Post by richardvasseur on Aug 21, 2021 19:24:09 GMT
Novel title: Pippi Longstocking
Author: Astrid Lindgren
Illustrated by: Lauren Child
Translated by: Tuna Nunnally
Publisher: Viking by Penguin Group
First published in 1945 and then in United States in 1950
205 pages
Fiction and young adult themed
Reviewed by Allen Klingelhoets
I got the novel from library in young adult section. I read book in matter of hours. Main characters in story are Pippi Longstocking. Pippi is pre-teen child. She has red hair and is put in two pony tales. She lives by herself in a place called Villa Villekulla. Pippi had shoes that were very large on her feet. Her father had bought the shoes for her in South America, big enough for her to grow into them, and Pippi never wanted any others. The shoes were exactly twice the length of her feet
Pippi had two friends about her age named Tommy and Annika. Pippi has had a little African monkey, and he was dressed up in blue pants and yellow jacket, and a white straw hat. Pippi liked to do odd things like occasionally walk backwards. Pippi had been world-wide traveler by ship before living in Villa Villekulla. Pippi’s hair was the color of carrot and was braided in two tight braids that stuck straight out. Her nose was the shape of a very small potato, and it was completely covered with freckles. Under her nose was an exceptionally wide mouth with nice wide teeth. Her dress was quite odd. Pippi had made it herself. It was supposed to have been made blue but there hadn’t been enough blue material, So Pippi had decided to sew on little red patches here and there. On her long, thin legs she wore long stockings, one of them brown and the other black.
Pippi’s Mother died when she was very young. Her Father whom Pippi could remember was a sea captain and sailed the great seas, and Pippi had sailed with him until one day a big storm blew him overboard and he disappeared. But Pippi was sure that one day he would come back. She didn’t believe he had drowned. She believed he had washed ashore on an island that was inhabited by natives and her father had become king of them all. She believed her father walked around wearing a gold crown on his head all day long. She thought her momma was an angel and her poppa was King of the natives. And as soon as her poppa builds himself a ship, he’ll come back to get her and then Pippi will be a native princess.
Her father long before disappeared at sea had bought the old house Pippi now lived in and he planned to live there with Pippi when he grew old and could no longer sail the seas. The house was furnished and ready to live in when Pippi returned home from sea with sailors that had been shipmates with her father before he was washed overboard. Pippi lived in house all by herself.
Two things she took from the ship. A little monkey whose name was Mr. Nilsson- he was a present from her father- and a suitcase full of gold coins.
The most amazing thing about Pippi is she was very strong. She could lift a horse if she wanted to.
I thought really amazing and fun book to read.
The book was published during the time of origin stories of Batman and Superman. The main difference though is Pippi did not have super powers. She did not have detective skills. Pippi had not even attended many days in school she had lots of trouble with pluttication (her way of talking) tables or commonly called multiplication tables. She was very courageous child. There were several books in Pippi Longstocking series by Astrid Lindgren.
I also noticed that there was television series in 1950’s about Pippi. There also was movie.
Allen Klingelhoets