Jean Webster

Daddy-Long-Legs (Puffin Classics)

Daddy Long Legs

Tsamarah

Rated this a 4.75/5 stars.

Dear Jerusha Abbott,

I can’t help but think what a truly ahead-of-its-time your style of writing were. Your wittiness and charm has really caught me by surprise. Though of course, some of your passages and thinking aren’t really acceptable nowadays. Nevertheless, I throughly enjoy reading them.

Yours truly,
A friend.

P.S Did you really didn’t notice?

Sarah Sammis

Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster is a hundred year old epistolary novel about a young woman getting a chance to follow her dreams because of the sponsorship of an unnamed benefactor. The story follows Jershua "Judy" Abbott through her college education and the early days of her career as a writer.

I come to the book, though, through the 1955 film adaptation staring Fred Astaire as the titular character and Leslie Caron as Judy (renamed Julie for the movie). While the gist of the film is the same as the book: older man provides money for a younger woman's college education — the set up is completely different and more troubling. At the time the film was made, Fred Astaire was more than twice Leslie Caron's age. Although he plays a young-at-heart character (one enamored with rock and roll drumming), he is still clearly old enough to be her father.

So it was with an uneasy curiosity that I read Jean Webster's book.

The differences between the film and original source material are immediately apparent. First and foremost — the setting is domestic. Judy, though still an orphan, has been raised in the United States. She is not an exotic — post WWII French teacher of French orphans. She is, instead, an American contemporary with LM Montgomery's Anne Shirley. Judy's experience at the orphanage and her sponsorship into an American university, is therefore, recognizable and credible — something the film version can't pull off.

In the film, there is a heavy dose of voyeurism of the dirty old man variety as Julie's benefactor befriends her under false pretenses and otherwise keeps an eye on her. Of course voyeurism is part and parcel of film story telling but it's clearly at odds here with the source material. In the book, Judy and Jervys (changed to Jervis in the film), do meet and become friends, as he keeps up the secret identity as her benefactor. But their meeting is circumstantial and as he's significantly closer in age to her (late twenties/early thirties to her late teens/early twenties), it is far more plausible that she and he would become more than just friends.

Judy's letters are written in a believable, charming voice that rings true a century later — and I suspect well into the next century. Along with her quirky turns of phrase are drawings, little sketches that Judy sometimes sends along in her missives. They too add to the overall appeal of the novel.

Keeping all those thoughts in mind, I adore the novel. It is delightful. Anyone who loves LM Montgomery's books or anyone who is a fan of Louise Rennison's books, will enjoy Daddy-Long-Legs.

“Daddy-Long-Legs” is a 1912 novel by American writer Jean Webster. It revolves around Jerusha "Judy" Abbott, a young girl who grew up in an orphanage. When she is seventeen and her schooling is over, she remains at the orphanage to work in the dormitories. One day, Judy is told that, convinced she has has potential to become an excellent writer, one of the charity trustees has offered to pay her way through college. “Daddy-Long-Legs” is an epistolary novel presented as the letters between Judy, and her unknown benefactor. “Jean Webster” is the pseudonym of Alice Jane Chandler Webster (1876 – 1916), an American writer who authored many well-known books including “Daddy-Long-Legs” and “Dear Enemy”. Her most famous works are often characterised by powerful, likeable young female main characters who experience a maturation and intellectual coming-of-age morally and socially. Including witty humour, snappy dialogue, and social commentary, her works are still read and enjoyed by readers today the world over. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

Daddy-Long-Legs

Shameera Nair Lin

Maxie Froelicher

** spoiler alert **
           So I knew that this was a musical before I knew it was a book, if you can believe it. It was so cute! Judy, pretty much the only character we meet for more than one page, has a very unique voice that made me want to keep reading and find out what was going to happen to her next. She was very down to earth and realistic, acting just exactly as you would expect a college girl to act in those days, along with being headstrong and as self sufficient as she can be, which, due to her background, makes sense. 

I must say I immediately had a soft spot for this book because I do love a good epistolary novel, along with the fact that I knew the musical. I also think it's funny that every so often I was like "Master Jervie is Daddy Long Legs isn't he?" and then a few pages later decided no he wasn't, and kept going back and forth and back and forth with it. It's obvious in the long run, and in hindsight, but sometimes it's fun to believe that Daddy Long Legs was a mysterious figure after all. 

Read for the POPSUGAR prompt - A book that has a book on the cover

Astha Prakash

"You didn't answer my question and it was very important. 

ARE YOU BALD?"

The more you read, the more you fall in love with Jerusha Abbot. I admired her witticisms, her maturity, her defiance, and her silliness. Consider this:

"It's raining cats and dogs tonight. Two puppies and a kitten have just landed on the window sill." :D

Her elaborate descriptions in her letters, her thirst for knowledge, and her overall happiness make this book an amazing read. Loved it.

Jimena

The first time I read it I must have been 10 or 11, and the only thing I remembered (apart from... you know) was that I didn't enjoy it much. I thought it was boring.

15 years later I've just finished reading it again. I LOVED IT. Jean Webster's writing style is lovely, funny and entertaining, and I've saved a bunch of quotes.

The fact that I found it much more relatable now makes it obvious why I hadn't liked it the first time. I wonder why, at least in my country, it's marketed as a children's book. I think it fits better the teen/YA category.

Daddy Long-Legs

Nooralsharyani

Daddy long legs was one of the best Cartoons I saw growing up.. However I am happy I read the book as an adult as I got the chance to appreciate JA’s growth and advancement in life, as well as her emotions during the period of her collage years. It was wonderful watching her grow, fall in love and be a published author.

A week ago I found the musical and fell in love with it! The soundtrack has been playing on repeat for several days now! I’ve seen it twice in the past seven days and just had to get my hands on the book as fast as humanly possible! 

When I opened the book, it did not disappoint!!! The story, maybe because I watched the musical first? idk 🤷🏻‍♀️, felt realistic and organic. the characters are spectacular, and i loved the letter format, it was very unique. I do somewhat regret finding the musical first because the ending was spoiled. In the musical, the identity is revealed early on and you get both point of view’s whereas in the book you only get Jerusha’s. I feel like I would’ve enjoyed it immensely more. Also, i didn’t like the name change to Judy, Jerusha is such a unique name, and again, I’m super used to it because of the musical and her name not being altered. Anyways, the story was a quick read, took me a day, but it will continue to stay with me!!!

noha

** spoiler alert **
           Eh, this was okay. Just Okay.

Let's get into this and start with the good things:

I must say that Webster did a great job in making Judy's letters sound real ( like forgetting the date, lots of post scripts, etc.) even the way she doubts herself and her humor made her sound like a real person.

Alright, now let's talk about the downside of the story:

The number one problem is the creepy romance aspect of it. I'd like to think that Daddy-long-legs didn't decide to be Judy's benefactor and send her to college just to "train" her as a future bride. I literally hated the way he bossed her around, like when he forced her to spend Summer with the old couple instead of her friends! what is that?!? He got everything planned and he just want her to do it exactly as he planned it! NO, she must be able to make fully conscious decision about her life and her choices. Daddy-long-legs silently meddled in her everyday life. I doubt if she's 100% sure about being with him!

In the end, where is she? Married. Will she write? oh wait, Will HE let her write? I hope so...

I wish it didn't end this way :-/

Orphaned Judy Abbot relates her college adventures in letters to the mysterious benefactor that she calls Daddy-Long-Legs.

Debbie

I like everytime Judy using french in her letters to DLL, parce que j'adore le français tellement. 

Jerusha "Judy" Abbott is about to go off to college. She's financed by a mysterious gentleman who insists on remaining anonymous. Judy has to write a letter every month to "Daddy-Long-Legs", a name she decides to use for the benefactor.

This is such a charming romantic novel.

Joycelyn Ghansah

Mai Sami

Ein frecher Aufsatz entscheidet das Schicksal der jungen Waisen Judy: Einer der Verwaltungsräte des Waisenhauses, in dem sie aufwächst, gibt ihr ein Stipendium fürs College.Als Bezahlung soll sie ihm einmal im Monat einen Brief schreiben, in dem sie von ihren Fortschritten berichtet.Doch wer ist der geheimnisvolle Mann, dessen langbeiniger Schatten einer Daddy-Long-Legs-Spinne gleicht? Wie findet Judy Abbott sich in der Welt außerhalb des Heimes zurecht? Und wer erobert ihr Herz?Ein liebenswerter Briefroman von Jean Webster aus dem Jahr 1912. Dieser Literaturklassiker wurde von Mella Dumont neu übersetzt und herausgegeben.

Daddy-Long-Legs (Puffin Classics)

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