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Pippi Longstocking
Unavailable
Pippi Longstocking
Unavailable
Pippi Longstocking
Audiobook2 hours

Pippi Longstocking

Written by Astrid Lindgren

Narrated by Esther Benson

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

The beloved story of a spunky young girl and her hilarious escapades.

Tommy and his sister Annika have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Longstocking. She has crazy red pigtails, no parents to tell her what to do, a horse that lives on her porch, and a pet monkey named Mr. Nilsson. Whether Pippi's scrubbing her floors, doing arithmetic, or stirring things up at a fancy tea party, her flair for the outrageous always seems to lead to another adventure.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 26, 2003
ISBN9780807216699
Unavailable
Pippi Longstocking
Author

Astrid Lindgren

Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) is the third most translated writer for children (after Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm), and her books have sold more than 144 million copies worldwide. She became famous in her country almost overnight, with the publication of the first Pippi Longstocking books in 1945, and was awarded numerous honours, including the Hans Christian Andersen medal (twice) and the Gold Medal of the Swedish Academy in 1971.

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Reviews for Pippi Longstocking

Rating: 4.338461538461538 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

65 ratings31 reviews

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  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Awful. There is no plot, storyline, or purpose of the story, just 2.5 hours of rambling ons and then it just ends. Do not waste your time.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book is part Paul Bunyan, part Amelia Bedelia. My children enjoyed it, but I thought it was annoyingly ridiculous.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Such a funny book! Such a delightdul and light tone.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Pippi Longstocking, translated by Tiina Nunnally, illustrated by Lauren Child.Pippilotta Viktualia Rullgardina Krusmynta Efraimsdotter Långstrump - Pippilotta Comestibles Windowshade Curlymint Ephraimsdaughter Longstocking, in this particular English translation - first appeared on the scene in 1945, and I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that she took the world of children's literature by storm. Translated into multiple languages, the subject of a number of film adaptations, Pippi's story is both well-known and well-loved. I myself read an earlier English translation, done by Florence Lamborn, when I was a girl, but when Pippi Longstocking was chosen as our February selection, over in the International Children's Book Club to which I belong, where we are "visiting" Sweden, I decided to take a chance on this new translation by Tiina Nunnally, with artwork by Lauren Child. I'm glad I did!I know that some, being deeply attached to "their" version of Pippi - the one they grew up reading - are less than thrilled with this new translation, but it's been so long since I myself last read the book, that I almost felt as if I were starting fresh. Certainly, I had no feeling of disappointment while reading, this time around, and no consciousness that things were not as they should be. The tale itself, and its heroine, were as entertaining as ever, and the collage artwork by Lauren Child was delightfully expressive. I was particularly appreciative of some of the two-page illustrations, with their color backdrops, as well as the distinctive typographic layout to be found on certain pages (words curling like a tail, or climbing and descending the page at diagonals).Like Lauren Child, I've always thought of Pippi - a parent-free, gold-coin-rich, super-strong young girl - as a "free spirit," a child with a vision of her own, and little interest in the strange subterfuges of adulthood. In so many ways, she is the fulfillment of a child's dream of independence, and a reflection of a child's vision of what that independence might mean, if it came in childhood rather than adulthood. But it occurs to me, after my recent reread, that although Pippi is invariably honest - "that was a lie," she is always admitting, after some particularly outrageous statement - she is something of a trickster, particularly when confronted with the person, child or adult, who is lacking in the proper respect. Tricksters are by their nature undomesticated, eternally eluding us, despite our longing to know and understand them. With this in mind, Pippi's sincere friendship with Tommy and Annika suddenly seems to be wish fulfillment of another kind: a satisfying of the common desire to know what can't be known, to bring the inalterably wild into the smaller circle of our domestic world, to tame it through the force of love. A fantasy indeed!For that added perspective alone, my reread was worthwhile, and while I would not describe this as one of my all-time favorite children's novels, the pleasure I took in story and artwork were significant.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Astrid Lindgren's children's novel Pippi Longstocking (originally published in Swedish as Pippi Långstrump in 1945) is likely one of the most well-known and famous Swedish children's books of all time; it has been translated into more than 50 languages and is loved and admired around the world. The original concept for the novel originated in 1944, when Astrid Lindgren's seven year old daughter was ill with pneumonia and Lindgren told her imaginative stories about a fantastical and mischievous little girl named Pippi Longstocking. The stories were thus originally orally transmitted and might have remained so, if Astrid Lindgren herself had not hurt her ankle later that same year. While she was recuperating, she decided to put the Pippi Longstocking stories to paper. One of the manuscripts she presented to her daughter as a birthday present, the other she sent to a Swedish publishing house (Bonnier). Bonnier rejected the manuscript, but as in the meantime, Astrid Lindgren had won second place for a traditional girls' story in a writing competition sponsored by renowned Swedish publisher Rabén & Sjörgen, she decided to rewrite the Pippi Longstocking manuscript and submit it to the same competition and awards committee; Lindgren's story promptly won first prize, and the novel was published as Pippi Långstrump by Rabén & Sjörgen. Not only do I find the history of the origin and the publication details of Pippi Longstocking both fascinating and inspiring, the fact that the Pippi stories originated as oral tales shows that oral tradition is alive and well, that oral story-telling has perhaps not been all that greatly diminished and negatively affected by books, by the written tradition.I originally read this story in German when I was about nine or ten years old (Pippi Langstrumpf); in fact, my recent reread of this novel is the first time I have read Astrid Lindgren in English. And although I remember enjoying reading about Pippi Longstocking, and count Astrid Lindgren as one of my all-time favourite children's authors, Pippi Longstocking herself has never been one of my favourite Lindgren characters (I have always liked Madicken, Emil, the children of Noisy Village, Lotta and Ronja much more than Pippi). And while I have gained a greater appreciation and love for Pippi Longstocking as a character as a result of my recent reread, she is still not an absolute favourite, nor do I ever think that she will become thus.I think that my online friend Emily has hit the nail on the head when she recently mentioned in a discussion thread on Pippi Longstocking in the Children's Literature Group that she would like Pippi Longstocking much more as a character if she were not so invincible, if she did not possess such unlimited powers and wealth. To me, Pippi's superhuman strength and general invincibility have actually tended to make at least some of the episodes a bit dull and monotonous, as there really is never much tension, or the possibility of Pippi failing, perhaps not rescuing the children from the fire, perchance falling out of the tree (there is never even the possibility of that, Pippi is like a superhero). As charming and irrepressible as Pippi is, I have always found her too fantastical and extreme to readily identify with and get to know on a personal and intimate basis; she is an amusing and fun character, but I cannot really call her a total kindred spirit.One aspect of the Pippi Longstocking story that I noticed while rereading the novel as an adult is that while on the surface, Pippi Longstocking might appear as the invincible super-child (a bit like Peter Pan almost), who can do anything, feels confident everywhere, is a wonderful and imaginative playmate, and can always outsmart and outmaneuver the grown-ups and their often petty and for a child incomprehensible rules and regulations, there also is a deep and persistent element of sadness and loneliness in this story. Pippi is basically quite alone in the world, and much of her misbehaving is not caused by willful and deliberate rebellion, but because the girl has no one to care for her, to show her the ins and outs, the do's and don'ts of society (except of course, Tommy and Annika, but they are themselves children and just learning). Thus, while Pippi might have a suitcase full of gold, and lives alone, on her own terms in a quasi children's paradise, she is also lonely at times and in need of both human contact and loving care. And no, this loving care would and should not be the kind of "care" envisioned by the supposedly concerned townspeople (an orphanage), but a loving individual, or a loving family, who would love Pippi, accept her imagination, quirks, attitudes and ideas, while at the same time provide loving guidance and teaching. Pippi's loneliness despite her wealth and seemingly charmed and charming life and lifestyle, her sadness whenever she realises she has made a mistake (and realises that she has made a mistake because she has neither a loving father nor mother anymore to guide her, to teach her), made me connect with and to her during this reread in a way that I have never been able to do before (and probably would not have been able to as a child). And even if Pippi Longstocking will never be able take the place in my heart of Lindgren characters like Madicken and Emil, I have come to both appreciate and love her as a character.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I may have read this as a kid--it seems familiar in the way that Dr. Doolittle does, something I read a zillion times but can't recall many details from now.

    But I enjoyed reading this, again if that's what the case is. Delightfully demented, this is the kind of book I'd imagine Christopher Durang would write, if he wrote children's books instead of absurdist plays.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    First of all I have to mention, that Pippi Longstocking has ever been one of my favourite books and it still is. It is obvious that the book or better, the character won't teach children how to behave in certain moments, but it teaches children some qualities, which are very important. To my mind these qualities are loyalty, generosity and helpfulness. Furthermore, the character of Pippi encourages the children to be creative and dream their dreams. Pippi also has superhuman strength and some other unnatural talents. She can, for example, lift her pet horse off the porch and into the yard. Moreover, Pippi's mother died and her father lives on sea and she lives on her own in the house, which is, of course, not very realistic. But by the support Annika and Tommy, Astrid Lindgren manages to create a great balance between realism and something unreal. To my opinion, it is a wonderful book to encourage children to flee sometimes from reality and lets them deepen in a wonderful world. It lets children dream.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Cute and charming, Astrid Lindgren's "Pippi Longstocking" is full of clever little moments and bits that make it a kid's book that has something for adults too.The book is a series of vignetts about Pippi -- a little girl without parents who will do what she wants, when she wants when it comes to social conventions. However, she has a heart of gold and a good sense of right and wrong.I'm not terribly sure why it is included in the list of "1,001 Books to Read Before you Die" -- but I guess I'm glad it was, since I wouldn't have read it otherwise. Overall, a fun and quick read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Pippi is an anarchist. She pursues her passions unhampered by any social rules. She won't teach kids the importance of getting to bed on time, or the benefits of healthy meals, or the rewards of formal education, but she will infect kids with her exuberant love of life. Somebody else can teach kids about manners :) Pippi inspires them with her kindness and generosity and loyalty. Kids can learn to defer to authority elsewhere. Pippi models a joyful self-assurance and clever resourcefulness as she takes into her own hands matters of protecting the helpless and standing up for the underprivileged. 5 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book follows the adventures of Pippi Longstocking who is a young girl who lost her mother at a young age so lived with her father on a ship until he suddenly was lost at sea. Her playmates were the shipmates. So Pippi's lifestyle and manners are a bit unconventional. After her father fell off the ship Pippi decided to leave her shipmates and live in the home her father had purchased and set up for them. She then meets her neighbors a little boy and girl and the story follows Pippi and her new friends and the adventures they face.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Pippi is an orphan whose mother died when she was a baby and her father , a sea captain went missing at sea, however Pippi believes that he is stranded on an island and has become a cannibal king. Pippi is not a normal girl, she posses unusual strength and has an unique view of the world.Pippi moves into her father's villa and soon becomes friend with the neighbors, Tommie and Annika. The three of them have many adventures,they go tree climbing, on picnics, and Pippi even entertained burglars. Everybody considers Pippi to be ill mannered and rude until she saves two boys in a burning skyscraper, and then becomes a hero. The story ends with with Pippi's birthday party.Pippi's adventures were fun and lets us all use our imagination. There also is a good lesson about judging people at first glance and not giving people that are different a chance.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Pippi Longstalking is one of my favorite children's classics. Pippi is a great female character for little girls. She's self assured and strong (literally). You wont regret it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another favorite from childhood. Reading this as an adult I realize how much the Pippi series has influenced my life. As a child I wanted to be her, and as a grown-up perhaps I've turned into her- minus the horse and monkey. I try to keep the unique clothes to a minimum too, but I've always admired her spirit of independence and make-your-own-fun. She leads her neighbor friends, and boy and a girl, into many an adventure, and perhaps they ground Pippi just a bit. As a story, there is really nothing to compare it to.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Oh classic Pippi! Young and (most) old can't help but love this parentless character and all her shinanigans. Most of Pippi's quarkiness and adventures stem from her being outside societal norms and the rules of parents and officials. I really apreciate how Lindgren describes Pippi and creates for the reader a perfect interpretation of what she looks like. This would be a great book for exploring how writers shape their characters and what characters and situations further increase our relationship with her as a reader. Children could be instructed to find description, phrases, characters and circumstances writing them down or underlining as they move throught the stories. At the end, they can use this information to focus on creating a collage and illustration of what they think she looks like. As well, I would imagine some sort of character map or chart could be created.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Pippi Longstocking is an entertaining work of classic children's fiction, but one that has some curious attributes that leave you wondering what the author's intent may have been. The title character is an orphaned Swedish girl who manages to live alone thanks to her remarkable resourcefulness and special abilities. In a series of humorous episodes, she confronts and defeats conventional behavior, civil authority, and the narrow prejudices and expectations of her contemporaries. Pippi, in her naive and uneducated way, sees through the artificiality of custom and tradition, exemplifies the free spirit and unfettered imagination, and defies the community standards of dress, decorum, and hygiene. She is a model non-conformist (yes, this is an oxymoron).What puzzles us more is that Pippi also has superhuman strength and other unnatural talents. She can lift her pet horse off the porch and into the yard. She excels circus performers in their stunts without ever having practiced them. None of these superhero attributes is ever explained. What is the message here? That by defying the rules we gain superpowers? That conformity saps our vital force? That Pippi is as impossible as she is imaginary? Whatever the notions that may have gone into Pippi Longstocking, she is a delightfully irreverent and defiant breath of fresh air in a world of increasingly circumscribed attitudes and expectations.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is a fun read about a zany girl named Pippi. Unlike other girls like her neighbor friend, Annika, Pippi is messy , rowdy, and rebellious. She lives with her horse and monkey. She shares many fun adventures, such as going to school and the circus. Her escapades are guaranteed to make you laugh!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really loved this book when I was little. I found the same edition I read at a used bookstore and bought it so I can read it to my own kids someday.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I decided to read this book again for several reasons: I loved it as a child (admittedly a long time ago), it fit into two reading challenges I'm currently doing and there was an interesting article about it in the New York Times recently (on May 21, 2010). The article talked about Steig Larsson using Pippi as his model for Lisbeth Salander, the "heroine" in his Millenium trilogy. According to the Times article, when Larsson delivered his manuscript to his publisher, he said: “My point of departure was what Pippi Longstocking would be like as an adult. Would she be called a sociopath because she looked upon society in a different way and has no social competence?” I thought this was an interesting question since I remembered Pippi as slightly outrageous but basically a happy, go-lucky little girl and certainly not a sociopath. On this reading of the book, I still saw Pippi as strong, independent, self-confident and outrageous (in a fun way) but there was also a darker side to her life that I don't remember focusing on as a child. She's a 9-year old girl who lives by herself and doesn't go to school, so has no adult support system, and often seems to be aware that she's a social misfit. So, do I think she's a model for Lisbeth Salander? Unfortunately, I can't answer that question because I'm one of a handful of people who still has not read Steig Larsson's books! I'm giving this book 3 stars, mostly for old times' sake, and I would definitely recommend reading it with a child.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I remember enjoying this and other Pippi Longstocking books as a child, but not so much as an adult: Perhaps I no longer find her lack of self-control and her inability to think about the consequences of her actions less amusing and more disturbing.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Strange combination of Amelia Bedelia, Cat in the Hat with a hint of Roald Dahl wrapped into one precocious little girl. Painful to read chapter after chapter, much more palatable individually. Pippi believes her mother is an angel and her father the king of the cannibals. At age 9 she lives without adult supervision with a horse and monkey. She spends her days with the children next door who enjoy Pippi's antics.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I have loved this book ever since 3rd grade. It's a great read for anyone who's looking for an easy read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It's still the hilarious children's novel I remember from my childhood. I really look forward to reading this to my children someday... I remember that the hijinks this girl got up to inspired me when I was younger, although not necessarily to be badly behaved. Just to be more curious, like a "thing-finder" as Pippi and her friends become. Or to explore woods or look at things in a different way. A unique children's classic, to be sure.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Pippi Longstockings is a girl of tremendous strength and talent who brings an adventurous spirit to a small village in Sweden(?). She's a girl who has everything, except parents.New Classic FictionThis book is fun and really silly. It totally captured my imagination and made me wish my own life were more adventurous. It's a great one.I think using this book as a jumping off point for kids to imagine their own fantasy lives. The way Pippi finds adventure in her own neighborhood the way she did on the South Seas would really grab kid's attention. The language is a bit antiquated though and may need some explaining.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    One of my favourite children's books ever. Picked up an English translation recently to fill a hole in Paul's education and promptly re-read it myself. Pippi is clearly the best female role model for little girls ever. Slight mark-down for the translation - the Bulgarian one I have being (almost certainly) superior in its purging of the one reference to religion.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Funny. Had my 5 year old giggling and begging for more. As soon as we finished she asked to go back and re-read her favourite chapters. I still have memories of enjoying it as a child and it was fun to revisit. I like that each chapter can be read as a short story of it’s own.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    As a kid with freckles and red hair, Pippi was my hero. I love how tough she is. I read this book over and over as a kid, and I still have the books which now and then I read.My favourite girl!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was my second favorite book when I was a kid (Alice in Wonderland was #1). I'm not sure if kids read it much these days but I hope so. It's very odd and very funny.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Well, you just have to love Sweden's most famous anarchist. She's outrageous, but makes a lot of sense at the same time. I'm not sure I actually read these books as a kid, but the TV (brilliant) series is in my genes. I love the making cookies on the kitchen floor and downing a whole cake at the "kafferep." Of course, viewing it from the adult angle, the most fun is when Pippi is out looking for "spunk," which isn't funny at all in Swedish, but makes the dialogue flippen hilarious in English!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Okay, I admit, I will be 33 this month and I asked for this book for Christmas from my husband. But I'm glad I did because it's a beautiful book.I had heard of Pippi Longstocking but had never read the stories but when I saw this book with the Lauren Child illustrations I really wanted it. I was hoping that it could be a book to read with my daughter but that's not to be unfortunately.Pippi is a free spirit and lives with her horse and her monkey all alone in a big house (her mother is an angel and her father was lost at sea). She makes friends with the children next door but finds it harder to endear herself to the adults of the neighbourhood. Her adventures and misadventures are charming and my favourite moment is Pippy dressed up to have coffee with the ladies and her talk of her Grandmother's terrible maid.This book made me laugh and I love the illustrations. It's perfect as a gift for children or adults who still love a beatifully presented book. I wish I had discovered Pippi a long time ago.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I first read Pippi over 30 years ago, and it has always had a special place in my childhood reading memories. Unfortunately, it really doesn’t hold up when read as an adult, at least for me anyway. I still enjoyed it (rated it a 4), and if I had a daughter, I would love for her to read it. I love how it shows Pippi’s independence and the way she’s mature but childish at the same time. I love her interaction with Tommy, Annika, and Mr. Nilsson. But, it just didn’t live up to my childhood memory of it. I adored this book as a youngster and wanted to adore it again. I liked it very much but didn’t love it. Perhaps some books are best left in our childhood.