O Pioneers!

Book Description

5 Reviews

• 3 people find this helpful

  

  But the great fact was the land itself, which seemed to overwhelm the little beginnings of human society that struggled in its sombre wastes. It was from facing this vast hardness that the boy's mouth had become so bitter; because he felt that men were too weak to make any mark here, that the land w ... (continue)

  But the great fact was the land itself, which seemed to overwhelm the little beginnings of human society that struggled in its sombre wastes. It was from facing this vast hardness that the boy's mouth had become so bitter; because he felt that men were too weak to make any mark here, that the land wanted to be let alone, to preserve its own fierce strenght, its peculiar, savage kind of beauty, its uninterrupted mournfulness.

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  Claire N. said on Jan 27, 2011 | 1 feedback

• 

  A very good book. Cather does a very good description of the land of the American plains at the turn of the 19th/20th century. The land is almost the biggest character in the book, as someone from that part of the country I could picture it how she described perfectly. Even though this is a work ... (continue)

  A very good book. Cather does a very good description of the land of the American plains at the turn of the 19th/20th century. The land is almost the biggest character in the book, as someone from that part of the country I could picture it how she described perfectly. Even though this is a work of fiction the story of Swedish, Czech, Bohemian and German immigrants is so well written it made you feel the struggles and trimphs they went through to turn that part of America into the breadbasket it has come to be today.

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  Stcin10 said on Dec 18, 2010 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• Critical comment(s)/introduction:

  Evoking the harsh grandeur of the prairie, this landmark of American fiction unfurls a saga of love, greed, murder, failed dreams and hard-won triumph. In the fateful interaction of her characters, [the author] compares with keen insight the experiences of Swedish, French and Bohemian immigrants in ... (continue)

  Evoking the harsh grandeur of the prairie, this landmark of American fiction unfurls a saga of love, greed, murder, failed dreams and hard-won triumph. In the fateful interaction of her characters, [the author] compares with keen insight the experiences of Swedish, French and Bohemian immigrants in the United States. And in her absorbing narrative, she displays the virtuoso storytelling skills that have made her one of the most admired masters of the American novel.

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  Your Sources said on Jul 27, 2007 | Add your feedback

• Critical comment(s)/introduction:

  This magnificent story brings to life the sights, sounds, and scents of the windy Nebraska prairie just as it probes the real human emotions of [the protagonist] as she inherits her father's failing farm, raises her brothers alone, and is torn by the emergence of an unexpected passion. Long regarde ... (continue)

  This magnificent story brings to life the sights, sounds, and scents of the windy Nebraska prairie just as it probes the real human emotions of [the protagonist] as she inherits her father's failing farm, raises her brothers alone, and is torn by the emergence of an unexpected passion. Long regarded as a literary landmark, [this book] is a novel simply and beautifully told, and reveals the emerging voice – independent, direct, and heartfelt – of one of America's greatest authors.

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  Your Sources said on Jul 27, 2007 | Add your feedback

• 

  Cather's description of Nebraska prairie is fascinating...it makes me want to visit the place where the story of Bergson family took place. I especially love the way Cather dealt with the interrelationship between human and the land. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the novel:
  "These w ... (continue)

  Cather's description of Nebraska prairie is fascinating...it makes me want to visit the place where the story of Bergson family took place. I especially love the way Cather dealt with the interrelationship between human and the land. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the novel:
  "These wild things are God's birds. He watches them and counts them, as we do our cattle." --Ivar, explaining to the Bergson boys why the they should not shoot birds.
  "The history of every country begins in the heart of of a man or a woman." narrator's definition of history.

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  Frances said on Jan 20, 2007 | Add your feedback

Book Details

• Rating:
  (18)
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• English Books
• Paperback 208 Pages
• ISBN-10: 1593082053
• ISBN-13: 9781593082055
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble Classics
• Pub date: Jun 25, 2004
• Dimensions: 1290 mm x 839 mm x 129 mm Just how big is that?
• Also available as: Mass Market Paperback, Hardcover, Audio CD, Audio Cassette, Library Binding, Unbound, Others and eBook

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