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    Heidi
    Heidi
    Heidi
    Audiobook5 hours

    Heidi

    Written by Johanna Spyri

    Narrated by Frances Cassidy

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Orphaned at an early age and taken in by her young aunt Dete, Heidi is soon in the way. Dete has a new and better job where Heidi is not welcome, so the child must live with her curmudgeon of a grandfather high on the Alm Mountain in the Swiss Alps. Everyone calls him the Alm-Uncle because he never comes down to the village, even in the coldest winter, and he's developed a reputation as an evil, godless old hermit. But Heidi soon finds that things are not always what others say they are, makes friends with the Alm-Uncle, and happily runs wild in the glorious mountains with the goat boy, Peter, and his goats.

    Suddenly, Dete appears again, and Heidi finds herself confined in a stone house in a stone city where she is expected to be companion to the invalid Clara. Dete sees this as a great opportunity for Heidi, one that will provide her with an education and polish. But, bitterly unhappy away from her grandfather and the outdoor life she has grown to love, Heidi at last makes her way back to the Alm. How Klara finally comes to the mountains as well, and the surprising events that follow, form the heartwarming ending to a story that has been loved for generations by children all over the world.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateDec 15, 2008
    ISBN9781400178834
    Author

    Johanna Spyri

    Johanna Spyri (1827-1901) was a Swiss writer of children’s books. She began writing during the Franco-Prussian War to raise money for the Red Cross. Her best-known work, Heidi, was adapted for film several times.

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    Reviews for Heidi

    4/5

    77 ratings62 reviews

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    • 5/5
      A very special book. I am so glad I finally read the unabridged version.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 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.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      I first read this when I was 8, and have read it to/with my own daughters. This is a firm favourite and even now, it's part of my "comfort reading". I most recently read it again just before xmas after a bout of flu. Better than chicken soup!
    • 3/5
      A great classic.
    • 5/5
      Beautiful- a classic, a simple story of a little girl growing up in the mountains.
    • 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.
    • 4/5
      I loved this book as a child, but now... Heidi is a little bit over the top in her 'high on life in the mountains' approach. Also, there is the strange scene where Peter must learn to read and is 'encouraged' by rhymes that tell him he'll be beaten or shipped off to the Hottentots if he doesn't succeed! Still worth reading, but... just the tiniest bit psycho, IMHO.
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      recommended for: girls of all agesI reread this story frequently as a girl. One of the most evocative and effectively descriptive books I’ve ever read. A wonderful story about a young girl who goes to live with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps. Loved the side story that takes place in town away from her grandfather as well. I always craved cheese and bread as I read the story, and there was nothing more satisfying than curling up with Heidi and some cheese & bread. When young, I didn’t understand that the goat cheese described in the book was different from the cow’s milk cheese I ate. (Now that I’m a long term vegan, I would no longer crave any animal procured cheese, but I think I’d still enjoy the story.) A worthy children’s classic. The sequels: Heidi Grows Up and Heidi’s Children were written by a different author – the original author’s translator. I enjoyed them, but they were not as pleasurable to read as Heidi.
    • 5/5
      Little girl's classics. Read around same time as Little Women.
    • 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.
    • 4/5
      This book is famous story. Main character's name is Heidi.But true name is not Heidi, but Adelheid.She lives with her grandfather in his little wooden house. Miraculously,people often change when they meet little Heidi!!This story made me feel happy and moved me.Especially, when you are not fine, I want you to read this book!!
    • 5/5
      very good book
    • 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.”
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      I loved it, but then again - I have a high threshold for sentimental stories. Heidi’s innocence reminded me of Little Lord Fauntleroy. They change everything around them with their boldness and joy. They are kindred spirits. Both are helping to dig out the heart of gold thats buried deep inside a gruff, reclusive man. In Heidi’s case its Alm Uncle who lives in the mountains and who reluctantly have to raise orphaned Heidi all alone. This story also let me reflect upon the providence of God as it is one of the themes in the novel. The book is filled with “God-talk” - too preachy? Maybe. But somehow nothing beats the simple straightforward faith of a little child. The grandmother in Frankfurt teaches Heidi to pray and talks in length about God’s providence - and Heidi reflects several times upon it later in the book and talks to Alm Uncle and her friend Clara about it: “We must go on praying for everything, so that God may know we do not forget that it all comes from Him. If we forget God, then He lets us go our own way and we get into trouble; grandmamma told me so. And if He does not give us what we ask for we must not think that He has not heard us and leave off praying, but we must still pray and say, I am sure, dear God, that Thou art keeping something better for me, and I will not be unhappy, for I know that Thou wilt make everything right in the end”. Well, thanks Heidi. For your love of goats, flowers and for reading all those hymns for your blind grandmother and for bringing her soft white bread to eat and pillows so she can sleep. And for always praying as your grandmother in Frankfurt told you to - and for believing - even when God does not answer - that he is keeping something better for you.
    • 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.

    • 4/5
      So, okay, Heidi's one of those characters that're excessively perfect, but the story is captivating nonetheless. Heidi's creative, and her fun in the Alps was fun to read about. What I remember perhaps the most about this book was that she learned to read after she discovered the value of reading- that the letters held words and stories.
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      I have an antique edition, that was my mom's when she was a kid. The story is about love, loyalty and helping other people.
    • 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).
    • 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.
    • 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...
    • 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.
    • 4/5
      Recently reread, and a pleasure to read as an adult. Heidi is an orphan, abandoned by her aunt, who leaves her in the mountains with a bitter grandfather. The story is sweet, but believable and should be a must-read.
    • 4/5
      A well written story about a sweet little girl and how she changes the people in her life.