Edna Ferber

Edna Ferber parecía regodearse en la escritura de melodramas históricos. En "Gigante", decidio enfrentarse ella sola al Estado de Texas, y lo hizo haciendo uso de una narrativa envolvente, que todo lo alcanza, para describir el caracter de Texas en el periodo que va desde los años treinta hasta los cincuenta.

Illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg

So Big is a novel written by Edna Ferber and published in 1924. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1925. It tells the story of Selina Peake De Jong, a determined and resilient woman who overcomes numerous challenges while raising her son, Dirk, in the rural Midwest. The book explores themes like perseverance, the value of hard work, and the contrast between material success and artistic or intellectual fulfillment.So Big remains one of Ferbers most celebrated works and is considered a classic of early 20th-century American literature.Edna Ferber (18851968) was an acclaimed American author, playwright, and member of the Algonquin Round Table, a group of New York City writers, actors, and critics known for their wit and creativity. She is celebrated for her novels, plays, and short stories, many of which explore themes of resilience, ambition, and social issues, particularly focusing on strong female protagonists.

In "The Girls," Edna Ferber crafts a compelling narrative that explores the intricacies of female identity and societal expectations in early 20th-century America. Set against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving cultural landscape, Ferber deftly employs her signature blend of keen character development and witty dialogue to convey the struggles and triumphs of her characters. The novels rich prose and vivid descriptions draw readers into the lives of its central figures, showcasing the complexities of friendship, ambition, and the quest for independence, all while reflecting the modernist themes prevalent in literature of her time. Edna Ferber, an acclaimed author and Pulitzer Prize-winner, was famed for her strong female characters and social commentary. Her own experiences as a woman navigating the male-dominated literary world fueled her desire to illuminate the challenges faced by women in her narratives. Through "The Girls," she not only provides an intimate glimpse into the feminist consciousness of her era but also challenges the conventions of gender roles, making her work both progressive and timeless. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the evolution of female representation in literature and the historical context of womens rights. Ferbers eloquent prose and insightful observations offer readers a captivating journey through the lives of women striving for autonomy, making "The Girls" an essential addition to any literary collection.

So Big, ¡Así de grande!, es el apodo cariñoso que Selina Peake DeJong le puso a su hijo, Dirk, al que, como toda madre orgullosa, preguntaba: "¿Cómo de grande es mi niño?".Esta mujer tenaz y luchadora es la verdadera protagonista de la novela. Siendo muy joven, tras la muerte de su padre, se instalara en una comunidad agricola de origen holandes, cercana a Chicago, en la que el papel de las mujeres estaba alejado del trabajo del campo, al que sin embargo ella dedicara su vida al quedarse viuda. Selina sacrificara sus sueños para que su hijo pueda tener la vida que ella anhelaba, una vida plena dedicada a la creacion.Selina DeJong encaja perfectamente en el perfil feminista de las obras de Edna Ferber, que se manifiesta en el deseo de afirmacion y autonomia de los personajes femeninos que creo, y refleja los ideales que compartio la propia autora durante toda su vida.Esta maravillosa novela recibio el premio Pulitzer en 1925 y ha sido llevada al cine en varias ocasiones.

So Big is a 1924 novel written by Edna Ferber. The book was inspired by the life of Antje Paarlberg in the Dutch community of South Holland, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. It won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1925.The story follows the life of a young woman, Selina Peake De Jong, who decides to be a school teacher in farming country. During her stay on the Pool family farm, she encourages the young Roelf Pool to follow his interests, which include art. Upon his mothers death, Roelf runs away to France. Meanwhile, Selina marries a Dutch farmer named Pervus. They have a child together, Dirk, whom she nicknames "So Big," from the common question and answer "How big is baby? ""So-o-o-o big!".Pervus becomes ill and dies, and Selina is forced to take over working on the farm to give Dirk a future. As Dirk gets older, he works as an architect but is more interested in making money than creating buildings and becomes a stock broker, much to his mothers disappointment. His love interest, Dallas OMara, an acclaimed artist, echoes this sentiment by trying to convince Dirk that there is more to life than money.Much later in life, Selina is visited by Roelf Pool, who has since become a famous sculptor. Dirk grows very distressed when, after visiting his mothers farm, he realizes that Dallas and Roelf love each other and he cannot compete with the artistically minded sculptor. In the end, Dirk comes to appreciate the wisdom of his mother, who always valued aesthetics and beauty even as she scraped out a living in a stern Dutch community. Ultimately, Dirk is left alone in his sumptuous apartment, saddened by his abandonment of artistic values.

So Big Edna Ferber - Winner of the Pulitzer Prize"A masterpiece. . . . It has the completeness, [the] finality, that grips and exalts and convinces." Literary ReviewWidely regarded as the master work of celebrated author and Algonquin Round Table mainstay Edna Ferberwho also penned other classics including Show Boat, Giant, Ice Palace, Saratoga Trunk, and CimarronSo Big is a rollicking panorama of Chicago at the turn of the 20th Century. Following the travails of gamblers daughter Selina Peake DeJong as she struggles to maintain her dignity, her family, and her sanity in the face of monumental challenges, this is the stunning and unforgettable "novel to read and to remember" by an author who "critics of the 1920s and 1930s did not hesitate to call the greatest American woman novelist of her day" (New York Times).So Big is a must-read for fans of contemporary novelists such Willa Cather (O Pioneers!), Pearl S. Buck (The Good Earth), and Marjorie Rawlings (The Yearling).

Show Boat Edna Ferber - The novel that inspired the Broadway classica saga of romance, revenge, and a riverboat theater troupe: First-rate storytelling . . . irresistible. The New York Times Book ReviewSpanning four decades and three generations, and journeying from the postCivil War South to Chicago to New York, Show Boat has been adapted for radio, stage, and screen, becoming a landmark of American culture.The bestseller by Pulitzer Prize winner Edna Ferber follows a cast of characters who live and work aboard a riverboat, traveling in order to perform for audiences along the banks of the Mississippi. It is a story of adventure, drama, destructive passions, racial conflict, and romantic entanglements, set amid the changing times of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Who ever heard of a plain and downright homely heroine? Isnt a heroine by definition beautiful? Well, Edna Ferber, in her well known style that later produced Show Boat and Giant, tells us about just such a heroine in the first of these four special short stories. They are special to me because of their insight into the deep courage and faith of ordinary people, people like most of us. And of course our failings and frailties and sometimes, the prince does not marry the right person. The other stories are A Bush League Hero, What she Wore and The Man Who Came Back. (Summary by Phil Chenevert)

The story of Selina DeJong and her son Dirk, whom she affectionately calls So Big. After the death of her husband, Selina raises So Big on her own while managing her deceased husbands farm in Illinois. When So Big grows up, he moves to Chicago, where he finds himself drawn to the fast-money stock-broker lifestyle of the 1920s. So Big is conflicted: he wants to live in the world of speculation and finance, but hes aware that his mother (and his love interest, an artist) are disappointed that he hasnt lived up to the hard-working, hardscrabble values instilled by his mother.