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    Heidi
    Heidi
    Heidi
    Audiobook53 minutes

    Heidi

    Written by Johanna Spyri and Paul Davenport

    Narrated by Multiple Narrators

    4/5

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    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
    PublisherOxford University Press
    Release dateOct 27, 2011
    ISBN9780194609272
    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

    1,526 ratings71 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I have mixed views about this book. On one hand, it is sickeningly twee, with a heavy dose of religion thrown in. On the other hand, it was written over 130 years ago in God-fearing times, when people respected the upper classes. Still, Heidi's endless selflessness and do-gooding is rather nauseating.
    • 5/5
      A very special book. I am so glad I finally read the unabridged version.
    • 5/5
      I checked this book out from the library numerous times in my elementary school years. Something about the warm-hearted and spirited mountain girl Heidi always kept me running back to this book, though it was perhaps the beautiful descriptions of the mountains and the goats that most fascinated me - I had no trouble reading and then re-reading some of the best passages for hours on end. Finally bought my own copy a couple of years ago when walking through a used books store contemplating purchasing possibilities: I passed the children's section and Heidi jumped to mind, and, luckily, it was in stock. I read it again and found it every bit as enjoyable as I did when younger, though I find myself even more drawn to the outdoors imagery as opposed to the people than I did before. If the book has any fault, it is that its innocent-girl-changes-all-the-bitter-people-around-her story is a little too sweet, sometimes bordering on the preachy, and is, at times, almost laughable. But it's difficult to really hold this against the work, as it is rather a moral story for children. In that light it succeeds brilliantly. Any child that doesn't get to experience the simple joy that is Heidi is missing out on a treasure among books.
    • 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.
    • 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
      A well written story about a sweet little girl and how she changes the people in her life.
    • 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
      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.
    • 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.
    • 4/5
      This was my first chapter book, which my dad read to me nightly as a seven year old because I could never get past the first chapter on my own. I remember liking it, but had no recollection of the plot beyond the fact that Heidi is a little Swiss girl. As it turns out, there's not much more to it.Rereading as an adult, I still enjoy the book, but it lacks the weight of great literature that accompanies some other children's classics. It is a simple moral tale and does a marvelous job of presenting the world through a child's eyes. Heidi seems to warm the heart of everyone she meets, and points to God as one who will do good to the faithful in His perfect timing. The message is saccharine but not cloying, and helped by the refreshing respite of descriptive detail provided about Heidi's Alpine home (and if you've ever visited Switzerland, you'll know that it is just as rejuvenating a place as Spyri claims). The characters at times could have been better fleshed out; you never find out why, for example, Heidi's grandfather has turned his back on the town, and though the heroine is equal parts ornery and adorable, she lacks the spunk of an Anne Shirley or a Jo March. However, this is a nice book to introduce children to rich descriptive language about places and not just about plot details or characterisation, and an adequate precursor to those beloved novels. Think of it as a fine Christmas dessert, to be enjoyed, in moderation, at a specific time in life, but not to be feasted on regularly, and you and your children will probably have as much fun with it as I did as a seven year old.
    • 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.
    • 3/5
      nearly as old as me. Quite tatty.
    • 4/5
      Schmaltzy, yes, but also endearing. Who doesn't want to run from yucky Frankfurt into the Alps and live on goat milk?
    • 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.
    • 3/5
      Good story even if it's supposed to be for girls!
    • 4/5
      The familiar children's' story. I was surprise to see Heidi described as having dark hair and eyes. I always thought of her as blond (Shirley Temple's fault).The amount of religious references to prayer and God surprised me.
    • 4/5
      What a charming book this is! Our titular character, Heidi, is an absolute delight! She has such a refreshing outlook on life, brings sunshine to the lives of everyone she knows, and has a way of thinking of others before herself.

      The story begins with Heidi being dropped off at her grandfather’s house at the top of a high Alpine hill, a man she’s scarcely met, when her aunt who has raised her thus far leaves to take a job with a wealthy family. Heidi immediately takes to the mountain air, the Alpine flowers, her grandfather and his little cottage, and even the local goatherd boy and all of the goats. After a time of reveling in the freedom the outdoors provides her, Heidi is then taken by the same aunt to live with a different wealthy family, as a companion to their daughter. But Heidi longs for her Alpine home, her grandfather, and the friends she’s made on the hill. Nevertheless, Heidi is a true delight to her new friend Clara, even though the family’s home in town is much different from Heidi’s mountain home.

      Full of joy, cheer, doing good for others, as well as delightful and awe-inspiring descriptions of the Swiss Alps and its flora and fauna, this story is a classic must for every family.

      This edition of the book, from Barnes and Noble, is also quite lovely with gilded-edged covers, a lovely ribbon bookmark, and 11 beautiful illustrations.

      While definitely highly recommended, I am rating this one as four stars rather than five, as, while thoroughly enjoyable, pleasant, and refreshing, it did pale a bit in complexity as compared to something like Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, which is from roughly the same era of the late 1800’s.

      Read this one with your little’s and perhaps they too, like Heidi, will charmingly “want to go about like the light-footed goats”.
    • 4/5
      This year, I am trying to read children's books that were adapted into my favorite anime series in the 90s.
      The story of Heidi has the epitome of a typical "promdi"* who goes to the city for the first time and doesn't adhere to the city norms. The scenery in the mountainside is thoroughly illustrated in words and the characters have recognizable personalities.

      *promdi- Filipino portmanteau word "from the province", a nickname given to a person who grew up in the countryside and has little experience of the city life
    • 5/5
      This book has sold more than fifty million copies worldwide, has been translated into over fifty languages, and has been enjoyed by generations of children. Heidi is a charming story is about an orphaned girl who is sent away from her aunt to live with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps. Heidi’s grandfather is a cold hearted and mean man when they first meet. Slowly they get to know one another and the love between Heidi and her grandfather grows. Heidi also becomes friends with two other children, Peter and Clara. When Peter, who is Heidi's grandfather's shepherd, starts to become jealous of her relationship with wheelchair bound Clara, he sets in motion a terrible, yet ultimately wonderful event. This is one of those classic books that I would highly recommend to anyone, from a ten year old to an adult. It demonstrates the power of friendship. Unlike the angst driven young characters of today, Heidi is a heartwarming girl who is always grateful and contented, no matter what her situation. Is it realistic? Probably not, but it's still a lovely story. The first time I read Heidi was 55 years ago and occasionally I like to go to my “nostalgia” bookshelf and recapture a moment of childhood magic. It's hard to find a more magical story than “Heidi”.
    • 4/5
      Little orphan, Heidi, is carted off at 8 years old to live with her hermit grandfather, after her cousin wearies of caring for her. The grandfather lives in a hut in the Swiss Alps, a healthy walk up from the nearest village. She quickly wins the hearts of her grandfather, Peter, the goatherd boy and his family. (That's the first third of the book.) Out of the blue, the cousin shows up and carts Heidi off to send her to live with a family in Frankfurt, whose wheelchair bound daughter, Clara, wants for a companion. Heidi quickly wins Clara's heart (as well as the butler, Sebastian, who is perhaps my favorite character, though a minor one) though her charms never seduce the housekeeper, Frau Rottenmeier. Though Heidi loves Clara, she misses her mountain home, and her grandfather, and begins to slowly waste away, until eventually Clara's doctor tells the family that Heidi must be sent back home, for the city life is slowly killing her. (That's the second third of the book - and the best part.) That last third is a slow and steady avalanche of sunshine and roses. Heidi goes home and recovers fully. The doctor comes to visit, and he grows healthier. He tells Clara's father that his daughter must visit, as the mountain air will do her good. Indeed it does! The invalid up and walking before you know it, evidently healed her her leg paralysis by mountain air and goat's milk! Who knew? Clara's wealthy father is so grateful, he puts Heidi in his will so that she will never want for anything as long as she lives. There are a few Sunday school sermons on trust in God thrown in for good measure, which were so preachy they took the reader out of the story for the duration of the God-lecture. I found the first and second parts of the book entertaining and deserving of its classic status. The third part however was so unrealistically and relentlessly positive and cheerful that the book as a whole suffered for it a bit; and was also harmed by the little sermonettes whenever those turned up.
    • 3/5
      A great classic.
    • 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.
    • 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).
    • 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.
    • 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
      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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 3/5
      It's sweet—makes everything seem like it will work out for the best if you're a good person.
    • 5/5
      very good book