What a great choice! I am an English professor at a small Christian college, and I have been teaching _My Antonia_ for several years in my American Lit. II class with very positive results. Many of my students are first-generation college students in a rural environment, and I think the novel’s thoughtful examination of the value of external vs. internal validation has particular resonance for these students, many of whom have grown up in extremely challenging financial circumstances.
The novel has such great contemporary relevance regarding issues of immigration, stewardship of the land, and female empowerment. My classes always have interesting discussions revolving around the work’s vision of ethical awareness in light of different life experiences and socio-cultural value structures. We see such moving visions of redemption in Antonia’s steadfast refusal to accept a victimized status through her internalization of empathy in response to wrenching challenges. Cather’s ultimate tribute to Antonia is refusing to allow anyone (including Jim) to trap her in a static posture.
There is a great online scholarly edition available through the Willa Cather Archive—Cather.unl.edu. Enjoy!
I find the current controversies about immigration puzzling given America’s long (if sometimes ugly) history of integrating people from all over the world. Novels like this reflect the process perfectly.
I read both 'My Antonia' and 'Death Comes to the Archbishop' earlier this year. Of the two, 'Death Comes to the Archbishop' was my favourite. 'My Antonia' reads more like a series of beautiful prairie paintings described by its first person narrator. In contrast, the third person narration brought the mesas and canyons of 'Death Comes to the Archbishop' vividly to the mind's eye.
Willa Cather has been such a revelation for me since I discovered her these past couple of years. Her prose is indeed beautiful, and her characters just haunt you. As always, enjoyed reading your review
OMG though, Pavel's story of an entire wedding party killed by wolves and Pavel himself throwing the bride and groom out of the sleigh to save himself and his friend -- this most violent of episodes casts a shadow over the whole novel, on any idea that marriage can be happy.
That scene can just about tear you in half. I wonder if that was entirely a product of her imagination or if she’d heard rumors of such an attack. Holy cow.
I've lost count of how many times I've read this book; it is one of my all-time favorites. David McCullough championed this book in several speeches believing it a beautiful portrayal of a singular time and place in American history.
Joel, I can't wait to read this, but don't yet want to know what you said until I finished the book! This will spur me on to carve some afternoon reading time....
LOL. I left so much out! It’s one of the shortest reviews I’ve done in a while. I was pressed for time. I’m most interested in hearing what you think about the atmospherics of the book. I think they’re almost otheworldly.
Noted - pay attention to “atmospherics”. Will take the book along to the climbing gym with my son just now and look forward to reading your review soon :)
I read it in my fifties because my sons read it in their Christian high school. The strongest memory I have is general, rather than specific (meaning I need to read it again!).
Namely, it amazed me that a female author can narrate the thoughts of a male character so realistically and convincingly. I know I could not do the same for a female character.
I read My Antonia as an adult and loved it. Her writing is beautiful. I also enjoyed O' Pioneers! and Death Comes for the Archbishop. She has such a command of time and place.
Read both Song of the Lark and My Antonia per your recommendation. Have to say I loved My Antonia and found Cather’s use of language enchanting. I liked Song but found myself more drawn to the character Antonia than Thea. Thx
I had never read Willa Cather before, and was utterly taken by her ability to capture the prairie atmosphere - the seasons, the fields, the air, and the weather:
"Half the sky was checkered with black thunderheads, but all the west was luminous and clear: in the lightning-flashes it looked like deep blue water, with the sheen of moonlight on it; and the mottled part of the sky was like marble pavement, like the quay of some splendid sea-coast city, doomed to destruction. Great warm splashes of rain fell on our upturned faces. One black cloud, no bigger than a little boat, drifted out into the clear space unattended, and kept moving westward. All about us we could hear the felty beat of the raindrops on the soft dust of the farmyard."
One of the most moving aspects of the story is Jim's depth of love for both the land and Antonia that sees beyond the surface into their enduring character and life-giving force. Importantly, his longing for both does not go fulfilled, nor disappointed; I am not sure I have come across a story that was able to strike this balance without leaving the reader feel let down.
A recent note referred to Steinbeck's comment: "In my estimation Willa Cather writes the best prose in America..". My Antonia may not have fully convinced me of this, but I will certainly continue to seek out more of Cather's writing. Thanks for serving to inspire me to pick up this classic Joel!
What a great choice! I am an English professor at a small Christian college, and I have been teaching _My Antonia_ for several years in my American Lit. II class with very positive results. Many of my students are first-generation college students in a rural environment, and I think the novel’s thoughtful examination of the value of external vs. internal validation has particular resonance for these students, many of whom have grown up in extremely challenging financial circumstances.
The novel has such great contemporary relevance regarding issues of immigration, stewardship of the land, and female empowerment. My classes always have interesting discussions revolving around the work’s vision of ethical awareness in light of different life experiences and socio-cultural value structures. We see such moving visions of redemption in Antonia’s steadfast refusal to accept a victimized status through her internalization of empathy in response to wrenching challenges. Cather’s ultimate tribute to Antonia is refusing to allow anyone (including Jim) to trap her in a static posture.
There is a great online scholarly edition available through the Willa Cather Archive—Cather.unl.edu. Enjoy!
I find the current controversies about immigration puzzling given America’s long (if sometimes ugly) history of integrating people from all over the world. Novels like this reflect the process perfectly.
I read both 'My Antonia' and 'Death Comes to the Archbishop' earlier this year. Of the two, 'Death Comes to the Archbishop' was my favourite. 'My Antonia' reads more like a series of beautiful prairie paintings described by its first person narrator. In contrast, the third person narration brought the mesas and canyons of 'Death Comes to the Archbishop' vividly to the mind's eye.
I’m looking forward to reading that one soon.
Willa Cather has been such a revelation for me since I discovered her these past couple of years. Her prose is indeed beautiful, and her characters just haunt you. As always, enjoyed reading your review
Thank you, Elise. This was my first foray into her work. It won’t be the last.
OMG though, Pavel's story of an entire wedding party killed by wolves and Pavel himself throwing the bride and groom out of the sleigh to save himself and his friend -- this most violent of episodes casts a shadow over the whole novel, on any idea that marriage can be happy.
That scene can just about tear you in half. I wonder if that was entirely a product of her imagination or if she’d heard rumors of such an attack. Holy cow.
She may have heard this story:
https://www.nytimes.com/1911/03/19/archives/wolves-kill-bridal-party-only-two-escape-out-of-120-in-asiatic.html
!!! That’s wild.
This guy is a famous Nebraska Cornhusker announcer.. also Anna Pavelka’s youngest grandchild..
https://youtube.com/watch?v=y5u1fvhu2E8&feature=shared
T
Neighbor Rosicky is a Cather short story based on Kent’s grandfather..
How cool. Thanks for sharing!
I've lost count of how many times I've read this book; it is one of my all-time favorites. David McCullough championed this book in several speeches believing it a beautiful portrayal of a singular time and place in American history.
I can see why it would be a favorite.
Willa Cather is a goddess! I treasure this book.
It’s a treasure for sure.
Joel, I can't wait to read this, but don't yet want to know what you said until I finished the book! This will spur me on to carve some afternoon reading time....
LOL. I left so much out! It’s one of the shortest reviews I’ve done in a while. I was pressed for time. I’m most interested in hearing what you think about the atmospherics of the book. I think they’re almost otheworldly.
Noted - pay attention to “atmospherics”. Will take the book along to the climbing gym with my son just now and look forward to reading your review soon :)
I read it in my fifties because my sons read it in their Christian high school. The strongest memory I have is general, rather than specific (meaning I need to read it again!).
Namely, it amazed me that a female author can narrate the thoughts of a male character so realistically and convincingly. I know I could not do the same for a female character.
I felt the same about C.S. Lewis’s ability to write from a woman’s perspective in Till We Have Faces.
I read My Antonia as an adult and loved it. Her writing is beautiful. I also enjoyed O' Pioneers! and Death Comes for the Archbishop. She has such a command of time and place.
Agreed. I’m looking forward to reading Death Comes.
Read both Song of the Lark and My Antonia per your recommendation. Have to say I loved My Antonia and found Cather’s use of language enchanting. I liked Song but found myself more drawn to the character Antonia than Thea. Thx
Her prose is both simple and evocative. What she can conjure in a paragraph is astonishing.
I had never read Willa Cather before, and was utterly taken by her ability to capture the prairie atmosphere - the seasons, the fields, the air, and the weather:
"Half the sky was checkered with black thunderheads, but all the west was luminous and clear: in the lightning-flashes it looked like deep blue water, with the sheen of moonlight on it; and the mottled part of the sky was like marble pavement, like the quay of some splendid sea-coast city, doomed to destruction. Great warm splashes of rain fell on our upturned faces. One black cloud, no bigger than a little boat, drifted out into the clear space unattended, and kept moving westward. All about us we could hear the felty beat of the raindrops on the soft dust of the farmyard."
One of the most moving aspects of the story is Jim's depth of love for both the land and Antonia that sees beyond the surface into their enduring character and life-giving force. Importantly, his longing for both does not go fulfilled, nor disappointed; I am not sure I have come across a story that was able to strike this balance without leaving the reader feel let down.
A recent note referred to Steinbeck's comment: "In my estimation Willa Cather writes the best prose in America..". My Antonia may not have fully convinced me of this, but I will certainly continue to seek out more of Cather's writing. Thanks for serving to inspire me to pick up this classic Joel!