Final Thoughts: My Antonia

So I finally finished My Antonia last night. And if you guessed from the dearth of posts that I didn't find it overly interesting, you'd be right!

I'm still debating why I think this book made the 100 Best list. Willa Cather's writing was fine. The story was fine. Characters were fine. I guess when I'm reading something that makes the final cut of 100 from the many thousands (millions?) of books in print, I expect a little more than fine.

The nostalgically written story basically followed Antonia and Jim Burden, the story's narrator, from childhood into young adulthood, covering all the triumphs and mistakes along the way. Perhaps the story was lackluster to me because it was almost too normal. Some of the kids go to school, others go into business, Antonia gets pregnant out of wedlock but ends up finding a kind man and having a large family with him. These things happen in life.


That's why we have Teen Mom.

I try to imagine reading the story at the time it was written, when gender roles were much different, and how that experience might change my perspective on the narrative. Cather's women are predominantly strong characters, capable of handling hardships that the men in the tale seem to buckle under. In 1918, I'm sure the inverted gender roles made My Antonia much more intriguing to the reader. Today, I found the female characters relatable but just...not that interesting.

Too, I think Antonia was supposed to symbolize the earth/Nebraska/the country lifestyle. I'm not sure about you, but I often have trouble with symbol characters and find them difficult to care about.


Is it me, or does this Earth Mother look suspiciously like the gal from My Big Fat Greek Wedding?

Of course, had I read this immediately following A Room with a View or something by Edith Wharton, maybe I would have been in a better mindset for a sweet story of times gone by.  A Clockwork Orange doesn't really prepare you for that. :)

Overall rating: Meh.

Teen Mom photo found here and Earth Mother image found here.