Pippi Longstocking
(Astrid Lindgren)
Pippi Longstocking is nine years
old, carrot-haired, freckle-faced and wears mismatched stockings. But that?s
not enough to make her one of the world?s best-loved children?s characters ~ as
she has been since Swedish author Astrid Lindgren published her first Pippi book
in 1945.
What makes Pippi special is her
unusual lifestyle ~ and her personality. She lives on her own in Villekula
Cottage, with a horse and a monkey for company. And a whole box full of gold
coins to dip into at will.
What of her parents? Pippi has
none. Or rather, her father is said to be a cannibal chief, who sails the high
seas.
Unsupervised by adults, Pippi lives
life by her own rules. She initiates adventures for her child neighbours, Tommy
and Annika. No one tells her when to go to bed, or why she should have
cod-liver oil when she prefers caramel candy. So, this very individualistic
child, who can lift a horse with a single hand, even eats an entire cake at a
coffee party!
Take Pippi?s first day at school.
When the teacher asks her to add five and seven, Pippi responds, ?Well, if you don?t know, don?t think I?m going to
work it out for you.?
In essence, Pippi has a life that
would appeal to any child with an imagination, or even the essential child
within most adults. Especially when Lindgren narrates her story with such wit,
flair and passion ~ just as she first did when her seven-year-old daughter
Karin, then ill, asked her mother for a story about this character she had
invented in 1941.
Unpredictable. Wonder-filled.
Irresistible. Each of these words might describe a shade or two of the Pippi
Longstocking books. No wonder they are still in print in 86 languages,
including Italian and Hindi. And it?s no surprise, either, that Lindgren was
voted the most popular Swede of the 20th century.
?Pippi Longstocking? is a book for
all climes, for all times, for all ages. There never was any dispute about
that.
Resumos Relacionados
- Pippi Longstocking
- Pippi Longstocking
- Pippi Longstocking
- The Last Don
- The Last Don
|
|
