≡ [PDF] Free DaddyLongLegs and Dear Enemy Penguin Classics Jean Webster Elaine Showalter Books

DaddyLongLegs and Dear Enemy Penguin Classics Jean Webster Elaine Showalter Books

Download As PDF : DaddyLongLegs and Dear Enemy Penguin Classics Jean Webster Elaine Showalter Books

DaddyLongLegs and Dear Enemy Penguin Classics Jean Webster Elaine Showalter Books

I already reviewed "Dear Enemy" under another edition, but will repeat the info here. First, this is an excellent edition to get, as it includes both books. "Daddy Longlegs" is a classic. If you ever saw the Leslie Caron/Fred Astaire movie, forget it - this is the real thing. (Without the music and dancing.) The character of Judy, the orphan "rescued" from the orphanage and given an education, is delightful, and we see her grow up and "evolve" through the course of the story. Keep in mind that this was written at a time when (a) women could not yet vote and (b) the issue of "higher education for women" still received quite a lot of criticism! (Women didn't need it; it would destroy their femininity; their fragile brains couldn't handle it; etc.) In this period, many orphanages felt that their objective was to raise girls who could, at most, be fairly competent servants. Hence, this is actually a quite progressive book for the period. But more importantly, it's simply a great read - it's fun, it's engaging, you fall in love with Judy from the very beginning, and you can't put it down.

"Dear Enemy" is a sort of sequel to "Daddy Longlegs." Like the first book, it's written as a series of letters, in this case from Judy's best friend from the previous book. Sallie McBride has agreed to take over the management of the orphanage in which Judy (of the previous book) was raised, "temporarily." The book shows her struggles to turn the orphanage around, and of course her own progression from "I'm only doing this until you find a permanent manager" to "how could I ever leave?" It's an interesting story and entertaining, but doesn't have the spark of Daddy Longlegs. In this book the author seems far more concerned with showing readers the issues involved in orphan homes than in the evolution of a specific character - i.e., it's more of a social tract than a novel. It's certainly worth reading, but don't expect to be as emotionally engaged as with the first book.

This edition also has a very helpful "glossary" at the end that provides some explanation of terms and references in both books. I definitely recommend this edition - DON'T waste your money on any of the badly-done print-on-demand versions of these books!


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DaddyLongLegs and Dear Enemy Penguin Classics Jean Webster Elaine Showalter Books Reviews

Lovely stories and engaging writing. Sort of reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables.
A really fun book! It is remarkable they way the author depicts
character through the medium of letters. This is especially
pronounced in DEAR ENEMY. The metamorphosis of
of Sally is amazing. I bought the book expressly to lend
and give away. Elinor Gorton
A bit too perky for serious reading but just the thing for a gloomy day when you want a light pick-me-up. Fun to think about the changes in women's college life from the author's day to ours.
These books are top notch....,written over 100 years ago to showcase women's issues and orphanages. Delightful stories for older children and adults. I have read them three times and you will get a lot more from the books if you do a little Google search on Jean Webster, the author
This is a great two for one book. I read Daddy Long Legs when I was a child, and the story has always stuck with me. I read it again about a year ago and then discovered Dear Enemy. I loved them both even more than I did the first time. These are good clean books that children can enjoy, but there is also enough romance and wit for adults to enjoy them as well. I was thrilled to find this copy with both stories. I will read them again, and I can't wait until my daughter is old enough for me to share these stories with her has well.
In Daddy-Long-Legs, Jerusha Abbot is an orphan that gets sent to college by a mysterious trustee that thinks she has a future as an author. The only hint to his identity is the glimpse that Jerusha had of his long legs, as he was leaving. His only request is that she write him a letter once a month (with no hope of ever having a reply). For the next four years, Jerusha learns to be like "other girls", and we watch her grow and mature as she finds her voice.

Dear Enemy, the wonderful sequel, is set after Daddy-Long-Legs, where Jerusha is given the orphanage where she grew up. She enlists her best friend from college (whom we are introduced to in Daddy), Sally, to run the orphanage. Sally, a flighty society girl, is completely changed as she learns to love her orphans and the new life she has chosen to lead.

Both of them are romantic, fun and thoughtful, without the preachy-ness of some of the other girls novels published around the same time.

Best part is that BOTH books are published in this one volume - which is a great deal (and saves room on my already overflowing bookshelf). Footnotes in the back of the book help define some of the terminology/setting of the era.

This is a classic that I read as a child, and I'm so happy to have found it again!
I first learned of Jean Webster's works through the more recent musical adaptation. The music and story moved me proficiently to investigate the source material for Daddy Long Legs. And I'm glad for it. While I am certainly not the original audience (early 1900's American women), I am certainly a proponent. There is a timeless quality to Webster's writing. The written letter format gives a more personality. The author's original line drawings (make sure your edition had them!) add to the lightheartedness of characters and author.

Daddy Long Legs is an excellent read for anyone. Judy is a precocious character. Her spirit, intelligence, and drive have the reader actively interested in where her life goes. A stress on being well learned, kind, and forward thinking, values that are still strong a millennia later. Webster was able to promote revolutionary thoughts and activism in a polite, careful manner, both in written word and in her personal dealings.

Dear Enemy lacks some of personal investiture of Daddy Long Legs, but is still very good. Sallie is not as entertaining or accessible as Judy, but still a worthy character. We get to see Webster's passion for reform, very specifically for orphan asylums.
I already reviewed "Dear Enemy" under another edition, but will repeat the info here. First, this is an excellent edition to get, as it includes both books. "Daddy Longlegs" is a classic. If you ever saw the Leslie Caron/Fred Astaire movie, forget it - this is the real thing. (Without the music and dancing.) The character of Judy, the orphan "rescued" from the orphanage and given an education, is delightful, and we see her grow up and "evolve" through the course of the story. Keep in mind that this was written at a time when (a) women could not yet vote and (b) the issue of "higher education for women" still received quite a lot of criticism! (Women didn't need it; it would destroy their femininity; their fragile brains couldn't handle it; etc.) In this period, many orphanages felt that their objective was to raise girls who could, at most, be fairly competent servants. Hence, this is actually a quite progressive book for the period. But more importantly, it's simply a great read - it's fun, it's engaging, you fall in love with Judy from the very beginning, and you can't put it down.

"Dear Enemy" is a sort of sequel to "Daddy Longlegs." Like the first book, it's written as a series of letters, in this case from Judy's best friend from the previous book. Sallie McBride has agreed to take over the management of the orphanage in which Judy (of the previous book) was raised, "temporarily." The book shows her struggles to turn the orphanage around, and of course her own progression from "I'm only doing this until you find a permanent manager" to "how could I ever leave?" It's an interesting story and entertaining, but doesn't have the spark of Daddy Longlegs. In this book the author seems far more concerned with showing readers the issues involved in orphan homes than in the evolution of a specific character - i.e., it's more of a social tract than a novel. It's certainly worth reading, but don't expect to be as emotionally engaged as with the first book.

This edition also has a very helpful "glossary" at the end that provides some explanation of terms and references in both books. I definitely recommend this edition - DON'T waste your money on any of the badly-done print-on-demand versions of these books!