Wilder, Laura Ingalls - Little House on the Prairie

[oyceter]

I read this around summer of last year and never quite got around to blogging it. I've read the Little House series before; they're among that small set of books that I read and imprinted on before I moved to Taiwan. It was interesting rereading; the language is simple and plain, and Wilder spends lots of time describing processes of the day-to-day. We get explanations of how Pa builds the cabin, how he makes the door, the floorboards, the chimney, the roof. How to peg things together without nails. How to make griddle cakes. How to stuff mattresses with hay.

I suspect these books are part of the reasons why I'm interested in cooking and crafts even now.

And while the attitudes are historical, particularly the vast disappointment everyone feels in the end, when the government gives the land back to the Native Americans, there's also a neat look at what Pa thinks of the Indians (people like him, with different customs) versus what Ma thinks of the Indians (terrifying).

It was a fun reread, and I'm still a bit tempted to reread the entire series. Particular favorites I remember are the long descriptions of food in Farmer Boy and Little Town on the Prairie, which I remember as being my favorite.

Comments

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Oh, I loved the Little House books so much. I used to have a cookbook based on the series, but I think I've lost it.

[oyceter]

Ooo, I remember seeing that cookbook!

[rilina.livejournal.com]

Little House in the Big Woods was probably my favorite of these; it also had a lot of bits on food.

[oyceter]

Oh yeah! I remember the bits on the pig bladder ball, crispy fried pig tails and making maple syrup.

[gwyneira.livejournal.com]

And the molasses candy on the snow! My cousins and I actually tried that once, though I can't remember how well it worked.

[oyceter]

Oh yes! I had forgotten about that!

The Laura Ingalls Wilder books are totally the reason why I am obsessed with molasses now (I used to wonder what it was).

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

I always liked The Long Winter best, and I still read it whenever I'm really sick or depressed; it always puts my own troubles into perspective!

[oyceter]

I think I'm less fond of The Long Winter and By the Shores of Silver Lake, solely because for some odd reason, those were the only two we didn't own when I was six.

I think I am going to reread these, they'll be a nice cozy read for the cold days.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I still have Farmer Boy.

The Little House books are this weird genre of American mythology, like, there are all these details and they really happened (more or less), and growing up I felt like the pioneering stories were what Americans were still supposed to be like in some way -- but no one is, or at least my family never was. And then, of course, later I figured out that hey, maybe those Indians were a little unwelcoming for a reason.

[oyceter]

I reacquired them when my ex's parents were giving away (!!!) assorted books; I nabbed Mary Poppins, Witch of Blackbird Pond, Little House books, and other childhood favorites all at once.

[rilina.livejournal.com]

Re: Witch of Blackbird Pond - Nat! I love Nat!

[oyceter]

Yes! Nat is excellent!

Oooo, now I want to put this in Yuletide as a fandom.

[mystickeeper.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhh, I *loved* these books. My mother read them to me before I was old enough to do it myself, and I was so proud of myself when I could read them. I remember bringing them to first grade, and the librarian allowed me to bypass the picture books. I used to reread the entire series every year, but I stopped around high school, I think. Come to think of it, it's been quite a while since I reread this series, :/ I'm glad other people like it too!

[oyceter]

I loved these when I was a kid, and I was sort of worried they wouldn't hold up. But they still have all the details that I found so fascinating back then!

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Amen re: the food. Those books even made carrots sound good.

[oyceter]

But, but! Carrots are tasty! ;)

My dad hates them too, so we always tease him and steal them off his plate.

[kate_nepveu]

when the government gives the land back to the Native Americans

Wow, I don't remember this at all.

I contemplated buying these recently when I mis-read a Borders coupons as 3-for-2 unlimited, not just on one set of books. I used to read them at my grandparents and remember all the crafty stuff best as well. Oh, and the plague of locusts.

*checks Amazon for boxed set or something*

[kate_nepveu]

Found. I wish they weren't so pastel, but probably I can't get the pale yellow ones of my youth without searching used bookstores:

http://www.amazon.com/Little-House-Books-Boxed-Set/dp/0064400409/

[oyceter]

Wow, I totally forgot about the plague of locusts until now.

I'm sad that the set I snitched isn't all yellow-bordered, because those are the ones I had as a kid too. But ah well... free books are not to be scoffed at.

[kate_nepveu]

I am mildly phobic about bugs, so it stuck in my mind. =>

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Farmer Boy is all food, all the time. Plus a hair-raising sequence about wild teenagers who try to beat a teacher to death, and he has to defend himself with a whip. I guess not everywhere had a sheriff...

[oyceter]

I forgot about the whip! (wow, that almost sounds like "I forgot about the giant talking flying walrus!")

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

I loved when Mely explained Planet Ladder by saying that it was the kind of series where both she and I could recommend it without even recalling the giant robot chicken or the disease that makes your head fall off.

My favorite little house books were Big Woods and Farmer Boy because of the food, and Plum Creek because Nellie Oleson was such a great villain, and Laura was evil. Prairie and Long Winter were my next favorites. Silver Lake depressed me because of Mary going blind and becoming Mary Sue, which also meant that Laura could never think badly of her again, and I never liked the later ones that much.

God, the food sounds SO GREAT. Prairie hen! Flapjacks! Baked beans with salt pork! Hasty pudding with molasses! (I bet we could make that-- there must be a recipe somewhere, and the ingredients are simple. Actually, it's probably a lot like cream of wheat.)

Do you think anywhere in Taipei does crispy roast pig tail?

[oyceter]

Mmmmmm, I know! I wonder if I can blame my obsession with homestyle American cooking on these books as well...? Actually, it's probably the accumulation of reading about things like casserole and meatloaf in every other book.

I've never had pig tail, but I hope there's something like that!

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I believe there's actually a Little House cookbook.

laura ingalls wilder

[(Anonymous)]

I'm related to Laura ingalls wilder her dad was my moms great, great, great, great, great, great, Goggie(grampa)(ukraine). I love her books becuase it feels like im actaully readn them