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Willa Cather
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A Lost Lady (Virago Modern Classics) Paperback – September 1, 2006

by Willa Cather (Author), A. S. Byatt (Introduction)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 857 ratings
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Marian Forrester is the symbolic flower of the Old American West. She draws her strength from that solid foundation, bringing delight and beauty to her elderly husband, to the small town of Sweet Water where they live, to the prairie land itself, and to the young narrator of her story, Neil Herbert. All are bewitched by her brilliance and grace, and all are ultimately betrayed. For Marian longs for "life on any terms," and in fulfilling herself, she loses all she loved and all who loved her. This, Willa Cather's most perfect novel, is not only a portrait of a troubling beauty, but also a haunting evocation of a noble age slipping irrevocably into the past.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    167 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Virago UK
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    4.9 x 0.49 x 7.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    184408373X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1844083732
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This classic has the striking economy of Hemingway, and is as poignant an elegy for the pioneer West as I have read."  —The Times

"A poised and perfectly shaped novel."  —Daily Mail

"Her finest novel...Unforgettable...This wonderful performance displays Cather's narrative technique at its sharpest, as well as her understanding of the eloquence of the slightest gesture, the simplest statement...A masterpiece."  —Irish Times

"She is undoubtedly one of the greatest American writers."  —The Observer

About the Author

Willa Cather (1873-1947) was born in Virginia where for generations her ancestors farmed land. She became a teacher and journalist and is one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Virago UK (September 1, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 167 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 184408373X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1844083732
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.9 x 0.49 x 7.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 857 ratings

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Willa Cather

Willa Cather

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
857 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

M Dickens
5.0 out of 5 stars short but well-written
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2022
Verified Purchase
Cather paints her stories well… I easily envision the characters and the scenery. This book reminded me of the saying about “not meeting one’s hero’s”. Once Niel matures, he sees Mrs. Forrester for who she really is, and it’s a let down. It’s only later in life that he is able to let go of the fantasy that he created of her and accepts her.
3 people found this helpful
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James Fraise-Blanc
4.0 out of 5 stars Portrait of a Lady
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2015
Verified Purchase
The cover shown as posted by Amazon, of a woman looking somewhat seductively posed displays the fact that the person(s) responsible for the cover had a gross misunderstanding of the tale told by Willa Cather or has not read the book. The lady of the title fits the narrator/society's concept of lost, but in the late 19th century, not a contemporary one. It is no "sex in the city." The story is seductive in that we are taken on a journey over the span of life in the late century to the beginning of the 20th. It illustrates the fortune not just of one woman but her husband, loves and of a town. It is a portrait of society during the brief interlude when the development of the railroad was integral to the building of our nation. As the story unfolds we follow the lives of the household which has befriended the orphaned boy who is telling the story. It focuses on 'the Lady' who is beloved and enchanting, only to fall to the later disillusionment of the teller of the tale. How lost the woman is may be left up to the reader, and possibly that is the quest of the novel.
16 people found this helpful
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Ann White
5.0 out of 5 stars All things Cather
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2023
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Willa Cather Will always be a
Favorite writer. I cherish every
Character she births. And every
Description of the time and place she
Came to know. Her stories are an American
Treasure, her style unmistakable.
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Trieu Nguyen
3.0 out of 5 stars Not the author, the design and printing are not pretty
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
I buy this book for my English class. I had to buy the hard cover because the paperback was out of stock. The way it is printed, its font, its's smell, its line spacing make me uncomfortable to read. I wish the publisher can design it better so that I can enjoy the book completely. However, it is delivered very quick. I appreciate this.
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FL Gulf Coast Buyer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book, as I have all of W. Cather's books. It is the story of a young, beautiful woman married to a much older man. The events that unfold are narrated by a young teenaged neighbor boy who admires her from afar. While the human story is very interesting, the descriptions of the prairie farms, seasons, Indians, also is moving.
3 people found this helpful
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Dan
4.0 out of 5 stars As Only Wia Cather writes
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
I would give it a five but having read some of other works that were even better. As good as this is it is hard to realize she has published even better works.

A fan of her work.
One person found this helpful
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JMart
5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Willa Cather
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2021
Verified Purchase
This excellent story of two main characters and the period of their lives they shared with each other, is told with great clarity, detail and, as always, great economy of words. The author (as always) paints wonderful portraits of people against the accurate and informative backdrop of historical events.
6 people found this helpful
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L. Potts
5.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful Story
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2016
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Willa Cather was a writer of rare gifts. She created her novels in a day and time when women writers were extremely scarce, at least women writers of genuine ability. James Thurber praised her as on a par with Henry James. Her novel "My Antonia" is a recognized classic, and "A Lost Lady" is a work of equal power, the story of a woman caught in a world once romantic and fulfilling, now stifling. The death of her elderly husband sends her on a course of desperation in which she risks everything to experience life once more, and on her own terms. The book itself is so short as to be read in a couple of sittings, but crafted so superbly it seems monumental in its achievement. It is a book that will remain with you, another Cather classic.
21 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Annie
5.0 out of 5 stars read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
good
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John Clark
5.0 out of 5 stars it looks like they only lost half of her
Reviewed in Canada on November 10, 2015
Verified Purchase
I've yet to read the book, but, based on the cover alone, it looks like they only lost half of her.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Not so illustrated.
Reviewed in Canada on May 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
There were no illustrations in the version I downloaded. The story and writing were excellent though.
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P M Smith
3.0 out of 5 stars Not her best
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2014
Verified Purchase
Anyone who has been enchanted by My Antonia or O Pioneer will be disappointed in this Willa Cather novel. Readable but lacking her wonderful descriptions of landscape and people.
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Vassilios Koutsis
4.0 out of 5 stars thank you
Reviewed in Canada on January 16, 2020
Verified Purchase
thank you
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