My Antonia

By: Willa Cather

Narrated by: George Guidall

The Shimerda family come to Nebraska from Bohemia - but they find the promised land of opportunity a harsh and unforgiving reality. Young Jim Burden - the narrator of the tale - who lives with his grandparents on a homestead nearby, finds ways to be neighborly and to help the Shimerdas and in the process comes to befriend the daughter of the family, Ántonia. For Jim, Ántonia is an embodiment of the female pioneer - self-sufficient, vigorous, and strong enough to withstand the daily challenges of maintaining a family in a primitive countryside. Ántonia's character makes such an impression on Jim, that in later years, he feels compelled to immortalize her in words.

Public Domain (P)1994 Recorded Books, Inc.

Poignant story

Willa Cather, is of course, a lovely spinner of stories with beautiful and thoughtful descriptions.

I returned to this book without remembering anything about it. I was left unsatisfied, but that is because stories that weave over many years often leave me feeling that way. I don’t think anyone should give this a miss. It is worth the read, for sure.

One of the best books!

I’ve always loved this book. The way Willa Cather describes the people and their ways, the farmland and the prairie, is just exquisite. You literally feel like you are there. George Guidall is an amazing narrator. His rich, slow voice takes me back to childhood when my brothers and sisters would all listen to audio books together.

Slay

Very lovely, I highly recommend listening while walking/driving through farm fields. This book was a lifetime of love and hard work and enjoying little things of life while moving forward without letting go of the past.

A wonderful book with one of my favorite readers

What did you love best about My Antonia?

The subtle relationship between Jim and Antonia.

What was one of the most memorable moments of My Antonia?

The Nebraska winter with primitive shelters in pioneer times

What about George Guidall???s performance did you like?

He continues to be one of my favorites. His distinct voice for each character and dialect never leaves you in doubt who is speaking. He reads as if this is his story.

What pioneering REALLY meant

Willa Cather's My Antonia is clearly an American classic, and I can recommend it on that basis alone, but beyond that story she tells, through the voice of Jim Burden, the narrator, is just riveting. Many of us have been to early American homes that are maintained by state governments or the National Park Service, and they're fine; but here is a story that tells us what days in the life of a real pioneering family was like. What was it really like to travel for more than a month (overland from Bohemia to some European port, sail across the Atlantic, take train after train to some rail head beyond Kansas City, and then by horse) to a wind blown prairie that you now had to live on, and if you didn't make up your mind to live on it you would most certainly die on it. What was it like to live in a hole in the ground during an entire Nebraska winter? Would you really like to be the very first human being to bust Nebraska sod with a plow so that you convert it into crop land? If you thought life was hard for those people, think again. It was really, really hard. But despite the harshness and the frequent tragedies in their lives, this is a story about the triumph of the human spirit.

Just right when you need a good listen.

Timeless classic. Soothing story of simpler times. Good for the soul. First book I read in doctors’ spouses group I joined newly married in 1990. Loved it then, but had forgotten the story. I just remembered that it felt good - all around. Have read all of WC’s book and many short stories. This was the first listen. Just right.

A Masterpiece

As one of the classics of American literature this book was on one of the reading lists that I did not fully appreciate. Now 50 years later I am very happy to have remembered Willa Cather's name and because the reader is so good, bought the book. What a wonderful and rewarding experience.

Beautiful, ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!

This book is so beautifully written and I feel so deeply for all the characters. I can’t begin to tell you how this book touched me and makes me feel. Willa Cather knew what she was doing and I am very grateful for this story.

Very good book with terrible reader

It is hard to understand the reader. The volume is much below normal audible books and it is unpleasant to listen to the story because of the sound, not the story.

Love Willa Cather AND George Guidall

This is not my all time favorite Willa Cather, but still five stars. Her characters and imagery the best. I think I’ve listened to three different narrators for this book and they were all great. I was wondering what I would think of George Guidall’s reading of this book as most of what I’ve heard from him are spy type books (a lot of them!), but I guess he is a genius at whatever he narrates.