Goodreads | Little Women (Norton Critical Editions)

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Little Women	9	44	04/19/2008 10:57AM

Corrie rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529308)

05/08/08

The book begins:

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents, grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.

It's so dreadful to be poor! sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.

I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all, added little Amy, with an injured sniff.

We've got Father and Mother, and each other, said Beth contentedly from her corner."

There's an undercurrent of anger in this book and I think Louisa May Al...more

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Susan rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529308)

10/04/07

bookshelves: juvenile

Read in January, 1989

Someone I know claimed this no longer has value, that she would never recommend it because it's saccharine, has a religious agenda, and sends a bad message to girls that they should all be little domestic homebodies. I say she's wrong on all counts. This is high on my reread list along with Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and a Tree Grows in Brooklyn--you could say that I'm pretty familiar with it.

Let's see--there's a heroine who not only writes, but is proud of the fact and makes a profit ...more Someone I know claimed this no longer has value, that she would never recommend it because it's saccharine, has a religious agenda, and sends a bad message to girls that they should all be little domestic homebodies. I say she's wrong on all counts. This is high on my reread list along with Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and a Tree Grows in Brooklyn--you could say that I'm pretty familiar with it.

Let's see--there's a heroine who not only writes, but is proud of the fact and makes a profit from it in a time that this was somewhat out-of-the-ordinary. Reading this, and especially knowing later that the main character is (for all practical purposes) Alcott herself, inspired me to write myself, and I haven't forgotten the writing lessons even today: don't let money cloud your vision, write for yourself first, take criticism, write what you know. Still wise even today. Also in this book, we see the perspective of a family coping with the financial and emotional strain of having a loved one away at war, something that is unfortunately all too relatable today. There's also (extraordinary in those times, common in ours)a platonic, though not uncomplicated, friendship between a man and a woman that is sort of a different kind of love story in a way and a powerful one at that. We see people getting married, but marriage is never portrayed as The Answer to Everything--many of the matches involve sacrifice and struggling. The girls, though good at heart, aren't a picture-perfect family of saints. They're flawed and human. The paragon Beth would seem the exception, but the message with her is more about how even the quietest among us can make an impact on the world--not parading her isolated life as an example, only her kindness.

I won't lie. Someone dies, there's a war and a father's away--so yes, God is mentioned: I think there's a few Pilgrim's Progress references in passing and there's some talk of faith at moments when the characters most need it. To contemporary readers, this may seem like a lot, but heavy-handed it is not. It was probably somewhat unusual for its time. The thought that everyone's relationship and perception of God could greatly vary, and that to be true to your religion was entirely non judgmental and meant being kind to other people and trying to make yourself better, not other people? The thought that each person must be allowed to deal with these feelings in their own time in their own way? Wacky stuff.

I admit it seems like a tough sell to today's kids, packaged in somewhat formal sounding-language, and bearing every indication of being literary broccoli, but this book is a classic for a reason. It might be a tough sell, but I don't think we should give up on trying to think of ways to do it anyway. What's inside still counts. Don't write it off....less

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Sarah rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529308)

07/07/08

bookshelves: classics

Read in May, 2008

recommends it for: Fans of Classics, Women Writers

I started reading this classic text AFTER I watched all three film versions. That being said, it was impossible not to picture June Allyson as Josephine March, the most boisterous and independent of the March Sisters, as well as picturing the always lovely Christian Bale as Laurie. Odd pairing, but anyways. I felt Alcott was writing this against the terms of her time. When it felt palpable to write stories with expected happy endings, rather then invigorating part of ones self and beliefs into t...more I started reading this classic text AFTER I watched all three film versions. That being said, it was impossible not to picture June Allyson as Josephine March, the most boisterous and independent of the March Sisters, as well as picturing the always lovely Christian Bale as Laurie. Odd pairing, but anyways. I felt Alcott was writing this against the terms of her time. When it felt palpable to write stories with expected happy endings, rather then invigorating part of ones self and beliefs into the text. Louisa May Alcott was going against the waves of the current by not creating the epic Laurie/Jo romance that seems to be a controversial "Why not?" even today (Especially when considering the casting of Laurie in the 1994 film). What we get instead, is the unconventional leading man in Professor Bahaer, an eloquent, if not awkward, man of the world. In Professor Baher, we get the unconventionality and humor I learned to love in Alcott's own prose throughout the work.

The camaraderie between the March sisters, is no doubt a tribute to Alcott's relationship with her own tightly knit family, moreso then anyone, her father, whom both Jo and Louisa equally respect and admire. The humor throughout Little Women, and the sentimentality, has aged marvelously, and reading this is like venturing into a March family photo album, full of memories, both good and bad, that make us feel like we're part of the family too. Against the lush, introspective beauty of Concord MA, "Little Women" feels like a warm cup of hot chocolate on a winters day, or a visit from an old friend. The characters are the same, but the stories feel a little different each time we hear them.

I preferred Part one of Little Women intensely more then I liked the conclusion. In fact, I would have been A-OK if Louisa wasn't forced to write a second parter to her amazingly detailed first. If readers had left the March sisters on the eve of their father's return, the marriage of Meg, and the still growing flirtation of Laurie towards Jo, my imagination would have wandered farther then I could anticipate, and I would have left with the wonderful notion that their is hope for the neighbourly, brotherly Laurie after all. What I found in the second part of Little Women was a sort of detachment from my old friends. A feeling that they had all drifted (which families sometimes do, I know) and no longer the warm nostalgia I used to feel. Laurie became a character I hardly recognized, a well done detachment on Alcott's part in developing Laurie. However, I still missed the rosy cheeked friend next door who pined for a girl he could never seemingly have. I didn't overly enjoy the end result of Laurie and Amy, frankly because the chemistry and heart just wasn't there. I loved Professor Baher, though, but for Laurie, there was only Jo, and Jo alone.

I didn't end up finishing the last couple of pages, not because I didn't enjoy them, but my heart felt detached and dismayed by the sadness in the second half. The main reason I removed a star from a perfect review, was the sometimes irrelevant details of the four sisters, including Meg's dismay of life as a wife, which I liked, but dragged on a couple pages too long. There was also the developing "love story" of Laurie and Amy, that was more for convenience then practicality. In the end, I missed Beth as much as Jo, and I longed for the way things used to be. Alcott does a stunning job of conveying loss and change that all families must endure in their lifetimes, but for me, the first part of Little Women makes it what it is after all these years: A wonderful love song, of family, of friends, and of camaraderie. As well as the journey women have had to endure for centuries to prove themselves as the intelligent, brave individuals we've always been, yet never given enough credit for. ...less

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Kelly rated it:

(review of isbn 0812523334)

06/04/08

bookshelves: currently-reading

Read in January, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Little Women- Review

I personally was not a fan of Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. This story is about the life of a family, consisting of four girls, and their life while their father is away at war. In this story you watch them grow and develop into proper ladies. I believe hearing there everyday stories was boring, there was no boost that kept the book going, I did not agree with how a neighborly character falls in love with close to the whole ...more Little Women- Review

I personally was not a fan of Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. This story is about the life of a family, consisting of four girls, and their life while their father is away at war. In this story you watch them grow and develop into proper ladies. I believe hearing there everyday stories was boring, there was no boost that kept the book going, I did not agree with how a neighborly character falls in love with close to the whole family, and I could never grasp a real sense of who the characters were.

I'd say I'm a typical teenage girl. I rush to get ready in the morning, to arrive to school on time, deal with drama from friends and classmates, get my studies in, attend after school activities, and try not to be to cranky by the time I get to go home. Those are things you’re just guaranteed to do everyday. Some days are just so-so and others are amazing. But if I were to tell you my everyday, with details I'd bore everyone to tears. My everyday life is ordinary. That's how I felt a lot of this book was. Being more of a person who likes to read adventures I found this book dal. It seems to talk about their day a lot before something big would occur. This book is not one of suspense but more of an easy rides though one's life.

Though time in the 1960's showed a kind of innocence, there is a character that in the 2000's would be called a player. Laurie Laurence neighbor of the March I think got shot by cupid with a twisted arrow. At first he proposes to Jo March but she denies him. So sense he can't get one March he'll try for another.... Laurie then goes and then he proposes to Amy who says yes. I thought the morals back in the day were set higher, at least that’s how the book seemed with the innocents in how they talked, but I guess I was fooled. I believe that's disgusting. I could never imagine a man proposing to me and then my sister.

When we're upset we show it. We cry, yell, or even fight. We do what we have to, to let the other person know that something's wrong. In this story when ever something went wrong they never showed their feelings with detail the way they reacted or what was truly racing through there mind. I felt like when a situation like this occurred they almost spelt it out for you, like t-h-i-s p-e-r-s-o-n i-s m-a-d, which made it hard to get a sense of who the character truly is. Though this book is known as a classic, it is outdated. The way the March sisters talk to one another is no longer how siblings today would act. “I detest rude, unladylike girls!” They tend to talk they are each others mothers. Also when reading a book I want to be able to relate with a character. I want to get into there minds and see how they'd react, but in this story I couldn't. These girls have small picks at one another that are just kind of annoying. For example they poke fun at Jo that she’s boyish. The characters Jo, Amy, Beth, and Meg each have a different personality, but a lot of times it just comes across to me being kind of fluffy.

I would not recommend this book because I thought it moved very slowly. Though I did think at points that having discipline to talk to your siblings more polite would be nice, what would be the point? I love my sibling for all the times she makes fun of me or shares an opinion whether I want it or not. It’s those things that make us who we are and give us the true relationship that we have.
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Tara rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529308)

07/08/08

bookshelves: 1001-books, classic

Read in July, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

A charming story but a little too preachy for my tastes. The girls always have to 'learn their lessons', which is all fine and good in books when handled well and subtly, but in this case it was like being thwacked over the head with 'be good, be kind to your husband, keep a hold of your temper, God loves all his children, but you must soldier on with all your burdens'. Plus, some of the characters were amazingly dull.

Meg being case in point. She seemed there simply to be pretty and get ma...more A charming story but a little too preachy for my tastes. The girls always have to 'learn their lessons', which is all fine and good in books when handled well and subtly, but in this case it was like being thwacked over the head with 'be good, be kind to your husband, keep a hold of your temper, God loves all his children, but you must soldier on with all your burdens'. Plus, some of the characters were amazingly dull.

Meg being case in point. She seemed there simply to be pretty and get married. Jo had her books, Beth her music, Amy her painting, but Meg had no passions. She looked pretty at balls, she sewed, she cooked, then she got married and had children. Were she a real person I'm sure she'd be charming and lovely, but none of that came across in the novel. She was just there to be Mrs Brookes. I did like Mr Brooks, and Demi and Daisy though.

Jo though was a very lovable character. I was especially impressed that she said 'no' to Teddy. This is a girl who knows the difference between childish affection and romantic love. Who refuses to be defined by the man she marries. And she and Mr Baeher were very sweet together.

Beth is also an adorable girl, but I was disappointed in her death scene. It was so preachy that I didn't feel sorrow for the character at all. I was more moved earlier in the novel when they were talking about their castles in the sky and Beth's foreshadowed her coming death. Maybe it was comforting to others, but I don't enjoy death scenes that are all about peace and heaven and such. It just seems so ...sugar-coated. And while this is on the whole a sugary novel, I was still hoping it would be better handled.

I was surprised by how much I liked Amy. I went in expecting to hate her, seeing how annoying she was as a child, and knowing that she married Teddy, but I found her very sweet and charming and likable, though I was not impressed by her continuing desire to be a queen of society. But everyone has their passions I suppose, and that was Amy's.

Teddy was abhorable though, in my view. Maybe as a child he was a sweetie, but he grew up to be such a prat. Honestly, forgetting about Jo in a matter of months and falling for her younger, prettier sister. Sure he and Amy were better suited, and I was fine with their eventual union, but the way he went about it was so irritating. 'If Mozart can make do with the sister than so can I..." Grrrr.

I should mention as well that the copy I read was in dire need of a competent proof-reader. I am not a spelling Nazi by any means (though I do feel the compulsion to attack errors with red pens) but when they crop up two or three times a page (and I am not exaggerating), it is very distracting. Names without capitals, words without spaces (to me and 'tome'), and errors such as they'll as they''. Very very distracting and disappointing.
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Karschtl rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529308)

09/11/07

bookshelves: children_teenie, classic, drama, movie, part_of_series

Read in November, 2002

I once did a short presentation on this book, the following text was part of it.

Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, which is now a part of Philadelphia, in 1832. But soon she moved with her family to the Boston-area, where she and her three sisters Anna, Elizabeth and May grew up. The four girls were educated by their father Bronson Alcott, who was a member of the New England Transcendentalists. Through him Louisa met other Transcendentalists like Theodore Parker, Henry David Thoreau a...more I once did a short presentation on this book, the following text was part of it.

Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, which is now a part of Philadelphia, in 1832. But soon she moved with her family to the Boston-area, where she and her three sisters Anna, Elizabeth and May grew up. The four girls were educated by their father Bronson Alcott, who was a member of the New England Transcendentalists. Through him Louisa met other Transcendentalists like Theodore Parker, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Influenced by these great writers it is not surprising that Lousias greatest passion was writing. She had a rich imagination and often made up stories that she and her sisters act out for their parents or friends. She started her career as a serious author partly because she needed to earn some money to support the family who was not always wealthy. In the beginning, Louisa wrote poetry and short stories, later on the novels.

At the age of 35 her publisher asked her to write a novel for children. That’s how she wrote „Little Women“ where she describes the four March sisters coming of age in New England at the time of the Civil War. The father serves as a preacher in the war, the girls are left alone with their loving mother. The five women live in poverty but try to make the best of it.
The story is very autobiographical. Lousia resembles Jo, who is a tomboy only interested in literature. The eldest sister Anna was the model for Meg, who is pretty and rather vain about that. Elizabeth is portrayed as the gentle Beth, she is the quiet and shy one who enjoys playing the piano. The equivalent of the youngest sister May is Amy, the little girl that often wants to be the center of the attraction. You can see the similarities even in the names: Elizabeth and Beth; May and Amy. „Little Women“ was followed by several other novels about the March family, such as: Good Wives, Little Men and Jo’s Boys.

Especially children books always have a moral (or even more than one). Here for example in the second chapter, where the sisters give their Christmas breakfast to a hungry family and content themselves with bread and milk. They were really looking forward to this breakfast, because they are not rich and don't get all those good things regularly. But they saw that this other family was suffering a lot more. They are rewarded for this altruistic act on the same evening with a delicious dinner, donated by their neighbour who has heard of their generous gift. Only who gives something, gets something in return....less

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Patricia rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529308)

07/23/08

bookshelves: all-classics

Read in May, 2008

I read "Little Women" , by Louisa May Alcott, when in Elementary School, but not being old enough to have grasped the ideals expressed in this story, I was awakened to read it recently when in my forties and found to my surprise quite a moving story of heart, home, life, joy and grief that was beautiful.

The story is of a family that lived during the time of the Civil War. A mother with three active young daughters, and a husband/father who had gone off to fight in the war. Most of ...more I read "Little Women" , by Louisa May Alcott, when in Elementary School, but not being old enough to have grasped the ideals expressed in this story, I was awakened to read it recently when in my forties and found to my surprise quite a moving story of heart, home, life, joy and grief that was beautiful.

The story is of a family that lived during the time of the Civil War. A mother with three active young daughters, and a husband/father who had gone off to fight in the war. Most of the story is centered in the ups and downs of the active young girls, their personalities and their shaping through all the challenges of life they face. Characters being grown, shaped, challenged and the story allows one to take a peek into the minds and the reasonings of each girls unique personality and motives that drive and compel them in the paths they choose. These were not young, timid scared wallflowers of girls, but strong purpose-filled girls with ambitions and goals.

Jo seems to be the character perspective that Louisa May Alcott is using to observe, and write from and through. She moves from writing about all of them from a perspective of knowing them so very well, to writing from her own perspective for her own self.

I loved this book, and though it is very long to read, it is a joy and touched me in lots of areas, many times tears rolled out from within as I found myself seemingly connecting to each character in some way or another. It was a refreshing look into the lives of women and young women in the mid 19th century and how different life was for them in the culture they lived in but how so much alike I found them to be to me who has grown up in the mid 20th century.

The main themes that really stood out to me in this beautiful story were, (1) issues about corporeal punishment and the schooling of girls, (2) there was no dialogs between or among the sisters or the women in the book having any thing to do with the ongoing Civil War, contrasting sharply with a century later in the mid to late 20th century of womens dialogue and entrance into politics with men, (3) the acceptance of illness and death as a part of life without panic or going to extreme ends to go into debt for hanging onto life.

Having had an education in my past that was not adequate, this book has stood out as a big help in bringing to light the things I lacked in understanding history and issues that went through seemingly dramatic changes from the 19th through 21st century.

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LilyN added it (review of isbn 0451529308)

05/19/08

Little Women
Louisa May Alcott
The Little Women of Louisa May Alcott which is about love between family members and boy with girl. The book contains details sometimes make the readers laugh but sometimes they also cry because of the sadness which characters in the story had to overcome. With simple words and obvious settings, the books easily help the readers imagine what happened and when did it occur.
Louisa May Alcott wrote about four young sisters in March family with Meg are the oldest, ...more Little Women
Louisa May Alcott
The Little Women of Louisa May Alcott which is about love between family members and boy with girl. The book contains details sometimes make the readers laugh but sometimes they also cry because of the sadness which characters in the story had to overcome. With simple words and obvious settings, the books easily help the readers imagine what happened and when did it occur.
Louisa May Alcott wrote about four young sisters in March family with Meg are the oldest, after Meg is Jo, Beth and Amy. They all are beautiful and different characters but they love each other and their parents. During the time their father at war, two older sisters go to work to make money to help their mother support for the family. Because of different characters, sometimes they have arguments especially between Jo and Amy. Meg doesn't want to have a poor life. Jo with a hot temperance, she always thinks that nobody feels interested in her. Amy is an active and opened girl, she likes to draw and travel. Beth is a sweetest girl and shy. Time by time, they made some mistakes but their mistakes helped them get more experience about life, they also became stronger and grew up like young adults. With love, it makes them changed their view of life and realized that love is more important than money or the richness, and that is where they can get power which help them make their dream come true. The good examples for that

statement are the March sisters. Meg decided to marry Mr. Brooke because of love even though she knows that he is poor. With the love Mr. and Mrs. March gave Jo - her parents - she had their courage so she could overcome her sadness and her feeling of sorry for herself. Her parents gave her energetic and emotions to continue her writing, her dream. Amy was upset about Beth's lost and Laurie's heart was still heart because of Jo's reaction with his love, but love between them helped them forget everything did happen in the past and be together.
With the Little Women book, Louisa May Alcott wants to send a message to everybody that love is the most important thing in life. Love can help people become happier and gives people power to follow and make their dream come true. Another valuable lesson which she wanted to give the readers is to learn how to forget things in the past to continue succeed in the future.
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Abigail rated it:

(review of isbn 0448060191)

03/21/08

bookshelves: childrens-fiction, literature-classics

recommends it for: Anyone Who Reads...

A book that both defines and transcends the sentimental literature of the nineteenth century, Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" is one of those lifelong companions that I have read and re-read, in whole and in part, too many times to count...

The story of the four March sisters, their adventures and friends, their joys and sorrows as they come of age during the tumultuous period of the American Civil War, is as relevant today as when it was first written. Here we see both the warmt...more A book that both defines and transcends the sentimental literature of the nineteenth century, Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" is one of those lifelong companions that I have read and re-read, in whole and in part, too many times to count...

The story of the four March sisters, their adventures and friends, their joys and sorrows as they come of age during the tumultuous period of the American Civil War, is as relevant today as when it was first written. Here we see both the warmth and strength of family love, and the bitter rivalries that can arise between siblings. As someone who grew up in a house with three girls, I could enter fully into many of the characters' feelings, whether it was Amy's pique at being left out, or Jo's righteous indignation at the burning of her precious papers, and subsequent ecstasy of repentance when her anger almost costs her something far more dear. Who hasn't longed, like Meg at Vanity Fair, to be popular? And who hasn't secretly wished that, like Beth, they had a kindly benefactor?

Like the March girls, many children today must cope with the absence of a parent, whether through military service or other causes; and like the March girls, children have always been forced to confront difficult moral choices as they struggle to become adults. I have sometimes seen this book described as very "modern" in its appreciation of the many different kinds of friendship and love possible between men and women. Frankly, I tend to think that every generation overestimates its distinctness, and that what some read as "modern," are simply observations about the human animal that were as true in the 1860s as they are today...

There are so many aspects of Alcott's masterpiece that I love, that it would be impossible to list them all. Suffice it to say that this is a beautiful book, both in its overarching themes and structure, and in its particular characters and narratives incidents. Finally, I should note that although this book has been published in a seemingly endless variety of editions, I myself grew up on the Illustrated Junior Library edition, with illustrations by Louis Jambor....less

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Sindy rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529308)

08/07/08

bookshelves: currently-reading

Read in July, 2008

Hasta este momento el libro me parece muy lindo.(1/2 libro)
Las aventuras que viven las hermanas March me parecen simpáticas y fascinantes.
Era un mundo totalmente diferente el de aquellos tiempos, y me gusta descubrir sus costumbres, maneras de pensar, hasta lo que comen y las cosas que importaban en aquellos tiempos.
Anécdotas como la de Amy y las limas causaron mucha gracia, ¿Quién hubiera pensado que las frutas se pueden poner de moda y causar tales anectotas?

Las diferencias e...more Hasta este momento el libro me parece muy lindo.(1/2 libro)
Las aventuras que viven las hermanas March me parecen simpáticas y fascinantes.
Era un mundo totalmente diferente el de aquellos tiempos, y me gusta descubrir sus costumbres, maneras de pensar, hasta lo que comen y las cosas que importaban en aquellos tiempos.
Anécdotas como la de Amy y las limas causaron mucha gracia, ¿Quién hubiera pensado que las frutas se pueden poner de moda y causar tales anectotas?

Las diferencias entre personalidades de cada una de las hermanas y los roles que juegan dentro de la familia hacen que la historia sea rica en opiniones y enseñanzas.
Creo que este libro es perfecto para niñas. Una forma muy entretenida de enseñarles como ser buenas personas, con bonitos sentimientos, a ser buenas amigas, hermanas, hijas y ciudadanas.
Definitivamente se lo leere a mis hijas.
Hay muchos detalles que me encantan, por ejemplo que canten antes de dormir, que bonita costumbre.
Los dias pasaban sin mas preocupaciones que ayudar en la casa, demostrar cariño a su familia, luchar por sus sueños.

Me identifico con Meg, que es la mayor. Me encanta como se preocupa por cuidar sus cosas y lucir como una señorita linda. Sus pañuelos bonitos y sus guantes.
Se preocupa demasiado por que no es rica y sofisticada como sus amigas, pero ignora que su riqueza es mayor que la de ellas.
Una de las anecdotas que mas me ha gustado hasta ahorita es la que describe lo que hicieron con el desayuno de navidad, cuando lo llevaron a la familia necesitada y se conformaron con pan y leche.
Que lindo poder ayudar asi a las personas, hoy en dia casi nadie hace eso, la gente primero piensa en si mismo y luego en los demas. Queremos tener mas y mas y mas sin pensar que hay gente que necesita tantas cosas que a nosotros nos sobran.

Como conclusion de la primer mitad del libro puedo decir que para mi sorpresa me ha gustado mucho. Crei conocer la historia porque ya vi la pelicula, pero nuevamente descubri que siempre es mejor leer el libro.
Quien haya escogido este titulo felicidades porque sin querer, tengo un excelente libro que leer a mis hijas.
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Meg rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529308)

06/09/08

Read in June, 2008

I loved this book as a girl and thought it couldn't possibly be as wonderful as I remembered it. IT WAS EVEN BETTER. Quite a different read now that I'm a "grown up" with a little woman of my own. To me, the most interesting thing about this novel is that it's basically just a collection of short stories. It has no clear protagonist (many argue that Jo is the heroine, but I disagree). It doesn't even have an overall PLOT (unless "four sisters grow up" can be considered a...more I loved this book as a girl and thought it couldn't possibly be as wonderful as I remembered it. IT WAS EVEN BETTER. Quite a different read now that I'm a "grown up" with a little woman of my own. To me, the most interesting thing about this novel is that it's basically just a collection of short stories. It has no clear protagonist (many argue that Jo is the heroine, but I disagree). It doesn't even have an overall PLOT (unless "four sisters grow up" can be considered a plot). And yet, for me, it's a page turner. WHY??? I honestly don't know. But I think Alcott creates her characters with such love (and why not--since the entire thing is basically autobiographical?) that you honestly love them yourself. You have to know what becomes of them... not because any great plot point is hanging in the balance, but because you just genuinely CARE. How does she DO that? I would love to know, as a writer. I think Alcott herself left a clue when she wrote the chapter "All Alone." Jo is talking to her father, baffled that her latest story has found so much success. She says:

"I don't understand it. What CAN there be in a simple story like that, to make people praise it so?"

And her father answers:

"There is truth in it, Jo, that's the secret; humor and pathos make it alive... You wrote with no thought of fame or money, and put your heart into it."

Isn't that beautiful?

By the way, check out the Broadway musical (if your local library is at least medium-sized, it probably has a CD). Overall, it's decent... but the song Marmee sings to Jo after you-know-who dies is AMAZING.

Little bit of trivia: I'm named "Margaret" after my grandmother, but my mom nicknamed me "Meg" after the oldest of the Little Women. Though I'm really not like her at all... I'm basically Jo's real-life twin (with a little Beth mixed in). Though I wish I was more like Marmee. She's pretty much my literary mom hero--so wise and lovingly patient without being "preachy," as Jo says. Which of the Little Women are you guys most like? (men need not respond)
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Hannah G. rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529308)

06/02/08

Little Women is about the four March daughters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, and what they deal with growing up.

In part I, the story starts around Christmas time in the early nineteenth-century, and makes it evident right away that the March family is going through a small economic crisis because of Mr. March, the father, fighting in the war. Meg is the oldest of the March daughters and is really into material things and is saddened when the family is stuck in a poverty-like situation. Jo, the...more
Little Women is about the four March daughters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, and what they deal with growing up.

In part I, the story starts around Christmas time in the early nineteenth-century, and makes it evident right away that the March family is going through a small economic crisis because of Mr. March, the father, fighting in the war. Meg is the oldest of the March daughters and is really into material things and is saddened when the family is stuck in a poverty-like situation. Jo, the middle daughter and main character, is not your typical “young lady”. She has tomboy-like qualities and has a hot temper and a short fuse sometimes. Beth is the second youngest and really loves helping people, and has a love for music. Amy is the youngest and is constantly influenced by everyone that is around her. She later becomes really interested in art. Mrs. March, the mother, is trying all that she can to care for her four daughters, and mold them into classy young ladies.

In part II, Mr. March returns from the war and all of the girls are a bit older, and start to deal with adult issues. Each character deals with the issues differently according to their personalities. Toward the end of the book, the family is struck with a great tragedy where they rely on each other as well as friends for support. There is also a bit of a twist that you may or may not see coming.

Since the setting of the story is in a place where everyone was proper and sophisticated, the dialect can be a lot different than ours and, therefore, might be hard for some people to understand at first. Once you read a little into the book, it becomes easier to adjust.

I liked this book a lot, although it is very long and at some points in the book, it tends to drag out descriptions for such a long time it is hard to remember what they are talking about. But in most cases Louisa May Alcott does a really nice job describing things so you get a nice mental picture of what she is talking about. I thought this was a beautiful book and was written in a lovely way.

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Gwen rated it:

(review of isbn 0375756728)

03/27/08

bookshelves: book_club, children, fiction

Read in August, 2007

recommended to Gwen by: book club
recommends it for: young girls

Unlike most girls growing up in the United States, I did not read Little Women as a child and so do not have any fond memories of Jo and Meg and Beth and Amy and Marmee. That might be my difficulty of reading it for the first time as an adult.

I found the writing style of Louisa May Alcott to whiney and showed her resentment to the issues that she was facing in her life. I would have thought that through Jo—the woman who represents all that Ms. Alcott wishes her life could have been�...more

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Santh rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529308)

03/17/08

bookshelves: classic_fiction, my-collections

The tale of March family in 1800 setting of Civil War. Mr. March – clergyman –was sent to Washington to fulfill his duty as chaplain in the army. Mrs. March – a very spending mother – was as social worker and spent all her free time helping the poor and needy. The first daughter – Margaret “Meg” March – was pretty at sixteen, with large eyes, soft, brown hair, a sweet mouth, and white hands, of which she was very proud. Jo – Josephine March – was the second daughter, she was ...more

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Carter rated it:

(review of isbn 1402714580)

12/13/07

bookshelves: general-fiction, young-adult

Read in December, 2007

I can't believe how much I loved this book. But it's so good. While I read it, I tried to keep in mind the time in which it was written. Perhaps it helped. Because all of the things that seem so out-dated I didn't mind so much. A couple of times, I went to Wikipedia to find out something or another concerning the book (scarlet fever for example) and every time I did, there was a secret about the book I was reading. I suppose for many, it's not that big of a deal because they know the story...more

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Amy rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529308)

03/11/08

bookshelves: classic, favorites

Read in January, 1987

recommends it for: Those who have retained their innocence in this materialistic world we live in.

I absolutely cannot read this again or it will be ruined from my 10-year-old remembrance of it. I really don't want that to happen. You need to be a bit naive yourself to truly appreciate the nunnish thoughts and adventures of 4 perfectly innocent preteens and teenagers of the 1860s. I remember reading it and wishing that I had sisters to perform plays with and write newspapers with and that I had a next door neighbor to fall in love with. But trying to read the book again when I'm in my 30s, I ...more

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