When I re-read the Little House books (I would say this would be the 7th or 8th time through them), I am always of two minds about reading The First Four Years. These Happy Golden Years is a wonderful book. I absolutely swoon when Almanzo drives Laura home from school every weekend, and he asks her to marry him. Then the night before her wedding, she asks Pa to play all the "old songs" and she remembers all the places she had lived and I cry, because she's leaving that all behind, but she's going to build a new life with Manly.
And then I read The First Four Years, and it's absolutely depressing. For one thing, it's not a finished book, and while I appreciate the attempt, it hasn't been given the tone of the others. In The Long Winter (my favorite, by the way), they are literally starving to death, and it isn't nearly so depressing as the tone of the last book. Granted, they're deep in debt, something always happens to their crops right before it's time to harvest, Almanzo becomes partially paralyzed, their second child dies, and their house burns down, but something nearly like all of that has happened to Laura's family before, and she wasn't nearly so depressed about it. I can't help but think if she'd finished the book, it would have been so much better.
That, and there are things written in there that contradict things that happened in the previous books, details like Almanzo's age and the wedding, and it ruins my illusion. Call me sentimental, but I like my illusions. I ended up reading it this time, because it's a new book and needs to be read at least once, but I think I'll skip it next time. Sometimes a little "happily ever after" doesn't hurt.
posted by Amanda @ 10:40 AM
5 Antiphon:
I seem to have accidentally logged into your account (perhaps while I was asleep) and written a post. So sorry!
Last year I tried re-reading the series starting with the first book. But... I didn't like it, so I couldn't continue.
Please don't hate me!
I agree with you about The First Four Years and I usually don't read it. My favourite is Little Town on the Prairie, although when I get the urge to read the Little House books, I invariably start with The Long Winter.
Anyway, I am absolutely certain that The First Four Years would have improved in the re-writing. I am currently reading Little House on the Prairie and I am dazzled by the lyricism of LIW's writing.
Of course, there are those who say that Rose Wilder is responsible for that part, but I choose to believe she was just an excellent editor and critic.
And when are we going to take our tour of all of the Little House sites? C'mon, you know you want it!
I loved that series, although I don't think I've read The First Four Years. Sounds like a good thing I haven't too.
Now that is a cute analysis. My friend was obsessed with thatstuff, which was totally out of character for her, but it made me smile every time.
Post a Comment
<< Home