Comments on: Top 100 Children’s Novels #91: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:22:24 +0000

Owwww, that movie is AWFUL!! You have to watch the original movies with Inger Nilsson. Even though the dubbing is a little off, they’re so much better! Google “har kommer pippi langstrump” and you’ll get the REAL theme song!

By: DaNae

DaNae — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:56:11 +0000

Pippi had everything I wanted as a kid: super strength, her own house, a chest full of gold and best of all a monkey.

By: Greg Holch

Greg Holch — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:36:18 +0000

“Cannibal King” resonated with my third grade brain in all sorts of creative ways that “King of the Natives” never would have.

The whole book is about a girl who shocks adults and charms children. It almost seems as if the new edition takes the side of the adults.

I wonder what words Astrid Lindgren really used.

By: Genevieve

Genevieve — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:48:48 +0000

That is not the Pippi Longstocking song I remember from the movies! Wonder if it was an earlier one, or elsewhere in this film? I just remember her singing “I am Pip-pi Longgggstocking, how I love my funny na-ame-o!”

I like morning promenade too. But otherwise, fresher language in the translation might be good.

By: Jennifer Schultz

Jennifer Schultz — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:58:37 +0000

I haven’t read the new translation–we have it, but I just haven’t read it. Cannibal King vs. King of the Natives? OK, I don’t have a problem with that. But morning promenade vs. morning walk? I rather like the sound of a morning promenade. Oh, well.

By: Louise

Louise — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:24:18 +0000

OK, that song is just PAINFUL. I couldn’t listen to more than the first 30 seconds (although my three year old just piped up “that was a nice song” behind me, which means clearly we need to work on her music appreciation skills).

I’ve always loved Pippi. Her spunk, the way she brightened up Tommy and Annika’s mundane life, the fact that she just assumed everyone was a friend (even if they most decidedly were NOT), her independence but the fact that she still loved her papa dearly … aw, she was just grand.

Not sure how I feel about updated language, to be honest. I think half of Pippi’s charm was that she was this completely outrageous girl in a very prim-and-proper place and time, and the old-fashioned language reinforces that. Change that, and I think you lose something from the story itself.