Heidi is so boring because she only cares about, like, mountain air and goats and someone else's grandmother. She's always jumping for joy, literally. I can't believe she never fell down the mountain. I'm always in a foul mood about public transit or the fact that they charged me extra for syrup at Starbucks, and I found Heidi's innocence and virtue ultimately just infuriating. Like, come on, you are five years old! Throw a tantrum!

I'm honestly wondering if I read a bad translation, because I read up on Heidi a little this morning and a lot of the names in my version were skewed. I didn't hate Heidi but it honestly didn't do much for me.

The moral of this book is that you should be good and happy and always trust god. Also living in the mountains is invigorating, and cities are bad. At the end, SPOILERS, Heidi lives with Alm Uncle and the Doctor in a house, so basically she's got two dads? This was the coolest part of the book, minus the fact that it is maybe just a ploy to avoid all mother figures.

A delight to read, although I would caution secular and non-Christian parents that there is quite a lot of Christianity peppered throughout the novel. Not that that’s a bad thing but may require additional explanation if the child is being raised under a different religious background as the book does aim at being influential. Completely idyllic with very little realism - and so also keep that in mind, as it may not suit all moods.

A delight to read, although I would caution secular and non-Christian parents that there is quite a lot of Christianity peppered throughout the novel. Not that that’s a bad thing but may require additional explanation if the child is being raised under a different religious background as the book does aim at being influential. Completely idyllic with very little realism - and so also keep that in mind, as it may not suit all moods.

I always loved the movie 'Heidi' starring Shirley Temple (which I discovered is on YouTube in its entirety!) and the book was just as sweet, although different from the version I remember.

I noticed a theme with another Puffin in Bloom classic, 'Anne of Green Gables,' that the setting and nature itself had a profound impact on the main characters. 'Visit Swiss Alps' is now officially on my bucket list, though, after reading Spyri's detailed description of life in the mountains.

'It's the sun's way of saying goodnight to the mountains,' he explained. 'He spreads that beautiful light over them so that they won't forget him till he comes back in the morning.'

Heidi liked this explanation very much, and longed for another day to begin so that she could go up and watch the sun's goodnight again. But first she had to go to bed, and all night long she slept peacefully on her mattress of hay, dreaming of mountains and flowers and of Snowflake bounding happily about in the midst of it all.

Heidi was back on the mountain, running hither and thither to all her old haunts, unable as ever to decide which she liked best. She listened entranced to the sound of the wind blowing down from the heights, gathering strength as it came nearer, till it came up with the fir trees, and spent itself on their branches. She lay on the ground and watched the beetles in the grass. She listened to the hum and buzz of insects. It seemed to her that all those tiny creatures were singing "We're on the mountain! We're on the mountain!" in tune with her own heart. Her lips parted and she drew in great draughts of the fine sparkling air, and thought that spring had never been so beautiful before.

It was dusk when Heidi went home, and the stars came twinkling out one by one as she climbed up to the hut, sending her a greeting out of the sky. She stopped sometimes to gaze up at them, feeling a deep peacefulness in her heart, and said a little prayer of thanks. She found her grandfather also looking at the stars spangling the heavens so brilliantly.

This is a really really awesome, cute, lovely book. I am glad I read it. A book full of positive energy and a lovely a message not to leave hope and faith no matter what happens. I surely would recommend it to my friends :-)

Oh dear, a book I loved as a brain-washed Catholic child does not hold up as the years have passed and I realize how religion is a social construct of nonsense.