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O Pioneers!
Tale of the social relationships surrounding a tough, smart, courageous immigrant woman as she converts a chunk of prairie into productive farmland.
It’s all about the characters, in this book. What little plot it has mostly serves to set up their conversations.
The characters range from unforgettable, like the protagonist Alexandra or wacky Ivar, to endearing, like Marie, to fairly bland, like Emil or Carl. And the land itself acts a bit like a character. Alexandra personifies it, and Ivar nearly worships it.
The writing is great for the most part, though the dialogue felt artificial in places and there were a few passages near the end that overreached and produced a few actual cringes in me.
It feels less mature and less polished than My Ántonia, more like a parade of snapshots than a coherent vision. Still good, though.
Don’t avoid it on purpose, but only read it if you’ve already read and enjoyed My Ántonia. 0 reply
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