Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Heidi
Heidi
Heidi
Audiobook53 minutes

Heidi

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

'I'm not going with you, Aunt Dete!' Heidi cries. 'Oh yes, you are!' Dete answers. Heidi loves her home in the Swiss mountains, her grandfather, and her friend Peter, the goatherd. So when Aunt Dete takes her away to Frankfurt, she doesn't leave happily. In Frankfurt, Heidi is soon good friends with Clara Sesemann, a rich but very ill girl in a wheelchair. But how can Heidi live without the mountains? And what can she do about Fraulein Rottenmeier, the Sesemanns' unfriendly housekeeper?
LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 27, 2011
ISBN9780194609272
Author

Johanna Spyri

Johanna Spyri (1827-1901), a lifelong resident of Switzerland, began to write stories to earn money for refugees from the Franco-Prussian War. Heidi, her first novel, was also her most successful, though she wrote many other children's books. Spyri's firm belief in the natural innocence of children and their ability to grow up into decent, caring adults if left to their own devices was remarkably similar to that of her Danish contemporary, Hans Christian Andersen.

Related to Heidi

Related audiobooks

ESL For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Heidi

Rating: 3.8838748854993983 out of 5 stars
4/5

1,662 ratings62 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    After a recent trip to Switzerland, was motivated to re-read after about 50 years. - and it's amazing how much comes back to me. Even the names of the goats, the nasty Fraulein Rottenmeier...Reading it as an adult, it IS a tad saccharine and religious ; but it's not aimed at adults, and I loved it as a child.When orphaned Heidi is dumped on a curmudgeonly grandfather, living apart from the rest of the village on a mountain, the neighbours foresee her having a tough time. But the old man gradually unbends, and Heidi soon adores the outdoors life, helping goatherd Peter with the animals and visiting his blind grandmother. But then Heidi's aunt whisks back into their life, having found the child a 'situation' as companion to a well-to-do wheelchair-bound girl in Frankfurt...Much homesickness, a taking on board of the precepts of Christianity...and a successful ending for all.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Heidi by Johanna Spyri was written around 1880 and for this reason the wording is very old fashion and stiff to read. Yet, knowing the era the story is set in suits the formal writing. I found it easy to accept and even to ignore.Heidi is about a young girl who lives in the Swiss mountains. Everyone who meets her falls under her spell as she is a girl of innocence and loves helping people. Her loving nature and giving heart result in people depending on her more than they should.The story is well known by most people, as it was to me. What I didn’t know was that the book is heavily religious orientated. These days, a writer is warned to be subtle in the messages they wish to share with their audience. The messages within Heidi were not subtle! The messages are clear and strong, sometimes even a bit overpowering, but I didn't allow that to ruin the story."Give with a willing heart.""Remember God in all that you do and the reward will be greater than your wish."I’m glad I read the ebook for no other reason than the fact that I can now say I’ve read it. It was good to revisit a childhood story and discover new things within it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved "Heidi" as a little girl and having just revisited it, it was still a sweet read. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the beautiful Swiss Alps, which I was lucky enough to visit last year.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Digital audiobook performed by Johanna Ward. 4.5**** This classic of children’s literature tells the story of Heidi, a young orphan girl who lives with her gruff grandfather up on a Swiss mountain. She befriends Peter, the goatherd, and becomes beloved by all the villagers. I’d seen the Shirley Temple movie about a million times when I was a child and absolutely loved it, but I had never read the book. It’s a wonderful story about a child who has lost much but relishes all that she has. She’s intelligent, open-minded, hind-hearted and has a great generosity of spirit. She comes across several mean-spirited (and downright nasty) people, but her cheerfulness wins over many people and she eventually prevails. I listened to the audio performed by Johanna Ward. She does a marvelous job, with clear diction and a pace that isn’t too fast for younger listeners to absorb.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    You can taste this novel. You can breathe it. You can feel the embraces of the grandfather and Peter's mother. Your own legs tingle as Clara's come to life and she begins to walk. Heidi may be just a shade on the corny side (and the movies are even worse), but Spyri's classic is uniquely alive, incredibly sensuous. You are genuinely thrilled when Heidi gets back to the mountains, genuinely moved when Clara walks and the reclusive grandfather is brought back into his community. A beauty.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this when I was a child and reread it recently. I hadn't realized the Christian sensibility; it turns out many of the books I read as a child had this perspective. But Spyri excels at describing the mountain and the natural settings, exquisitely.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Heidi moved to her grandfather to live with him on the mountains. She met Peter and became good friends. Her grandfather does not want Heidi to send her to school. After a couple of weeks being there, her aunt takes her to Frankfurt to live with Clara a girl in a wheelchair that needed a companion. Heidi really liked Clara they also became good friends. Heidi learned how to read while with Clara. But Heidi always wanted to go back to the mountains, and became sick for missing it so much. At the end she goes back to the mountains with her grandfather. Later, Clara comes to visit her and end up staying with Heidi. Clara was so happy there, that she end ups walking.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Schmaltzy, yes, but also endearing. Who doesn't want to run from yucky Frankfurt into the Alps and live on goat milk?
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A great classic.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I owned this book as a child and I read it over and over again. I don't think I've read it since I was about 11. My main memory is how evocatively it described the Alps. It truly made me want to go there (which I have yet to do, but some day...!). Oddly enough, I have never felt the need to go to Frankfurt.Heidi remains a fast, pleasant read, full of gorgeous scenery. I didn't recall the heavy Christian message, though that's certainly in keeping with the time period--right along with the 'heal yourself through nature' theme. I think looking at the book in the historical context is pretty important, as otherwise the book comes across as trite and predictable with lots of stereotyped characters, though this is the book that established many major tropes.I actually saw the Shirley Temple movie based on the book recently. As a kid, I vastly preferred the book because it is more centered in nature and had a better ending, I thought (even 1930s Hollywood felt the need to end everything with a dramatic chase scene). The book gives Peter a lot more nuance with his learning disability, selfish inclinations, and guilt complex.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    very good book
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    3.5 stars5-year old Heidi, an orphan, has been raised by her aunt since she was a baby, but now Heidi’s aunt feels that it’s time Heidi went to live with her grandfather on a mountain in the Swiss Alps. Heidi loves the mountain and the goats who belong to the goatherd neighbour, Peter. Heidi, later, is recruited to go to Frankfurt to be a companion to Clara, who is in a wheelchair. But, oh, she misses her mountain and her grandfather so much!I remember that I read this as a child, and I loved it! I didn’t remember much about it, except that Heidi lived with her grandfather on a mountain. I remembered nothing else (until the characters were introduced: oh, yeah – Peter the goatherd and Clara, the girl in a wheelchair!). I started off thinking I’d rate this read of it (an audio) 4 stars, I decided on 3.5 (good). I suspect it might have been better to read it, rather than listen; however, fond memories remain. I did enjoy the reminder of what actually happened in the book (although it does seem I missed bits and pieces, here and there – I suspect I wouldn’t have if I’d not listened to the audio).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I knew this book had made an impact on my five-year-old when he asked to drink his milk from a bowl this morning, like Heidi. It wasn't goat's milk, but I'm not sure he's adventurous enough for that. Maybe if we were on the Alm.

    This book has a similar theme as Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess, but the characters are even more perfect. I mean, everyone is a sweetheart, except for Fraulein Rottenmeier and Peter at times, and even their misbehaviors can be explained by personal weakness (fear and jealousy) so that we can forgive them. Of course, Heidi is never tried to the degree that Sara Crewe is, so maybe she'd be less sweet if really given a test, and who knows how she acted as a teenager (there would be an interesting book).

    But what's funny is that while I normally can't stand stories with people who are ridiculously kind, I really, really enjoyed this one. It's just a heart-warming story, and I don't even care if it's totally unrealistic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Heidi is a book for those who want to become lost in another world. The story is full of happy endings and finding joy in frustrations and sorrows, but it is meant to be a very feel good kind of thing. This is a world where good mountain air cures everything, including the inability to walk. This is also exactly the way the story should be. Heidi is a classic for a very good reason and all children should experience it at least once in their lifetime.For me, the most memorable thing about the story, aside from all of the good that is done for others, are the pictures my mind was able to paint when reading the words. Heidi has always been a very visual experience for me, even when reading a copy that doesn't have illustrations, as my copy does. This is the kind of thing you can easily and honestly put before your mind and come up with a crisp, clear image that makes you want to stay in that place forever. I don't reread it often enough.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    You can taste this novel. You can breathe it. You can feel the embraces of the grandfather and Peter's mother. Your own legs tingle as Clara's come to life and she begins to walk. Heidi may be just a shade on the corny side (and the movies are even worse), but Spyri's classic is uniquely alive, incredibly sensuous. You are genuinely thrilled when Heidi gets back to the mountains, genuinely moved when Clara walks and the reclusive grandfather is brought back into his community. A beauty.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Heartwarming tale lived up to my memories. Narrator Marnie MacAdams did a good job except for the voice of Frau Rottenmeier, which I didn't like.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I read this book so often as a child that the covers fell off, the binding broke, and I lost about half the pages. Heidi is almost insufferable in her Merciful Christian Perfection--but only *almost*. There's a spark of fun to her, and I was absolutely enthralled by her simple, earthy lifestyle. As an urban kid in the 20th century, the idea that soft bread could be a luxury blew my mind (to the extent that twenty years later, Heidi's meals with Clara are still the main thing I remember about this book). Didn't much like the grandfather or the goats.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved this book in a way I could never love Little Women or Anne of Green Gables, and I have no idea why. I think something about it just appealed to me. However, the sequel is actually BETTER.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My mother read Heidi to me when I was 5, and I reread it every year until I went to college.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I remember reading this when I was in the 5th grade. At that time, I was too young to grasp the actual meaning that this book has behind it. Now re-reading this book, I am touched deaply by this book.

    This childs book carries several big messages. 1.) God is to be thanked for what we have in life. That through prayer, we are able to speak to God and be blessed. 2.) It's important that we care for those who are not capable to care for themselves. 3.) Be kind to others.

    This is such a wonderful book. Every young child should read this.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A well written story about a sweet little girl and how she changes the people in her life.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A very special book. I am so glad I finally read the unabridged version.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    That was pleasant. I had a mind to read Heidi ever since I saw the 1993 Disney film with Noley Thornton as Heidi and Jason Robards as her grandfather. Wonderful movie I watched several times (much better than the 1937 version, I'd say), but I never got around to reading the book in childhood. I recently figured it wasn't too late, so I got my hands on a copy. Glad I did (though there's not much accurate about the long-haired girl standing next to a pond or lake or something, on the cover of my copy. Should be a short-haired curly top on a mountain!)I found I liked the overall pacing of the 1993 movie better than the book, which seemed to have a lag in the middle, but then I learned that the book was originally published as two works. Knowing the second half of the story was originally a sequel explains the pacing, and I was surprised and buoyed by the God-lessons present in the book. Reading it answered some questions I had as a child when I watched the film, namely: "What's supposed to happen to Heidi in a few years though, since her grandfather is old?" The book did have an end or two that could be described as loose, and though the next volume of Heidi's story was not written by Spyri, and I wouldn't call myself the hugest fan of writers writing continuations to other people's stories, I'm tempted to check out the next book to see what's what in it, since it seems to be a pretty accepted sequel.Again I say, pleasant reading. Definitely a book I'd recommend for children--and maybe even other adults who didn't get around to reading it earlier, like me.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book would be good to use to show another culture. Students will like this book because of how Heidi thinks of things that are out of the ordinary.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Schmaltzy, yes, but also endearing. Who doesn't want to run from yucky Frankfurt into the Alps and live on goat milk?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The big idea of Heidi focuses on caring for friends and family, and staying positive in life. Visually, the illustrations were a little plain. They did not capture my attention like other colorful illustrations have before. The third person point of view was a good choice for this story, because it allowed the audience to understand all of the characters emotions. The characters were very well developed in that I really felt close to them by the end of the story. I believe the author accomplished this by giving us background knowledge on each character. For example, telling about Klara’s condition and saying she needed a companion due to her impairment introduced her, a character who uses a wheelchair. Examples like this will help the reader feel more emotionally connected to characters. The author also does a good job at providing good context for the era this story takes place in by subtly talking about the contemporary issues of the time. Overall, I really enjoyed the sweet plot and characters of this story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Heidi, aka The Mountains Aren’t Handicap Accessible, is the story of an orphaned 5-year-old who’s dropped at her recluse grandfather’s home in the Swiss mountains. Her sunny demeanor changes everyone around her. From her cranky grandpa to Peter the goat-herd to a blind elderly woman, she cheers up everyone she meets.She’s the picture of innocence and optimism. Her naïve view of the world encourages others and gives them hope. She’s a bit of a Pollyanna and finds her greatest satisfaction in doing things for others.Soon after moving to the mountains she’s sent off to Frankfurt, Germany to live as a companion to Klara, a rich girl who is confined to a wheelchair. She finds herself battling an overwhelming homesickness for her life in the mountains and detests city life.It’s a good story, but Heidi is just so sweet. That’s not a bad thing it just meant there wasn’t much to dig my teeth into. I think this would be a perfect book to read with kids, although it was much longer than I expected it to be (almost 300 pages).“How good it is that the dear Lord doesn’t give us what we pray so terribly hard for when He knows of something much better.”
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Heidi, by Johanna Spyri, is one of my favourite books. It is heartwarming to read about Heidi’s sweet personality and how she brightens the lives of her grandfather, Clara, and so many others. I can easily imagine Heidi’s adventures in my mind, and find Heidi a very memorable story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My copy of Heidi is actually a hardback with beautiful illustrations. I loved this book. Probably very unrealistic, with an overly idyllic picture of the setting -- but lovely all the same.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    As a kid, I used to pretend to be eidi when I was going to sleep, and pretend that I was sleeping in my little bed of hay in Grandfather's house...