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Heidi

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Alpine Splendor! Heidi, a girl of the majestic Swiss Alps, finds beauty and simple wisdom in nature. Living in virtual isolation with her eccentric Grandfather, Heidi develops a special feeling for the plants and animals she finds in the hills and valleys.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1880

About the author

Deidre S. Laiken

38 books14 followers

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5 stars
959 (44%)
4 stars
681 (31%)
3 stars
390 (18%)
2 stars
101 (4%)
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23 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
Profile Image for Kim.
1,429 reviews
October 28, 2015
read this years ago when I was still in elementary school and years later
Profile Image for biblio_mom (Aiza).
610 reviews219 followers
May 30, 2021
A fun and warm-hearted read I would say. I read this book out aloud to my kid and he likes it. My favourite part is when Heidi is determined to learn how to read, finally able to read and discovers a lot of amazing books. She then teaches her friend, Peter, to read and that's what I like about Heidi. She's so determined, kind, and inspiring.
Profile Image for Fearless.
671 reviews108 followers
September 25, 2019
Iyi yurekli ve her kosulda cevresindekilere yardim etmekten geri kalmayan guzel Heidi'yi okumak cok zevkliydi.
Profile Image for Aspen.
87 reviews
October 28, 2015
I wish I had read this book as a girl. I would have loved it!
Profile Image for Sue Oshin.
Author 5 books41 followers
August 13, 2020
Heidi, a story of a girl who brings many changes to one's life. She lives on the mountain with her grandfather until one day her aunt returns to the village from the city to invite Heidi to stay in the city. Her grandfather was reluctant to let go of Heidi but had to because of Heidi's aunt's intention to give her a good life. Heidi however did not want to follow her aunt because she was happy to live here with a grandfather and also a shepherd boy named Peter. Bcs of her aunt's persuasion, Heidi finally agreed.

Heidi was taken to the home of a rich man, Mr.Sesemen who had a disabled daughter named Clara. Clara is Heidi's age but can't walk. She just sat at home alone with some maids hired by her father. Since Heidi's appearance in the house, Clara's life is no longer lonely. Clara's own tutor who always came home to teach Clara helped Heidi to read until she can learn and was good at reading and Clara's grandmother gave her a book that Heidi never tired of repeating until she was found sick because she missed everything at her hometown. Every night she will get up and walking in sleep and Clara's personal doctor asked Mr.Sesemen to take Heidi back to her village. They are reluctant but have to comply and promise to often keep in touch with Heidi.

Heidi returned to the village with a happy feeling and brought the various supplies provided by Clara to her. After Heidi left, Clara got sick because she missed Heidi too much and she was lonely. Mr.Sesemen decided to send Clara's personal doctor to Heidi village to find out Heidi's condition. Coincidentally, the doctor also had personal problems after the death of his daughter. His life is depressed and when he lived at Heidi's place, his spirits returned and brought the news Clara had been waiting for. Clara decides to go to Heidi village with her grandmother.

Once in the village, Clara did not want to go home because she was comfortable with the surrounding her different from life in the city. Clara was taught by Heidi's grandfather to walk and no longer use a wheelchair. This good news finally reached the knowledge of Clara's grandmother and father. They were happy and quite indebted to Heidi's family and asked Heidi's grandfather to express his desire for what could be helped as a gift. But Heidi’s grandfather just asks them to take care of Heidi because his life is no longer soon and Heidi has no one else but him. Mr.Sesemen was eager with the request because Heidi is already considered her own child.

The conclusions that can be drawn from the whole story are:
-Heidi is good at reading.
-Clara can walk
-His grandfather who is anti to the community that was once on the island has started to be gentle and start socializing with people.
-Peter's grandmother can feel a little pleasure given to Heidi even though she is blind.
-Peter is good at reading and this makes his teacher and mother proud.
Profile Image for Beth.
862 reviews7 followers
February 14, 2023
Heidi is a classic that everyone should read. I am still catching up. Gary gave me a lovely illustrated copy for Christmas. To be honest, I probably would not have finished it as a young reader, but I quite enjoyed it. It is innocent and uplifting, not really realistic, but who cares? It has important life lessons about individual responsibility. Heidi's constant joyful attitude and love of nature is a fine example for us all.

Grandmama to Peter:
" That was a wicked deed, and your knew it very will, and you also knew that you deserved a punishment, and in order not to receive one, you have had to try very hard not to let anyone know what you have done. But you see, whoever does a wicked thing and thinks now one knows about it is always mistaken. The dear Lord sees and hears everything, and as soon as He notices that a person wants to conceal his wicked deed, he quickly awakens a little watchman that was placed in him at his birth, and that sleeps in him until the person does something wrong. And the little watchman has a little goad in his hand with which he continually pricks the person so that he has no rest for a moment. And with his voice he also torments him further by constantly calling to him in a torturing way: 'It will all come out! You are going to be punished!' So he lives in constant fear and trembling, and is no longer happy, not a bit. have you not had such n experience as this?"

A bit darker than we like to think, but kind of how our conscience works, right? Then she goes on to teach Peter that although it was nasty of him to push the empty wheelchair down the mountain, in the end good came of it because the Lord can use our actions to bring about His own purposes.
2 reviews
March 24, 2020
Warning! Summary ahead!! Big spoilers! This was a heartwarming NOVEL telling the story of Heidi, a girl who was sent to live with her “weird” grandfather up in the mountains. After her grandfather refused to send her to school, she was sent away to live in the city with Clara, a rich, lonely, handicapped girl. The two became friends but Heidi really missed the mountains and her grandfather and became essentially depressed, so they sent her back to the mountains. Months later Clara visited her and was so happy there that she began to walk. What a miracle. Overall message which was explicitly spelled out in the novel, money can only buy things but it can never bring health or happiness. Overall, this book was pretty predictable. The writing sucked and there were some errors such as missed periods, which I found to be super surprising. I felt like I was reading a middle schoolers story. But I did really enjoy the pictures and that it was a quick read. Do fairy books have pictures? This is my petition to require all books to have a page of pictures for every page of text. And to use font size 20 and only be 200 pages. Also they roasted Heidi for being named Heidi...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rocky Rahman.
83 reviews7 followers
March 24, 2024
এটি একদম নতুন কৈশোরে পা রাখা ছেলেমেয়েদের জন্য লেখা। কিন্তু আমি নিজে বাল্যকালে পাঞ্জেরির সচিত্র ক্লাসিক সিরিজের ফ্যান ছিলাম বলে এই সচিত্র ক্লাসিকটা পড়ার লোভ সামলাতে পারিনি। তার উপর আমি যেহেতু মূল ইংরেজি বইগুলো তেমন ইংরেজিতে পড়তে পারিনা অসুবিধা হয় তাই এই সহজ বইগুলো দিয়ে আরম্ভ করছি। আশা করি একদিন মোটা মোটা ইংরেজি বইগুলো ইংরেজিতে পড়ে ফেলতে পারবো।
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তো, কাহিনি একদম সহজ সরল৷ মা-বাবা হারানো মেয়ে হেইডিকে তার খালা তার দাদার কাছে দিয়ে আসে। যদিও তার দাদা একদম সমাজবিচ্ছিন্ন একজন মানুষ, পাহাড়ের একদম উচুতে নিজে একা একা থাকে বহু বছর। মানুষটাও বেশ একরোখা।
হেইডিকে এখানে রেখে যাবার পর একদিন তার খালা এসে বলে যে হেইডির জন্য একটি কাজের ব্যবস্থা করা হয়েছে, ক্লারা নামক এক ধনীর ঘরের অসুস্থ মেয়েকে তার সঙ্গ দিতে হবে। হেইডি সেই বাড়িতে যায় এবং খুব জলদি ক্লারা নামক সেই অসুস্থ মেয়েটি যে কিনা অসুস্থতার জন্য বিছানা ছেড়েও উঠতে পারেনা তার সাখে সখ্যতা তৈরি করে ফেলে।
তারপর কাহিনি এগোতে থাকে, কাহিনি একদম সাদামাটা। রিফ্রেশ হতে চাইলে পড়তে পারেন, নাও পড়তে পারেন।
Profile Image for Ellen.
366 reviews
June 26, 2020
Well, re-reading this didn't ruin it for me, but there was a lot that I didn't remember. Heidi is quite a precocious child, lol. The book is quite preachy with lots of talk about doing right with God, but overall I enjoyed the story again.
Profile Image for Sahiden35.
268 reviews14 followers
August 27, 2019
Bayılarak okumuştum, bayılmıştım, hala bayılıyorum. 2000 sonrası doğan teknoloji çocuklarına okumuştum. Onlar da bayılmıştı.
Profile Image for Surya.
Author 1 book63 followers
December 12, 2018
Another awesome book I enjoyed reading during school days.
For a long time, sometimes even now when I drinking milk,
I used to imagine myself drinking "Goat milk from the mountains" and growing stronger.
Ha ha..
20 reviews
July 4, 2019
*Watch Out: Little Spoilers*

Without a shadow of a doubt, young children have lovely, innocent spirits. They are filled with kindness and pure joy and seem to always bring laughter and peace to the hearts of all they are acquainted with. Well, Heidi was absolutely no exception. Truthfully speaking, I fell in love with her. She was so selfless: She wanted everyone to be happy, even if it was at the expense of her happiness. What I'm trying to say is that any child or adult who reads this book will fall into the trap of Heidi's light.

More about the novel:
It started with Heidi's aunt, Dete, bringing the 4 or 5-year-old orphan to the little girl's grandfather's home in Alm mountain. Alm-Uncle (the name which he was known for), the grandfather, cast himself away in the mountain after his son and daughter-in-law died and people blamed him for their death. Anyway, Heidi was a joy to his life. She brought a smile to his face and filled his heart with happiness. Then, after three years or so, Heidi's aunt returned and took Heidi to Frankfurt, a city, with the purpose of Heidi being a companion to Clara, a 12-year-old girl who had polio, I believe. (The exact illness was not stated, but one could infer from the details provided that it was indeed polio.) The two--Clara and Heidi--became so close. For Clara, Heidi was a charm, bringing excitement to what would have otherwise remained a dry life. However, there was an issue: Heidi terribly missed the mountains. Consequently, she slept walk. This was quite dangerous because there was a possibility that she could fall off somewhere. In response to this, the doctor urged Herr Sesemann, father of Clara, to send her home. So, she returned back to the mountains, and although she was delighted at that, she felt sadness from the fact that she would be away from Clara.

With Heidi being back on the mountains with her grandfather, the goats, Peter, grandmother, the Fir tree, the sun . . . everything nice the mountains had to offer, once again things were going well in the life of Heidi. She acknowledged and was intently thankful that God didn't give her what she wanted immediately, but rather waited until his time to fulfill her prayers. (Her relationship with God is a beautiful one.) Furthermore, the doctor and Clara with her grandmamma and father did visit the mountains; and of course with Heidi being involved everything was just right.

I just have to say that because of Heidi's interaction or involvement with some characters, like the grandfather, grandmother, Peter, the doctor, and Clara, positive things happened in their lives. The grandfather was no longer living in exile, for he made peace with the people of dorfli; grandmother life significantly improved; Peter learnt to read (I absolutely love the way she taught him) and also learnt other important lessons; the doctor was finally stripped off from the deep pain that sought to destroy him after the death of his wife and daughter; and a very big one and important milestone was that Clara could finally walk!

There is so much more to this novel that I didn't reveal in this review, so I encourage you to read the novel in order to grasp everything it has to offer.

This book is a delight . . . just an amazing parcel of joy!



Refreshing
Profile Image for Adam Balshan.
622 reviews18 followers
March 30, 2022
2.5 stars [Fiction]
(W: 3, T: 2.5, P: 2.5, O: 2.75)
Exact rating: 2.69

An idyll set in Alpine Switzerland. Heidi is a girl whose innocence and joy improve everyone's lives around her, wherever she goes. The other hero of the book is sunshine and nature, which performs miracles of healing maladies emotional, spiritual, and physical. In fact, this book could be seen as an apologetic for rural simplicity. There are some uncommon truths here about living simply and joyousness in living, though I considered the total effect a bit ham-handed, as if the author was implying that no good was in the world save that which a Volkisch air could impart.

Post Script: This book, a Great Illustrated Classic, was adapted by Deirdre S. Laikin. It is possible Laikin altered, for good or ill, some of the elements of the original German story written in 1880. So the merits of the original story should not be judged until a reading of non-adapted translation is read.
March 19, 2014
I thought that this was a really easy and fun book to read. It's all about a girl named Heidi and it tells about how she is raised when she has to live with her grandfather, and the love she soon has for him. One of the themes of this book is definitely that you can change your heart. Heidi's grandfather's heart was so sad and was so cold, but she was able to change that through love and was able to make a lasting impression on him, and he will be thankful to her for that, for the rest of his life. It was a great book, especially since it's a classic, and just fun to read.
Profile Image for Kiki.
33 reviews
August 19, 2016
I loved this book so much! It's a classic for a reason, it's just a very special book, one that will make you feel happy, with a very satisfying ending :D
Profile Image for Lori.
468 reviews12 followers
January 4, 2019
It seems I have loved the story, Heidi, almost my whole life.

I love so many things about this book both inside and out.

Originally published in 1881, much of this story is about the life of a young orphaned girl whom we get to see grow up. Heidi seems to be a friend to all she meets and we find the mountain life not only suits her but others as well.

If you have ever read the book, perhaps you too would like to escape to the Swiss town of Mayenfeld or the mountain life.

It also recognizes Heidi's need to protect nature and animals.

We learn of the big library filled with books in the chapter titled, "The Joy of Reading." I love that they took turns reading and sometimes they read aloud.

More importantly, this books speaks to helping those in need like her family and special friend Clara who finds joy in life as well. And we see that Heidi is wanted and will never have to feel alone
Profile Image for Kristin.
746 reviews9 followers
Read
October 12, 2023
I loved the heck out of this when I was little, and I enjoyed it a lot now, as an adult. I read it purely for nostalgia--the version of this series being the one I loved. The only things I can't figure out are why the girl on the cover doesn't match any of the character illustrations within, and why the girls, who are children in the story, are drawn as fully grown sexualized adult 39 year old women sporting great 60s hair and makeup. Lol. Also, if you look at this story from the angle of a truly disabled person becoming miraculously healed just from sun, friendship, and pluck, it's pretty toxic. But if you look at it from more of a health anxiety and basic health perspective, then it's the amazing true story of how plentiful calcium (goat milk) and vitamin D (being out in the sun quite a bit), social connections, and changing the narrative about your unnamed, hazy "unwellness" condition into "I'm healthy and well and I can do this!" can in fact accomplish a lot of healing.
7 reviews
May 19, 2017
For my last book review (book review #8) I choose this awesome book called Heidi, It has two hundred and sixty nine pages, This book has twenty two chapters and it's written by Johanna Spyry and this book talks about one girl that is named Heidi she is a five year old girl, Her dad and her mom died in an accident, his grandfather took Heidi to live with him.


Heidi wasn't that sad at all with her grandfather, the grandpa's job is being a farmer, but not in the City no in the farm, in the mountains, and grandpa and Heidi live in the old town of Mayenfeild, the grandpa and Heidi don't live alone they live with Heidi's uncle Heidi calls him the Alm-Uncle, they live together with Dete, Klara, Peter, Sebastian, the grandmama and Dorfli too. This book will be for the ones that love adventure but I highly recommend this book to childrens way more I give four stars to this awesome book.
18 reviews1 follower
September 2, 2019
This book was a favorite of mine from childhood that I recently revisited as a read aloud for my three daughters. Things that had stuck with me since the first time I read the book were the beauty and wonder of the Swiss Alps, the relationship between Heidi and her grandfather, and Heidi's sense of adventure and bravery. Most of all her positivity and kindness always appealed to me. Reading it again as an adult I am enjoying those same elements. I realize I probably waited a little too long to pick this one up as a read aloud. The language is simple and probably for a younger audience than my current 14, 12 and 10 year olds. I am still struck with the desire to see the mountains that Heidi loved so much, and hear the wind whispering in the fir trees. I also can't shake the desire to try to toast a hunk of cheese over an open fire.
Profile Image for Lara Bate.
1,341 reviews3 followers
April 9, 2020
Heidi by Johanna Spyri is about an orphaned girl who lived with her aunt. However when she was 5 her aunt was unable to look after her anymore as she found work over in Germany. Heidi then went to live with her grandfather who lived high up in the mountains. This is where Heidi met Peter and Peter's grandmother. When Heidi was a bit older her aunt visited again and mentioned that she would benefit from living in Germany with a wealthy family. Heidi went to Germany and learned to read and write. This is where she met Clara, who was a sickly girl and was unable to walk. The family doctor saw that Heidi was homesick and recommended for her to move back to her grandfather's place. Clara came to visit however Peter became jealous and threw her wheelchair down the mountain. Clara was then able to learn to walk.
22 reviews
February 25, 2019
I did not like this book very much. In my opinion, I thought that it was a bore. I do not know if the full version would is better, but it probably would be. There were some good things about the book. I like how the author showed that young kids can make a difference in people’s lives. I like how the author used a Heidi, a little girl, to change other people’s point of views in life. I wish that the author had put more plot into the story, or at least the shortened version. It would make a more improved story. Some of the things about the story were realistic. Children can really bring joy to other lives, but I do not think that the “mountain air” can cure a person of their illness. Overall, this book was not one of the best of the “Great Illustrated Classics.”
October 19, 2024
Dopo alcune letture belle ma "impegnative" avevo bisogno di qualcosa di più leggero, e quindi mi sono cimentato con un classico per ragazzi che ancora mi mancava. Che dire... All'inizio la bucolocità del racconto e i suoi semplici potagonisti sortiscono l'effetto desiderato, ma più si va avanti più tutto diviene stucchevole. Quando poi si incomincia a parlare di Dio e della Sua grandezza, il racconto perde ogni interesse e diviene ripetitivo. Al contrario di altri classici poi è invecchiato male e dimostra tutti i suoi anni. Forse è così, o forse sono solo troppo vecchio e troppo cinico per goderne. Peccato
3 reviews
May 23, 2017
Heidi is about a little girl that grew up a foster child but then lived with her aunt for about months, but then she was taken to her grandfather which was very weird because her grandfather was very angry and never showed emotion on his face, so a lot of people thought of him as a bad person and a person who killed his wife, there was an accident that happen with his wife, he was accused of killing his wife but what really happened was that a rock rolled down the high mountain and killed her. Heidi's grandpa lived in in the mountains so that was the reason why he was accused of killing his own wife. After awhile of settling in her grandpa's house the pastor of her church stopped by Heidi's house and asked her grandfather why doesn't he take Heidi to school, Heidi started to get curios and started to ask questions her self. Heidi's grandpa was so angry he sent the pastor off, and he yelled at Heidi for sending the pastor to ask for her. After that day Heidi's grandpa was angry with her so every time he would look at her he would just look at her a mean way, he kept his face like that for a long time until Heidi apologized to him then he would get over and told her to don't let it happen again before there will be consequences.
1,681 reviews32 followers
February 7, 2018
I read this as a child but wanted to re-read as I have forgotten much of it. Interesting read.
Heidi, of the majestic Swiss Alps, finds beauty and wisdom in nature. Living in isolation with Grandfather and two goats, she develops a special feeling for the plants and animals in their hills and valleys. Her life changes when she is urged to study in a city. She befriends an invalid girl but is homesick for her mountain life. Adventures in her alpine home and with city friends will warm your heart.

This was published as a series of novels by Johanna Spyri in 1881.
Profile Image for Andrea.
70 reviews1 follower
May 27, 2023
Todos conocemos la historia de Heidi, una pequeña niña huérfana abandonada por su tía, a manos de un único abuelo que ella no conoce. Pero en el entorno de un paisaje de montañas y campos la pequeña protagonista aprenderá sobre la vida, la religión, la educación, la naturaleza, la amistad y todo desde la óptica más inocente posible. Cuando cree que nada puede cambiar su visión de la vida, un viaje inesperado le hará adquirir nuevos aprendizajes.
Profile Image for Maren.
512 reviews
January 28, 2020
A very sweet story, even better than the Heidi Song VHS I wore out watching over and over again when I was a child. A bit preachy at times, but that seems to be a theme for any turn of the century female authors, and since it always seems to focus on just being thankful for what one has, I definitely don't mind as I kind of wish there was more of that in the world myself.
Profile Image for Arnetha Villery.
117 reviews60 followers
March 12, 2020
Orphaned Heidi is taken to live with her grandfather, a grumpy hermit. But the bond of love that grows between them is disrupted when Heidi is taken to live in the city as a companion to an invalid girl. This classic story has lost none of its joy and power, but its slow pace and old-fashioned ethos is not for everyone.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🙂
Profile Image for Subha Ganapathi.
14 reviews
December 27, 2018
Made an interesting read. The friendship and bonding between Clara and Heidi, and Peter and Heidi was beautiful. The walk on the mountains and the fresh goat milk are words that you will ever forever. A lovely book that I read as a child.
Profile Image for Heather Ryan.
59 reviews1 follower
January 11, 2019
This was my favorite book as a child and it definitely lives up to my fond memories of it. Obviously, it was a totally different experience reading it as an adult, as most children's books are. But even so, it had a pretty decent storyline, and really hit all of my nostalgia buttons.
Profile Image for Allie Vera.
84 reviews5 followers
November 22, 2019
I'm sure the full edition is better, but this is the edition I had as a child so it sits quite close to my heart. I enjoy it even more now as it's so clear on every page how wholly and sweetly Spyri loved the Swiss Alps.
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