The Bohemian Girl, by Willa Cather

It is a novella included in the collection "O Pioneers! and other tales of the prairie", by the New York Public Library.

This is one of Willa Cather's earliest works. At the beginning of the story, Nils Ericson returned to the house of his mother, a farm owner with strong-character. Nils left home many years ago seeking his adventure following the impulse of his roving blood. His back was not for the lands left by his deceased father which had been exclusively divided among his brothers, but for Clara Olaf, his ex-lover, who was now his brother's wife. Nils and Clara had had a lot of good time before he left. They are different from the others in the country; they know how to make fun out of life. But Clara believed that Nils would never come back after their communications stopped. "That was all over" to her. She got married "to oblige the neighbors" ... "People were beginning to wonder" ... "That's what makes us get married; we can't stand the laugh". She married Olaf, Nils' most boring and sulking brother. She was not happy, not because her husband was mean to her, but for she was not the same kind of people all around her -- she had a life in her heart. Nils went back to seek her after hearing her marriage; he felt that he wanted her more than ever. They met, talked, argued, laughed. Laughing others. With Clara's old father, a saloon-keeper, who was the only one who brought some happiness to that wild country, they played music, singing, dancing, and drinking gold worth wine - some old happy time seemed back. On the night of Nils' departure, Nils forced Clara to make a decision, go with him or stay. She felt the pain for the "ground seemed to hold her as if by roots", but she went with Nils eventually.

This could be a fine story. However, too much has been said directly from the characters' mouths, instead of being delivered by plots. Do you really feel that Clara is different from others if Nils keeps saying for one hundred times that "You are different"? Furthermore, the story sounds familiar; the image of Clara seems to more or less overlap with several other renowned ones, including the heroines in "Return to the Native", "Wuthering Heights", and "Carmen". Well, this is Cather's earliest work, and therefore it is understandable that it is not comparable to "My Antonia".

Clara is supposed to be the most important character in this story, but she is exactly the one lacking flesh. I can't feel her pain, her desire. Instead, Eric, Nils' little brother, leaves me an impression. He adorned Nils, and never doubted his return. He strolled with Nils on the first day of Nils' arrival, anxious to return home after it got late. When Nils left again, he was in misery caused by his mother and Olaf, but became happy when got Nils' letters and gifts, . Because of the unfair treatment, he left home for the Nils couple, but stopped half way and returned to his mother after feeling the pain of his lonely mother. Not many words on him, but a sensitive boy with longing in his pure eyes and love in heart was there.

Some words about this edition. It is a fine edition produced by the New York Public Library in 1998, which contains a number of beautiful drawings and photographs selected from rare books in the library. ISBN 0385487207.