Review: "Daddy Long Legs" by Jean Webster
Daddy Long Legs may be downloaded for free from our ebook catalog.
First published in 1912, this novel is comprised mostly of letters from orphan Jerusha “Judy” Abbott to her anonymous benefactor whom she has never met. The letters are the only repayment this benefactor requests for paying to send Judy to college. All she has seen of him is his tall shadow against a wall as he leaves the orphanage one night. Because of this, Judy and her lively imagination come up with the nickname “Daddy Long Legs”. Judy's letters to Daddy Long Legs chronicle her departure from the orphanage through four years of college. She makes new friends, slowly gains knowledge and independence, but also struggles with her humble past and unfixed future.
Similar to Anne of Green Gables, Daddy Long Legs is a young adult novel that all ages can enjoy. Like Anne, Judy starts out as a rambunctious orphan. Her high spirits get her through many trials, and by the end she turns out a mature (yet energetic) young woman who gets her happy ending. It is a quick, entertaining read with some plot twists that the astute reader will pick up beforehand--but the enjoyment remains the same no matter what one guesses about the ending.
Apparently this novel was made into several films, including a musical staring Fred Astaire. I've also just learned that there is an sequel to Daddy Long Legs called Dear Enemy. We have faithfully reproduced 33 illustrations by the author in this ebook edition.
Cover art by Janice Tarver, for sale at Etsy.
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I love that you included the illustrations! Thank you!
Check out the half dozen or more books by her at gutenberg.org. I'm going to read this and maybe the rest of them. I think this book may also be an audio book there as well.
Let us know how the others are, Tammy. I would like to read Dear Enemy, the sequel to this one. Since I read this one last Christmas, maybe this Christmas is time for Dear Enemy.
I just finished reading Dear Enemy. It's about Sallie's journey from being a simple society girl looking for a husband to being a woman with substance who contributes to society (if that makes sense). I would recommend it.
I've re-read Daddy Long Legs and read, for the first time, Dear Enemy.
DLL is as I remembered it - wonderful and comforting read.
DE was predictable yet enjoyable.
The wonderful thing about receiving a Kindle is being able to re-visit and discover further these wonderful books of my teens.
They are also a great insight into the era in which they were written.
Thanks Charmmaine and Katherine for your recommendations. As seems my Christmas tradition now, I just read another Jean Webster book by the fireside, this year Dear Enemy. I think I liked it better than DLL! There are definitely hints of red headed Anne of Green Gables in Sally McBride. Even though she had a horrible tendency of putting her foot in her mouth, she did learn from many of her mistakes, and it was always fun seeing her get into new troubles. I'll post DE on the site soon.
Has anyone read any more Jean Webster? I feel like reading more from her now.