My Antonia Part 2

I finished My Antonia. Basically, though Antonia has a bright spirit and everyone is quick to love her, misfortune befalls her when she falls in love with a man who promises to marry her, but leaves her pregnant. Antonia is forced to return to her home disgraced. She's contrasted with Lena who becomes a successful dressmaker and businesswoman even though she is thought by the town to be promiscuous and airheaded.

Antonia gets a happy-ish ending. After many years, Jim finds Antonia set up in her own farm with a husband and a bunch of kids. She seems happy and healthy and her connection with Jim is still as strong as ever. Jim never marries and has no children but is happy to see Antonia settled down to a good man and with a good family.

This book really captured the pioneer spirit of a strong, spirited, and loving woman, Antonia. It also gives the reader a perfect glimpse into the time period. I felt transported to this era and this way of life and how it was all so much simpler. It became difficult to put down and kept me up many nights way past my bedtime. I'm happy Antonia and Jim got endings that suited them. Since Antonia's father died so early in the novel, I thought something tragic was going to befall her like Tess in Tess of the D'Ubervilles, but thankfully Cather allowed the heroine to have a life that suited her. I enjoyed this book and I can completely see why President Sample is so enamored with Willa Cather.

My Antonia

After a slow start, I've finally started tearing through My Antonia. I realize this book will be over soon! I'm about halfway through the ~250 page novel and I'm really enjoying the change of pace from Middlemarch.

My Antonia is basically the memories of a boy, Jim Burden, as he grows up in the farm lands with his neighbor Antonia Shimerda. The Shimerdas are Bohemians who've recently come to America to start their own farm. The father has a difficult time adjusting to his new life in America and, during his first winter in America, shoots himself in the Burden's barn. From there, Antonia's older brother assumes the role of patriarch in her family. He uses Antonia as a farm hand while Jim, a few years younger, goes to school.

Right now, Jim's going to school in the town and Antonia is working as a helper to his neighbors, the Harlings. Antonia just exudes a good vibe in the novel and I don't quite know how Cather is able to do that since we really don't know much about her. She's passionate and childlike despite her hard life. She loves her family and the Burdens and isn't frivolous. Look at that. I guess that's how Cather got us to love Antonia.

The farmland, middle America setting is interesting as well. I've never really read many books that take place in this part of the world. I'm enjoying it. There's a sense of camaraderie and neighborliness in this book that's not stifled and overly polite like it is in Middlemarch. Everything about My Antonia feels so vast even though it focuses on so narrow a subset of people.

My Antonia by Willa Cather

Bought the next book on my list, My Antonia by Willa Cather. I was inspired to read this book by an article I read in the LA Times about USC's president, Steven Sample, stepping down this summer. According to the article, he wants to continue teaching at USC by doing a leadership class that he's done for a number of years during his presidency and also a literature class about Willa Cather, his favorite author. So in honor of one of my alma mater's greatest presidents, I'm reading My Antonia by Willa Cather.

I will also say that I got a great deal on this book. With my Borders membership 40% coupon, I got this brand new paperback edition for $3.26.