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An Old Fashioned Girl

by Louisa May Alcott

4.03 · rating details · 3,660 ratings · 300 reviews

An Old Fashioned Girl, by Alcott, Louisa May - Akasha Classics, AkashaPublishing.Com - "IT'S time to go to the station, Tom." "Come on, then." "Oh, I'm not going; it's too wet. Shouldn't have a crimp left if I went out such a day as this; and I want to look nice when Polly comes." "You don't expect me to go and bring home a strange girl a...more

Published (first published 1869)

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Jul 16, 2011

Kwesi 章英狮 rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: louisa-may-alcott, owned, 2011

I'm one of the biggest fans of Louisa May Alcott after reading her Little Women when I was in high school. It was an amazing book that every girls and boys would love and cherish until end and it was one of the greatest classics that I read since I started reading. This time, Louisa May Alcott turned the old pages of this book into a magnificent old-fashioned story. Real and fluent in a way that every reader will appreciate the old ways and life of Polly Milton.

Me, myself is an old-...more

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May 13, 2009

Chandra rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: louisa-may-alcott, 2009-reads, classics-kids, girly-girls, kids-young-adult, love-romance, nerdy-girl-bookclub

This book surprised me. I enjoyed it both more and less than I was expecting. The book centers around Polly Milton, the titular 'old-fashioned girl', and her interactions with the her wealthy Boston cousins, the Shaws. I was worried that this would be the story of a wide-eyed country bumpkin who humbles her worldly and arrogant cousins with her innocence and folksy ways. Thankfully, this isn't quite the set up. Although, it’s not too terribly far off either....

For starters, I ac...moreThis book surprised me. I enjoyed it both more and less than I was expecting. The book centers around Polly Milton, the titular 'old-fashioned girl', and her interactions with the her wealthy Boston cousins, the Shaws. I was worried that this would be the story of a wide-eyed country bumpkin who humbles her worldly and arrogant cousins with her innocence and folksy ways. Thankfully, this isn't quite the set up. Although, it’s not too terribly far off either....

For starters, I actually really liked Polly and found her pretty relatable. ‘Old-fashioned’ in this case doesn’t mean dowdy or out of touch. Instead it refers to someone who is genuinely kind and selfless. Certainly at times Polly could be an insufferable goody-goody, but she was also pretty endearing at times. She’s not perfect and she’s not a fool either. She’s actually a very wise person who feels the injustice of her circumstances quite bitterly sometimes. Polly isn’t above temptation or indulging in self pity from time to time. All in all, I found her to be a realistic, fleshed out character.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the rest of the players. The Shaws, for example, are essentially caricatures of a wealthy and dysfunctional family. Alcott’s narration was very strange here. As a reader I always felt like I was floating above the action and that I couldn’t quite get close enough to distinguish any identifying characteristics. There was also a certain disconnect between the first and second halves of the novel. I think this is largely due to the fact that the first six chapters ran as a serial and, as Alcott says, her young readers begged for a follow up. The novel is what resulted from that entreaty.

I could go on a bit more about my little complaints, but the truth is I really found this an enjoyable read. And I can see why this is a nostalgic favorite for many readers. Polly is a really sympathetic and admirable heroine. She’s an affirmation for young people that it’s okay to be a little different from your contemporaries. I also think Alcott included some interesting social commentary even if at times I felt her voice a little too strongly. I definitely recommend this for fans of Alcott and fans of literature from this era.
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Sep 19, 2007

Retna Asmoro rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: any young girls who believes in being sincere

Shelves: classics, childhood-favorites

This book left me with such a happy feeling as a kid and I know I would still love this book when I read it again. It's like watching "The Sound of Music", you want to find comfort in it when the world dissapoints you, because you will be reminded that no matter what, being sincere and true to yourself will pay (and surely will get the boy/ the man you fall for!). Of course when you went to high school, you might learn another thing, that inner beauty didn't always prevail, thanks to t...more

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Nov 09, 2007

"Aubri"/Lisa rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Young girls and fans of LMA

Shelves: classics

This particular novel by Ms. Alcott falls behind the Rose Campbell books and "Little Women" as my favorite, but there are parts of it that I find almost revolutionary. In particular the scene where grown-up Polly take Fanny to meet her artistic friends and they show her what it's like to be independent and make your way in the world on your own terms is quite "modern" in an age where womens' suffrage was just making its mark on the country. Many good lessons to be learned i...more

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Jan 10, 2012

Lauren Munoz rated it

· review of another edition

I read this because LMA's 'A Rose in Bloom' is one of my favorite books ever. I didn't find this book nearly as well-written, well-designed or satisfactory as Rose, but I still enjoyed what it had to offer. I think it seemed a bit disjointed and inconsistent because the first third of the novel (which I found pretty dull - reading about boring school children doing very little is not my thing) was serialized and the rest of the book was written later. The rest of the book was strange in that ...moreI read this because LMA's 'A Rose in Bloom' is one of my favorite books ever. I didn't find this book nearly as well-written, well-designed or satisfactory as Rose, but I still enjoyed what it had to offer. I think it seemed a bit disjointed and inconsistent because the first third of the novel (which I found pretty dull - reading about boring school children doing very little is not my thing) was serialized and the rest of the book was written later. The rest of the book was strange in that it had a lot of scenes, character descriptions and dialogue that was almost identical to Rose - LMA obviously had a set of ideals that she conveyed similarly when she was moralizing. Which is something to be aware of if you've never read LMA's books - there is a LOT of 'how things should be' moralizing. I find it interesting and not annoying for two reasons: 1) it puts that time period into context - LMA was a progressive thinker in many ways, and she contrasts how she thinks things should be with how things are, giving readers a sense of the fashion at the time (for example, apparently using looking-glasses and pretending to be nearsighted was all the rage - i love those kinds of historical details); 2) some of the moralizing is actually inspiring - there is a scene in Old-Fashioned Girl where a group of impoverished women meet to discuss and show their achievements (sculpture, writing, engraving, etc.). Each is using her own talents and ambition to try and make her way independently in life, and LMA's description of the scene and her obvious passion for those types of very new women is contagious - it seriously made me want to be a total bad-ass just like them. In terms of writing style, the narrator intrudes sometimes, and there is a hilarious moment towards the end of the book where LMA references how everyone gave her grief for how she ended Little Women (she doesn't mention it by name, but it seems a likely candidate - I hated that book forever until I became an adult and realized it was a brave and perfect choice to *spoiler* match Jo with Professor Bhaer instead of Laurie) - still, I love that people were angry at that ending from the very beginning.

I'd recommend this book primarily to people who love LMA's other books, to those who enjoy reading about the 19th century, or to people who enjoy female/feminist literature. While I'm sure people outside those categories would like it too, I would recommend Little Women or A Rose in Bloom before this book for a better-written and more generally pleasing read.(less)

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Jan 05, 2012

Kristine rated it

· review of another edition

Louisa May Alcott has written another generally uplifting book where inner substance ("character") matters; in fact, strength of character brings satisfaction and joy to the fictional young people who do struggle to determine and execute "right" behavior at various times-- and, whether realistic or not, readers who stick to the end will learn that the most-featured young people do find happy endings.

The book has two distinct parts -- with a jolting disconnecti...more

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Aug 08, 2011

Kris rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, love-love-love, toby-someday

Louisa May Alcott, why so awesome?! I mean really, how did I never know about LMA's awesomeness before I entered my 20s? This is ridiculous and someone, somewhere along the line, has failed me. Personally I blame my mother (because that's what mothers are for, right?)

This is the second LMA book I have read and the second one that I have been sucked into and unable to put down. This one felt a bit like "Eight Cousins," but I think it's just because LMA's style is so...not...more

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May 03, 2011

Nix rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Young adult/teen

Shelves: old-books, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Title: An Old Fashioned Girl

Author: Louisa May Alcott

Summary: Polly goes to town to stay with Fan and Tom. While there, she contrasts her plain dresses with the rich girls' fancy ones. She also notes a man who manages to be both fashionable and courteous. His name is Sydney.
She returns later to teach music in town. Sydney falls in love with Polly, but she doesn't return his affection. She nips the romance in the bud. Then Fan and Tom's family hit hard times...more

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Oct 27, 2010

Mimi rated it

· review of another edition

This is exactly the style of writing that I grew up reading and the kind of book that I love. I am not sure how I missed it previously when in Louisa May Alcott stages, but I had never even heard of it. Luckily for me, the librarians had it on display at my library a week or so ago.

I appreciated many aspects of this novel. Most of what I love is summed up by Alcott herself in the preface: "If the history of Polly's girlish experiences suggests a hint or insinuates a lesson, I sh...moreThis is exactly the style of writing that I grew up reading and the kind of book that I love. I am not sure how I missed it previously when in Louisa May Alcott stages, but I had never even heard of it. Luckily for me, the librarians had it on display at my library a week or so ago.

I appreciated many aspects of this novel. Most of what I love is summed up by Alcott herself in the preface: "If the history of Polly's girlish experiences suggests a hint or insinuates a lesson, I shall feel that, in spite of many obstacles, I have not entirely neglected my duty toward the little men and women, for whom it is an honor and a pleasure to write, since in them I have always found my kindest patrons, gentlest critics, warmest friends." I love that Alcott feels that duty and that she values so many good morals, such as honesty, hard work, familial relations, frugality, service, and loving life.

Here is another excerpt from the preface that explains the book well: "The 'Old-Fashioned Girl' is not intended as a perfect model, but as a possible improvement upon the Girl of the Period, who seems sorrowfully ignorant or ashamed of the good old fashions which make woman truly beautiful and honored, and, through her, render home what it should be—a happy place, where parents and children, brothers and sisters, learn to love and know and help one another."

I really loved how Polly frequently sought solace for her sorrows and woes by finding someone in need and helping that person in any way she could. The world needs more people willing to forget their sorrows and bring sunshine into the lives of others, because, of course, in so doing, sunshine is brought into the givers' lives as well, and everyone ends up better off.

A part of the book I enjoyed:

"'Do you want to know the name of the girl I've loved for more than a year? Well, it's ———!' As he spoke, ——— stretched out his arms to her, with the sort of mute eloquence that cannot be resisted, and ——— went straight into them, without a word.

Never mind what happened for a little bit. Love scenes, if genuine, are indescribable; for to those who have enacted them, the most elaborate description seems tame, and to those who have not, the simplest picture seems overdone. So romancers had better let the imagination paint for them that which is above all art, and leave their lovers to themselves during the happiest minutes of their lives."

I think we would live in a very different world today if all authors, publishers, directors, and screenwriters felt the same way about "love scenes" as Alcott did. I believe a great deal fewer people would have unrealistic ideals about love and healthier desires for real love. That's my opinion though.

I loved this book. I enjoyed all of the insights into what that time period was like. I have learned previously that Polly was a common nickname for Mary, but I had not realized how common a nickname it was until this novel. Her name is actually Mary, but she is called Polly almost the entire novel except for maybe three or four times, and it is never explained that Polly and Mary is the same person. If I had not already known that Polly could be a nickname for Mary, that would have confused me greatly. Which shows that Alcott was not writing for the 2010 audience. :) She probably couldn't have even imagined today's audience.(less)

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Aug 30, 2009

Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) rated it

· review of another edition

Do you ever feel like you are tied up in our times? Worrying too much about cell phones, fashions, and the latest whatevers? This book can set you straight. It gives you a peace of mind and fills you with simple pleasures.

The stories main character, Polly, we meet at the age of 14. She has come to stay with rich friends for a while. THey do everything so differently from she. The family has two daughters. One that is two years older than Polly called Fan, who cares for fashion, ball...more

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Nov 28, 2010

Dellafirayama added it · review of another edition

Bagaimana cara terbaik mengatakan seseorang kuno atau tidak?
Tentu saja dengan melakukan perbandingan, apakah orang-orang zaman sekarang masih melakukan hal-hal yang dulu dilakukan orang tua mereka atau tidak.
Polly Milton, dalam usianya yang masih empat belas tahun, pergi mengunjungi salah satu kerabatnya, keluarga Shaw, di kota. Keluarga yang terdiri atas Mr. dan Mrs. Shaw, seorang nenek, dan tiga bersaudara Fanny (enam belas tahun), Tom (empat belas tahun) dan Maud (s...more Bagaimana cara terbaik mengatakan seseorang kuno atau tidak?
Tentu saja dengan melakukan perbandingan, apakah orang-orang zaman sekarang masih melakukan hal-hal yang dulu dilakukan orang tua mereka atau tidak.
Polly Milton, dalam usianya yang masih empat belas tahun, pergi mengunjungi salah satu kerabatnya, keluarga Shaw, di kota. Keluarga yang terdiri atas Mr. dan Mrs. Shaw, seorang nenek, dan tiga bersaudara Fanny (enam belas tahun), Tom (empat belas tahun) dan Maud (sekitar enam atau tujuh tahun) itu memiliki gaya hidup berbeda dengan Polly. Hal itu sempat membuatnya terpesona. Namun, ketika ia melihat di rumah itu tak ada cinta sebanyak di rumahnya, ia mulai mensyukuri pendidikan yang diterapkan ayah ibunya di desa.
Sementara itu, cara berpikir dan penampilannya yang sederhana membuatnya dikenal sebagai gadis kuno. Tapi ia sama sekali tak keberatan dianggap begitu. Ia terus saja dengan sifatnya yang semula: simpati pada sesama, membantu orang lain, mementingkan ikatan antar keluarga, dan bekerja keras.
Semuanya itu, tanpa ia sadari, menebarkan kebahagiaan dan cinta di sekelilingnya, membuat orang-orang yang ia limpahi cinta menjadi orang-orang yang berkembang menuju arah yang lebih baik.
Bahkan ketika ia dewasa dan mengalami cinta yang bertepuk sebelah tangan, semua kesabaran dan sifat baiknya membuat ia mampu bertahan. Limpahan cinta dan perhatiannya pula yang berhasil mengangkat keluarga Shaw saat jatuh miskin dan mengajari mereka bagaimana seharusnya sebuah keluarga bersikap satu sama lain.
Polly terus memegang teguh cara berpikir dan cara bersikapnya, hal yang membuat cinta sejatinya datang. Seseorang yang tak akan membuatnya bosan. Seseorang yang memiliki tujuan jelas dan kemauan untuk melakukannya sepenuh hati.
Terbukti bahwa ada hal-hal yang kelihatan kuno, padahal sebetulnya hal-hal itulah yang dapat menjadi penopang hidup yang bersifat universal di zaman apa pun.

Louisa May Alcott adalah novelis yang terkenal dengan Little Women. Alcott juga termasuk novelis yang produktif hingga kematiannya menjelang. An Old Fashioned Girl adalah novel yang ia tulis tahun 1869 dan diterbitkan pada 1915, diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Indonesia oleh Penerbit Orange tahun 2010. Rentang waktu begitu lama, tentu menghasilkan jarak tajam antara penulisnya saat itu dengan pembaca saat ini.
Mungkin itu yang menyebabkan penerjemah memutuskan untuk menggunakan kalimat seperti, “… bisa-bisa aku jadi keriput gara-gara maksain diri pergi dalam cuaca seburuk ini….” dan kata-kata lainnya yang membuat pembaca seperti membaca novel chicklit atau teenlit dan bukannya karya klasik.
Mungkin bila penerjemah menggunakannya secara konsisten hanya pada kalimat percakapan, tidak akan terasa mengganggu. Tapi hal itu juga dapat kita temui pada narasi cerita, di mana kata-kata seperti “nggak” digunakan sebagai ganti kata “tidak”, “buat” untuk mengganti “untuk”, dan “suka” menggantikan kata “sering”.
Terus terang, hal itu mengganggu, sebab genre novel ini adalah novel klasik. Tentu lebih baik bila bagian narasi diterjemahkan dengan mempertahankan tata bahasa baku, seperti yang Penerbit Orange lakukan dengan luar biasa bagus pada Pollyana, juga yang dilakukan penerbit-penerbit lain pada Little Women, Little Princess, dan Secret Garden.
Selain itu, mengingat apa yang terjadi di masa Polly hidup pada masa itu merupakan misteri pada masa sekarang, alangkah baiknya bila penerjemah memanfaatkan footnote semaksimal mungkin untuk menjelaskan apa itu thingumbob, frizzles, sancho, barege, dll, juga untuk menggambarkan seperti apakah dansa redowa itu, square dance, dan lancers tip-top.
Juga tak ada salahnya memberi footnote bahwa taksi pada masa itu merupakan sebutan bagi kereta kuda sehingga pembaca tak akan terperangah saat Tom mengatakan akan keluar taksi dan duduk di luar menemani supir yang mabuk (hlm. 6).
Memang, hal itu akan kita ketahui dari narasi berikutnya, tapi tetap saja saya merasa footnote itu perlu.
Juga mal, tempat orang berselancar pada musim dingin saat es beku. Rasanya ada terjemahan yang lebih tepat daripada mal.
Juga terdapat beberapa inkonsistensi penerjemahan, seperti Madam yang kadang menjadi Nenek, John menjadi Jack, Emma menjadi Eva menjadi Ema, padahal ketiganya mengacu pada orang yang sama. Juga beberapa kali tertukar tokoh, menuliskan Polly padahal yang dimaksud adalah Fanny, atau menulis Fan padahal yang dimaksud adalah Tom.
Cukup mengganggu juga ketika Maud “lupa” bahwa dia cadel dengan mengatakan kalimat-kalimat seperti, “Tom menertawakan aku! Buat dia berhenti!” (hlm. 11); “… ayo pergi!” (hlm. 37); “… aku dan Blanche sedang dalam perjalanan pulang… Tom menuruni bukit… dia menariknya pulang dengan sangat cepat!” (hlm. 52); “Mama, apa aku sebaiknya punya pacar? … mereka bilang… seharusnya….” (hlm. 55).
Dalam hal membaca novel, mungkin saya juga tergolong pembaca yang old fashioned (faktor U juga :D) sebab sebagai novel klasik, saya merasa novel ini akan lebih enak bila diterjemahkan dengan menggunakan kalimat baku. Untuk kalimat percakapan, beberapa kata tidak baku mungkin masih dapat ‘dimaafkan’ bila dimasukkan sebagai cara membuat dialog lebih menarik.
Saya yakin Penerbit Orange pasti mempunyai alasan tersendiri mengapa melakukan penerjemahan ala chicklit pada sebuah novel klasik. Bukannya saya tak suka chicklit, tapi penggunaan bahasa seperti itu justru menghilangkan kesan klasik novel ini dan menjadikannya tidak sesuai dengan judulnya.
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Aug 06, 2007

Dayna rated it

· review of another edition

This is one of Louisa May Alcott's lesser known novels, but it is a good one ... in my opinion it's one of her best. I read it back when I was thirteen and I think it really shaped my adolescence. I kind of embraced being old fashioned because of this book. Polly is so thrifty and I loved the idea of being creative and saving money, especially as a poor teenager.

It's a good book ... especially for younger girls, or older ones that like remembering simpler times.

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Mar 04, 2011

Julie rated it

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Polly Milton doesn't fit in from the moment she arrives at the wealthy Shaw household to visit her friend, Fanny. She's odd, dresses too simply, and is as innocent as a child - in one term, "old-fashioned." While Fanny's rich, party-loving friends don't quite accept her and Fanny's brother Tom pokes fun at her strange ways, what these shallow, dissipated people can't predict is the way in which Polly will bring love and sunshine into their gloomy lives.

I've had this Pollyanna...more

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Aug 23, 2007

Ann rated it

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I confess I've only read Part One a few times, but I must have read Part Two at least a dozen. I'm not sure I can quite explain why a piece of juvenile fiction that suffers from no pretensions of being a great work of art is one of my absolute favorite books, but it is. There is something beautiful to me about the simplicity of the characters, the straightforward and unapologetic morality, and the everyday historical tidbits sprinkled through this book.

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Feb 20, 2009

Brooke rated it

· review of another edition

OK, it's official, I DO NOT LIKE Louisa May Alcott books. I seriously can't figure out the hype. I couldn't finish Little Women because I was bored to tears. I was so irritated with The Inheritance's main character's eyes "filling with tears" every 6.3 seconds I wanted to cry myself. But, I figured, she has to have at least 1 good book, let's give it one more shot. NOPE!!! If I have to hear one more alliterated description of Polly (poor Polly, precious Polly, patient Polly, etc,...more

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Jan 10, 2012

Connie added it · review of another edition

I loved this book and I am so glad I bought it because I can't wait to read it again but next time I will make sure I have a highlighter because there was so much wisdom in this book. If we could all be more like Polly the world would be a better and much less selfish place. Thanks Sarah for the suggestion! I can't wait to read more things by Louisa May Alcott.

I am reading this one again I love it!!

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Aug 24, 2011

Nabila Azzahra rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: klasik

Ternyata tak butuh waktu sedikit untuk menyelesaikan buku ini. Padahal ekspektasi saya cukup besar untuk Old Fashioned Girl. Ide ceritanya menarik. Bercerita tentang bagaimana tokoh utama, Polly yang bergaya klasik, sederhana dan tulus menjalani kehidupannya diantara lingkungan kota yang sudah 'meminggirkan' karakter-karakter layaknya yang dimiliki Polly. Namun justru dengan kegigihan, Polly dapat membuktikan bahwa sifat-sifat istimewanya adalah sesuatu yang baik dan dapat mengingatkan kembali b...more

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Feb 22, 2011

Our Intrepid Heroine rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fans of Persuasion, etc.

Shelves: 2011, books-for-sprogs, classics, clever-ladies, rereads, reviewed, simply-delightful

I read this book when I was about 12, 14, and I remembered it being hard to get into but blandly nice. When I found a copy in an antique shop, I had to get it and try again.

I love this book. I love the main character's modesty and reserve, and her interest in the substance of things rather than the fashionable nonsense around her. I was too young the first time I read this to really grasp the juxtaposition Alcott made between Polly and her fashionably useless friends. Got it this tim...more

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Oct 31, 2010

Aisa rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: life, non-fiction, young-adult, classic

It is a first Alcott's book I read.

First of all, Polly is the most angelic character I’ve ever encountered. There is her inner dialogue and script from her journal and so on but it is like she’s just too good to be true. But I do believe there is a person like that in the world. Her story is simple but sweet. A very down-to-earth story about a girl and her daily struggles as a young woman.

But there is one thing I have to complain. I bought the translated version and found ...more

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Jul 29, 2009

skein rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2-star

I cannot in good conscience give this more than two stars - it's still 'moral pap for the young' as Alcott once described some of her own writing - but it's a far work, less episodic, more ambiguous, better written, and less goody-two-shoes than Little Women. & I totally enjoyed the snarky asides referencing that first book - my favorite being - when "intimidated by the threats, denunciations, and complaints showered upon me in consequence of taking the liberty to end a certain story as I l...more

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Mar 29, 2011

Aan Diha is currently reading it · review of another edition

Belum selesai baca. Tapi, benar-benar berharap, buku ini dibaca oleh remaja dan orangtua.
Keluarga Shaw mungkin banyak ditemukan sekarang ini. Keluarga tanpa kehangatan antar anggota.
Fanny, ABG yang masih belum menemukan dirinya sendiri, dan selalu berusaha mengikuti arus saja, tanpa tahu arah hidupnya.

Tampak usaha penerjemah untuk membuat bahasa sedikit lebih cair (bisa nggak ya diartikan lebih 'gaul'), namun tetap berasa 'klasiknya'.
Hal ini membuat saya berpiki...more

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Jun 25, 2009

Sarah added it · review of another edition

What a pleasure to read!

I enjoyed Little Women at 9 or 10 and swiftly moved to enjoy Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom, and the continuations of the March sisters' story. This book, however, was blessedly left out of my reading until now–not in the least because it was a bad read, but purely because had I read it sooner, I would have had only a fraction of the appreciation for it that I had now!

The title says it all here. Polly is an 'old-fashioned country girl', lamenting the...more

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Sep 25, 2007

Jessica rated it

· review of another edition

This children's book is preachy and the heroine is a slightly insufferable goody-goody; nevertheless I love this book. My favorite Alcott (after Little Women of course). I think the lessons this story tells ring true over a century after it was written.

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Jul 05, 2011

Maggie rated it

· review of another edition

So far, I am really liking this book. Yes, Polly is a bit of a Mary Sue at times, but she is so genuine, sweet, and kind, you can't help but like her. Just a really nice, gentle book that makes me happy. Some things about this book made me realize the culture clash: like, what the heck is a velocipede? Oh, it's a bike. What's drifting? Sledding, it turns out. And some of the names also made me laugh. I don't think anyone would name a baby "Maud" anymore, and "Fanny" is also o...more

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Jul 31, 2011

Jenny rated it

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An Old Fashioned Girl has always been one of my favorites of LM Alcott's works, and when I picked it up last night, I wondered if it would hold up well against adulthood and a literature degree and still resonate the same way it did when I was a pre-teen.

And it did. I can recognize a little bit of heavy-handedness in Alcott's dishing out of the moral, and there are certainly those who would scoff at the main character as ridiculously good, but I think the message Alcott tries to imp...more

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Apr 12, 2008

Catie rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: all girls

Beautiful story- I immediately think of the song 'Innocent' by Stellar Kart. Innocence doesn't mean ignorance, but rather, implies a truer understanding of real meaning of life.

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Jun 03, 2009

Carolyn Alvey rated it

· review of another edition

I read this book because I'm going to visit Lousia May Alcott's home in a couple of weeks and I fell in love with Lousia's writing all over again. The main character, Polly, is delightful and reminds me a lot of Anne of Green Gables. Here is one of my favorite phrases from the book, "Things worry me sometimes, but I just catch up a broom and sweep, or wash hard, or walk, or go at something with all my might, and I usually find that by the time I get through the worry is gone, or I've got ...more

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Feb 06, 2011

Tracy rated it

· review of another edition

I found myself getting rather annoyed with this book until I remembered that it was a young adult book. Suddenly, I began to compare it to young adult books from today and it wasn't half bad. I would lump it into the category of young adult books with the characters that re self-absorbed, whiny, and/or seemingly perfect to their peers. Once I had this realization, it struck me that Alcott pretty much summed up adolescence! I still found it annoying, but with compassion for the author's attention...more

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Nov 01, 2009

SerahRose rated it

· review of another edition

This morning I got to do what I rarely have time for these days. I opened my eyes to the sun, yawned, rolled over, grabbed my book and went right back to reading. Morning reading is my favorite. This was a good book for it. Nice, easy read. Alcott is one of my old favorites from childhood but I never actually read this one before. It would probably be slow for some. Certainly doesn't live up to Little Women and Jo's Boys but it's still got her style, grace and simplicity. As usual, I fou...more

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May 13, 2011

Jennifer rated it

· review of another edition

Like all the books I've read by Alcott, this is a simple, inspiring story of how doing what is right will eventually lead to good fortune and happiness. The protagonist, Polly, is a poor country girl who is thrown into elegant society when she goes to stay with her friend Fanny. Polly is at first criticized for her lack of fashion or flirtatious ways, but she stays true to her values and influences everyone around her for good. There's a sweet love story, and lots of speeches (by Polly mostly) a...more

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About Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on November 29, 1832. She and her three sisters, Anna, Elizabeth and May were educated by their father, philosopher/ teacher, Bronson Alcott and raised on the practical Christianity of their mother, Abigail May.

Louisa spent her childhood in Boston and in Concord, Massachusetts, where her days were enlightened by visits to Ralph Wal...moreLouisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on November 29, 1832. She and her three sisters, Anna, Elizabeth and May were educated by their father, philosopher/ teacher, Bronson Alcott and raised on the practical Christianity of their mother, Abigail May.

Louisa spent her childhood in Boston and in Concord, Massachusetts, where her days were enlightened by visits to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s library, excursions into nature with Henry David Thoreau and theatricals in the barn at Hillside (now Hawthorne’s "Wayside").

Like her character, Jo March in Little Women, young Louisa was a tomboy: "No boy could be my friend till I had beaten him in a race," she claimed, " and no girl if she refused to climb trees, leap fences...."

For Louisa, writing was an early passion. She had a rich imagination and often her stories became melodramas that she and her sisters would act out for friends. Louisa preferred to play the "lurid" parts in these plays, "the villains, ghosts, bandits, and disdainful queens."

At age 15, troubled by the poverty that plagued her family, she vowed: "I will do something by and by. Don’t care what, teach, sew, act, write, anything to help the family; and I’ll be rich and famous and happy before I die, see if I won’t!"

Confronting a society that offered little opportunity to women seeking employment, Louisa determined "...I will make a battering-ram of my head and make my way through this rough and tumble world." Whether as a teacher, seamstress, governess, or household servant, for many years Louisa did any work she could find.

Louisa’s career as an author began with poetry and short stories that appeared in popular magazines. In 1854, when she was 22, her first book Flower Fables was published. A milestone along her literary path was Hospital Sketches (1863) based on the letters she had written home from her post as a nurse in Washington, DC as a nurse during the Civil War.

When Louisa was 35 years old, her publisher Thomas Niles in Boston asked her to write "a book for girls." Little Women was written at Orchard House from May to July 1868. The novel is based on Louisa and her sisters’ coming of age and is set in Civil War New England. Jo March was the first American juvenile heroine to act from her own individuality; a living, breathing person rather than the idealized stereotype then prevalent in children’s fiction.

In all, Louisa published over 30 books and collections of stories. She died on March 6, 1888, only two days after her father, and is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord.(less)

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“A real gentleman is as polite to a little girl as to a woman.” — 21 people liked it

“The emerging woman ... will be strong-minded, strong-hearted, strong-souled, and strong-bodied...strength and beauty must go together.” — 14 people liked it

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