My Antonia

applause for a classic

This is a must read/listen for anyone interested in pioneers of the Great Plains area of Canada and the US. Cather's descriptions are extremely well-written giving a great sense of place without excess wordiness. Her characters as well are developed through their deeds, actions and words without volumes of text to support them.As a result, the characters become 'real' humans, filled with loyalites,contradictions and dilemmas of everyday life. Finally, this book recalls a time when the influence of a natural landscape was most profound. Fans of prairie and pioneer history will truly enjoy this classic.

40 people found this helpful

Good book

"My Antonia" (emphasis on the "i") has been on my "to-read" list for a very long time. Oddly, I ended up with three versions of this book: Physical book, Kindle edition, and audio. I read all of them simultaneously. (I love doing that!) It is beautifully written by the great Willa Cather, and I understand it is very much autobiographical. Basically, it is the story of the Great Melting Pot, how foreign born families immigrated to the United States, specifically the Great Plains, and did their best to fit in, make a living, and give their children an opportunity that could not be had anywhere else in the world. It was not an easy life. These families left everything they knew, even their native languages, to come to the great unknown, with the promise of a better life. My own great-grandparents left Denmark in the late 1800s, in a similar time frame and reason as the people in this book, and brought their three young sons with them, boys who would never know their native land, or ever see it again. That takes guts, and these were gutsy people. Antonia was a strong, smart girl who grew up to raise a big family in the best way she knew how. I admire her.

With all this said, it is not the most compelling book I have ever read. Yes, I cared about the characters, and was involved with their lives, but it is not a serious page turner. It is an easy read, and may be best read by a young adult. In my opinion, it is a good book, and has many elements that make it very worthwhile reading. I just don't think I would categorize it as great. The narrator of the audio book was good, but not great either. He was easy to listen to and did a good job of reading it, but I was always conscious of his reading. He didn't suck me into the story the way a really great narrator can.

Bottom line: I really enjoyed it and would recommend it for anyone wanting to know more about pioneers, and how our country became "e pluribus unum."

89 people found this helpful

Sorry. I don't get the hype

I really wanted to like this book. Truly. But it just didn't do it for me. The story seemed flat. At times it seemed to come from a disinterested third party instead of through the eyes of Jim.

12 people found this helpful

Uplifting In So Many Ways

This story would be an absolute pleasure to read in the pages of a book and having the narration that it did only enhanced my infatuation with it. It's the language of Cather's, that masters the landscape and captures the essence of those people closest to Jim, that lets the narrator effortlessly tell this story and the listener feel like he's the one looking back.

22 people found this helpful

A Wonderful Book

My Antonia was a wonderful book, one of the best I have ever heard or read. The narrator for this audible book is outstanding, bringing the characters to life, speaking as they would speak. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

45 people found this helpful

Enthralling!!

Excellent description and step back in time. You felt like you were right there. It is refreshing to read a historical novel without all the depressing blood and guts and suspense of the modern books.

38 people found this helpful

A well written, occasionally sappy, memoir

I enjoyed this book, although I'd call it a memoir rather than a novel. I say that because it doesn't have much dramatic structure, and it consists in a series of remembrances. The characters portrayed are lively; the detailed account of how life was for children Nebraska around the beginning of the twentieth century is interesting. Cather can certainly bring a world to life in pose. My one criticism was that I found it sometimes a bit sappy. Yes, some bad things happen to people; there is poverty, depression, suicide and unwanted pregnancy. But the constant nostalgia--of the Bohemians for their old country and of the narrator for his childhood--can grow wearing. The narration is very good.

23 people found this helpful

Jeff Cummings' narration is NOT unabridged

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend this book audiobook if it were unabridged. It is not.

How could the performance have been better?

It would have been better if whole sentences of the novel weren't left out. Was I reading the wrong edition? I don't know, but this was the audiobook paired with the Kindle edition of the book.

Was My Antonia worth the listening time?

It is one of the greatest novels of the pioneer years of America.

Any additional comments?

When you advertise an audiobook as unabridged, please make sure that it is so.

6 people found this helpful

Antonia.....what a beautiful name.....

Antonia.....what a beautiful name.....and what a lovely and wonderful character for this dear little book. I just adored Antonia and how lively and bright she was throughout the entire book. Although she suffered great and grand hardships along the way of life....she never let her stop from seeing the 'silver lining' in every piece of her life. She was a beautiful girl who grew into a battered old woman by the end of the book but because of her beautiful soul.....she still continued to shine and give so much to those around her. Antonia's own children were just darling and they loved and adored her so much. They were always by her side and often begged her to tell them stories of her life as a young girl and woman.

Jim was her best friend from the time they met as young children through adulthood and even though they had been separated by years of being in different places in their lives......they found that when they met again.....they had never stopped loving each other and would always be best friends.

This is a sweet little book that gives you a glimpse into the lives of immigrant pioneers and the difficult times they had in trying to live in a world that was so different from their homelands...and Antonia is the center of this world and she brings all the people around her together to enjoy her love of life and desire to succeed. I had the best time reading this book and am so glad I just happened to find it by accident.

13 people found this helpful

Great Narration!

This narration was excellent. The accents of the characters were right on and made the whole story come to life. A great easy-going read.

15 people found this helpful