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36th out of 290 books
—
99 voters
Roughing It in the Bush
She went on to chronicle her experiences in this personal, accurate, and often humorous account. This Norton Critical Edition of Roughing It in the Bush provides everything that a student needs to analyze and enjoy Moodie s tale. A thorough Backgrounds section includes images, a map, contemporary reviews of Roughing It, and letters written by Moodie to her husband during t...more
Paperback, 587 pages
Published
April 24th 2007
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published 1852)
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I once saw Jon Stewart on Just for Laughs doing a bit of standup, talking about Canadians (paraphrased here). " It's amazing", he said, "that your ancestors got off the boat at the first frozen port and, looking around at the snow and ice and wilderness, said, 'Yep, looks good to me'. And stayed. 'What's that? You heard they've got palm trees and sunshine if we keep heading south? Nah, this is good right here'." I've marvelled at that myself: that my own ancestors chose Canada, and having surviv...more
I loved this book! Free on the Kindle as well, which is a bonus. You can't help but feel sorry for poor old Susanna Moodie. She has to emigrate to Canada with her husband because of financial problems, but when they get there they go through a whole litany of problems, money issues, and terrible circumstances. One truly memorable passage has a farm worker setting all the fields round her house on fire by mistake. Susanna and her kids are trapped in the cottage by a huge ring of fire, minutes awa...more
A classic must-read. Incredible insight - as if reading a diary - into life in the backwoods of Ontario before Confederation. The details of what life was like and how hard the work was for women - and the isolation particularly in winter, are incredible.
Interesting to read about the culture shock that Susanna experiences and how she retains her strong personality and snobbiness in spite of the hardship.
A wonderful companion read to her sister, Catharine Par Traill's book, as their personalities...more
Interesting to read about the culture shock that Susanna experiences and how she retains her strong personality and snobbiness in spite of the hardship.
A wonderful companion read to her sister, Catharine Par Traill's book, as their personalities...more
Roughing It in the Bush is an account of the middle-class Moodies' first years in North America. Susanna and her husband John were woefully unprepared for life in the "bush," which made for lots of good material for Susanna to write about. Although it's supposed to be non-fiction, it seems pretty clear that the character "Susanna Moodie" is a lot ditzier than the writer Susanna Moodie was, i.e. that the stories were embellished to make them more funny and entertaining. While the writer Susanna M...more
it was very interesting to see how it really was during the pioneer days of canada this was the first account of what it was actually like bc most literature pertaining to settling was euphemistic, trying to convince people to move here. she was snobby, though, she almost always had hired help and she wasnt really the salt of the earth type we always envisioned or at least i always do. most often with a long book I get so into it that the length doesn't fase me. With this book yiu have to push t...more
Jun 28, 2009
Brad
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
canadian-lit,
autobiography
Roughing it in the Bush is one of those books that is undeniably important (within its own limited sphere of influence). But it is also way more important than it is readable.
As an icon of Canadian Literature, Susanna Moodie has particular importance for Feminist Canadian writers. Her work has directly inspired many Canadian memoirs by women, and Margaret Atwood, one of Canada's most honoured writers, found inspiration in it for her poetry cycle, The Journals of Susanna Moodie.
But Moodie's memoi...more
As an icon of Canadian Literature, Susanna Moodie has particular importance for Feminist Canadian writers. Her work has directly inspired many Canadian memoirs by women, and Margaret Atwood, one of Canada's most honoured writers, found inspiration in it for her poetry cycle, The Journals of Susanna Moodie.
But Moodie's memoi...more
5 likes · like · see review
I have immense admiration for those gentlewomen from cultured Europe who found themselves hacking out a life - literally - in the backwoods of Canada. This account of immigrant life in what is now Ontario (Upper Canada then) certainly details the hardships and struggles, making me question whether I could have survived with those challenges. If Susanna Moodie's voice grates a little, we have to remember the privileged society from which she came.
Apr 26, 2009
C
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
started-but-couldn-t-finish
A very interesting book about one woman's experience in settling in Canada from England and the difference between what they were told in England and the reality in Canada.
I really enjoyed reading about her interactions with the First Nations people and the Americans who were settled in southern Ontario. The First Nations were described as a very kind and friendly people while she seemed to have a very low opinion of the Americans who came off as thieving dishonest.
Format was easy to read, her...more
I really enjoyed reading about her interactions with the First Nations people and the Americans who were settled in southern Ontario. The First Nations were described as a very kind and friendly people while she seemed to have a very low opinion of the Americans who came off as thieving dishonest.
Format was easy to read, her...more
I love 'olden days' stuff, and my ancestors were living in the same area, around the same time. Kinda cool.
Edited to add: I don't know if this is the one I read, or if it was Life in the Backwoods. They were both the same book on Kobo. :)
Edited to add: I don't know if this is the one I read, or if it was Life in the Backwoods. They were both the same book on Kobo. :)
Published in 1852, this is a humorous account of what life in what was then the backwoods of Ontario. Talk about connecting with your roots - this puts the growth of our province and nation into perspective....
Such fun to read about past prejudices and habits - thank goodness we've gotten past some of that. I'm enjoying reading about the home remedies they used - some of them worked and some obviously didn't.
Most people hated this good when I had to read it for a Canadian Women's Literature Class, but I thought it was brilliant. If you don't like long winded writing then this is not the book for you.
I know everyone praises this book, but i found it kind of lacking ... like half the information is missing, she tells these mini-stories but leaves out either the beginning or the ending of them
This Norton Critical edition is far superior to the New Canadian Library edition, which omits lots of the original text.
Read this for a Canadian history course, thought it gave a really good story of what settler life was truly like.
Loved it very useful for my work but also an interesting glimpse into early canadian life.
Written in 1832. Great history of pioneers in Quebec.
Too slow; old-school English; dragged on.
no where near as interesting the title implies :P
Fantastic!
I usually enjoy the stuff I read in school but this was brutal. The whole time I wanted her to get eaten by a bear or something. Her husbands writing (which is put into the novel in different parts) is even more brutal than hers. Prof's who make their students read this are performing cruel and unusual punishment on their students!
The moral of her story: do not immigrate to Canada unless you are suited for hard work and a miserable life. When I read this I was an immigrant living in Canada and could totally relate. Susanna Moodie is a strong woman who inspired me with her account of life in early Canada.
Read about 100 pages. The narrator was condescending and given to calling things "disgusting." Between that and the not-very-good poetry liberally sprinkled throughout the volume, I wasn't inclined to finish this.
Oct 22, 2012
Heidi
added it
Very entertaining and revealing.
interesting but could not get into it. was an effort to read but probably because I have alot going on so better to read something lighter right now.
Reviewed at http://someoneelseskitchen.blogspot.c...
Very historic and outdoorsy...a bit of tough slugging...long...but worth it.
Story was inconsistent, equally parts interesting and boring/tedious.
Never want to enter Moodie's bush again. Boring book.
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Jun 28, 2009 12:17pm