I am just not a fan of American Literature. It all is the same to me. Sure, there are different writing styles and different characters, but the main plot is pretty much the same: a family moves out west and has to struggle through hot summers and cold winters to survive on their farm. An animal dies, someone gets really sick, somebody dies, the food freezes, a bear attacks, etc., etc. And on and on it goes.
My Antonia was about the same. Jim moves out West to live with his grandparents, meets Antonia, they go through a really cold winter and a really hot summer, Antonia's father dies, she has to take over, etc.
While I don't like American Literature, I can appreciate the work of art that it is. It is a beautifully written novel. I can understand why it's a classic and why it's on so many reading lists. There are a lot of deep and important themes, that are still prevalent today. The idea that immigrants won't succeed unless they learn English is something a lot of people still feel today. And there is this feeling of dislike towards these people who can't speak English and have to suffer in different ways because of that barrier that is still around today.
Jim also talked a little bit about the chasm between country girls and city girls, and I think, to a certain extent, this is true today, less about country and city and more about class, but I think there's a lot to be said about that.
So while I liked the style of writing, and I see that there was great talent in Cather, this was just a dull book for me. There were a handful of funny lines, but those were few and far between.
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