Puffin Classics Heidi: Amazon.ca: Johanna Spyri: Books

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From Amazon

Johanna Spyri's classic story of a young orphan sent to live with her grumpy grandfather in the Swiss Alps is retold in it's entirety in this beautifully bound hardcover edition. Heidi has charmed and intrigued readers since it's original publication in 1880. Much more than a children's story, the narrative is also a lesson on the precarious nature of freedom, a luxury too often taken for granted. Heidi almost loses her liberty as she is ripped away from the tranquility of the mountains to tend to a sick cousin in the city. Happily, all's well that ends well, and the reader is left with only warm, fuzzy thoughts. Spryi's story will never grow wearisome--and this is a very appealing edition. --Naomi Gesinger --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

This truncated retelling of orphan Heidi's simple life in the Swiss Alps and her sojourn in the big city seems almost as indebted to the Shirley Temple film as to Johanna Spyri's 1880 novel. Krupinski's (A New England Scrapbook) heroine mimics Temple, curls, button nose and all, though she lacks the actress's expressive smile and gestures. Similarly blank-faced characters contrast with Krupinski's serene, lushly idealized landscape paintings: the people seem like wax dolls, but the glowing blankets of flowers make the Alps heaven on earth. The text emphasizes the sensual joys of fresh goat's milk, fir trees "with their piney scent," Heidi's sweet-smelling bed in her grandfather's hay loft, etc., but that is its only demonstrable strength. Both Heidi's relationship with her grandfather and the idealized subplot about wheelchair-bound Klara's learning to walk are woodenly described; little space is given to dialogue and even less to Heidi's emotions. The plot, too, is severely condensed: "Many more good things happened after that day." The book succeeds as a portrayal of the joys of mountain life, but otherwise fails to do justice to Spyri's story of a girl's courage and persistence. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
The pretty little Swiss town of Mavenfeld lies at the foot of a mountain range, whose grim rugged peaks tower high above the valley below. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

33 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (33 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Special Book, April 17 2004

By

heidi jo hall "JoJo Silverlock" (Tonopah, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Puffin Classics Heidi (Mass Market Paperback)

This was my mother's favorite book. She was often not well and was a voracious reader. As an only child, I, too devoured books as fast as I could find them. My house then, as now, is a tribute to the written word. I was named after the book, so naturally I read it numerous times, dreaming that I was the heidi in the book, running through the alpine meadows...basking in the grouchy love of my gradfather..being one with the surroundings. It's such a sweet book..a book of love and hope and overcoming all odds for the ones you love. How can you not love it! I always fantasized about finding my own Peter to live happily ever after with...running through fields, well, you get the idea.... Alas, the only Peter I ever found was a long-haul trucker with deprived teeth, seven piercings (two in places I cannot attest to) and tattoos from head to toe who played Aerosmith and Waylon Jennings as loud as he could. My God! My prince has come!. Well, NOT!. Ah well. The search continues! By all means read the book to your children..or to yourself. It's worth the effort. It's nice to read books that leave you with a smile on your face.

Since writing this review in 2004 she did meet her prince and moved to the high desert of Nevada. There she found 4 short years of happiness among the rocks and under the carpet of stars she loved so dearly. Heidi then died suddenly of a blood clot to the lungs at the age of 58. She was cremated and her ashes scattered in the desert among the rocks and beneath the stars she so loved in life. (Edited by her loving and grieving husband who got too few years to make up for all the frogs in her past...)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Shaena at Richview Middle School, Mar 11 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Heidi (Hardcover)

At the begining of this book Heidi is taken up the moutain to her grandfather's house by her cousin Detie. The first few days that she's there she meets Peter.Peter is always talking about his grannieso finally
Heidi goes to meet her. A little ways through this book Heidi's cousin Detie comes and takes her away to live with Clara,a young pralysed girl in the city. heidi becomes very sick while she's here and and starts to sleep walk. Clara decides that Heidi should go home. Well, while Heidi
was at Clara's they grew to have a strong frienship. Clara comes to visit Heidi in the mountains. While Clara is there Heidi teaches Clara how to walk. Clara sees how happy Heidi is in the mountains and lets her stay.Clara goes back home and Heidi gets to stay in the mountains with Grandfather,Peter,Grannie,etc.. i liked this book because as I thought
before I read it, it reminded me of my life. If my friends were to ask about this book I would tell them that it's a great selectionif they like life journey. My friends probably wouldn't like this book because they like horror stories. This book makes you hungry to live in the mountains.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Call Of The Alps, Feb 26 2004

By

susumu-5 (Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heidi (Hardcover)

I encountered Heidi through TV animation series "Heidi__the Girl In The Alps" with Hayao Miyasaki involved. So reading this story makes me flash back the scenes of the TV series vividly. It is truly heartwarming and is based on real-life situation during late 19th century. While the Sound of Music is another excellent story on Austrian side of the Alps this is unrivalled Swiss side Alps story.

Heidi is really a nice pure girl softening the mind of the Aunt Alps who is known as reserved person and eventually heals the Clara who has been confined to the wheelchair. The well-known Ghost story is truly showing well how seriously Heidi has suffered from homesickness and how strong the pull of the Alps life had been to Heidi. While during 19th century abuse of the children was the concern of the society. This surely was a source of hope for deprived children just like Heidi. Such dynamic reversal of the situation is what this story makes great not just for children but for adults as well.

Major complaints for Children's classic are
1.Description of Alps life. Maybe Miyasaki's research has been far better than the writer so TV animation series is more exact I think. Spyri's description lack the fierceness of the nature to take some balance.
2. Peter's jealously is weak as a plot and last part's asking for repentence is a bit of dull. But even with that this is a wonderful original story for Heidi the TV series that has been rerun in Europe.

Heidi's constant anxiety whether Peter's Gramma is still alive is the part I like most. Readers should share Heidi's anxiety I am sure.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book that Endures Forever
Heidi is one of the first books I read as a youngster. I can still recall the wonderful description of life in the mountainous Alps with her beloved grandfather. Read more

Published on May 22 2003 by Evelyn Horan

5.0 out of 5 stars Heidi .... it's just great
Heidi is very exciting. She is very outgoing and adventurous. She gets sent to the Alm Mts. with her grumpy old grandfather. She shows him how to be nice and friendly. Read more