The Song of the Lark edition by Willa Cather Literature Fiction eBooks
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The Song of the Lark is the third novel by American author Willa Cather, written in 1915. It is generally considered to be the second novel in Cather's Prairie Trilogy, following O Pioneers! (1913) and preceding My Ántonia (1918). The book tells the story of a talented artist born in a small town in Colorado who discovers and develops her singing voice. Her story is told against the backdrop of the burgeoning American West in which she was born in a town along the rail line, of fast-growing Chicago near the turn of the twentieth century, and of the audience for singers of her skills in the US compared to Europe. Thea Kronborg grows up, learning herself, her strengths and her talent, until she reaches success. The title comes from a painting of the same name by Jules Breton in 1884 and part of the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Set in the 1890s in Moonstone, a fictional town in Colorado, The Song of the Lark is the self-portrait of an artist in the making. The ambitious young heroine, Thea Kronborg leaves her hometown to go to Chicago to fulfill her dream of becoming a well-trained pianist, a better piano teacher. When her instructor hears her voice, he realizes that this is her true artistic gift. He encourages her to pursue her vocal training instead of piano saying ... "your voice is worth all that you can put into it. I have not come to this decision rashly." [Part II; Chapter 7] In that pursuit she travels to Dresden, then to New York City, singing operas. Her reference for life is always her home town and the people she encountered there. The novel captures Thea's independent-mindedness, her strong work ethic, and her ascent to her highest achievement. At each step along the way, her realization of the mediocrity of her peers propels her to greater levels of accomplishment, but in the course of her ascent she must discard those relationships which no longer serve her.
The Song of the Lark edition by Willa Cather Literature Fiction eBooks
The Song of the Lark, originally published in 1915, is the second novel in Willa Cather's Prairie Trilogy, coming after O Pioneers! and before My Ántonia. This book bears little resemblance to those other two novels, begging the question whether the trilogy is really a trilogy at all. The story does not take place on the prairie, but mostly in the deserts of Colorado and Arizona. Later it moves on to urban locales and becomes the sort of big-city drama that Frank Norris or Theodore Dreiser might have written. I absolutely loved O Pioneers!, which makes it all the more disappointing to report that I found The Song of the Lark rather dull and lifeless.When we first meet Thea Kronborg, she is 11 years old. The daughter of a Methodist minister, she resides in the small town of Moonstone, Colorado. The general consensus among the townsfolk is that Thea is brighter and more intelligent than her local peers and is destined for great things. She is a talented pianist and practices diligently to perfect her craft. In her later teen years she begins taking on students of her own. The book follows the progression of her musical career and her struggle to become not just a professional musician but a true artist.
Cather is known for her depictions of rural and small-town life. As a setting, Moonstone is certainly not without its charms, but compared to the locales of other Cather novels it's neither as realistic nor as inviting. She seems hell-bent on populating her Colorado town with a host of real "characters," and she devotes way too much effort to delineating all their peculiar personal quirks. Too her credit, however, the depiction of small-town life in this book is at times refreshingly less than positive. For the purpose of the story, Moonstone is to some extent a prison from which the heroine must escape. One interesting touch is that 12-year-old Thea has a 30-year-old boyfriend who's just waiting for her to come of age so he can take her as his bride.
O Pioneers! was written in beautifully understated prose. In very few words Cather expressed some truly profound insights into human nature. The Song of the Lark, on the other hand, is needlessly and tediously verbose, belaboring every point it makes. In O Pioneers!, Cather did so much with so little. Here she does so little with so much. After sitting through the umpteenth music lesson or yet another interminable dinner conversation, the reader begins to feel like he's reading the same chapters over and over again. Early in the story Cather goes to great lengths setting up Thea to be the ultimate independent woman, so when a man finally enters her life it ends up being a major disappointment. It's difficult to see what exactly she sees in the guy, because every time he shows up in the narrative he's a harbinger of boredom. The stiff, unrealistic dialog prevents the reader from identifying or sympathizing with the main characters, as does the fact that they all seem to carry on this strange, sexless existence for decades. Early in the story I really cared about Thea and rooted for her to achieve the success she deserves, but by the end of the book I couldn't care less about her. The epilogue is one of the book's more moving passages, primarily because Thea is largely absent from it.
Cather is a great writer, but this is not a great book. If it didn't have her name on the title page it would be virtually indistinguishable from a host of other mediocre melodramas published during this era.
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The Song of the Lark edition by Willa Cather Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews
Since I enjoyed "My Antonia", I decided to read the second novel in the Great Plains Trilogy. I am not sure if it is required to read the series in order. So far, I didn’t encounter any confusion.
"The Song of the Lark" tells the story of Thea, daughter of Swedish immigrants, who lived in Colorado in a little town named Moonstone. The story primarily sets mostly toward the end of 19th Century. Thea has musical innate talents such as her proficiency in piano but specially her voice. She has big dreams in life but will struggle much in life to attain the pinnacle in her artistic career as a soprano. Despite being alienated from the world in that little town, Thea will encounter loyal, caring friends who will help her achieve her goals. Professor Wunsch is her first piano professor who will inculcate the importance of learning German and the love of music. At the young age of 15, she will move to Chicago where she will encounter one of the best teacher in music who will discover her voice.
There are a few similar aspects from "My Antonia". The first being the beautiful landscape descriptions. Despite my enjoyment, I thought they were more special and personal in "My Antonia". Here, the descriptions seemed a little detached and distant maybe because they mimicked this uncertainty and struggle Thea was going through at the time. I felt, at times, that these beautiful analogies and reflections kept one going around the bush and rendered one impatient. Nonetheless, the narration was poetic and symbiotic with nature. My favorite landscape description was of the Panther Canyon. The second similar element was the issue of discrimination among the different nationalities. It is clearly noted how some European immigrants would not mingled with the Mexicans. Thea’ brothers greatly criticized her spirit of diversity and of intermingling with other cultures.
One of the primary theme discussed in this novel was the idea of innate talent and the sacrifices it demanded to become a true artist. It would be a life long mission. It’s one of the aspect I identified myself with. Thea was defined by her career endeavors and her struggles rendering her self-centered and alienated from others. Only those supporting her cause would she remain loyal too. It made you implicitly reflect on the lack of balance in her life and of the dangers. This will greatly separate her from her family and live a lonely life solely devoted to her career.
"But if she failed now, she would lose her soul. There was nowhere to fall, after one took that step , except into abysses of wretchedness."
Cather, Willa Sibert (2012-05-16). The Song of the Lark (p. 221). . Edition.
Thea would never be satisfied enough. She would always worry of new challenges that she had to conquer and missed her old times when they were more peaceful and simpler.
"My life is full of jealousies and disappointments, you know.
I tell you, there is such a thing as creative hate! A contempt that drives you through fire, makes you risk everything and lose everything, makes you a long sight better than you ever knew you could be."
Cather, Willa Sibert (2012-05-16). The Song of the Lark (p. 266). . Edition.
I did not enjoy this novel as much as "My Antonia". However, the author well captured the complexities one goes through in becoming an artist, specially in those times. I felt the novel dragged and was longer than necessary. Even though I have not read the first novel of the trilogy, I recommend so far "My Antonia". I also listened to the audio narrated by Christine Williams. It was well done. I liked this narration much better than in "My Antonia" who was narrated by Jeff Cummings.
"Artistic growth is, more than it is anything else, a refining of the sense of truthfulness. The stupid believe that to be truthful is easy; only the artist, the great artist, knows how difficult it is."
Cather, Willa Sibert (2012-05-16). The Song of the Lark (p. 277). . Edition.
Great Plains Trilogy
1. Oh Pioneers!
2. The Song of the Lark
3. My Antonia
I've recently reread Cather's great Prairie Trilogy O Pioneers!, Song of the Lark, and My Antonia. While the third of these is usually considered Cather's masterpiece--and is, indeed, wonderful--I love this book best. It's the story of an artist's life, from obscure beginnings to great success and fame. The heart of the book is Thea Kronburg's sojourn in Panther Canyon, in Arizona, where she finds her purpose and motivation by communing with the artfully decorated pottery left by the ancient native cliff dwellers. Panther Canyon is a thinly disguised Walnut Canyon, near Flagstaff, in northern Arizona. I've been there; if you have, too, you'll find this a brilliant evocation of the place in a much more pristine period. Not to be missed.
The Song of the Lark is the self-portrait of an artist in the making. The story revolves around an ambitious young heroine, Thea Kronborg, who leaves her hometown to go to the big city to fulfill her dream of becoming a well-trained pianist. Her voice is discovered to be her outstanding genius, the piano merely a talent. In her rich prose Willa Cather accurately and memorably portrays the struggles of an artist-in-the making and the characters that are part of Thea's story, from her early roots in a small Colorado town to her performance at the Metropolitan Opera. Every so often, I like to read classics that I missed. I'm glad I chose The Song of the Lark this time.
The Song of the Lark, originally published in 1915, is the second novel in Willa Cather's Prairie Trilogy, coming after O Pioneers! and before My Ántonia. This book bears little resemblance to those other two novels, begging the question whether the trilogy is really a trilogy at all. The story does not take place on the prairie, but mostly in the deserts of Colorado and Arizona. Later it moves on to urban locales and becomes the sort of big-city drama that Frank Norris or Theodore Dreiser might have written. I absolutely loved O Pioneers!, which makes it all the more disappointing to report that I found The Song of the Lark rather dull and lifeless.
When we first meet Thea Kronborg, she is 11 years old. The daughter of a Methodist minister, she resides in the small town of Moonstone, Colorado. The general consensus among the townsfolk is that Thea is brighter and more intelligent than her local peers and is destined for great things. She is a talented pianist and practices diligently to perfect her craft. In her later teen years she begins taking on students of her own. The book follows the progression of her musical career and her struggle to become not just a professional musician but a true artist.
Cather is known for her depictions of rural and small-town life. As a setting, Moonstone is certainly not without its charms, but compared to the locales of other Cather novels it's neither as realistic nor as inviting. She seems hell-bent on populating her Colorado town with a host of real "characters," and she devotes way too much effort to delineating all their peculiar personal quirks. Too her credit, however, the depiction of small-town life in this book is at times refreshingly less than positive. For the purpose of the story, Moonstone is to some extent a prison from which the heroine must escape. One interesting touch is that 12-year-old Thea has a 30-year-old boyfriend who's just waiting for her to come of age so he can take her as his bride.
O Pioneers! was written in beautifully understated prose. In very few words Cather expressed some truly profound insights into human nature. The Song of the Lark, on the other hand, is needlessly and tediously verbose, belaboring every point it makes. In O Pioneers!, Cather did so much with so little. Here she does so little with so much. After sitting through the umpteenth music lesson or yet another interminable dinner conversation, the reader begins to feel like he's reading the same chapters over and over again. Early in the story Cather goes to great lengths setting up Thea to be the ultimate independent woman, so when a man finally enters her life it ends up being a major disappointment. It's difficult to see what exactly she sees in the guy, because every time he shows up in the narrative he's a harbinger of boredom. The stiff, unrealistic dialog prevents the reader from identifying or sympathizing with the main characters, as does the fact that they all seem to carry on this strange, sexless existence for decades. Early in the story I really cared about Thea and rooted for her to achieve the success she deserves, but by the end of the book I couldn't care less about her. The epilogue is one of the book's more moving passages, primarily because Thea is largely absent from it.
Cather is a great writer, but this is not a great book. If it didn't have her name on the title page it would be virtually indistinguishable from a host of other mediocre melodramas published during this era.
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