Toni: The Little Woodcarver

by Johanna Spyri

Johanna Spyri (1827-1901) was an author of children's stories. Born Johanna Louise Heusser in the rural area of Hirzel, Switzerland, as a child she spent several summers in the area around Chur in Graubünden, the setting she later would use in her novels. Her first book titled A Leaf on Vrony's Grave, was published in 1871 and the following year further stories for both adults and children appeared, among them the tale of Heidi (1880) that became an instant and enduring success. Her husband and her only child, a son named Bernhard, both died in 1884. Alone, she devoted herself to charitable causes and wrote over fifty more stories before her death in 1901. Amongst her other works Uncle Titus and His Visit to the Country (1881), Toni, the Little Woodcarver (1882), Gritli's Children (1883) and Moni the Goat-Boy (1886).

Genres: Classics, School, Audiobook, Childrens

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1882

About the author

Johanna Spyri was a Swiss author of children's stories, best known for Heidi. Born Johanna Louise Heusser in the rural area of Hirzel, Switzerland, as a child she spent several summers in the area around Chur in Graubünden, the setting she later would use in her novels.

Reviews

[Carolien · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle story about a boy who would love to become a woodcarver and shows a real talent for it. However, his mother cannot afford to apprentice him to a woodcarver and he becomes a goat herd instead. The book provides a look at the treatment of mental illness in children towards the end of the 19th century as he becomes completely depressed all by himself on the mountainside. However, during a visit to a sanatorium an unexpected opportunity is created to grant his wish.

Beautifully written, very gentle. My daughters of 6 and 8 loved it. We listened to an audio version narrated by Kate Reading.

[Eman · Rating 3 out of 5]

قصة للأطفال واليافعين، عن عائلة في الريف السويسري تعيش في كوخ في أعالي أوبرلاند برن.
العائلة مكونة من الأب والأم الشابين وتوني طفلهما الصغير، في الرابعة من عمره
تستفتح الرواية بمناظر الريف السويسري والكوخ الذي يعيشون فيه، ثم تجهيزات الأم والابن لاستقبال الأب العائد مبكرا من العمل - يعمل في المزرعة منذ الصباح حتى المساء لكن في أيام الآحاد يعود مبكرًا، في تلك الأثناء يصلهما خبر وفاة الأب بالمزرعة بطريقة بشعة، إذ كان مع قاطعي الأخشاب ثم أصيب بشدة جراء حادث هناك.
تعيش الأم وطفلها في الكوخ كفافًا.
في السادسة يرسل الطفل للمدرسة
ويكتشف هناك موهبته في نحت الخشب، ويبدع فيها
تظهر عليه الانطوائية وعدم الخلطة بالناس إلا بأمه، يرفض اللعب مع الأولاد وينسحب من فوره للبيت.
في الحادية عشر يخرج من المدرسة ليعمل فيقترح على أمه أن يتعلم حرفة نحت الخشب، لكن لم يستطيعا جمع مبالغ الدروس للتعلم، فيُرسل للعمل في المزرعة.
هناك تزداد إنطوائية توني ذا ال١١ عام، وكآبته ووحدته، يعيش في غرفة ضيقة، لا يغادرها إلا ليرعى الأبقار، فلما يقترب المساء يعود إليها، دون كلمة يحدث بها أحد، دون أن يرى وجهًا سوى العمال من بعيد، وحيدًا في غرفة ضيقة.
يأتي بعد ذلك، مشهد عاصفة، وعواصف سويسرا في أعالي الجبال أشد من غيرها، فيشل الخوف حركته وبعد ليلة عصيبة تكون أعصابه قد تلفت.
تروي الكاتبة تغير حالة توني إلى الانعزال والصمت والتحديق المستمر دون جواب على أي سؤال يسألونه إياه، ودون أن يمس طعامه - شكل من أشكال الاكتئاب-
بعد الهزال الذي أصابه يأخذه صاحب المزرعة للطبيب، ثم مشهد حزن من في بيت الطبيب عليه، وإحضارهم لأمه، فيما توني لم يستجب حتى لأمه كأنها ما عادت تعني له شيئًا، غير أنه مع الوقت - بعد مناجاتها الكثيرة لله وهي بجانب توني، يبدأ بالصحو وتبدأ مشاعره بالعودة معلنًا بدء انقشاع الحالة النفسية، وقد صورت الكاتبة في أكثر من مشهد سابقًا الأم وهي تناجي الله وندعو وتوني بجانبها رضيعًا ثم طفلاً صغيرًا، حتى يكبر ويتركها، فما إن سمعها حتى استفاقت ذكرياته ومشاعره.
تتكفل السيدة الموجودة بنفقات توني لتعلم النحت بعدما علمت بأمنيته، تأخذه معها ليعيش في المدينة حتى يُشفى ويتغذى -تمثل هذه السيدة الوحدة مع المال دون أنيس، فتأنس بالفتى- ما إن يشتد عود الفتى توني ويتعلم مهنته، يعود لأمه وأمامه مستقبل أن يصبح أحد أهم نحاتي الخشب، إذ بدأت أعماله تنتشر.

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

eponymous-ey sentence:
p29: Toni was a wood-carver, and could carry on his work at home with his mother.

This is the most depressing of the lot.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Toni and his mother live in a mountain hut in the Swiss alps. (Yes, the story is by Johanna Spyri, author of Heidi.) Toni wants to become a woodcarver, and he seems to have a knack for it, but his mother can’t afford to pay for his training. Instead, he is sent high up the mountain to tend sheep. You’d think the outdoor life would toughen him up, but he totally freaks out during a violent thunderstorm, and goes into some kind of a catatonic state. What pulls him out of it? Woodcarving, of course. No surprise there. Things finally work out for Toni, he is sent to a master woodcarver to hone his skills, and of course he becomes the finest woodcarver anyone has ever known. Short and sweet and very predictable.

[elena ✧˖° · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wouldn’t say I hated this book, but it was like the most boring book in the history of the entire world. It was a dumb story, and the timeline skipped along too fast. The description was also hard to follow most of the time.

[Lyndsay-ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was honestly terrible. Toni is way too attached to his mom to the point where he fails completely at life if she is not there to take 100% care of him. The first time he is expected to do something that is something other than the only thing he wants to do, woodcarving, he just sits down and does nothing to the point where everyone around him needs to do everything for him. Considering this was written in the late 1800's, one would think people would understand needing to work for living and tobupport family. For Toni, his mom must do all the work and Toni shouldn't nedd to do more thab have fun. Seems more like an example of the mindset younger people in 2023.

[Bella Rowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for school. I don't really remember it that well, but I remember liking it.

[Mirabel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read for school.

[R2 Ireland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did it for school.

[Luci Arbon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the family aspect in this, and all of the writing and description was wonderful.

[Ema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toni is just a little boy. Maybe, if his father is alive, he will a little tough.

[Zeta T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read! Kept me interested. Had the simplicity of Heidi, but with a much faster pace. We see Toni as a wee thing, then quickly, post tragedy, he is seven, goes to school, doesn't care much for it, but within the next chapter he's suddenly twelve and finished with public schooling! There is more tragedy to come but it all pans out evenly for Toni and his mother Elsbeth and a strangely unnamed helper. I may read this again.

[Nadja · Rating 3 out of 5]

A feel-good short story by Johanna Spyri that, at once, touches on the realities of a hard existence, yet infuses a touch of the wondrous needed to secure a happy ending.

[Shawn V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich mochte die Darstellung der Rollenbilder und auch die Bezugnahme zu psychischen Krankheiten.

[Tuesdayschild · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see glimpses of the themes, and tone, of Heidi (a story I adore!) in this short sweetly sad tale.
Recommending this for those that like Religious Tract Society books.