both appreciate and personally love her.
And finally, I would also like to mention that Pippi Longstocking is definitely a book which I would love to be able to rate with half stars, because, if half stars were possible, I would be giving 3.5 stars to Pippi Longstocking. But since I consider the novel to be a high 3.5 star rating, I will assign 4 stars for Pippi Longstocking, even though I really do wish that Goodreads would at sometime in the future allow for half star ratings (although I have come to realise that this will probably always be a so-called and unfortunate pipe dream).