It's the trip of a lifetime. Betsey Ray, 21 years old, is heading off for a solo tour of Europe. From the moment she casts off, her journey is fill...
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Sep 03, 2010
Julie (Klickitat)
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Betsy and I are fighting right now. You see, I just can't forgive her for lousing it up with Joe. Of course we all know it'll work out right in the end because, in the words of that annoying girl from Sleepless in Seattle they're "MFEO." But for now, I call you out Betsy Ray. You have permission to do the same for me when I inevitably make my own romantic blunders. That is, you could, if you were a real person. Who would probably be dead from old age by now. Regardless.
I'm al More...
I'm al More...
Aug 05, 2011
I love all "The Betsy" stories. I especially enjoyed this one because it was a completely new adventure for Betsy. She was on her own and discovering and seeing new things and meeting so many new and interesting people. Her world was broadening through travel. I love the fact that it was sort of a travelogue but yet we still had the Betsy of old with her wonderful sense of adventure. This of course gave Betsy plenty of material and experiences to write about in her future stories
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Aug 29, 2010
Peggy
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This is the ninth book in a ten book series. I never heard of these books when I was young. I read every Nancy Drew I could get my hands on but the Betsy-Tacy series wasn't on my radar.
The foreword is written by Anna Quindlen of the NY Times who loved these books as a child and the back cover has a quote from Bette Midler who seems to feel the same way.
I felt the main character, Betsy, didn't have a believable life or realistic view of the world. Then I read the author's bio at th More...
The foreword is written by Anna Quindlen of the NY Times who loved these books as a child and the back cover has a quote from Bette Midler who seems to feel the same way.
I felt the main character, Betsy, didn't have a believable life or realistic view of the world. Then I read the author's bio at th More...
Mar 13, 2010
Anne
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 02, 2011
Lawrence
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"Betsy and the Wide World" is not one of Ms. Lovelace's finest. The reason: After Betsy's absence from a couple of the intervening Deep Valley books, she returns to the scene essentially unchanged from what she was in high school. And even after her European tour described in this Wide World book, she remains unchanged. I am sorry to conclude that, to me, Betsy is an unlikeable and boring girl. She was more interesting when her age was in the single digits.
In Betsy an More...
In Betsy an More...
Jun 05, 2010
Marcy
rated it: 
"After Commencement Day, the World!" Joe said. "With Betsy."
Oops. Joe forgot about Betsy being a flirt,(enter new guys)and about Betsy's social distractions.
Dropping out of college to travel made this a wonderful book..a look at Europe in the early 1900's before the War. Traveling alone around N.Africa, middle east and Europe was a brazen thing for a young lady to do even if she had escorts in place. The only thing that made Tib not being a part of this due to ma More...
Oops. Joe forgot about Betsy being a flirt,(enter new guys)and about Betsy's social distractions.
Dropping out of college to travel made this a wonderful book..a look at Europe in the early 1900's before the War. Traveling alone around N.Africa, middle east and Europe was a brazen thing for a young lady to do even if she had escorts in place. The only thing that made Tib not being a part of this due to ma More...
Feb 05, 2010
Heidi
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Feb 12, 2010
Abigail
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Opening three years after the events of Betsy and Joe, the previous installment of Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy~Tacy series, Betsy and the Great World sees its lovable heroine - now twenty-one years old, and about to be a junior in college - head off for a trip to Europe. Crossing the Atlantic on the Columbic ocean-liner, living in a student pension in Munich, exploring Venice with a handsome young man, and facing the onset of World War I with her friends in London, Betsy has many exciting adventu
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Oct 22, 2007
Carmen
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I have to say that this is probably my least favorite of the series. I still love it, but there are things lacking such as all the fun surrounding the "crowd" and Betsy's beloved Deep Valley. That being said, it's still a great book and a must read. At twenty-one, Betsy is on the verge of a great adventure. She embarks on a tour of Europe - when Europe was a new horizon for a young writer to see. Betsy soon discovers that she is growing up (she is courted by a dashing Italian during h
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Dec 27, 2009
Melody
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When I was reading and re-reading this series every season as a kid, this is the book I flew through. I skimmed the tedious descriptions of pre-WWI Europe with a yawn, pined for Tacy and Tib and rolled my eyes at everything but Marco, Mrs. Main-Whittaker, and of course the glorious, perfect last chapter.
This book began to change for me when I was in my mid-twenties, and it's become one of my favorites in the series. The rich and beautiful descriptions of a Europe forever vanished mak More...
This book began to change for me when I was in my mid-twenties, and it's become one of my favorites in the series. The rich and beautiful descriptions of a Europe forever vanished mak More...
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Feb 09, 2011
Judy
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Really disappointed in this one. It was like the author had a brain lapse and forgot who she was writing about and completely skipped Betsy's college years. I initially thought I had skipped over some books but when I found out that this was the next one in the series, I felt horribly scammed! Terrible storyline, really a waste of a book. Did nothing to add to Betsy's character but made her seem more flighty.
Jan 30, 2011
Kerith
rated it:
Betsy goes to Europe in this snapshot of a bygone time. World War 1 begins while she is in London. It's probably my least favorite of the Betsy-Tacy books but that doesn't mean it isn't a great read. I am always fascinated by how we traveled in the 1910s, and especially by how much mail she got. And she always got it -- piles of it, forwarded on from the last place she was in.
Jun 03, 2010
Talai
rated it:
Another fun Betsy-Tacy book. Unfortunanty I have only read what was available at the library (#1 and #9) and think I would enjoy it more if I read the series in order. Despite this, I enjoyed the book. It was another light read and made me wish I could hop on a time machine and travel back to my 20s and see the world just as Betsy did.
Dec 17, 2009
Sab
rated it:
We skip two years before this book begins, during which time Betsy went to University, hated it, dropped out, and lost touch with Joe when he went off to Harvard. And so, Bob Ray being the kind father that he is, offers a "snoggestion" that Betsy take some time to explore Europe.
So this book differs from the rest of the series, set alternately on an ocean liner across the Atlantic, in Italy, in Munich, in Paris, and in London. Betsy makes friends, falls in love with an Ital More...
So this book differs from the rest of the series, set alternately on an ocean liner across the Atlantic, in Italy, in Munich, in Paris, and in London. Betsy makes friends, falls in love with an Ital More...
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Dec 31, 2011
Miriam
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I didn't like this book quite as well as some of the other later books in the series; once Betsy isn't with the other familiar characters she isn't quite that interesting to me. However, it was still interesting to read about what it was like to travel in Europe right before WWI.
Oct 06, 2011
Melee
rated it:
Though the descriptions of Betsy's travels are intoxicating, this was always my least favourite Betsy-Tacy book. Why? The absence of Joe, of course. He and Betsy are estranged the whole book, until a telegram at the end. Let's face it, once Betsy is in highschool, Joe is one of the most important characters! I always felt his absence very strongly in this story.
(And something interesting I didn't really realize till this year is that in many of the Betsy-Tacy books, a surprising number of More...
(And something interesting I didn't really realize till this year is that in many of the Betsy-Tacy books, a surprising number of More...
Jun 27, 2009
This is my favourite volume in the Betsy-Tacy series and it's always a pleasure to reread it. But the fact that this time I was reading it with a view to thinking up questions for a group read at Maud-L had me trying to step outside myself and view it from other perspectives. This added a whole new layer of enjoyment to the experience. Fabulous as ever.
Dec 30, 2010
Linda
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I think these coming of age books - although set in 1910 - 1918 - are as relevant today to young people as ever. Beautiful, heart-warming stories based on the author's life and friends. I read them first in high school and am rediscovering them now.
Sep 14, 2011
Jael
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I enjoyed this one more than "Betsy In Spite of Herself" for two reasons: firstly, there was a nice rehash of recent events at the beginning to clear up what was going on with each character. Secondly, it was quite a travelogue, which I liked. It was a little odd on the basis of being really only Betsy, with not much interaction with previously important characters. But I liked it.
I think it could have used a little more meat to it, though. She seemed to skim through all th More...
I think it could have used a little more meat to it, though. She seemed to skim through all th More...
Jan 15, 2012
Jess
rated it:
I feel bad that I didn't like this more because it should have hit all my time period kinks, but I just wanted her to hurry up and go home. But honestly, the book is worth it for the ending. I just wish it had happened sooner.
Jul 01, 2011
Ro
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Dec 11, 2009
Glorious.Clio
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Loved since I was a small girl, this book is still a constant companion, and accompanied me on my own solo trip abroad! Fortunately, the next world war didn't break out, forcing me home... ;)
Aug 26, 2008
Shelley
rated it:
8-25-08: I think this book, above all others, shows Maud's writing ability. She made all those cities on Betsy's trip come alive in ways few could match - it was like being able to travel by sea to wander around Munich, Oberammergau and Venice right with Betsy. I barely even missed the Crowd.
Except Tacy, of course. Poor Betsy - she seemed really staggered by the changes at home, not the least of which was Tacy's marriage. And Julia's! It would have been wonderful to see Betsy and Ta More...
Except Tacy, of course. Poor Betsy - she seemed really staggered by the changes at home, not the least of which was Tacy's marriage. And Julia's! It would have been wonderful to see Betsy and Ta More...
May 25, 2009
Susann
rated it:
Oh how I love this book. I re-read it in preparation for my trip to (part of) the Great World. I especially love it because Betsy travels alone, something that I enjoy very much. Maud gives us everything with this one: the joys and frustrations of travel; culture & geography lessons; ROMANCE; yearnings for a bath; exciting news from a far-away friend. Not to mention the foreshadowing of the Great War and, oh, did I mention the romance?
The details of Munich and Venice are particularl More...
The details of Munich and Venice are particularl More...
Aug 09, 2011
This is definitely a YA book but it was sure fun to reconnect with a book I had read 50 years ago.
Sep 21, 2011
Dawn
rated it:
This one was the least of my favorites, but perhaps I was too young to appreciate it!
Mar 06, 2011
Jasmine
rated it:
Currently reading again for the 10th or so time. I love Betsy Ray so much.
Mar 02, 2010
Eliza
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Every time I read this (I'm sure it's been at least 20 times), it makes me want to go on a Mediterranean cruise and then tour Europe. And I also want to learn more about World War I.
Love me some Maud!
Love me some Maud!
