Heidi
by Johanna Spyri
I grew up, along with every other little girl in America, watching the Shirley Temple version of Heidi. In my twenties, I rented the 1968 tv-movie version, and I was appalled by the changes in the story. How dare they! I thought. Well, I recently read the original novel, and I must apologize. The Shirley Temple version doesn’t follow the book very well. All the “changes” were taken straight from the book.
A little orphan girl is taken to live with her scary grandfather in the Swiss Alps. He’s a social outcast, but she wins him over because she’s so delightful. Her adventures continue as she meets new friends, including a blind village woman, a local goatherd, and an invalid wealthy child.
Even though this is an incredibly popular children’s book, I couldn’t imagine reading it as a child. It’s very dry, and much of Heidi’s activities seem repetitive without leading to a greater goal. I didn’t like the original novel, and the next time I crave a little Heidi, I’ll stick to Shirley.
Be sure to read Hot Toasty Rag's review of the 1968 film adaptation of Heidi here!
A little orphan girl is taken to live with her scary grandfather in the Swiss Alps. He’s a social outcast, but she wins him over because she’s so delightful. Her adventures continue as she meets new friends, including a blind village woman, a local goatherd, and an invalid wealthy child.
Even though this is an incredibly popular children’s book, I couldn’t imagine reading it as a child. It’s very dry, and much of Heidi’s activities seem repetitive without leading to a greater goal. I didn’t like the original novel, and the next time I crave a little Heidi, I’ll stick to Shirley.
Be sure to read Hot Toasty Rag's review of the 1968 film adaptation of Heidi here!