Daddy-Long-Legs

By Jean Webster

First published in 1912, Jean Webster’s “Daddy-Long-Legs” is the tale of Jerusha “Judy” Abbott, raised in the John Grier House, a bleak orphanage, and left as a baby without even a name from her parents. Told in a series of letters, this modern girls’ fairy tale follows Judy, a plucky young woman without ties and unsure of her future, as she comes of age. After a visit from the trustees of the orphanage when she is 17, Judy is told that one of the trustees sees in her the potential of a writer and wishes to be the patron of her college education. In exchange for tuition payment and a generous monthly allowance, Judy must write him a letter each month. It is this correspondence which forms the basis of this epistolary novel. She goes to an excellent women’s university and thrives, growing, learning, and having fun in an adventurous period of self-discovery. Webster’s tale of an orphan and her unknown, shadowy benefactor is an enriching and hopeful love story that unfolds in the pages of letters from a cheerful young woman to the man who changes her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Digireads.com Publishing
• Release date: Nov 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781420964882

Jean Webster

Jean Webster (1876-1916) was a pseudonym for Alice Jane Chandler Webster, an American author of books that contained humorous and likeable young female protagonists. Her works include Daddy-Long-Legs, Dear Enemy, and When Patty Went to College. Politically and socially active, she often included issues of socio-political interest in her novels.

Book preview

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Reviews for Daddy-Long-Legs

[adonisguilfoyle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another American classic, this one not half so preachy and therefore enjoyable. A few years ago, I read Dear Mr Knightley by Katherine Reay, which is an update of Jean Webster's 1912 novel, and was not impressed. The epistolary form is a difficult style of narrative to pull off, and the premise of an anonymous benefactor dictating the life of a disadvantaged young woman certainly doesn't translate well into a modern setting. The original, however, is short and sweet.When Jerusha Abbott turns seventeen, she is told that an anonymous trustee of the orphanage has offered to send her to college, on the condition that she writes him a letter every month. For the next four years, Jerusha - who wisely changes her name to Judy - fulfils her side of the arrangement, penning witty, forthright and free-spirited accounts of her life at college. Her benefactor never replies directly, but occasionally sends a message through his secretary - usually when trying to control Judy's life, telling here where she is allowed to spend her summers and whether or not to accept a scholarship. That side of the story remains a little worrying - not to mention how she calls her guardian 'Daddy Long Legs' and sometimes just 'Daddy' - but luckily Judy is a strong-minded young woman who knows how to pick her battles!I loved some of Judy's thoughts, on religion - 'Their god (whom they have inherited intact from their remote Puritan ancestors) is a narrow, irrational, unjust, mean, revengeful, bigoted person. Thank heaven I don't inherit any god from anybody!' - and imagination - 'It makes people able to put themselves in other people's places. It makes them kind and sympathetic and understanding. It ought to be cultivated in children' - and enjoyed her character. She's from a poor background without family, yes, but doesn't bang on about how having no money is some sort of spiritual experience like A Tree Grows In Brooklyn or how women exist only to serve others (Louisa May Alcott, looking at you).Great fun - I bought an actual printed copy, shock horror, and will definitely keep to read again.

[judithproctor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my Dreamwidth friends recently mentioned "Daddy Long Legs" in her journal. My brain went "You can get it free on Project Gutenberg!" and about half an hour later, I had it on my ebook reader. It's an absolutely delightful book. I originally read this when I as young and never forgot it. I was pleased to discover that I enjoyed it even more as an adult.It's a series of letters from an orphan to the mysterious benefactor who is paying for her college education. She doesn't know what his name is, but the deal is that he supports her education as long as she writes him a regular letter about what she's doing. As she's only even seen his elongated shadow, she nicknames him "Daddy Long Legs".She tells him about what she's learning, what she thinks of it, cheerfully berates him for never writing back, tells him of what she gets upto with her friends, comments on all kinds of things with a cheerful irreverence. (She knows that one of the reasons he chose to help her is that she wrote a humorous school essay mocking the trustees' annual visit to the orphanage)It's partly a wonderful window into the world of 1912, from the social attitudes to orphans, to the clothes worn by young women, but it's also very funny. I laughed out loud several times while reading it.There's a romance that develops between Judy and a relative of one of her college friends, but she is concerned about her background and the fact that he comes from an upper-class family. (Orphans really were low status back then)It reminds me a little of "84 Charring Cross Rd". There's the same love of literature, and the same cheerful, humorous, slightly disrespectful but fond attitude towards the correspondent.You can get it for free! Read it. Far more fun than most classics.

[anneofia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story, told in a series of letters, follows an orphan from her youth in the orphanage to college, which is provided by an anonymous benefactor who only asks that she keep him updated as to her progress. I loved this book as a child and read it many times.

[riofriotex · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The audiobook reader, Julia Whelan, sounded the right age (17-21), but read too fast, not pausing enough between the letters. Predictable ending. Couldn't view the downloadable material which supposedly includes some very childish stick-figure drawings (some referred to in the text) by Webster. Sounds like it is no great loss.

[eustaciatan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book is interesting and fun to read. The only thing that prevented it from getting five stars from me was the fact that the tone of the protagonist sounded like that of a 10 year old, not a college student and certainly not the 21 year old girl she is at the end of the book.

[readermom68 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this story! While it is definitely outdated in many ways it is still a charming escape.

[karin7-11 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

5 stars and a heart

Written and set in pre-WWI Northeastern USA.

Jerusha (Judy) Abbott grew up an an orphanage, but is offered a full college education with allowance by an anonymous trustee who appreciates a witty high school essay she wrote about life in the orphanage. Her one form of repayment is to write him a letter each month and to address it to Mr. John Smith. Having seen his shadow and knowing he had long legs, she starts writing to Daddy Long Legs after the second letter, and her colourful, illustrated letters take us through her four years of school including the summer breaks.

If you've never read it, it's really something that, while totally different, is right up there with Anne of Green Gables (from a similar time; I'm not sure why it hasn't stayed as popular other than she is older than Anne when Anne starts out. There's no sentimentality, but it is definitely a fun read.

[theeditrix · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A most delightful book. A charming, fluffy, sweet little literary morsel. The only downer is. . . the heroine decides to become a Fabian Socialist. NOOOO!!!

But other than that, a truly delightful read, as I believe I mentioned. Highly recommended for fans of L.M. Montgomery, Grace Livingston Hill, and other similar authors.

Now, to read the sequel: "Dear Enemy". And I must also watch the Fred Astaire musical and the Mary Pickford silent film, though I doubt either will be half as magical as the book.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Audio book narrated by Julia Whelan.

Jerusha (Judy) Abbott is an orphan who has been raised at the John Grier Home. Being the oldest orphan, she is in charge of the younger children. Children are usually released from the Home at age sixteen. Jerusha, having excelled at school was allowed to go to the village for high school, and kept on at the Home two years past the usual time frame. But this exception, too, must come to an end. An unusual offer has come to her, however. In the past, one of the Home’s trustee’s has sometimes helped a particularly bright boy by paying his college tuition. This year, one of Jerusha’s essays has captured this benefactor’s attention, and he has agreed to pay her college tuition for four years. He will remain anonymous, but does require that she write to him monthly – not to thank him, but to tell him of her experiences, much as she would write to her parents.

So begins this delightful book of letters from Judy to the man she knows as “Mr John Smith,” but whom she affectionately calls Daddy Longs Legs (or just Dear Daddy). The reader witnesses her growth from an immature but exuberant young girl to an accomplished and delightful young woman as her horizons are broadened by all she learns. My only complaint is with the unrealistic (and somewhat abrupt) ending. I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t say more about that. I’m guessing this is a difference in styles and expectations from the time when it was first published – 100 years ago in 1912.

Julia Whelan does a wonderful job of performing the book. Her enthusiasm as Jerusha is introduced to experiences she hadn’t even dreamed about is infectious. Also, she perfectly voices Judy’s genuine need to explain herself and her continual questioning of her benefactor for some guidance and answers. What the audio cannot convey, however, are the illustrations that the text contains. These are drawings the author, herself, included in the original, and I think they add to the charm of the book. So, if you are going to listen … get a copy of the text so you can at least see the drawings that are referred to.

[haklh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I first read this in my teens and I really loved it - I found it funny, and charming, and romantic. I loved the cheerful but unsentimental tone of the story, and I loved how fresh and vivid and likeable Judy was.

BUT
I re-read this recently, and while I still enjoyed its humour and its happy ending, I am a bit more ambivalent about the Judy/Daddy-Long-Legs relationship. Now that I am older and more aware of things like the connection between relationships and power, I can see instances where Daddy Long Legs' behaviour is controlling and possessive (e.g. when he ordered Judy to head to the farm for the summer, rather than spend it with her friend Sallie (and her brother Jimmy).

I think part of my unease is because I can't see how the romance has developed, based on the one-sided communication - perhaps he just wants her because she is totally under his control!? Dear Daddy Long Legs, I want to know how you fell in love with Judy. I want to see your actions justified in the name of jealousy borne out of infatuation. Please tell your side of the story!

[audacity88_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A charming novel, which is apparently a classic but which I had never heard of as a child - presumably because the winter-spring romance that develops would now be considered scandalous. But I found it enjoyable and not too implausible as far as romances go, and enjoyed the letter format - reminiscent of Pride & Prejudice.

[pussreboots · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[msstephie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my first kindle novel, it was free and the only book that interested me, mainly because I'd seen the Fred Astair film, I didn't know it was a book. I loved it, and wish I'd come across it years ago. An easy enjoyable read, I'd recommend it to anyone.
Judy was a likeable heroine, a bit like Anne in Anne of Green Gables.

[lycomayflower · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I never read this as a kid, but I remember a friend carrying it around with her a lot. @foggidawn reviewed it a little while ago, bringing it back to my attention, and it sounded like fun. I loved it and got very caught up in all the little details of women's college life in the 1910s. The identity of the "mysterious" Daddy-Long-Legs seemed very obvious to me, though I rather suspect I might not have thought so if I had read this when I was ~nine. While some of the story is a bit dated, very little terribly much bothered my modern sensibilities, especially as I think Jersuha would have been a fairly forward-thinking and "modern" woman in her time.

[foggidawn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Seventeen-year-old Jerusha Abbott has spent her entire life at the John Grier Home, an orphanage. When one of the trustees takes an interest in her (due to a humorous but unflattering essay on visiting day at the orphanage) and decides to send her to college. He elects to remain anonymous; all Jerusha knows is that he is tall (she caught a glimpse of him silhouetted in the doorway on his way out), rich, and has only ever sponsored the education of boys before. One of the conditions of her education is that she is to write him monthly letters on her progress, with the understanding that he will not respond in any way. This book comprises that one-way correspondence, and readers will soon find themselves charmed by Jerusha's youthful exuberance and zest for life. But will she ever discover the identity of her mysterious benefactor?Some aspects of this book are indicative of its time, but all in all, I think it holds up pretty well. I know of readers who are bothered by certain aspects of the book, particularly the ending, but I find I don't mind them, even on a second reading. All in all, I found it a pleasant, quick reread, and will probably read it again at some time in the future.

[schatzi_5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I first read this book when I was about eight or nine years old, and I loved it from the start. The whole "writing letters" method of storytelling has always appealed to me since, and I really blame (or give credit) this book for that, because Judy comes so alive in her letters. We don't see her "in action" after the first chapter in the book, but that doesn't matter, because her letters are so funny and heartfelt. And the other characters, whom we never "see" outside of her letters, come alive as well: Sallie, Julia, Jervie, and even Daddy-Long-Legs, from whom we hear so little.Rarely a year goes by when I don't skim through this book. I usually read the first chapter (when Judy is still in the orphanage and gets her scholarship from a benevolent trustee) and read some of the more meaningful (to me) letters, and then I turn to the back and read the last six or so letters. Without fail, even though I have done this almost annually for almost thirty years, I still get the "awwww" fuzzies at the end. Just reading those last few letters can snap me out of a bad funk.I've seen people online say that they wish that they could read Harry Potter for the first time again, without knowing what is going to happen. Harry Potter's an okay series (although I never got obsessed with it like so many have), but forget it - I'd rather be able to read this book again for the first time! I remember when I read it for the first time, I was SO SURPRISED that Jervie was Daddy-Long-Legs. I may have squealed a bit on the bus. Don't judge me. Although it's great to go through the book and watch Judy mention Jervie multiple times (giving Jervie the hint that she returns his feelings, which I'm not sure he would have had had if she hadn't spilled out her heart in her letters to her Daddy-Long-Legs), it'd be amazing to go into this book not knowing and see if I'd figure it out as an adult.Child-me would have given this book five stars without question. Adult-me gives it four and a half. This book was written in a different world, really, one that was only a hundred years ago! It's hard to believe how much has changed since then. Judy is talking about women needing the right to vote and how, if she marries, it's rather expected that she gives up aspirations for a career, although she sees that it might be possible to have both a husband and a career. Jervie is a socialist (which is all kinds of YAY, because blatant socialists almost never appear in books, at least as "good" characters) and a social reformer. He is quite hot-headed and demanding, which is one of the reasons why I lower the book half a star. He has a tendency to be rash and even insulting (at one point he calls Judy a "child" because she is trying to do the RESPONSIBLE thing and work for the summer instead of going to Europe). And Judy freely admits that she molds her personal opinions to fit his, which...rubs me wrong. I try to tell myself that it was a different time. Yes. And it may be a little creepy to have Jervie reading all of these letters to him, letters in which Judy is frank about her emotions in a way that he would never have known had he not been the recipient. It's weird reading her describe him to him, all without her knowing. It almost feels like an invasion of her privacy, like he should have let her know that he didn't want to hear about her love life (he's a bit brusque with her a few other times, so I think this would have fit his "Daddy-Long-Legs" character). I still love me some Jervie/Judy, though. That ending letter. Yum.Besides the stuff under the spoiler cut, I guess my only other real complaint is that this book is too short! I'd love for it to be at least four times longer than it is, perhaps supplemented with letters from Judy to other characters (she mentions that she's writing to both Freddie and Jervie, and I would KILL to read some of her letters with Jervie back and forth) or third-person chapters (like the first one) showing what they're doing. I'd love for more Jervie/Judy scenes; I will not lie. But, alas, it's not meant to be, and I really don't care all that much for the "sequel," Dear Enemy, so...yeah. I'll just fill out the story in my mind. ;)

[seasonsoflove_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think it can be really hard to pull off a book that is solely in letter form-especially when the letters are only from one character-but Webster does a great job of making Judy's world come alive. Judy is a vibrant, entertaining, highly likable character (an orphan sent to college by a mysterious anonymous benefactor, to whom she writes), and this is a quick, delightful read.

[phoebesmum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The classic story of orphaned Jerusha Abbot, rescued from a bleak future by one of the trustees of the orphanage which she's now outgrown. Convinced by the Home's Superintendant that Jerusha is a worthy cause, the trustee agrees to put her through college, on two conditions: one, that he remain anonymous and two, that Jerusha – who very quickly rechristens herself Judy – write him a letter every month. Judy, with nobody else with whom to share her wonder as she gradually discovers the world outside the John Grier home, more than lives up to her bargain. The result is a fly-in-amber portrait of life at an American women's college at the turn of the last century, twinned with an enduring and affecting love story.Or so I thought when I first read it. Over the years it has come to dawn on me that, actually, Daddy-Long-Legs himself is a little bit creepy and stalkerish … but that's late 20th century culture talking, and we would be far better off accepting the story at face value, and as a product of its time. And, as a product of its time, this is actually pretty progressive: Judy is no helpless Cinderella, but is determined to stand on her own two feet. Her ambition is to be a writer, and write she does – and the first thing she does on receipt of her first publisher's cheque is to start repaying Daddy-Long-Legs the cost of her education. Now, that's a heroine I can relate to.Judy's tribulations as she struggles with manuscript after manuscript will resonate with any would-be writer, and her life at college and beyond is both eminently memorable and delightful.

[picardyrose · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read it over and over. I wish I were Judy.

[knitcrazybooknut · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quiet, well-written novel about an orphaned girl with a private benefactor she's never met. The story, while slightly formulaic, is very well-written, and the voice is completely engaging and believable.

[victoriaeva_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book I read in English. I studied the language with my beloved teacher, Galina Vasilievna, in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). I would have 2-3 private classes a week, and she would usually give me an obscene amount of home work - well, thanks for that! After some time spent with study books, I came to a point when she suggested 'additional reading' and gave me this book. I was supposed to prepare a couple of pages of reading once a week. By 'prepare' I mean exactly what it sounds like - PREPARE. Translate every word - understand it in context. Write it down. Translate, write down the definition and construct in writing 5 sentences with the phrases underlined by my teacher. Usually those were expressions, like 'dragged itself to a close' - Gosh, I still remember it!Well, I have to say that I have never finished the book in the way Galina Vasilievna wanted me to. In about half a year I just wanted to know 'what's up?' and flipped through the many remaining pages in one evening, grasping the meaning over the words I did not know. Proud, I said to the teacher "I can tell you the story!" "It is not reading, my dear! I need you to learn the expressions!" she replied as calmly, as usually.I have read many books after that time. Most of them have been in English language. I am getting my Master's degree in International Relations, reading, writing everything in English. I write a weekly column in English for a newspaper. For about four years 85% of my communications are in English. I am thrilled with the bookstores. And the door to all of this, the door in terms of Books, is my very first one: Daddy-Long-Legs, read when I was about 15-16 years old.As for the book itself: it was cute. I may read it once again, just to have a complete picture, un-fragmented with my initial page-a-week jumps.

[francescadefreitas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful classic, I first read it as a teenager, and I have read it several times since. The story is told through an orphan girl's letters to her mysterious benefactor, as he pays her way through college. There is a delightful sense of the ridiculous in Judy's depiction of her daily life and studies. I find it entertaining both as a simple romance story, and also as a historical look at what life was like at a women's college in the early 1900's.There is a excellent sequel, Dear Enemy, telling the story of Judy's room mate Sally, and her work as the new head of the Judy's childhood orphanage.

[merrymary_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a delight! A wonderful book that refuses to age. The college experience, while different in detail from modern times, is still very accurate when it comes to friendship, love, and the growing of a heart.

[byroade · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Judy Abbott, a bright young orphan, is the first girl sent to college by one of the orphanage's trustees. Her only obligation is to write a monthly letter summing up her studies. Her benefactor is anonymous, so she bestows the name "Daddy-Long-Legs" on him because she's only seen his tall shadow. The novel is told in her letters to him, relating her college experiences which reveal not only her lively intelligence but the deprivations of her institutional upbringing. It is one of the more completely satisfying stories I have ever read. It provides a vivid slice of life at a woman's college early in the 20th century. Webster was a graduate of Vassar College.

[katylit · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sweet old story about an orphan writing letters to an anonymous benefactor who pays for her college education. The orphan, Judy, is a delightful character, very likeable, such a joy in learning. Lots of innocent humour.

[reneh-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a fantastic and witty little book. Another reviewer here wrote that only women should read it. Well, I'm a man and I enjoyed it tremendously. Maybe it was written for young adults in the first place, but I believe that anybody, man or woman, of any age, will - and should - enjoy this 100 years old pearl of literature. Five stars, there can be no doubt about it.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was expecting to find Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster a light-hearted, sentimental read that would barely hold my interest. Well, yes, it is both light-hearted and sentimental but I also found an element of creepiness in the relationship that Daddy and Judy had. Starting out as a benefactor to an orphan by paying for her to go to college, his lurking in the background, pulling the strings and almost shaping this young girl into his future wife was rather disturbing. However, now that I have voiced my concern, I do have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Daddy-Long-Legs is presented in a letter format as Judy is instructed to write to her benefactor and keep him up to date on her life. She calls him Daddy-Long-Legs as she only ever saw a quick glance at him from behind and remembered him mostly for the length of the shadow he cast. She dutifully writes him, and here lies the charm of this book. Her letters are fun, breezy informative chat-fests. She is an open book and tells all, establishing a relationship with this shadow figure who continues to hide his identity.Over the course of the book we discover that Judy isn’t the meek and mild orphan that she appears to be, she has backbone and an inner strength and when she wants to she knows how to stand up for herself. By the book’s end, it is clear that Judy will have a wonderful life with her Daddy-Long-Legs, and in a romantic tale such as this, this is the happy ending that was hoped for.

[booksovertv · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved it, very entertaining. A reread for sure.

[murphy4jacobs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Of course I have seen the movie a dozen times so I started looking for the book a few years ago. In many ways, of course, the book is better -- the movie replaced the social commentary and sparks of independent woman with musical numbers and 1950s sauciness and a lot of Fred Astaire (which is fine in a musical but...). in fact, i was a bit suprised how closely the movie did adhere to the spine of the novel...although only to the sweet parts of the spine.

The book was published in 1912 but the thoughts and feelings of the young protagonist felt so very contemporary and fresh. As an epistolary novel it is unusual because we see only one person, really, writing, so it is more of a diary in letter form, but that works quite well to reveal the characters sussinctly.

I have the next book waiting (Dear Enemy) waiting for me.

[kathleen586 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book apart from the socialist propaganda, but that kind of ruined it. One of Judy's diary entries is basically, "Dear Diary, Should I become a Communist or a socialist?"!