Heidi (German Children's Classics)

When my sister spotted on Facebook that I had signed up for the Classics Club Challenge, she kindly lent me three classics from her bookshelves: The Secret Garden, Heidi and Animal Farm. Of the three, Heidi is intended, I think, for the youngest audience so I swiftly zipped through it in an afternoon and very much enjoyed the read. In common with Black Beauty, which I revisited five years ago, Heidi does rather hector its readership. (Black Beauty lectured against cruelty to animals and Heidi lectures on practicing Christianity) It's still a beautifully inspirational story though and I defy anyone not to want to live in a Swiss mountain cabin after reading it! Fresh mountain air and good companionship are the cures for all ills and being a preternaturally good child will get you your heart's desire in the end.

Spyri obviously had a tremendous love for rural Switzerland and this shines through in her writing. By contrast, the Frankfurt city scenes, while very funny in their clash of cultures and manners, feel claustrophobic. I could easily imagine Heidi's homesickness being so aggravated by the hemmed in streets and walls. This story is utterly charming and the definitive 'heartwarming tale', yet manages to avoid becoming nauseating! I loved the relationships between Heidi and the elderly characters. Age is depicted as synonymous with patience and wisdom whereas younger adult characters are often quite the opposite. All in all, another book well deserving of its Classic status. I just wish I knew what became of the kittens!