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Eight Cousins (Eight Cousins #1)
Left as an orphan after her father's death, Rose Campbell is sent to live at the "Aunt Hill" with her six aunts and seven rowdy boy cousins. For someone who is used to a girls' boarding school, it all seems pretty overwhelming. Her guardian, Uncle Alec, makes her eat healthy things like oatmeal, and even tries to get her to give up her pretty dresses for drab, se...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
September 1st 1995
by Puffin Books
(first published 1874)
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If you've read any Louisa May Alcott, the general ideas and characters will be familiar. The characters are all very high-minded and very concerned with morality, building character, proper behavior, etc. Being written nearly 150 years ago, some of the ideas on health, class and race relations, and gender roles are very antiquated, and can even seem a bit bigoted. But you have to remember the time in which it was written. The way they describe a Chinese man is particularly interesting.
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The latest book in my Louisa May Alcott kick...and I found it generally charming. I love the idea of "throwing out the window" the general practices at the time (wearing tight corsets and belts, taking strong coffees and cordials to improve health, teaching girls to act like 'ladies' instead of allowing them fresh air and exercise) and enjoyed watching young Rose become a picture of health and happiness. I also loved the idea that her uncle taught her to be a self-reliant woman (hence ...more
Another delightful read from Louisa May Alcott—quite a breather from all the heavy readings I’m having lately! It’s not as good as her Little Women or Little Men, but it’s equally charming. Basically it’s about the sickly little girl Rose Campbell who must live with her numerous aunts in Aunt Hill and seven boy cousins after her father died. There’s nothing much to say when it comes to the plot, it’s just a series of slices-of-life zeroing in on one bud of a girl that was slowly growing into a f...more
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Louisa May Alcott sustained me during the week-long power/phone/closed library outage during Hurricane Irene. Finding myself with a diet too-abundant in peanut butter sandwiches, I also felt rather like a kid again reading with a flashlight under the covers ---except that I was reading by a single light beam generated from a red wind-up LL BEAN emergency radio.
Given a few minor health irritations (think poison ivy and strained back) in addition to the awkwardness of life ...more
Every so often I get the urge to travel down memory lane and read some of the books that I loved as a child. I went through a phase where I polished off all of the Anne of Green Gables series on my Kindle, and another where I did the Little House books, so I guess it was inevitable that when I next needed to scratch that "childhood period fiction" itch, I'd reach for one of my dearly beloved favorites, Louisa May Alcott. It's interesting to think that many of the authors of beloved ch...more
This is one of my favorite childhood reads. Rose, an orphaned and sickly child, is sent to live with her aunts after her father dies. When Uncle Alec, her guardian, returns to care for his charge, her life is turned upside-down. In a time when young girls were treated like dolls, he encouraged her to laugh, play, and explore, especially with her seven male cousins. The boys teased a sense of adventure out of Rose, and they loved and cared for her deeply. Rose responded with the same love an...more
When I was eight, I read Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" for the first time. And then I read it again - about twenty-five times in that first year, slurping it up like a delicious piece of my favorite dessert. It was the first time I ever realized that books could be tastier than cake. And every so often, even now, I feel a need for some Alcott-cake, and "Eight Cousins" is still one of my favorites.
The story concerns orphaned Rose, the only girl in a family ...more
The story concerns orphaned Rose, the only girl in a family ...more
"Eight Cousins" by Lousia May Alcott is one of my all time favorite books and I try to read it every couple years. The story of an orphaned teen girl(Rose Campbell) who comes to live with her maiden aunts and bachelor uncle is overwhelmed by the presence of 7 male cousins who all live within walking distance. We follow them for a year as bachelor Uncle Alec raises Rose in a healthy, happy environment. Rose "adopts" the housemaid, Phoebe, who can sing like a lark. Rose als...more
Alcott, Louisa May
Classic Fiction
Long the apple of her father's eye, Rose Campbell is devastated by his death, which leaves her an orphan under the guardianship of an uncle whom she's seen only rarely throughout her life. Expecting his return from a long sea voyage, she leaves her boarding school to take up residence on "Aunt Hill," where her father's six sisters preside. There, at the mercy of their never-ending medical "cures" and strict beliefs in what is ...more
Classic Fiction
Long the apple of her father's eye, Rose Campbell is devastated by his death, which leaves her an orphan under the guardianship of an uncle whom she's seen only rarely throughout her life. Expecting his return from a long sea voyage, she leaves her boarding school to take up residence on "Aunt Hill," where her father's six sisters preside. There, at the mercy of their never-ending medical "cures" and strict beliefs in what is ...more
It is a great many years since I read anything by Louisa M Alcott. I downloaded this book free from the marvelous manybooks.net. I had certainly no memory of Alcott's style, merely that I had enjoyed The "Little Women" books when I was younger. This I am sure was written for a much younger audience than me, though it is a comforting, cosy read and could certainly be enjoyed by anyone wanting to escape for a while to a different time and place. To begin with I found the style a lit...more
I enjoy hearing most things that Louisa May Alcott has to say. She pretty obviously slips her point of view into everything she writes, so good thing I agree with her most of the time. Very moralistic writing, but she's usually right and she writes about human issues that are more or less timeless. I enjoyed the story of Rose, but I wouldnt say its Louisa's best work because it was pretty disjointed, more like a bunch of vignettes than a cohesive line of drama. There really was no storyline. Yet...more
This is one of those books you want to curl up with on a wintery day, by the fire, with hot chocolate in hand (of course since I live in Hawaii none of those things actually happened) to read the day away with. This heartwarming novel, in typical Louisa May Alcott style, has a moral to go along with each chapter as we watch Rose navigate her way around her new home and life. Among other lessons we learn that tobacco is bad, exercise is good, friends are important, and that giving time and money ...more
Rose Campbell has come to live with her somewhat overbearing aunts after the death of her father. She is a child with a weak constitution and cannot seem to fully recover. However, when her uncle (who is her guardian) comes to town he decides to implement a new program for her wellness, and Rose ends up learning many things from a bunch of her rowdy boy cousins. Ultimatley, Rose learns some interesting things about being a lady and what type of medicine works best. This book is good and easy to ...more
I started reading this book only because I'd heard that it's sequel, Rose in Bloom, was good, and I was interested in reading it. I like to start at the beginning of a series, so I started this first, somewhat reluctantly... and was pleasantly surprised.
This is a cute, sweet book, about a young girl who goes to live with and be raised by her uncle (and many aunts). Most of this novel feels skin deep - after you've read it, you feel like you haven't - but it's very enjoyable, and I spent a lot of...more
This is a cute, sweet book, about a young girl who goes to live with and be raised by her uncle (and many aunts). Most of this novel feels skin deep - after you've read it, you feel like you haven't - but it's very enjoyable, and I spent a lot of...more
"Aubri"/Lisa
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Young girls and fans of LMA
Shelves:
classics
This book and its sequel "Rose in Bloom" are my favorite books from childhood - even more so than Ms. Alcott's "Little Women." Rose it a wonderful role model, despite her flaws - and who wouldn't want an Uncle Alec? Her kindness and generosity are virtues that we could see more of in this world.
I just re-read this after at least a twenty-five year gap, and it was just as lovely as I remember. I've decided that I enjoy Louisa May Alcott's books about children (Little Men, Eight Cousins) more than the books about young-adults growing into adulthood (Little Women, Rose in Bloom). The stories about children are a tad less preachy, and it's a little easier to relate to Victorian children than Victorian adults. Alcott's ideas about raising children may have seemed a little radical at the tim...more
Some of Eight Cousins is lovely, particularly the descriptions of Rose forsaking corsets, growing strong and healthy, running about with her cousins, and going on holiday in the mountains. And some of the cousins are pretty adorable and hilarious, particularly the younger ones. But if I'd read this as a child, I would have had problems with parts of this. The bit where Rose tells her uncle that she's figured out what girls are for, and it's to "take care of boys" would probably have m...more
A lot of people forget that Bronson Alcott was an important Transcendentalist, and that Louisa May grew up in the salons and Chatauquas led and joined by her father and his cohorts.
This book and its sequel (Rose in Bloom) are a product of the
child-rearing theories of this school, mostly promulgated by men, and often childless men. Louisa May provides some critical commentary, but a lot is simply accepted without analysis.
That said, there's some useful stuff herein...more
This book and its sequel (Rose in Bloom) are a product of the
child-rearing theories of this school, mostly promulgated by men, and often childless men. Louisa May provides some critical commentary, but a lot is simply accepted without analysis.
That said, there's some useful stuff herein...more
Book club book. . .
It's been years since I've read this, and after reading some other Alcott, it's definitely not her best. However, reading it still brought back some warm fuzzies--Uncle Alec and his treasures! Mac and his eyes! Camping on the Island!
Though this book is supposedly about Rose, I think the main character is really Uncle Alec. We see more inside of his character than of Rose--she certainly changes, but she's never much more than a "good" girl.
Doesn'...more
It's been years since I've read this, and after reading some other Alcott, it's definitely not her best. However, reading it still brought back some warm fuzzies--Uncle Alec and his treasures! Mac and his eyes! Camping on the Island!
Though this book is supposedly about Rose, I think the main character is really Uncle Alec. We see more inside of his character than of Rose--she certainly changes, but she's never much more than a "good" girl.
Doesn'...more
My favorite book by this author. As a tomboy growing up I dodged every attempt to force Little Women on my reading assignments. The manners in this book will be like a foreign country to today's children, but it was fun to read the interaction between the boisterous boys and the delicate Rose.
Rose's gaurdian continues to challenge her ideas of what is "proper". While there are situations in the book that would be handled diferently today it gives an opening for discussion...more
Rose's gaurdian continues to challenge her ideas of what is "proper". While there are situations in the book that would be handled diferently today it gives an opening for discussion...more
Emily
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Those interested in the time period, those who like Alcott
(I actually listened to the version downloaded from librivox.org). I loved this book when I read it as a pre-teen, but it didn't quite hold up as well as Little Women and An Old-Fashioned Girl did for me as an adult re-read. I got the feeling Alcott was definitely writing for her publisher and the "style of the day" rather than creating the sort of character she did with Jo. And the sexism really bothered me in a way it doesn't usually when I read these old books (perhaps a fear that y...more
Louisa May Alcott always conjures up images of Little Women or at least Jo, who seems to show up in many of her books. This book was just as good as Little Women. Rose had just lost her Dad and moved to a family home. She had not been around the family to much growing up so it is all different for her and she needs to find the place where she fits in. rose meets Phebe right off, she is the young maid at the house, Rose takes her under her wing and treats her like family. Then there is a ban...more
Genre: Classics/Children’s Literature
I adore this book, and Flo Gibson's audio version is a nice rendition. Like Secret Garden</> and A Little Princess and other classic girl’s literature, this book starts with the recently orphaned 13-year-old Rose Campbell, who is newly thrust into her uncle Alec’s guardianship. The story itself is very domestic as it follows Rose though the next year as she befriends Pheobe (a domestic servant a year or two older then Rose), befriends her mult...more
I adore this book, and Flo Gibson's audio version is a nice rendition. Like Secret Garden</> and A Little Princess and other classic girl’s literature, this book starts with the recently orphaned 13-year-old Rose Campbell, who is newly thrust into her uncle Alec’s guardianship. The story itself is very domestic as it follows Rose though the next year as she befriends Pheobe (a domestic servant a year or two older then Rose), befriends her mult...more
This book was absolutely delightful! The main character, Rose, and her eight cousins are the definition of charming! Though Rose is spoiled by her Uncle Alec, she is a most pleasant girl with a loving heart for her cousins and other relatives. As for her eight boy cousins, they are all enthralled with Rose, too.They are constantly trying to please her. Because of the fun Rose has with her cousins and the love she gets from her uncle, she grows from a small, forlorn, orphaned to a happy, strong, ...more
Dapet buku ini hasil swap--
Rose menjadi yatim piatu setelah ayahnya meninggal. Ia dititipkan ke rumah bibi-bibinya di Aunt-Hill, namun para bibi tak mampu membuatnya kembali ceria. Sampai Rose berkenalan dengan Phebe, pelayan berusia 15 thn yang bsa bernyanyi bak burung, dan...ketujuh sepupu laki-lakinya yang selalu heboh bak sebuah klan dari Skotlandia. Kebahagiaannya menjadi utuh ketika walinya, Paman Alec membuat sebuah proyek untuk menjadikan Rose sehat dan ceria.
Selama s...more
Rose menjadi yatim piatu setelah ayahnya meninggal. Ia dititipkan ke rumah bibi-bibinya di Aunt-Hill, namun para bibi tak mampu membuatnya kembali ceria. Sampai Rose berkenalan dengan Phebe, pelayan berusia 15 thn yang bsa bernyanyi bak burung, dan...ketujuh sepupu laki-lakinya yang selalu heboh bak sebuah klan dari Skotlandia. Kebahagiaannya menjadi utuh ketika walinya, Paman Alec membuat sebuah proyek untuk menjadikan Rose sehat dan ceria.
Selama s...more
I've always wondered if a book was ever written without an antagonist. I thought such a book would be wonderful without evil. This is that book, and I suffered from a tremendous bout of ennui. I tried my vey best to put myself in the time which this book was written. But Uncle Alec is way too creepy and Rose is a whiney coquett. My god, I wanted to slap her, like over and over and over and over. I cannot bring myself to finish this book.
I'm excited to read other Alcott books, but this one...more
I'm excited to read other Alcott books, but this one...more
For those unfamiliar with Alcott's background, Eight Cousins is probably the most obvious "propaganda" for the Transcendentalist movement's thoughts on raising children, particularly young women. It is incredibly unsubtle in hammering home its message.
As a child in a large family, I enjoyed watching Rose adjust to life with her boisterous boy cousins.
As an adult, I cheer as she is given license to embrace childhood, but I squirm a bit as she's put a position of mor...more
As a child in a large family, I enjoyed watching Rose adjust to life with her boisterous boy cousins.
As an adult, I cheer as she is given license to embrace childhood, but I squirm a bit as she's put a position of mor...more
Shorter and simpler than Little Women and with themes very familiar to readers of its sequels Jo's Boys and Little Men (which are understandable when one reads Louisa May Alcott's biography and realizes the reason for the whole philosophical underpinning.) Eight Cousins has a fresh set up of characters that make the story endearing even if you know exactly where Uncle Alec is going with his whole gambit the entire way through -- the cast of aunts, cousins, uncles, and other interlopers each has ...more
Not quite as good as I remembered, and a notch or two below the great Little Women, but those who think of Louisa May Alcott as a stodgy 19th century moralist will be astonished at some of the shockingly modern opinions she expresses. Rose, a rather droopy, recently orphaned 13 year old is handed over to the care of a clutch of fussy aunts. Not until dynamic Uncle Alec takes over does Rose recover her health and spirits, as he promptly banishes corsets, coffee, and "ladylike" pursuits ...more
Louisa May Alcott, you could have done better with this one. I have owned this book since I was young, and tried to read it on several occasions, but never could get through it. I finally brought it to work and began reading it during my breaks, just so I wouldn't have the opportunity to put it back on the shelf. Oh dear, I am a huge fan of Louisa, and have enjoyed many of her books, but this one is a bomb. It is sooo dull! For those who can't guess, this is the story of Rose, a young orpha...more
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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...more
More about Louisa May Alcott...
Louisa spent her childhood in Boston and in Concord, Massachusetts, where her days were enlightened by visits to Ralph Wal...more
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“Nothing is impossible to a determined woman.”
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