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My Antonia / O Pioneers!
First published in 1918, My Ántonia is the unforgettable story of an immigrant woman’s life on the hardscrabble Nebraska plains. Together here with O Pioneers!, a classic American tale of pioneer life and the transformation of the frontier, this volume of Willa Cather’s works captures a time, a place, and a spirit that are part of our national heritage.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
48 people are currently reading
1877 people want to read
About the author
Willa Cather
893 books2,785 followersWilella Sibert Cather was born in Back Creek Valley (Gore), Virginia, in December 7, 1873.
She grew up in Virginia and Nebraska. She then attended the University of Nebraska, initially planning to become a physician, but after writing an article for the Nebraska State Journal, she became a regular contributor to this journal. Because of this, she changed her major and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English.
After graduation in 1894, she worked in Pittsburgh as writer for various publications and as a school teacher for approximately 13 years, thereafter moving to New York City for the remainder of her life.
Her novels on frontier life brought her to national recognition. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her novel, 'One of Ours' (1922), set during World War I. She travelled widely and often spent summers in New Brunswick, Canada. In later life, she experienced much negative criticism for her conservative politics and became reclusive, burning some of her letters and personal papers, including her last manuscript.
She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1943. In 1944, Cather received the gold medal for fiction from the National Institute of Arts and Letters, an award given once a decade for an author's total accomplishments.
She died of a cerebral haemorrhage at the age of 73 in New York City.
She grew up in Virginia and Nebraska. She then attended the University of Nebraska, initially planning to become a physician, but after writing an article for the Nebraska State Journal, she became a regular contributor to this journal. Because of this, she changed her major and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English.
After graduation in 1894, she worked in Pittsburgh as writer for various publications and as a school teacher for approximately 13 years, thereafter moving to New York City for the remainder of her life.
Her novels on frontier life brought her to national recognition. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her novel, 'One of Ours' (1922), set during World War I. She travelled widely and often spent summers in New Brunswick, Canada. In later life, she experienced much negative criticism for her conservative politics and became reclusive, burning some of her letters and personal papers, including her last manuscript.
She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1943. In 1944, Cather received the gold medal for fiction from the National Institute of Arts and Letters, an award given once a decade for an author's total accomplishments.
She died of a cerebral haemorrhage at the age of 73 in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
December 16, 2014
It's a wonderful story about how difficult life was for Scandinavian and Slovakian immigrants at the turn of the 20th century in the U.S. Midwest, but the real beauty of this narrative lies in the economically crafted rural landscapes with silver slivers and yellow hues, creates vibrantly minimalist and scented fields of wheat, flowers and insects. The one downside to this novel is the racist caricature of the blind African American musician written with such condescension.
January 24, 2015
I don't even know where to begin, but I can simply say that this book was wonderful. It was beautifully written, simple yet vivid, and the story evoked the images of earlier times, that were both simpler and more difficult than the world we know now. It was very easy to become immersed in the book and its characters and to form strong attachments to them. There was also a sense of familiarity to the story, which I found comforting. This may be due to the fact that I grew up in Minnesota, the product of Norwegian and German immigrants, who had also immigrated around this same time. Many of the stories I heard growing up were similar to this story and its a time period heavily taught in school, through books and movies. The story also reminded me of a grown up version of the Little House on the Prairie books, which I also loved as a child. I was disappointed to read reviews who complained that there was no plot. This was simply the story of multiple families who crossed paths at a pivotal point in time, in Black Hawk, Nebraska, and we get the first person perspective of that experience through our narrator, Jim Burden. The story didn't need a plot...the story is about life. You can't have a better plot than that. I highly recommend this story to anyone who wants to know more about life on the prairie or who simply appreciates this special and unique time in our Country's history.
February 7, 2017
A fabulous classic that never gets old!
December 26, 2014
(This review is for My Antonia only)
I wanted to give the book three stars, because after reading it I felt dissatisfied. Nothing really happens. If I write even one sentence about the plot, I'll probably spoil it. Orphan boy falls in love with immigrant girl.
But take aside the fact that there is no plot, and every other element of a great story is there. Vividly drawn characters, details that cling to the memory (the woman's face that would always make babies cry!), evocative setting, and smooth, enjoyable prose. I've never been to Nebraska, but Cather makes me imagine it clearly-- bare, stark, windswept, pulsing with the life of the corn.
And on further thought, maybe this just isn't a novel about exciting things happening. Maybe the lack of action IS the point. Maybe that's how life works. Everyone expects Antonia to go on to great and amazing things, most of which don't happen, but the life that she has is pretty good and satisfying for her and her family. And in the end, Jim finds that even people who don't go on to incredible things can still be incredible.
I wanted to give the book three stars, because after reading it I felt dissatisfied. Nothing really happens. If I write even one sentence about the plot, I'll probably spoil it. Orphan boy falls in love with immigrant girl.
But take aside the fact that there is no plot, and every other element of a great story is there. Vividly drawn characters, details that cling to the memory (the woman's face that would always make babies cry!), evocative setting, and smooth, enjoyable prose. I've never been to Nebraska, but Cather makes me imagine it clearly-- bare, stark, windswept, pulsing with the life of the corn.
And on further thought, maybe this just isn't a novel about exciting things happening. Maybe the lack of action IS the point. Maybe that's how life works. Everyone expects Antonia to go on to great and amazing things, most of which don't happen, but the life that she has is pretty good and satisfying for her and her family. And in the end, Jim finds that even people who don't go on to incredible things can still be incredible.
November 5, 2014
I loved this book. It is very simply written, with short chapters that tell so much. This is a coming of age story about Jim Burden growing up on his grandparents' farm in Nebraska, and the life-long friendship he develops with Antonia, the eldest daughter of an immigrant family trying to get by. Antonia is tireless and fearless, and wants nothing more than to work to help support her struggling family. In contrast, Jim has the chance to go to school, study hard, and make something out of himself outside of farming. Though Antonia is bound to her destiny, she maintains a greater sense of freedom in a lot of ways because of the pride and happiness she takes in working hard and building a strong family. Jim is of course madly in love with Antonia and vice versa because of who they are to each other, but they foster a life-altering friendship based on what they experience and their memories of each other. This book reminds me of Lonesome Dove in how down to earth it is, and how it tells of a certain time and place, but in a way that's timeless. Cather's style much different, though, providing more of a feminine perspective. I recommend this book to my mom and to Erin and Ginny!
January 16, 2015
Jim Burden, a successful New York City lawyer, gives an acquaintance a memoir of his Nebraska childhood in the form of a recollection of their mutual friend, Ántonia Shimerda. This memoir makes up the bulk of the novel.
Jim first arrives in Nebraska at the age of ten, when he makes the trip west to live with his grandparents after finding himself an orphan in Virginia. On the train out west, Jim gets his first glimpse of the Shimerdas, a Bohemian immigrant family traveling in the same direction.
As fate would have it, the Shimerdas have taken up residence in farm neighboring the Burdens’. Jim makes fast friends with the Shimerda children, especially Ántonia, who is nearest to him in age and eager to learn English. Jim tutors Ántonia, and the two of them spend much of the autumn exploring their new landscape together.
In late January, tragedy strikes with the suicide of Mr. Shimerda. After an emotional funeral, the Shimerdas retreat into despair, and the Burdens struggle to be as accommodating as possible. As a result of the hardships that the Shimerdas suffer, Ántonia and Jim find that a wedge has been driven between them.
A couple of years later, the Burdens decide to move into town, and shortly after Ántonia takes a job as a housekeeper with a neighboring family, the Harlings. Jim begins to see more of Ántonia once again, especially when a dancing pavilion comes to town and enlivens the social scene.
Jim’s high school years quickly come to a close, and he is offered a spot at the university in Lincoln. He makes a great success of his high school commencement speech and spends the summer hard at work in preparation for his course of study. Before leaving, he takes one last trip out to the countryside with Ántonia and her friends, where they gather to reminisce about old times together.
In Lincoln, Jim throws himself into his studies, which take up the majority of his time in the first year and a half of his course. In the spring of his second year, he begins to see a good deal of Lena Lingard, a mutual friend of his and Ántonia’s who has always intrigued Jim. After a few months of theatergoing and dalliances about town, Jim decides that he needs to make a fresh start of things and prepares to transfer to Harvard University for his final two years of college.
While Jim is away, Ántonia gets engaged to a local boy and moves to Denver in order to be with him. Days before the wedding, the boy -abandons Ántonia, and she returns to Nebraska heartbroken. She covers up an unexpected pregnancy throughout its term, but in giving birth to a daughter incurs the disapproval of her family. However, she resolves to take care of her baby and continues to work on the farm with her brother.
After graduating from college, during the summer before entering law school, Jim returns to Nebraska to be with his grandparents. Upon hearing of Ántonia’s situation, he decides to drive out to the countryside and visit her. They spend a happy day together reliving old times, and Jim parts with a promise to visit her again very soon.
Twenty years pass before Jim is able to visit Ántonia again. In the intervening period, he establishes himself as a prosperous New York City lawyer, and Ántonia marries and has many children with a man named Cuzak, also of Bohemian origin. Jim’s visit to the Cuzak farm is a happy one, with plenty of laughter and stories. Ántonia and Jim renew their old ties, and Jim resolves to be in closer contact with the Cuzaks in the -coming years.
As he prepares to leave Nebraska and return to New York City, Jim walks along the outskirts of town, near the overgrown road that leads to his childhood home. At peace with himself in this familiar landscape, he feels that his life has come full circle, and he reflects in the moonlight on all that his past with Ántonia has meant to him.
Jim first arrives in Nebraska at the age of ten, when he makes the trip west to live with his grandparents after finding himself an orphan in Virginia. On the train out west, Jim gets his first glimpse of the Shimerdas, a Bohemian immigrant family traveling in the same direction.
As fate would have it, the Shimerdas have taken up residence in farm neighboring the Burdens’. Jim makes fast friends with the Shimerda children, especially Ántonia, who is nearest to him in age and eager to learn English. Jim tutors Ántonia, and the two of them spend much of the autumn exploring their new landscape together.
In late January, tragedy strikes with the suicide of Mr. Shimerda. After an emotional funeral, the Shimerdas retreat into despair, and the Burdens struggle to be as accommodating as possible. As a result of the hardships that the Shimerdas suffer, Ántonia and Jim find that a wedge has been driven between them.
A couple of years later, the Burdens decide to move into town, and shortly after Ántonia takes a job as a housekeeper with a neighboring family, the Harlings. Jim begins to see more of Ántonia once again, especially when a dancing pavilion comes to town and enlivens the social scene.
Jim’s high school years quickly come to a close, and he is offered a spot at the university in Lincoln. He makes a great success of his high school commencement speech and spends the summer hard at work in preparation for his course of study. Before leaving, he takes one last trip out to the countryside with Ántonia and her friends, where they gather to reminisce about old times together.
In Lincoln, Jim throws himself into his studies, which take up the majority of his time in the first year and a half of his course. In the spring of his second year, he begins to see a good deal of Lena Lingard, a mutual friend of his and Ántonia’s who has always intrigued Jim. After a few months of theatergoing and dalliances about town, Jim decides that he needs to make a fresh start of things and prepares to transfer to Harvard University for his final two years of college.
While Jim is away, Ántonia gets engaged to a local boy and moves to Denver in order to be with him. Days before the wedding, the boy -abandons Ántonia, and she returns to Nebraska heartbroken. She covers up an unexpected pregnancy throughout its term, but in giving birth to a daughter incurs the disapproval of her family. However, she resolves to take care of her baby and continues to work on the farm with her brother.
After graduating from college, during the summer before entering law school, Jim returns to Nebraska to be with his grandparents. Upon hearing of Ántonia’s situation, he decides to drive out to the countryside and visit her. They spend a happy day together reliving old times, and Jim parts with a promise to visit her again very soon.
Twenty years pass before Jim is able to visit Ántonia again. In the intervening period, he establishes himself as a prosperous New York City lawyer, and Ántonia marries and has many children with a man named Cuzak, also of Bohemian origin. Jim’s visit to the Cuzak farm is a happy one, with plenty of laughter and stories. Ántonia and Jim renew their old ties, and Jim resolves to be in closer contact with the Cuzaks in the -coming years.
As he prepares to leave Nebraska and return to New York City, Jim walks along the outskirts of town, near the overgrown road that leads to his childhood home. At peace with himself in this familiar landscape, he feels that his life has come full circle, and he reflects in the moonlight on all that his past with Ántonia has meant to him.
June 26, 2025
My Antonia by Willa Cather – a brilliant author, who has four books on The 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read list, along My Antonia, which is 193rd on The Greatest Books of All Time site, you have One of Ours, The Professor’s House and A Lost Lady, reviewed on my blog, together with hundreds of other books and motion pictures, the plug for the best gig is https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20...
9 out of 10
A few months back, I have read A Lost Lady https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... and I wonder why she did not get The Nobel Prize for Literature, while that was given to so may less significant writers (I was going to put in Bob Dylan, then thought maybe not, but finally, here he is)
Though the title of this entertaining book is My Antonia, I think the hero is the narrator – the one behind the My – Jim Burden, albeit the girl, and then later in the plot the woman Antonia Shimerda have a great role to play, probably the second most important, they start together, while he is moving to live with his grandparents
The Shimerda family has just sailed from Europe, Bohemia we are told, notwithstanding the fact that there is a region of that name (and the bohemian life style, which now seems to mean a sort of epicureanism) but not a country, and they settle in Nebraska, where they would have a very hard time to begin with
In fact, by this time few, if any still read these lines (let us be fair, the figure is most likely to be zero) and therefore a spoiler alert might be inserted and then all secrets revealed, such as the sad outcome that we have – the heroine does not make it, even if she had been thought likely to succeed, it would be Lena who makes it
Tragedy is not the name of the game, but we certainly have a great share of it, even in the stories told about Europe, such as the one in which this wedding party is riding sleighs in winter, and then they are surrounded by wolves, apparently hundreds of them, the prey animals get closer and the result is terror and death
One by one, the horses, sleighs are overcome and the people are killed, until there is only the bride and I think Ivan was the name of the fellow and the groom, and the bride is thrown out to the wolves and this Ivan is now an outcast, he has to emigrate to America, and he is part of the…Russian community (to be sardonic, what else?)
We also have that other short tale, inserted in what is anyway a compact novel, of the vagabond, who comes to ask for beer, he finds none, and is told that the Norwegians may have it, but then he just throws himself into the threshing (or some other) machine and he is killed, the tool would never work properly after that
The Shimerda struggle in America, Mr. Shimerda had not wanted to come there, they also have this son, who is challenged, and he would be harsh with his sister, Antonia, and the progress in Nebraska is limited, Mrs. Shimerda blames the failures on circumstances, her bread is not that good, because of the shortages
At some point, Jim’s grandmother finds some frozen potatoes and when she is asking, she finds that these were discarded by someone else, eventually, Mr. Burden gives them a cow, and does not ask for money, except for some ten dollars, but Mr. Shimerda would commit suicide, and Antonia has to go into service
Now I remember another horror – Lena works with this family, where the husband is attracted to her, he traps the wife by sending her to Ohio, and then comes home to abuse, rape the handsome girl, only to find…Jim, in her bed, so the narrator gets beaten, just because his grandmother thought it is better for him to be there
This same fellow is very bitter, does not want the spouse to inherit the one hundred thousand (quite a few tens of millions today) she is entitled to, if she survives him, and thus he just takes a pistol and kills her…https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20...
Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the befits from it, other than the exercise per se
There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know
As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...
Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works
‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’
9 out of 10
A few months back, I have read A Lost Lady https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... and I wonder why she did not get The Nobel Prize for Literature, while that was given to so may less significant writers (I was going to put in Bob Dylan, then thought maybe not, but finally, here he is)
Though the title of this entertaining book is My Antonia, I think the hero is the narrator – the one behind the My – Jim Burden, albeit the girl, and then later in the plot the woman Antonia Shimerda have a great role to play, probably the second most important, they start together, while he is moving to live with his grandparents
The Shimerda family has just sailed from Europe, Bohemia we are told, notwithstanding the fact that there is a region of that name (and the bohemian life style, which now seems to mean a sort of epicureanism) but not a country, and they settle in Nebraska, where they would have a very hard time to begin with
In fact, by this time few, if any still read these lines (let us be fair, the figure is most likely to be zero) and therefore a spoiler alert might be inserted and then all secrets revealed, such as the sad outcome that we have – the heroine does not make it, even if she had been thought likely to succeed, it would be Lena who makes it
Tragedy is not the name of the game, but we certainly have a great share of it, even in the stories told about Europe, such as the one in which this wedding party is riding sleighs in winter, and then they are surrounded by wolves, apparently hundreds of them, the prey animals get closer and the result is terror and death
One by one, the horses, sleighs are overcome and the people are killed, until there is only the bride and I think Ivan was the name of the fellow and the groom, and the bride is thrown out to the wolves and this Ivan is now an outcast, he has to emigrate to America, and he is part of the…Russian community (to be sardonic, what else?)
We also have that other short tale, inserted in what is anyway a compact novel, of the vagabond, who comes to ask for beer, he finds none, and is told that the Norwegians may have it, but then he just throws himself into the threshing (or some other) machine and he is killed, the tool would never work properly after that
The Shimerda struggle in America, Mr. Shimerda had not wanted to come there, they also have this son, who is challenged, and he would be harsh with his sister, Antonia, and the progress in Nebraska is limited, Mrs. Shimerda blames the failures on circumstances, her bread is not that good, because of the shortages
At some point, Jim’s grandmother finds some frozen potatoes and when she is asking, she finds that these were discarded by someone else, eventually, Mr. Burden gives them a cow, and does not ask for money, except for some ten dollars, but Mr. Shimerda would commit suicide, and Antonia has to go into service
Now I remember another horror – Lena works with this family, where the husband is attracted to her, he traps the wife by sending her to Ohio, and then comes home to abuse, rape the handsome girl, only to find…Jim, in her bed, so the narrator gets beaten, just because his grandmother thought it is better for him to be there
This same fellow is very bitter, does not want the spouse to inherit the one hundred thousand (quite a few tens of millions today) she is entitled to, if she survives him, and thus he just takes a pistol and kills her…https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20...
Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the befits from it, other than the exercise per se
There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know
As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...
Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works
‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’
January 15, 2015
Excellent book...poetic, poignant and written by someone who lived through the era she wrote about.
April 8, 2019
Just when you think you have your life together, this book proves you wrong. It shows you that things can change your life in an instant. Could you knowingly leave the love of your life and leave them to live their life without you? Could you grow up to love someone else? Could you live your life without the most important person? Jimmy finds himself moving to Nebraska after the sudden death of his parents. Antonia moves to Nebraska with her family hoping for a way to fortune, according to her mother. Immigrants from Bohemia. Antonia being the only family member who knows very little Spanish. While her family knows nothing. Imagine finding your self living in the midwest in the 1900's. Sometime in life you find yourself with what seems nothing but you have everything that you could ever have. You have no food, no shelter, nothing. But you have a community, and a family that loves you. I wanted to read this book because it seemed really interesting that a young woman from an immigrant is becoming the head of the family slowly in America. You should read this book if you are interested in a little love story that happens in the olden times. The times when we were starting to understand how things work. It is a read that will help you understand the transition of a young man mature into a man and learn the keys of life. My Antonia is aimed for people who are persistent in finishing a book to the end. A person who likes a slow start to get to the good parts.. But anyone who enjoys a little old time love, will love this book. This book is not for the close minded people but more the open.
September 27, 2018
This book is timeless both with its theme and its prose. Written a whole century ago, it could very well have been written today. It tackles the challenges of the newly arrived immigrant to the USA even if at that time, the main immigrants came from Bohemia (Czechoslavakia) and Norway. Still, we see the tension within Antonia whether to fully assimilate to American culture or to live in some hybrid Bohemian-American culture where her children speak her native language while navigating through American culture. The view during the early 20th century towards immigrants was generally favorable whereas now, we see finite resources to distribute among too many and view immigration negatively. This could easily be the tale of a Mexican-American family settling California today. Perhaps that is the greatest compliment to a writer - that the voice they use is timeless in its themes and its observations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2018
A classic for a reason - simple, spare dialogue and narrative, but so evocative of that time and place, along with the characters who inhabit the story. I strongly recommend if you like historical fiction.
October 22, 2018
We listened to this story while driving from Wyoming to Arizona. It was entertaining to hear and the reader was quite good. I wondered if the style would have been off-putting had I read the book.
March 18, 2023
4.5 stars
November 15, 2019
Very enjoyable but the murder at the end seemed forced in terms of plot. Out of left field. Great look at time and place and characters, from a firsthand perspective.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2024
gorgeous and nothing but vibes and imagery / absolutely no plot and i ate it up
Read
October 24, 2015O Pioneers... just finished this section. The descriptions of the land are pretty incredible, especially the earliest days of settlement. It definitely leaves you with palpable sense of Nebraska and what it's like to live on the plains but I felt detached from the characters. Partly because of weak character development and partly because I couldn't separate this story from the actual history of genocide and environmental destruction. These European immigrants really didn't belong on the wild land. They tamed and farmed land based on their own traditions rather than honoring the traditions of the native tribes who had been successful stewards there for millenia. In this light, it was hard for me to feel badly about the characters' misfortunes and difficulties. It just seemed ridiculous that they traveled a world away to break their backs in order to have tea and cake on a square piece of property. I don't get it. Maybe I will relate more to My Antonia...
Later note: My Antonio is a superior book and one of my favorites. The logic of why Antonia's family fled Bohemia for the wild plains and tried to recreate their old life is much more clearly drawn and the characters are much more sympathetic even if descriptions of other ethnic groups (common at the turn of the last century when this was written) are offensive by modern standards. This is a very important book for the historical record, if only because it adds a strong woman's voice to male-dominated accounts and shows us the seeds of feminism in early America.
Later note: My Antonio is a superior book and one of my favorites. The logic of why Antonia's family fled Bohemia for the wild plains and tried to recreate their old life is much more clearly drawn and the characters are much more sympathetic even if descriptions of other ethnic groups (common at the turn of the last century when this was written) are offensive by modern standards. This is a very important book for the historical record, if only because it adds a strong woman's voice to male-dominated accounts and shows us the seeds of feminism in early America.
January 20, 2015
This is a nicely written story. I liken it to a family history – the reminiscences of simple and often difficult lives.
The narrator tells stories – from that of a young boy to an adult – about his family and neighbors. Primarily set in Nebraska , its stories – often with a total lack political correctness – are of immigrants and the new lives they make for themselves. The family solidarity – and reputation – was paramount. (I suppose a hundred and fifty years from now, our lives today will probably seem as foreign sounding as these were to me.) It’s filed with old-time terms and ideas; women worked on their "fancy work" i.e. sewing and crochet, dance halls were popular (and I never really understood why until now).
The characters are very well written and play the hands that life has dealt them. The women – Antonia and Lena – bring such strength to the novel. While I initially found the book rather boring, the more I read, the more engaging it became and the more I liked it.
The narrator tells stories – from that of a young boy to an adult – about his family and neighbors. Primarily set in Nebraska , its stories – often with a total lack political correctness – are of immigrants and the new lives they make for themselves. The family solidarity – and reputation – was paramount. (I suppose a hundred and fifty years from now, our lives today will probably seem as foreign sounding as these were to me.) It’s filed with old-time terms and ideas; women worked on their "fancy work" i.e. sewing and crochet, dance halls were popular (and I never really understood why until now).
The characters are very well written and play the hands that life has dealt them. The women – Antonia and Lena – bring such strength to the novel. While I initially found the book rather boring, the more I read, the more engaging it became and the more I liked it.
December 31, 2014
I can't believe I never read this book before! What a lovely old-fashioned romance, and not your typical passionate romance. This is a romance not only about a woman, but also a place and a time. It's about appreciating a place for what it holds and appreciating people for who they are. Lovely descriptions of the many vibrant characters. My favorite parts are in the beginning, however, when Cather explores (through the eyes of a young boy) the death of a revered friend. Here's one of my favorite lines: "Nothing happened. I did not expect anything to happen. I was something that lay under the sun and felt it, like the pumpkins, and I did not want to be anything more. I was entirely happy. Perhaps we feel like that when we die and become a part of something entire, whether it is sun and air, or goodness and knowledge. At any rate, that is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great. " Someone should read this at my funeral.
March 8, 2015
This book was a gift from my Uncle at Christmas since he knows I have a thing for 'old books'. I do enjoy classics and this one was no exception. I had never heard of Willa Cather or My Antonia prior to the novel being put into my hands, and after reading- I am baffled as to why? I can't even attempt to do justice to the stunning language of this book- you forget you're reading words and you just 'see' what's happening. I've never read such lush descriptions of the West, farms and people...everything so vivid and clear. The story itself is a simple one, a tender coming of age portrait. It is also a story of unwavering love in it's purest form. These characters, their hardships, their relationships- you become invested. Jim and Antonia are now etched in my heart. The ending of this novel is one of the most satisfying I've read in a long time. I highly recommend trying this one, especially as a summer read!
July 25, 2022
Meh. Unless you're from Nebraska (or have lived there for any decent amount of time), you will be bored senseless by the detailed descriptions of the landscape. The plot is pretty milquetoast, too -- nothing much happens, and I can't find an obvious moral to the story. (Be nicer to immigrants? Women are tougher than they look? Poverty builds character? IDK)
In fairness, the language has held up pretty well in the 100+ years since this was published; I followed everything easily, which isn't always the case with early 20th Century writers. And it was kind of fun to learn how Midwest pioneers physically broke the sod and built The Nation's Breadbasket by hand. But having grown up in Minnesota, none of this was new information (I was force-fed Little House on the Prairie, in book and TV form).
If you're big into "Place as a Character" novels, check this one out! Otherwise, there's nothing particularly engaging here.
In fairness, the language has held up pretty well in the 100+ years since this was published; I followed everything easily, which isn't always the case with early 20th Century writers. And it was kind of fun to learn how Midwest pioneers physically broke the sod and built The Nation's Breadbasket by hand. But having grown up in Minnesota, none of this was new information (I was force-fed Little House on the Prairie, in book and TV form).
If you're big into "Place as a Character" novels, check this one out! Otherwise, there's nothing particularly engaging here.
December 21, 2014
Took me a while, but I got there in the end. I had read a few reviews of this book and wondered what to expect. At first I found it very convoluted and confusing, after finishing it I wondered why it took me so long to get into the rhythm of the book. I had to reread the first few chapters a couple of time and then it rolled along nicely for me. The language and lingo I just had to set aside and to accept what I thought the meanings were and that helped. I got to enjoy the Characters more and more as the book developed. By the time I had closed the book for the last time I was truly engaged and that surprised me as it had taken so long to get into it and initally I found the Characters abrasive. At the end of the book I loved them all, well mostly all. A very good read.
February 14, 2015
This was a 2nd reading for me, a book club choice and I remember when I read it several years ago I put the book aside knowing it would be good to read again. I loved the imagery and if you have ever lived in a broad open space and felt intimidated by the sheer vastness of the earth and sky, you will relate to this book. Pioneers had a tough live and immigrants came here to have better lives, but it was harsh living. This book gives a sense of how that live must have been and Ms. Cather's love for Nebraska is brilliantly and beautifully written about. It was a bittersweet story, a story of abiding friendship, how we are shaped by our surroundings and the people we interact with, and how we can long for the life we once knew when we were young. A beautiful, tender story.
March 5, 2015
A story written by a woman from the voice of a boy about the life of an immigrant girl. Wow. I was forced to read this book in High school. I preferred teen magazines and therefore hardly turned a page like so many of the other girls in my class. Fast forward to the year 2000 when I became curious as to why my high school English teacher cried when she discussed this book. Was it because she stood in front of 30 idiot teenage girls? or was it something to do with the book? 30 SOMETHING YEARS LATER, I WEPT WHILE READING THIS BOOK. I can't describe how beautiful it is. It will be my lifelong favorite book, I know it.
June 20, 2012
Another HS reading assignment that I did not get in high school. I thought My Antonia was very powerful. Loved it. It describes the life of that time and place so vividly. The scene with the wolves still reverberates with me, especially after watching The Grey (stupid movie). The description of that event was so horrifying. (She did a better job with words than they did with pictures.) Have not read O Pioneers yet. Again, got the Kindle Edition of Complete works of Willa Cather, so a lot more work to do on that.
February 26, 2015
This book made you want a relationship to flourish between the narrator and the main character, this thinking is because we don't live in that era. It is almost unheard of for a man and a woman to have such a close bond of friendship with out any intimacy. It made this book refreshing. I liked how some of the female characters were described as being strong and even more than some men which was very risky to be stating in that era.
Overall the storyline was good, I was intrigued to want to read more. If you watch the movie you will miss out on a lot of good details.
Overall the storyline was good, I was intrigued to want to read more. If you watch the movie you will miss out on a lot of good details.
November 11, 2016
I really loved the descriptions in this book. The landscape, the people, and the events were all vividly created. There were a few somewhat shockig and memorable passages. However, I kept waiting for a dramatic climax, which did not seem to come. This is definitely a classic story, not a modern novel. There is an art to this type of story-telling of a simpler (not easier) life. One who appreciates tales of endurance and perseverance would enjoy this book.
July 16, 2014
Enjoyed My Antonia very much. I had not read previously about settling the west and the many pioneering immigrant families who came to the United States to start a new life. This was very illuminating topic, especially in such times when immigration is such a major issue in our country, and yet a nice heartfelt family story too! Well written with beautiful passages describing the land before it was tamed and farmed and recast into an agricultural powerhouse.
October 30, 2014
I listened to this story on librovox.org. My daughter (14 year old) and I were listening to it for a girls book club. I enjoyed the characters, the immigrants from Bohemia and watching their transition into Nebraskas small town culture. There were some very hard parts of this story. Antonia was truly a strong character and it was most interesting to hear the story told by a young man who truly loved Antonia but would never have her.
January 5, 2017
I loved hearing how people lived in Nebraska back in the 1800's. it's a book that I wanted to have continue on. A must read!!❤
August 21, 2023
My Antonia: In short, this book is about a boy named Jim who suddenly becomes orphaned and moves in with his grandparents in Black Hawk, Nebraska. Simultaneously, an immigrant family called the Shimerdas move to a farm nearby. Jim becomes close with all of the Shimerdas but he is the closest with their eldest daughter, Antonia. The story follows Jim's life with his grandparents in Nebraska, as well as his friendship with Antonia, and ends with them both as adults. There are many themes contained in the book, what it means to be an immigrant in a new country, the rugged beauty of rural life, etc. Two themes, in particular, are most poignant in my mind. The first is what it means to love and be in love with the innocence that only exists in childhood. A love that is almost familial while also being crush-like in nature:
"You know, Antonia, since I've been away, I think of you more often than of anyone else in this part of the world. I'd have liked to have you for a sweetheart, or a wife, or my mother or my sister - anything that a woman can be to a man. The idea of you is a part of my mind; you influence my likes and dislikes, all my tastes, hundreds of times when I don't realize it. You really are a part of me."
There are several female characters that Jim becomes friends with in Black Hawk, though he spends most of his time with the daughters of immigrant families and he loves Antonia the most. Cather is able to describe the innocent beauty of Jim and Antonia's lifelong love for one another while perfectly weaving in the beauty of rural Nebraska:
"In that singular light every little tree and shock of wheat, every sunflower stalk and clump of snow-on-the-mountain, drew itself up high and pointed; the very clods and furrows in the fields seemed to stand up sharply. I felt the old pull of the earth, the solemn magic that comes out of those fields at nightfall. I wished I could be a little boy again, and that my way would end there. We reached the edge of the field where our ways parted. I took her hands and held them against my breast, feeling once more how strong and warm and good they were, those brown hands, and remembering how many kind things they had done for me. I held them now a long while, over my heart. About us it was growing darker and darker, and I had to look hard to see her face, which I meant to always carry with me; the closest, realest face, under all the shadows of women's faces, at the very bottom of my memory."
The second theme is the way in which unconventional women can be successful. There are several immigrant girls, including Antonia, who are often the source of gossip for the people of Black Hawk. Lena Lingard is a sensuous and beautiful young girl who drives a nearby farmer crazy tending to her cows in a state of undress, Tiny Soderball who works in men's boardinghouses, and of course Antonia. All three become very successful in their own rights despite their unwillingness to live a conventional life.
O Pioneers!: Honestly a bit of a let-down as a follow up to My Antonia. The story is pretty bland and dry. Alexandra inherits her father's failing farm and turns it into a very profitable operation. A long-time love affair turns murderous.
"You know, Antonia, since I've been away, I think of you more often than of anyone else in this part of the world. I'd have liked to have you for a sweetheart, or a wife, or my mother or my sister - anything that a woman can be to a man. The idea of you is a part of my mind; you influence my likes and dislikes, all my tastes, hundreds of times when I don't realize it. You really are a part of me."
There are several female characters that Jim becomes friends with in Black Hawk, though he spends most of his time with the daughters of immigrant families and he loves Antonia the most. Cather is able to describe the innocent beauty of Jim and Antonia's lifelong love for one another while perfectly weaving in the beauty of rural Nebraska:
"In that singular light every little tree and shock of wheat, every sunflower stalk and clump of snow-on-the-mountain, drew itself up high and pointed; the very clods and furrows in the fields seemed to stand up sharply. I felt the old pull of the earth, the solemn magic that comes out of those fields at nightfall. I wished I could be a little boy again, and that my way would end there. We reached the edge of the field where our ways parted. I took her hands and held them against my breast, feeling once more how strong and warm and good they were, those brown hands, and remembering how many kind things they had done for me. I held them now a long while, over my heart. About us it was growing darker and darker, and I had to look hard to see her face, which I meant to always carry with me; the closest, realest face, under all the shadows of women's faces, at the very bottom of my memory."
The second theme is the way in which unconventional women can be successful. There are several immigrant girls, including Antonia, who are often the source of gossip for the people of Black Hawk. Lena Lingard is a sensuous and beautiful young girl who drives a nearby farmer crazy tending to her cows in a state of undress, Tiny Soderball who works in men's boardinghouses, and of course Antonia. All three become very successful in their own rights despite their unwillingness to live a conventional life.
O Pioneers!: Honestly a bit of a let-down as a follow up to My Antonia. The story is pretty bland and dry. Alexandra inherits her father's failing farm and turns it into a very profitable operation. A long-time love affair turns murderous.
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