Friday, January 27, 2012

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

I had a review totally written out for Daddy Long Legs, but I guess I'm just going to ditch it for no apparent reason. Instead, I'm just going to go with my imagination! (Once you read the book, you'll get why I wrote that....)
3.5 out of 5 stars


Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster
Published in 1912
3.5 out of 5 stars
Summary from Goodreads: Jerusha Abbott has grown up in the John Grier Home for orphans. As the oldest, she is in charge of the younger children. An anonymous benefactor on the Board, "Mr. Smith," decides to send her to college, as long as she writes to him faithfully detailing her education. Originally published in 1912, Jean Webster's coming-of-age tale continues to be relevant to young women today. Actress Kate Forges shares these months and years, from freshman to senior in college. Through a series of letters Jerusha writes to "Daddy-Long-Legs," a relationship filled with affection and respect develops...

This book is short. I'm not kidding! Daddy Long Legs is only 192 pages, but it is a 192 pages filled with humor, joy and skilled writing. It's a really skinny book that packs a huge punch. Plus, it's free on the Kindle and the internet as well. So nothing can stop you from getting this book now!

“Dear Daddy-Long-Legs,

You never answered my question and it was very important.

ARE YOU BALD?”
― Jean Webster, Daddy Long Legs


If that's not funny, then nothing is funny. I love the humor and imagination in Daddy Long Legs; it's inspiring! Jerusha (Judy) is an awesome character who is really thoughtful, smart and imaginative. She reminds me of Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables because they are both great characters. Plus, they both love to use their imagination, and that's the one thing that matters more than anything.

I loved how it was written in letter format. Usually books are not written in this style, so I was pleasantly surprised by Jean Webster's decision. It really suited the plot of the story and the era as well. It was fun looking at the dates and thinking, wow, a month has gone by! Besides, letters are automatically great to read! Who wouldn't want to read a ton of letters?

The only thing I didn't like was how I could guess who the anonymous benefactor was the moment I met him or her. I honestly figured it out who it was from the beginning, and it was annoying that I knew from the start. Most people probably wouldn't, but if you read carefully, the answer is obvious. Still, I enjoyed reading through Daddy Long Legs for the most part.

Considering that Daddy Long Legs is a classic, I'm actually quite pleased at how great of a book it turned out to be. While it's certainly not my favorite classic, it's definitely a classic worth reading. Besides, who can resist a free book?

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