Little Women / Little Men / Jo's Boys

Little Women #1-3

by Louisa May Alcott, Elaine Showalter (Editor)

The beloved March family trilogy—presented in one “single, beautifully crafted volume” featuring original illustrations (John Matteson, Pulitzer Prize–winning author)
 
From the incidents of her own remarkable childhood, Louisa May Alcott fashioned a trilogy of novels that catapulted her to fame and fortune and that remain among the most beloved works in all of American literature. Here, in an authoritative single-volume edition restoring Alcott’s original text as well as her sister May (the original of Amy)’s illustrations, is the complete series.
 
Set in a small New England town during the Civil War and Reconstruction,  Little Women introduces Alcott’s remarkable heroines, the March sisters—above all, her alter ego Jo March, with her literary ambition and independent spirit. The follow-up, Little Men , follows Jo into adulthood and marriage as she finds herself the caretaker of a houseful of rambunctious children at Plumfield School.  Jo’s Boys  returns to Plumfield a decade later; now grown, Jo’s children recount adventures of their own.
 
At once heartwarming and true to life, Alcott’s novels will continue to win over readers both young and old, as they have for generations.
 
LIBRARY OF AMERICA  is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Literature, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, American

1064 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1868

About the author

Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known for writing the novel Little Women (1868) and its sequels Good Wives (1869), Little Men (1871) and Jo's Boys (1886). Raised in New England by her transcendentalist parents, Abigail May Alcott and Amos Bronson Alcott, she grew up among many well-known intellectuals of the day, including Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Alcott's family suffered from financial difficulties, and while she worked to help support the family from an early age, she also sought an outlet in writing. She began to receive critical success for her writing in the 1860s. Early in her career, she sometimes used pen names such as A.M. Barnard, under which she wrote lurid short stories and sensation novels for adults that focused on passion and revenge.
Published in 1868, Little Women is set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts, and is loosely based on Alcott's childhood experiences with her three sisters, Abigail May Alcott Nieriker, Elizabeth Sewall Alcott, and Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt. The novel was well-received at the time and is still popular today among both children and adults. It has been adapted for stage plays, films, and television many times.
Alcott was an abolitionist and a feminist and remained unmarried throughout her life. She also spent her life active in reform movements such as temperance and women's suffrage. She died from a stroke in Boston on March 6, 1888, just two days after her father's death.

Reviews

[lorinbocol · Rating 4 out of 5]

volevo essere jo march, phoebe caulfield, lady oscar. volevo vivere a villa villacolle, ma anche bazzicare l’ammiraglio benbow e tirar di scherma come un guascone.
il bello dei libri delle piccole donne è che a dispetto del titolo dentro ci trovava spazio un sacco di roba. non so dire come sarebbe per una ragazzina leggerli adesso. è contemplato il caso che sembrino storie per fanciulle che amano solo andare in giro con un cerchio nell’orlo delle sottane (e magari tenerne in mano un altro, più piccolo, che non ho idea di come si chiami ma ce l’hanno sempre quando ricamano). non era così, e la scena dell’allestimento dello spettacolo di jo metteva le cose in chiaro anche a uso delle meno sveglie tra le lettrici.
rodrigo, rodrigo salvami! (sviene)

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Little Women several times as a child and then went on to read the rest of Alcott’s children’s novels, so I will count this volume as completely read, though I’ve only reread Little Women as an adult. My impetus for doing so was at the invitation of Anne Boyd Rioux to join a small group to discuss the novel.

When I started Little Women last month, I was struck by a couple of things I wouldn't have known as a child, even a child reading this for the first time in the early 1970s. First, the young Jo reads to me now as a precursor of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird and maybe even Frankie from The Member of the Wedding. Second, though Alcott purposely borrows from Pilgrim’s Progress, there is an obvious influence from Dickens, not just with the sisters forming a Pickwick Club but also in relation to theme and style. As not too far down the road, I would become a Dickens fan, I wonder if reading Alcott paved that way for me. I'm currently rereading Nicholas Nickleby with another group and, having it in mind, I’m thinking Jo’s progressive ideas for her school for boys may have been Alcott’s response to Yorkshire-type schools. (Though, of course, her main influence for this new type of school had to have been her father Bronson.)

I have no clue as to what my reaction would be to this book if I hadn’t absorbed it as a child, so my childhood five-stars remain. Even Alcott wearied of writing “moral pap for the young” (her words), but there was a family to bring out of poverty, something at which her father was hopeless, as he apparently was meant for more transcendental things. (Yet even the Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson, a family friend, was more of a support for the Alcott family.) I don’t remember what I thought of the moralizing sections when I was a child—I’m guessing not much, if anything at all, as they would’ve fit with my Catholic-school upbringing—but what’s interesting to me now is what Alcott was able to slip in within the sentiment, including a bold reference to a "quadroon" boy and her attempt to debunk stereotypes about spinsters (she may have felt ‘forced’ to marry off her alter-ego Jo, but Alcott herself remained single).

This edition is not the one I read as a child. This Little Women is comprised of the original separate editions of the two parts, which were combined about ten years later (in 1880) into one volume: at that time the publishers made revisions Alcott probably didn’t want and wasn't involved in, congratulating themselves on those changes being what boosted sales. From what I remember of my childhood readings, these alterations must’ve been heavier in the Second Part of Little Women than in the First, but that's just a guess.

*

April 25: I suppose there might've been several good reasons I didn't reread Little Men as a child, and not just that I didn't own the book, as my adult reread of this did not go nearly as well as my recent reread of Little Women. Though there are welcome instances of humor, racial equality and gender reversals (a new boy at the school is referred to in a completely positive way as the "daughter" of the Bhaers), there are probably too many characters for any one to make an impression and that includes Nan, a reincarnation of Jo. But my main issue was with the interminable moralizing, more heavy-handed in this volume than in Little Women, though I forgive Alcott as I know she wrote this to fulfill a demand in order to support her fatherless nephews.

*

May 30: My reread of Jo's Boys was a much better experience than my reread of Little Men (see paragraph above), the only botheration for me in this final volume of the March family being with so much 'telling-rather-than-showing'. The confrontation of social issues, such as the rights of women and Native Americans, was very welcome, as were the rather dark adventures of two of the "boys".

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW OF THE LIBRARY OF AMERICA KINDLE EDITION EDITED BY ELAINE SHOWALTER

So in my humble opinion, this here Kindle edition of all three of Louisa May Alcott Little Women novels is truly and utterly absolutely perfect (and while also a bit more expensive than many of the available e-book collections of the three novels, Little Women, Little Men, Jo’s Boys is also and most definitely worth every penny I have spent). For delightfully, not only does Little Women, Little Men, Jo’s Boys contain the unabridged texts of all three novels (and rendered in a very reader-friendly format with a font size that is sufficiently large for easy and comfortable perusing), editor Elaine Showalter has also included a detailed chronology of Louisa May Alcott’s life (from her birth to her death) as well as detailed and interesting notes and annotations (and which I for one have especially appreciated for Little Men and Jo’s Boys, since while there generally are multiple annotated Little Women editions to be found, the same is definitely and unfortunately not so much the case with regard to the sequels), leaving Little Women, Little Men, Jo’s Boys wonderfully textually complete both with regard to Louisa May Alcott’s three Little Women stories and a nicely general but still sufficiently extensive introduction to Louisa May Alcott as both a talented author and also of course as transcendentalist Bronson Alcott’s daughter.

LITTLE WOMEN

Although Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is probably one of my all time favourite books (and which I have read at least fifteen times since 1979), I actually have never managed to pen a review, simply because I really do not think I can (in my opinion) post a review that would do sufficient honour to either book or author. And with that in mind, this here review will in fact not be a standard review of Little Women either, but rather some personal and academic musings about both Little Women and questions such as censorship as well as influences of Little Women on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s The Story Girl and it’s sequel The Golden Road (and thus my review might also end up being a bit rambling, but I do hope that I will keep potential readers engaged all the same).

LITTLE WOMEN AND CENSORSHIP

Now it is really quite amazing to and for me that a children's novel written in 1868 can still (in this day and age) be so fresh, enchanting (often even socially relevant) and truly, for 1868, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is not only quite progressive and strivingly feminist, it is actually much more so than many books (especially books meant specifically for girls) written in the late 19th and even early to middle 20th century. And with that in mind, it just astounds me to no end (and massively infuriates me) that there have actually been moves and petitions to have the novel banned and censored (since according to certain "activists" Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is supposedly just not feminist enough and thus, due to its lasting popularity, inherently "dangerous" to girls/women, and thus supposedly warranting official censorship). Yes, Little Women is not a novel I would ever label as feminist in the late 20th, early 21st century way and manner of thinking, but for 1868, it was and remains exceedingly progressive indeed, a novel that not only promotes gender equality to a point, but also, and this is one of its prime advantages, Little Women pleads for and strives for true freedom of choice, especially for women (Meg is happy being a homemaker and wife, but that is her own choice, it is not in any way forced on her, while Jo goes alone to New York City, and supports the family with her work, and even Beth is not forced to attend school when it is reaslised that she is much much too shy and too afraid of strangers for this).

LITTLE WOMEN AND ITS INFLUENCE ON TWO NOVELS BY L. M. MONTGOMERY

So while I was recently rereading Little Women, I was also at the same time rereading two of my favourite works by L.M. Montgomery (of Anne of Green Gables fame), The Story Girl and its sequel, The Golden Road. And having now completed these two novels, it becomes rather obvious at least to me how much both of these stories have in common with Little Women. Especially the character of Cecily King is very much akin to Beth March, both personality wise and her eventual fate (that she is also doomed to die young like Beth does). Now, I am NOT IN ANY MANNER saying or even insinuating that Montgomery actively plagiarised from Louisa May Alcott, and Cecily is also not just a replica of Beth March either (although the latter might well have served as a bit of a model for the former), but yes, the similarities are, for me at least, striking enough to believe that Montgomery was in all likelihood more than a bit influenced by Little Women when she wrote The Story Girl and The Golden Road (which also becomes rather apparent when one realises that both the March family and the King family create their own magazines, and that both of these magazines are similar in both style and content to a point, with the March girls' magazine being perhaps a bit more literate, which of course makes a lot of sense, as the March sisters are from a literary and academic family, while the King family are basically simply and mostly PEI farmers).

SHOULD JO HAVE MARRIED LAURIE INSTEAD OF PROFESSOR BHAER?

I know that there are some, perhaps even more than some individuals who are not quite at ease with the fact that in Little Women Jo does not end up marrying Laurie, but Professor Bhaer. Now for me, I have always thought that while Jo and Laurie would make and do make great friends, they would have made horrible and even intensely problematic lovers, and the concept that Laurie and Jo are too similar in and with certain perhaps less than admirable parts of their personalities has always made sense to me. For if Laurie and Jo had married, I do believe that their personalities would have clashed, and not because they are so different, but because they are so similar with regard to willfulness, stubbornness, desire and emotionality. And the professor, he complements Jo and she complements him. Professor Bhaer calms her personality, even giving Jo’s writing a calming edge, while she, in turn, makes his own calm personality a bit more outgoing. And also, one has to think of the fact that from an academic standpoint, Jo and the Professor are actually much more complementary and complimentary than Laurie and Jo would and could ever have been. For Jo thrives on writing, literature, education, something that Professor Bhaer also exibits, but something that Laurie only shows marginally (mainly artistically and musically, and in this, he is actually much closer to Amy, and not to Jo). And yes, in particular from an artistic and societal point of view, Laurie and Amy do suit one another and much more than Jo and Laurie would have or could have meshed. Yes, Louisa May Alcott might indeed have originally envisioned in Little Women for Jo to not have been married at all (and there are actually some critics who consider her love for her sister Beth, her devotion to her, lesbian, and while I most certainly do not, it is indeed a common thread in some secondary analyses). And then, when the publishers clamoured for Jo to also marry, it makes sense, at least to me, that Alcott had Jo not end up marrying Laurie, but Professor Bhaer, an older, more mature man perhaps, but also someone whose intellect, whose philosophy, whose education and ideas regarding education, corresponded to and with Jo. For yes, I actually do think with Laurie, that Jo would not only have had too many battles and arguments, I think she also would probably have found the life of relative leisure that Laurie and Amy end up enjoying, rather tedious, even monotonous in the long run when compared to and with the life that Jo and the Professor end up creating/having with their school at Plumfied, as demonstrated and described in the two sequels of Little Women, in Little Men and Jo's Boys.

Now I do hope that my musings and ideas regarding Little Women have proven to be entertaining, but also, that they have provided food for thought and perhaps a desire for a reread and for those of you who have not yet read this lovely and enchanting novel, a first read (it is a rewarding and emotional reading experience, but then again, I admit to being majorly biased).

Finally (and indeed, really and truly), there are indeed many many editions of Little Women. And my favourite at present is the Norton Critical Edition, as it also includes background, literary analyses (as well as a short bibliographic of Louisa May Alcott) and an extensive bibliography. Now if you are just desiring to read Little Women for its own sake, any edition (as long as it is unabridged and contains both the first and second part) will likely suffice. However, if you are interested in also perusing information about the novel, its historical background, reviews and critical literary analyses, give the Norton Critical Edition a try; you will not be disappointed (at least that is my hope).

LITTLE MEN

Although I have definitely for the most part rather enjoyed Louisa May Alcott's Little Men and do therefore consider it both a successful sequel to Little Women and also what I would consider an interesting and delightful late 19th century American boarding school story (and yes, a school story that really does descriptively and with much textual pleasure demonstrate how at Jo and Professor Bhaer's Plumfield, not only book learning and lessons are important and cherished, but also how the students are equally and intensely instructed and expected to be physically active, to engage in sports, gardening and the like), I also (and indeed frustratingly) have found that occasionally whilst reading Little Men, I was definitely feeling a just trifle impatient, that I really was wishing Louisa May Alcott would get to the point and move away from being so annoyingly preachy.

For while the majority of the often rather episodic chapters of Little Men certainly are entertaining and engaging enough (even though I sometimes have found Dan's escapades and even his entire story to be a trifle too one-sided and even a bit artificial in scope), there is (at least in my opinion) occasionally just too many doses of morality and how to successfully live and prosper with honour and integrity lessons and messages being presented, and yes indeed, that especially Jo seems in Little Men to have totally morphed into simply being Professor Bhaer's wife and a mother-like figure to and for her students, her so-called little men (and with a few female students being thrown in for good measure, although I do very much appreciate in Little Men that Nan is being actively encouraged to follow her dreams of perhaps later becoming a doctor, even if Daisy is still generally being depicted as a standard and like her mother Meg entirely housewifely individual).

Combined with the fact that in Little Men I have also rather missed reading more about Amy/Laurie and Meg/John and that I do rather find it annoying that the only information about John Brooke in Little Men is the chapter concerning his untimely death (realistic perhaps, as John Pratt, the model for John Brooke, did in fact die very young and unexpectedly, but why could Louisa May Alcott not have devoted a bit of her Little Men narrative to Meg and John before the latter's death), while I most definitely have found Little Men engaging and readable, it also does not and never will have the same kind of reading magic appeal to and for me as Little Women does (and no, I will thus also not likely all that often be considering rereading Little Men, whereas for Little Women rereading it is both totally a pleasure and something that I continuously and happily do engage in).

JO'S BOYS

Yes indeed, I do have to admit that while Little Women is both brilliant and will always remain a strong and magical personal reading favourite and that Little Men albeit unfortunately not quite as delightful as Little Women is still engagingly readable and as such also a solidly successful sequel, Jo's Boys (the third and also the final instalment of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women series), while I guess that it does provide a decent enough conclusion in so far that it presents and features how in particular the characters encountered as Plumfield students in Little Men live and thrive (or conversely sometimes fail and do not not succeed) as adults, well, Jo's Boys has for me and in my humble opinion for the most part been a rather massively disappointing and indeed also often quite frustrating and even mildly to majorly annoying reading experience.

For although both Little Women and Little Men do exhibit and show moralising messages and preachiness (and with the latter, with Little Men considerably more so than Little Women and with rather less subtlety), both novels do from where I am standing still utterly pale when compared to the almost constant and as such also absolutely overwhelming level and amount of sermons and directly in one's proverbial face both religious and cultural, behaviour-based evangelism that seems to literally inhabit almost every single page of Jo's Boys, with in my opinion Louisa May Alcott often totally eschewing engaging story telling techniques in favour of almost continuously hitting her readers over their collective heads with one moralising and message-heavy speech after another, and yes, often in such rapid succession that one cannot even really recover from being evangelised and preached at before another such volley is launched, before in particular Jo Bhaer starts pontificating once again, leaving me with considering Jo's Boys not as generally a reading pleasure but for the most part just a huge and tediously dragging slog.

And indeed, even the few instances where I have found relatable and engaging scenarios in Jo's Boys, such as for example Jo trying to hide from fans of her writing (and who are desperate for autographs) and that Nan is allowed to stay single and to just concentrate on her medical studies, these very few instances of untainted delight, they are both too few and far between and equally do not and cannot provide enough engagement and entertainment to successfully contain and mitigate the moralising, this cannot make the over-use of the latter in Jo's Boys feel in any manner less problematic and annoyingly one-sided.

Combined with the fact that I have personally also found Dan's story and how he is (and in my opinion rather callously and unfeelingly) prevented by Jo from openly and publicly declaring his love and devotion to and for Bess extremely off-putting (and not to mention incredibly unjust and inherently nasty to boot, considering that the text really does seem to show Bess and Dan's affection for one another to be totally genuine as well as mutual, that they both truly do love and very much cherish one another), while I do not in fact regret having read Jo's Boys, I will also only ever consider it a two star rating at best, as well as pointing out that from the Louisa May Alcott novels I have read to date, Jo's Boys is most definitely the one I have thus far enjoyed the least, that has for the most part not been a joyful but rather just a frustrating and painful reading sojourn.

[Fren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piccole Donne *****
Piccole Donne Crescono ****
Piccoli Uomini**
I Ragazzi di Jo***

[Anna [Floanne]]

Libro 1º (dic. 2015) - "Piccole Donne ": non è mai troppo tardi per scoprire un classico della letteratura per ragazzi ed innamorarsene. Ricordavo a grandi linee le avventure delle sorelle March da un (brutto) cartone animato degli anni '80, ma leggerle ha tutto un altro fascino. Voto: ★★★★

Libro 2º (gen. 2016) "Piccole donne crescono": continuano le avventure delle sorelle March, che crescendo, si sono affacciate alla vita fuori dal comfort della casa familiare: Meg sta per sposarsi e deve imparare a gestire casa e famiglia al meglio, Amy è in giro per l'Europa e sta facendo nuove esperienze che la cambieranno profondamente, Jo persegue i suoi sogni di scrittrice ma deve fare i conti con un mercato editoriale che, per garantirle un guadagno, la vorrebbe autrice di storie-spazzatura. Beth, che non è mai veramente guarita dalla scarlattina, è consapevole della propria condizione e sa che dovrà imparare a godere di ogni attimo di felicità regalatole. Ognuna ha già segnato il proprio percorso ma a guidarle nelle scelte migliori e nei momenti difficili ci sarà sempre il sostegno di mamma e papà March, pronti a dare un buon consiglio ma anche a lasciar sbagliare le figlie a modo loro perché da quegli errori ne possano trarre un insegnamento.
La Alcott descrive la Vita, né più né meno, con i suoi momenti di felicità ma anche con le disgrazie, con le prove da superare, le delusioni, le esperienze, gli amori, i sogni, le speranze, l'affetto profondo che lega i membri di una famiglia in cui ci si rispetti e ci si voglia bene. E, in tutto questo, a me sembra ancora tremendamente attuale nonostante il suo romanzo si appresti oramai a spegnere le 150 candeline! Voto: ★★★★

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piccole Donne è LA saga familiare. È la capostipite di tutte. È l'origine. Ed è stupenda.
Questo libro è una raccolta di tutti i volumi della saga scritta dalla Alcott, che sono rispettivamente Piccole donne, Piccole donne crescono, Piccoli uomini e I ragazzi di Jo.
I primi due volumi sono due romanzi veri e propri che, seguendo un ordine cronologico più o meno coerente e costante, raccontano la vita delle quattro sorelle March dall'infanzia e prima adolescenza fino all'inizio dell'età adulta.
Sono anche i due volumi che mi sono piaciuti maggiormente e che mi hanno letteralmente tenuta incollata alle pagine.
Gli altri due libri invece non si concentrano più sulle sorelle March, ma con un focus nella vita di Jo, si concentrano sui ragazzi di Plumfield (il collegio appunto che Jo dirige).
Dai primi due libri agli ultimi due si ha quindi anche un "passaggio di testimone" dalla famiglia March alla famiglia Bhaer.
Il ritmo degli ultimi due libri è diverso, non lineare né coerente, ma la differenza maggiore che si riscontra sta nel fatto che questi non raccontano, come i primi due, una serie di eventi successivi tra loro e collegati ma piuttosto una serie di eventi "presi a caso" che l'autrice - come dice lei stessa - ritiene salienti per farci conoscere i protagonisti. Ma li presenta sotto forma di cronaca, di resoconto. Ovviamente un certo filone temporale di sottofondo non manca, ma i capitoli per la maggior parte sono fondamentalmente slegati tra loro. Una certa vicenda inizia e finisce nello stesso capitolo, e quello successivo si focalizza su altro di completamente distinto. Manca quindi quel filo rosso che unisce un capitolo all'altro e che lascia il lettore con il fiato sospeso e la voglia di continuare.
Nonostante mi siano piaciuti, questo fattore ha contribuito molto al rallentamento nella lettura di Piccoli uomini (soprattutto) e di I ragazzi di Jo.
Piccoli uomini è il libro in cui questo "scarto" tra un capitolo e l'altro è maggiormente evidente. Già con I ragazzi di Jo l'autrice è un po' ritornata sui suoi passi.
Proprio per questo l'ultimo libro mi è piaciuto più del terzo. Un altro punto a favore de I ragazzi di Jo, è il fatto che tornano i nostri cari amati protagonisti iniziali: pian piano riconquistano il loro posto sulla scena e, assieme ai nuovi protagonisti, ci salutano per l'ultima volta.

Ho amato davvero tanto questa saga e nonostante, appunto, abbia avuto qualche punto debole qua e là è sicuramente un capolavoro.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depending on whether "Good Wives" is counted as part of "Little Women" or as a second separate volume, this series consists of either three or four books. I shall count it as four.

The first volume I read when I was a child was "Little Men" and that was the only one I had ever read in full until now. So on reading this as a continuous narrative I picked up on many things which were skipped or only alluded to in all the abridged versions. Such as a full account of the March sisters' theatricals, Meg's taste of finery at the house of rich friends, Beth's final illness, the courtship of Amy and Laurie, Fritz Bhaer's wooing of Jo, then (skipping over Little Men), Emil's troubles at sea, Rob and Ted's scare, Nat's troubles in Leipzig, George and Dolphus' troubles at school, the visit of the English reformer, Dan's crime and punishment.

I have a soft spot for these books, but there are some things that bother me:

First is the sentimentality. Alcott knows how to wring the reader's heartstrings, and quite often it's through the death of a beloved character. You'd almost think she had the strategy of George R R Martin in mind: "Don't get too attached to this character..."

Second is Alcott's "toddler-speak," which we hear first from little Demi, then from toddler Teddy, then from that baby paragon of virtue, "good queen Bess" Lawrence. It was probably meant to be sweet and endearing but I found it a little nauseating. Roll over Elmer Fudd, here come the March grandbabies.

Third is the moralizing. This is probably a byproduct of Alcott's own religious upbringing and exposure to Transcendentalism. The emphasis on fostering virtues and self-improvement may well have been expected as part and parcel of moral literature for young ladies.

But honestly, sometimes it seems that someone, whether it be Marmee [read: Mommy], her husband Robert, the rebellious Jo, the philosophical yet emotional Fritz, or some other character, delivers a homily (occasionally disguised as an allegory) on every other page. Eventually even Jo, who, like Alcott, becomes a successful writer, complains that she is "only a literary nursery-maid who provides moral pap for the young."* And in spite of this or perhaps because of it, the books are liberally sprinkled with unconventional souls who chafe at the rules and want to buck the system (blunt, hot-tempered Jo, infatuated Laurie, black sheep Dan, proto-feminist Nan, impetuous [post-toddler] Teddy and stage-struck Josie). And these are the ones who are most lively and sympathetic.

*Louisa May Alcott, The Complete Little Women Collection (Waxkeep Publishing. Kindle Edition).

[Cronache di una Lettrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

A questo libro, non posso che associare la mia quarantena. Non potendo andare in biblioteca, ho iniziato a leggere i libri che già c'erano a casa, tra cui il primo volume di "Piccole Donne".
Mi sono innamorata di Jo. Nonostante sia un libro piuttosto vecchio, con contenuti ormai datati (su certi temi), mi ha dato una sensazione di calore, affetto, famiglia. Ho adorato in particolare "Piccole donne crescono". Mi rivedo nell'ambizione di Jo, ho sofferto per la perdita della famiglia March, ho ammirato il loro modo di affrontare la vita. Con forza, impegno, gentilezza.
Per quanto riguarda gli ultimi due volumi (di cui non sapevo assolutamente dell'esistenza), li ho trovati un po' debolucci, sotto il profilo della trama.
"Piccoli Uomini" è un romanzo dolce, simpatico, tenero, ma non ha una trama molto forte, parlando semplicemente delle avventure quotidiane di un gruppo di ragazzini accolti da Jo.
Il suo sequel, "I ragazzi di Jo", mi ha entusiasmata molto più. Sarà per il taglio nettamente femminista (si comincia a parlare di suffragio universale e dell'importanza che ricopre la partecipazione delle donne nella vita sociale, politica e lavorativa), sarà per l'evoluzione dei "Piccoli uomini", ormai giovani adulti, che si affacciano, ognuno verso il proprio destino.
Questa tetralogia mi è piaciuta. È stata una piacevole sorpresa, perché mai avrei pensato che libri di questo tipo potessero appassionarmi.

[Antonio Fanelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho letto solo i primi due romanzi: adoro le protagoniste, le loro vicende il loro carattere, la loro modernità e così ho potuto tollerare le frequenti note religiose e morali francamente troppo ottocentesche.
Non riesco ad appassionarmi ai protagonisti del terzo romanzo né tantomeno alle vicende narrate.

[Kathleen F · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't read Little Women since I was about 12 (I read it multiple times when I was young.) It was surprising how much I had committed to heart! There were the same wonderful characters, scrapes and romances; but on this more mature reading of the book, what struck me most was the overwhelmingly moral tone. It didn't bother me as much when I was 12 and still in religion/CCD class; but in my late 30s it made me stumble a bit. (Marmee would definitely kick my ass if she lived now. I am a COMPLETE sinner.)

The revelation in this Library of America edition was the supplementation with the two sequels to Little Women: Little Men and Jo's Boys. Jo's Boys reveals more about the author's views of the world than the other two: in it emerge pretty strong messages about womens' education, suffrage, class equality, etc. Louisa May Alcott was a complete feminist, and it was a thing of joy to read such strong views in print. It was a wonderful contrast from Little Women, with all of its messages about benign domesticity.

[Lucrezia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Letti : Piccole Donne, Piccole Donne Crescono.

[La testa fra i libri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tornare a leggere dopo tanti anni il libro 'Piccole donne' è stato un po' come mettersi una confortevole coperta addosso e ho nuovamente apprezzato, non solo la storia delle sorelle March, ma anche lo scorrevolissimo stile narrativo dell'autrice Louisa May Alcott.
Le quattro figlie di casa March crescono in un ambiente sereno e i genitori le educano con solidi e sani principi, come l'accontentarsi di quello che si possiede ed avere sempre un gesto di riguardo verso il prossimo. Nonostante la famiglia conduca una vita di ristrettezze, le donne rimaste a casa senza il capo famiglia impegnato al fronte, riescono ad affrontare le difficoltà in maniera dignitosa e tranquilla.
I caratteri di ognuna di loro così nettamente distinti e definiti, che si riescono ad identificare senza neanche nominarne il nome, ma solo leggendo un loro discorso o atteggiamento.
Seguirle durante la crescita leggendo delle loro delusioni e gioie, scoprirle innamorate o distrutte dal lutto, concordare con una loro scelta o domandarsi il motivo di una loro azione, è emozionante ma anche toccante.
Ognuna di loro dimostra un talento per l'arte e Jo è quella che, per indole, lo esprime con più irruenza rispetto alle altre.
Il periodo storico in cui è ambientato, dove la guerra toglie, segna e inaridisce chi ne viene colpito in maniera diretta o indiretta, le travolge cambiandone la visione entusiasta e disillusa che solitamente si ha alla loro età.
L'alternanza di momenti lieti a quelli tragici, credo che sia la chiave vincente per non trovare la lettura pesante e troppo drammatica, perché si riderà davanti alle recite scritte e recitate da Jo con la complicità delle sorelle, si sognerà quando si innamoreranno, si piangerà quando qualcuno dirà addio, si sarà felici degli obiettivi raggiunti da ognuna di loro e si apprezzeranno tantissimo i legami persi e ritrovati della vera amicizia.
Fin da subito, attraverso le vicissitudini di Jo ma anche delle sue tre sorelle, l'autrice lancia un messaggio femminista molto forte per l'epoca, suggerendo a non demordere mai ma credere sempre nei propri sogni, nonostante la vita si diverta a mettere alcuni ostacoli lungo il cammino.
La storia di Beth, Jo, Meg ed Amy la conosciamo in molti, chi grazie a letture d'infanzia o chi guardando i numerosi film ispirati dai libri, però io non avevo mai letto l'ultimo della serie che compie un salto temporale di dieci anni e purtroppo ho constatato che non è stato coinvolgente come i precedenti. Giustamente le sorelle March, Jo in particolare, le ho trovate cresciute immerse nei ruoli di mogli e madri di famiglia, lasciando alle loro spalle l'appellativo, dato dal padre, di piccole donne, e l'atmosfera un po' spensierata e leggera che tanto mi aveva affascinato in precedenza, nell'ultimo libro della serie non l'ho percepita.
Piccole donne si potrebbe considerare il grande classico per le woman to be, poiché esalta in maniera fresca e delicata il valore del ruolo femminile nella società, ma non credo che sia adatto a tutti, non tanto per gli argomenti trattati, ma per la modalità di narrazione che richiede una certa maturità.
Per me è stata una bella rilettura che ha riaffiorato ricordi ed emozioni dimenticate nel tempo, rileggere non è mai una brutta idea, sopratutto quando si tratta di libri belli e importanti come questo.

[Fatemeh · Rating 3 out of 5]

* Little Women: 4 Stars
* Good Wives: 3 Stars
* Little Men: 2 Stars
* Jo's Boys: 2 Stars

Overall: 2.75 Stars

[Dana Loo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dopo tantissimi anni concludo la lettura dei libri delle piccole donne che avevo interrotto con Piccole donne crescono. Mentre assistiamo all'evoluzione dei personaggi che già conosciamo, molti quelli nuovi ne I ragazzi di Jo e Piccoli uomini. Quello che ritengo sia meglio caratterizzato è Dan, un ragazzo problematico che Jo, ormai moglie madre ed educatrice, accoglie nel suo collegio di Plumfield e che vedremo crescere, insieme agli altri piccoli ospiti, tra mille vicissitudini.
Da imberbe teppistello ad eroe quasi romantico è uno dei personaggi più interessanti ed intensi tra tutti quelli che animano i due episodi finali, molto corali. Nel complesso è stata un'esperienza ancora piacevole, rilassante, che ti proietta immancabilmente in quel piccolo miscrocosmo di buoni sentimenti, di solidarietà, di affetti familiari, d'amicizia tipico della Alcott e che, malgrado qualche eccesso di moralismo, potrei definire una lettura, per alcuni aspetti, estremamente moderna introducendo argomenti come il femminismo, il voto alle donne, metodi didattici innovativi, pari opportunità...

[SensationDaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Per il momento ho concluso i primi due romanzi e cioè "Piccole donne" (voto 4 su 5) e "Piccole donne crescono" (voto 5 su 5).
La prosa di Louisa May Alcott può sembrare inizialmente fuori da tempo rispetto ad altri romanzi scritti nella stessa epoca ma che risultano sempre attuali. Il mondo delle sorelle March è fatto di regole domestiche, di forte religiosità, di ridondanti precetti morali. Ma è anche fatto di voglia: le protagoniste hanno una spinta fortissima di vita che esprimono ciascuna verso i propri interessi (amore, arte, scrittura, esistenza).

[Tisreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piccole donne e Piccole donne crescono: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Li ho amati moltissimo e sono contenta di essere finalmente entrata nel mondo della famiglia March, storia e personaggi indimenticabili.
Gli altri due a mio parere non riescono a reggere il confronto.
Piccoli uomini e I ragazzi di Jo: ⭐⭐⭐

[Anna Negri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un classico intramontabile, una rilettura emozionante e colma di tenerezza. Ho ritrovato la mia infanzia fra queste pagine e fra le avventure di quattro magnifiche sorelle e dei loro cari, in un momento in cui ne avevo profondamente bisogno. Pronta ad immergermi nei tre libri seguenti!

[Rebeka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Women series is didactic children's literature at its best. Easy to read, relatable (no mean feat for a book published more than a century ago), and so sweet you might need to visit your dentist afterward. March sisters come alive on the page, their sisterly quarrels and growing pains recognizable to anyone who's had siblings. Although their trials and tribulations may be distant in time, yet reading we realize that people's hearts stay the same. The Alcott family were strictly against corporal punishment and were abolitionists for universal suffrage - reminding us that some people really do take the moral high road, no matter the age and culture. Uncomfortable as their lives may be, we need them.

Now, looking at each particular work in the series.
★★★★★ Little Women is fantastic, the perfect girls book. It represents the best in series, when the Marches were young enough to live with their parents still.
★★★☆☆ Good Wives was a disappointment after I was still riding high on Little Women. Alcott is best when she writes about people confined in space and time, who must interact with each other in close quarters. This installment concerns characters living in very distant places, and there the lessons seem middling and too moralistic for late teens. Though I have to say the passing of a certain character was handled very well.
★★★★☆ Little Men was pretty great! Again, the orphanage/boarding school is a great setting for Alcott - the young men interact with each other in close quarters and she writes a cozy family setting like nobody else. I have to detract a star simply because it is obvious that Alcott has not had the same close experiences with young boys and their psychology. It doesn't ring as true as Little Women did, and is not comparable to such accurate young boys' literature as Mark Twain's work.
★★☆☆☆ Jo's Boys had all the detriments of Good Wives, except with Alcott whining excessively about the unpleasantness of fame. The cast is too large and scattered and it loses that personal and relatable feeling.

Some quotes:

Meg's high-heeled slippers were very tight and hurt her, though she would not own it, and Jo's nineteen hairpins all seemed stuck straight into her head, which was not exactly comfortable, but, dear me, let us be elegant or die.

"I wonder if I shall ever be happy enough to have real lace on my clothes and bows on my caps?" said Meg impatiently.
"You said the other day that you'd be perfectly happy if you could only go to Annie Moffat's," observed Beth in her quiet way.
"So I did! Well, I am happy, and I won't fret, but it does seem as if the more one gets the more one wants, doesn't it?

Laurie thought that the task of forgetting his love for Jo would absorb all his powers for years, but to his great surprise he discovered it grew easier every day. He refused to believe it at first, got angry with himself, and couldn't understand it, but these hearts of ours are curious and contrary things, and time and nature work their will in spite of us. Laurie's heart wouldn't ache. The wound persisted in healing with a rapidity that astonished him, and instead of trying to forget, he found himself trying to remember. He had not foreseen this turn of affairs, and was not prepared for it. He was disgusted with himself, surprised at his own fickleness, and full of a queer mixture of disappointment and relief that he could recover from such a tremendous blow so soon. He carefully stirred up the embers of his lost love, but they refused to burst into a blaze.

He was not a perfect child, by any means, but his faults were of the better sort; and being early taught the secret of self-control, he was not left at the mercy of appetites and passions, as some poor little mortals are, and then punished for yielding to the temptations against which they have no armor.

No pen can describe the adventures of these ladies, for in one short afternoon their family was the scene of births, marriages, deaths, floods, earthquakes, tea-parties, and balloon ascensions. Millions of miles did these energetic women travel, dressed in hats and habits never seen before by mortal eye, perched on the bed, driving the posts like mettlesome steeds, and bouncing up and down till their heads spun. Fits and fires were the pet afflictions, with a general massacre now and then by way of change. Nan was never tired of inventing fresh combinations, and Daisy followed her leader with blind admiration.

"The female population exceeds the male, you know, especially in New England; which accounts for the high state of culture we are in, perhaps,” answered John, who was leaning over his mother’s chair, telling his day’s experiences in a whisper.
“It is a merciful provision, my dears; for it takes three or four women to get each man into, through, and out of the world. You are costly creatures, boys; and it is well that mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters love their duty and do it so well, or you would perish off the face of the earth,” said Mrs. Jo solemnly.

“I believe in suffrage of all kinds. I adore all women, and will die for them at any moment if it will help the cause.”
“Living and working for it is harder, and therefore more honourable. Men are always ready to die for us, but not to make our lives worth having. Cheap sentiment and bad logic."

[Gloria Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Piccole donne 5/5
Piccole donne crescono 5/5
Piccoli uomini 4/5
I ragazzi di Jo 4/5

[»ImRebecca; · Rating 3 out of 5]

Valutazione complessiva: ⭐⭐⭐.5/5.

Che avventura letteraria è stata questa!
Lunga, intensa, e costituita da un sacco di emozioni che mi hanno tenuto compagnia per circa un mese e mezzo.
La scelta di leggere questa che, alla fine, si è rivelata una vera e propria quadrilogia sulla piena vita delle sorelle March, è stata motivata dal fatto che, durante il mese di gennaio, ho guardato il tanto atteso film al cinema che mi ha rapita, facendomi innamorare di Meg, Jo, Beth e Amy, da desiderare immediatamente di recuperare i libri al più presto, seppur essendo all'oscuro che successivamente a "Piccole Donne" e "Piccole Donne Crescono" ci fossero "Piccoli Uomini" e "I ragazzi di Jo".

Tutti e quattro i libri hanno sono incentrati su diverse storie, ma che hanno molto in comune tra loro.
"Piccole Donne" e "Piccole Donne Cresconono" sono due romanzi incentrati sulla vita delle quattro sorelle March, tutte e quattro protagoniste. Il primo è concentrato su Meg, Jo, Beth e Amy che dall'età dolce e spensierata che è l'infanzia si approcciano alla crescita e alla maturità, sotto i premurosi consigli di "Mami", la loro madre; mentre "Piccole Donne Crescono" è più incentrato sulla maturità alla volta della vita adulta delle quattro sorelle e ai loro primi amori, i primi veri e propri sacrifici, quelli veri, e le prime vere sofferenze.
Invece, riguardo a "Piccoli Uomini" e "I ragazzi di Jo", si rincontrano le sorelle March adulte e con le loro famiglie.
Però, la vicenda è più incentrata sulla scuola di Plumfield che apre Jo, in cui accoglie tanti ragazzini orfani e li aiuta sulla via per diventare delle brave persone.
"Piccoli Uomini" proprio come "Piccole Donne" è incentrato sulla crescita di questi ragazzini e bambini, senza ovviamente, far mancare la parte femminili. Mentre ne "I ragazzi di Jo" vediamo questi ragazzi diventare uomini e sposarsi sotto gli occhi pieni di infinito orgoglio della signora Jo.

Lo ammetto, ho più apprezzato la storia incentrata su Meg, Jo, Beth e Amy, perché mi è parso di seguire tutte e quattro passo passo, e quasi in ogni fase che le ha portate alla vita adulta. Mentre la storia dei ragazzi di Plumfield è narrata per intero come se fossero degli episodi fine a se stessi.

Lo stile della Alcott non l'ho trovato affatto astruso, ridondante o difficoltoso per come ci si aspetterebbe un classico per adulti dell'epoca, ma, anzi, il suo stile è scorrevolissimo e molto pulito. E poi, dalle sue parole sembra trasparire assoluto candore e purezza.
Ho adorato tantissimo la profondità della sua introspezione che fa immedesimare i giovani lettori perfettamente nei personaggi e nella loro crescita, facendoli riflettere su tantissime cose.

È uno dei pochi classici che ho letto fino ad adesso che più mi è entrato nel cuore. Quindi, libro assolutamente consigliatissimo!

Valutazione Piccole Donne: ⭐⭐⭐
Valutazione Piccole Donne Crescono: ⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Valutazione Piccoli Uomini: ⭐⭐⭐
Valutazione I Ragazzi Di Jo: ⭐⭐⭐

[sara (lunediomartedi) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Piccoli uomini" sembra quasi fuori posto, in questa raccolta. la narrazione è episodica, il tono è predicante e quasi freddo; mi ha riportata all'infanzia, ma nel senso che mi ha ricordato certe lezioni di catechismo. qui Alcott non vuole raccontare una storia: vuole raccontare una teoria educativa, quella alla base del collegio fondato dal padre.

com'è diverso, quindi, dagli altri tre libri, dove la morale c'è, ma è accompagnata da un sorriso; dove ogni personaggio ha la sua personalità ed è così facile fare il tifo per tutti loro. è qui che emerge la vera Alcott: la donna indipendente ma invischiata nelle vicende familiari, la donna che ha lottato per i diritti delle donne e che ha scritto per denaro, quasi disprezzandosi, ma poi ha fatto la storia e l'infanzia di molte di noi.
e se alcune scelte narrative sembrano ingenue, poco importa: com'è bello diventare grandi insieme alle sorelle March e a tutti i personaggi che le circondano. anche se crescere ha un sapore dolceamaro e a volte significa fare compromessi, è bello sapere che vale comunque la pena di lavorare per ciò in cui crediamo, forti della certezza che ci basta allungare la mano e potremo stringere quella di chi ci ama.


Piccole donne: 5⭐
Piccole donne crescono: 5⭐
Piccoli uomini: 2.5 ⭐
I ragazzi di Jo: 4- ⭐

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely understand why this is a classic😭. It tells a beautiful story of growing up with your siblings and leaving behind childhood to pursue your own lives individually. I absolutely loved it !!!

[Susy Tomasiello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bellissimo, da leggere e rileggere.
https://imieimagicimondi.blogspot.com...

[mack ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really loved little women. i got a beautiful pocket sized book and i brought it with me while i solo-traveled france. solo travel can be hard and lonely at times, but this book just felt like a warm hug. it was also really cool to like be in pairs and nice and read about amy's time abroad -- we were sometimes in the same places at the same time and that was so lovely!

fundamentally this is a novel about community, sisterhood, yearning, and determination. the sisters create little pockets where they can be creative and smart, which i loved probably the most about this book. i do think it really acknowledges the role of the older sister and expectations for women in such a blatant way. could it have been more indirect? like yes, but bffr this book was published in 1868 liiiike

this is another one of those books where i want to listen to an English professor lecture on it to make sure i got everything. i did not want to put this book down. prob 4.75 stars but I'm gonna round it up because i have really fond memories with this read.

[Valentina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sarà una recensione fuori dai ranghi.
Credo sia un libro che, nel mio caso, non era giusto leggere in così “”tarda”” età. E che anche da bambina / adolescente non mi aveva presa più di tanto, stranamente. Forse perché mi hanno indirizzata verso un genere diverso, tralasciando questo titolo (chissà).
Spinti dall’ondata cinematografica e da questa sacrosanta new wave femminista nella mia umilissima opinione di femminista in questa storia ho trovato ben poco:
- un sacco di pagine di morale, cattolica e non.
- buonismo everywhere, e per i tempi in cui è ambientato e per la storia personale della Alcott chiudo un occhio.
- Jo March icona di tutte che finisce per ripudiare ed odiare il suo stesso essere controversa e fuori dagli schemi, quindi fallendo in divenire.
Jo è l’unica che potrebbe rompere lo schema, pattern consono alle sue sorelle e che anzi le sorelle stesse cercano (spesso e volentieri) non solo come status sociale ma proprio come ragion d’essere (non saprei spiegarlo meglio); fa di tutto per ribellarsi ma la ribellione è finalizzata a rientrare nei ranghi per non scontentare nessuno.
Non l’ho trovato d’ispirazione.
Lo leggerei volentieri ad una mia ipotetica figlia, senza dubbio non glielo farei mancare. Ma non è un romanzo di formazione, e non è qualcosa che può formarci in questo momento storico ahimè.

[Michelle Streed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read Little Women and Jo's Boys out of this series, but my favorite one is Little Women. I read Little Women for the first time during grade school and always can come back to this book for something new. I found a little bit of myself in all 4 March women and was able to relate to the sister relationship shown in this book. I like this book because it pictures the March girls over time, the good and bad times that they go through, and I always come to the conclusion that what is the end of the world today will be nothing a few years down the road. Furthermore, family is of ultimate importance...if you don't have familial support, what do you have?

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books. There is so much in them. The hard choices that the family must make, their strong commitment to each other, the various paths taken by each of the girls - this series has real depth and describes the many ways that a woman is able to find fulfillment in life. I read it as a parable of true feminism.

[Novella Semplici · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sempre bellissimi. Nonostante il tempo che passa. Nonostante il cambiamento dei costumi. Nonostante un certo moralismo. Ma la Alcott è stata una grande scrittrice e nella figura di Jo March elabora una figura di educatrice all'avanguardia per i tempi, e in cui probabilmente ritrae se stessa e le proprie idee. Amati fin da subito nell'infanzia e mai più abbandonati.

[Giada Nicoli · Rating 5 out of 5]

L'unica cosa di cui sono pentita è non aver letto prima questo capolavoro, è da tanto che dei personaggi mi stanno a cuore e la famiglia March è un pò come fosse la mia, avevo paura che non mi dava la stesse emozioni il terzo e il quarto libro della saga però sono stata piacevolmente colpita quando mi hanno fatto addolcire il cuore e aprire la mente.😊

[Kenna]

i read just little women as a child. i'd love to find little men and jo's boys too if i can