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An Old-Fashioned Girl (Una chica a la antigua)

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 7,118 ratings · 409 reviews

Polly's friendship with the wealthy Shaws of Boston helps them to build a new life and teaches her the truth about the relationship between happiness and riches.

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Published by Puffin Books (first published 1869)

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Jul 16, 2011 Kwesi 章英狮 rated it 3 of 5 stars · 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-fashioned. I...more

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May 13, 2009 Chandra rated it 3 of 5 stars · 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 actually really lik...more 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 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 rated it 4 of 5 stars · 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 the boys' h...more

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Nov 09, 2007 "Aubri"/Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · 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 in this book as in Ms....more

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Mar 21, 2013 Nor Liana binti Kamaruzzaman rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: english-classics, young-adult, moral

An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

An old-fashioned girl. An old-fashioned story. But an evergreen life lessons.

Polly Milton, the 'old-fashioned girl' came to stay with her friends Fanny. Fanny have an

older brother Tom, and a younger sister Maude. Despite the difference between families -

Fanny's, even with luxuries, lack connection between family, and Polly's, despite being of

less fortunate, are strong knit- they managed to grow up experienced and as better person,

temporary falling no...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Hallie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favourites

I could never quite stomach Little Women, as a child or adult, but An Old-Fashioned Girl has all the positives of LW with less sentimentality, a proper romance with the right person, and social commentary I found much more powerful and direct than LW's. I loved it when I was young, reread it many times, and loved reading it to the girls.

Then when I was doing my second-time round studying, and we read Portrait of a Lady, I had a Moment of profound significance. Okay, neither profound nor really s...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading this book. It's so interesting to experience a story as told in 1868. The pace is slow, the focus is on revealing the characters of the people in the book. The story is a bit "preachy" and the vocabulary far beyond the American norm in 2012. But it is not harmful to actually use a dictionary as I had to do with "philopena." (C'mon, you know you don't know that word--go ahead and look it up!) What was most interesting to me was to see the "culture" of 1868--where w...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Lauren Munoz rated it 3 of 5 stars · 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 it...more 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 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 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, juvenile, 1st-pub-19th-cent

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 disconnection between the two. (Alcott began t...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Kris Irvin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, favorites, 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-stuffy. Which is comple...more

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May 03, 2011 Nix rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Young adult/teen

Shelves: classics, 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. Tom gets a job out west, and from hi...more

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Oct 27, 2010 Mimi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teenagers

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 shall feel that, in...more 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 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 5 of 5 stars · 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, balls, and beaus...more

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Nov 28, 2010 Della 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 (sekitar enam atau tujuh...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 3 of 5 stars · 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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Aug 23, 2007 Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars

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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Mar 30, 2012 Catherine Lockwood rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was no doubt the most inspiring captivating book I have ever read. Louisa May Alcott shows 3-dimensional characters that all develop through a story and remain positive. It is often hard to find a story where all the characters are likable and feel realistic at the same time in a fiction novel. May themes are revealed also that show the conflict between the old fashioned and modern and rich and poor. The stereotypes that many people have toward these groups are proven to be wrong through to...more

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Feb 20, 2009 Brooke rated it 1 of 5 stars · 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, etc, etc, etc,...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Sharri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, juvenile

Holy sermonizing, Batman! This isn't just an old-fashioned story, it's an old-fashioned way to tell a story -- heavy-handed preachiness in which dear little Polly, daughter of a poor minister, inspires morality among wealthy Bostonians, pleases her elders with her goodness and simplicity, and spreads joy to everyone in her path.
As subtle as a tornado.

If you can get past the preaching, the story has its charms. It shares some sweet elements with Little Women -- a spirited American girl grows up...more Holy sermonizing, Batman! This isn't just an old-fashioned story, it's an old-fashioned way to tell a story -- heavy-handed preachiness in which dear little Polly, daughter of a poor minister, inspires morality among wealthy Bostonians, pleases her elders with her goodness and simplicity, and spreads joy to everyone in her path.
As subtle as a tornado.

If you can get past the preaching, the story has its charms. It shares some sweet elements with Little Women -- a spirited American girl grows up poor but virtuous and eventually inspires her childhood playmate to exchange his foppishness for manliness. Hmm, sorry. That still sound kinda preachy and old-fashioned. Should I be embarrassed that it appeals to me?

I also need to make a confession about Alcott's sermons -- as unpopular as this book would be to modern teens, I still will want my daughter to read it some day (preferably before she masters the eye roll). Alcott's social commentary, though 150 years old, is spot-on. In fact, not much has changed beyond fashion (snoods and bustles, anyone? some fetching muttonchop sleeves?). We still complain about kids growing up too fast and then acting bored and disaffected when they reach young adulthood. We still live in a society of gossip, back-stabbing, idleness, selfishness, waste and excess.

Also, Alcott hits on a middle political ground that appeals to me. Nowadays, my Republican friends rail about how the poor need to suck it up and work harder and stop bleeding the system with their laziness. My Democrat friends point out that anyone who says this is completely out of touch with those outside their own social class, many of whom only lack opportunity. Alcott manages to balance both sides in a traditional, common-sense American approach: her idea of virtue is to work hard, to value independence, to be content with little; and yet she also sees virtue as generosity, providing charity (money, work, food/clothing) to those in need, fostering sympathetic and active awareness of and kindness toward those outside your social class. (Granted, Republican Friends, all her needy characters are willing to work hard and only lack opportunity. Still, in this big, imperfect world where greed and selfishness and laziness are not limited to any one class, I'd rather err on the side of mercy...)

Similarly, Alcott's old-fashioned-sounding ideas of femininity initially sound abrasive but have an appeal. She celebrates marriage as equal yoking that capitalizes on the complementary natures of men and women. But, at the same time, she shows that an admirable woman is one who is confident, capable, self-sufficient, never simpering or false or overly delicate.

Uh oh. Now who's sermonizing? Sorry. She started it.(less)

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Jan 10, 2012 Connie rated it 5 of 5 stars · 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 Budayana rated it 2 of 5 stars · 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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Jun 17, 2012 Mrs. S rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

This was a re-read from a long time ago. I found myself stuck in the subway with just the books I had on the Kindle app on my iPad, and flipped this open. Then I found I wanted to keep reading it. Louisa May Alcott is always chock full of morals and examples of good little girls, and this book is thicker with that than many of her others. But there's just something so lovely about her writing, and so sweet and earnest about her characters, that I can't help but love it. An Old-Fashioned Girl fol...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Our Intrepid Heroine rated it 4 of 5 stars · 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 time around, th...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alcott, ya-fiction

Polly Milton, a 14 years old girl from the country, goes to live with her significantly wealthier aunt, uncle, and two cousins in the city. In the first half of the novel, the saintly Polly imparts morals on her two somewhat spoiled cousins. Tom and his younger sister Fanny are basically good kids who have been overindulged by their parents and are now en route to becoming full-fledged brats. Polly, with her gently delivered lessons, saves them from this fate.

The second half, published separate...more

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Oct 31, 2010 Aisa rated it 3 of 5 stars · 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 it weird to read. Odd...more

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Jul 29, 2009 skein rated it 2 of 5 stars · 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 li...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 berpikir, "Apakah remaja sekarang mau...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Monica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 420

OLD-TIME "JUVENILE" FICTION
Polly visits her friend Fanny Shaw on occasion throughout their growing-up years and becomes very much a treasured member of Fanny's family. Polly's family is poor and Fan's family is well-to-do, but cheerful Polly almost never complains about her lot in life. Eventually, Polly falls in love with Fan's incorrigible but good-hearted brother, Tom, and tries her best to be content with her life, even though she can't have him for her own. When the Shaws fall upon financia...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Ilze rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is a very simple and straightforward story which, by the end of it, somehow managed to capture a tiny part of my heart.
However, most of the time it felt like Louisa May Alcott was using the book as an outlet for preaching. She even writes that preaching does not work if done in way of lectures etc., but works only if done subtly or subconsciously. This was neither the former, nor the latter. By setting up a character like Polly, the author has tried to set an example of how a perfect life (or...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 loss of modesty and vir...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 Waldo Emerson’s...more 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 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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Quotes from An Old Fashioned Girl

“The emerging woman ... will be strong-minded, strong-hearted, strong-souled, and strong-bodied...strength and beauty must go together.” — 60 people liked it

“A real gentleman is as polite to a little girl as to a woman.” — 54 people liked it

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