Louisa May Alcott: Her Life, Letters and Journals

by Louisa May Alcott, Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheyney (Editor)

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Classics, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

420 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1889

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

[محمد · Rating 4 out of 5]

لويزا ألكوت،( Louisa May Alcott) (1832 – 1888 ).
هي كاتبة أمريكية. من أشهر أعمالها ، "نساء صغيرات 1868م.كتبت الشعر ولم تكن قصائدها قوية. وبرزت في حكايا الأطفال والقصص. ماتت ولم تتزوج وهي في العقد السادس من عمرها. أخلصت لأسرتها وللكتابة.
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يقع الكتاب في ( 387 ) صفحة ويشتمل على مقدمة وعدة فصول ( النسب والسلالة ، الطفولة ، الحياة العاطفية ، التأليف ، سنة الحظ السعيد ، مشاهدات المشفى ، أوربا والمرأة الصغيرة ، تغيرات العائلة ، السنة الأخيرة ، الخلاصة ) .
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من يوميات طفولتها:
1-
[إحدى ذكرياتي الأولى، اللعب والعبث بالكتب في مكتبة أبي. أبني المنازل والجسور من القواميس والجرائد.أحدّق في الصور؛أتظاهر بالقراءة، و"أخربش" ،على الصفحات الفارغة،كلما وجدت أمامي قلم رصاص.ولاتزال مدوناتي تلك، مدوّنة على سلسلة كتب الفيلسوف (فرانسيس بيكون)، وكتب المؤرخ الروماني ( بلوتاخ). ويبدو أن ذائقتي الطفولية كانت تميل نحو الأدب الرصين ].
2-

"هناك ذكرى أُخرى، هي عيد ميلادي الرابع ،الذي أُقيم في حجرة دراسة أبي في المعبد الماسوني ، كل الأطفال كانوا هناك، لبست إكليلاً من الزهور، ووقفت على الطاولة ، أوَّزع الكعك على جميع الأطفال ، ويبدو أنني سهيت قليلاً ، و بدأت حبات الكعك تتناقص ، وقلت لنفسي " لو أنني أعطيت الأطفال آخر حبة كعك فلن يتبق معي شيء لنفسي " ! و بما أنني أميرة الحفل أمسكت بالكعكة بشدة و جذبتها نحوي ، بعد ذلك قالت أمي : " من الأفضل أن نعطي الأشياء الجميلة ونقدمها للآخرين ، بدلاً عن الاحتفاظ بها ، لذلك أنا أعرف أن ابنتي لوليَّ لن تترك صديقتها الصغيرة تذهب دون أن تحصل على حصتها من الكعك ".
وهكذا أعطيت صديقتي الكعكة المحببة إلى قلبي ، وقبلتني أُميَّ ، كان ذلك الدرس الأول الذي تعلمت فيه و تذوقت جمال العطاء و انكار الذات ، الدرس الذَّي أظهرته أُميَّ خلال حياتها النبيلة .
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ذات يوم تساءلت :"أريد أن أفعل شيئاً جديدا في حياتي"، بعد رفضها لفكرة الزواج والتوقف عن الكتابة والتدريس والخياطة، فأقترحت شقيقتها الصغرى أن تمرّض جنود الحرب الأهلية، فوافقت على الفور وتطوعت كممرضة للجنود لمدة ستة أسابيع ، وخلالها كتبت رسائل مصورة بعنوان ( صور من المشفى).
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على حد تعبير المحررة (Ednah D. Cheney):
أخلصت لويزا لأسرتها والكتابة ومساعدة الآخرين. ساعدت عائلتها الفقيرة ووالدها الفيلسوف الذي كان يقيم محاضراته بالمجان. وتقول أيضاً أنها عدلت الكثير من رسائلها وحذفت الكثير من الرسائل العاطفية. كانت تكتب القصص مقابل 15 دولار، ولم تتخل عن التطريز والخياطة. ويبدو أنها أصيبت بالمرض بعد تعرضها للحمى في فترة المشفى وعلاجها بالزئبق سبب لها مضاعفات سيئة . كان طبيبها ينصحها بعدم الكتابة الطويلة الجادة.

[Phil Syphe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this true account of arguably one of the greatest fiction writers of all time quite inspiring. I liked the way Louisa’s mother encouraged her from a young age. It was interesting to see how the aspiring author started out making a few dollars here and there, gradually building up a reputation, which in time led to great success and wealth.

Miss Alcott strikes me as a good-natured woman who cared about others whilst reserving her right for privacy when she wanted space from the limelight. I feel that anyone who knew her was most fortunate and any readers of her works who got the chance to meet her were privileged.

I seem to be one of few men who appreciate Louisa May Alcott’s literary talents. That said, this work shows that she did have male admires of various ages during her lifetime, which is good to know.

Obviously certain stories are aimed solely at young girls, but there’s a good share of material that should appeal to both sexes of all ages, plus LMA wrote some quality thrillers. Interestingly, she was dismissive of the thrillers herself, though the ones I’ve read to date strike me as excellent.

This volume was constructed by Ednah Cheney, who did a decent though not brilliant job. On the plus side, she fills in gaps that Miss Alcott’s letters and journals omit. But, annoyingly, at times Ms Cheney relays certain information only for the reader to have the same info repeated in Miss Alcott’s own words a few paragraphs later.

But this is only a small gripe with an otherwise impressive attempt to produce something of this nature in a short space of time. It was first published just over a year after Ms Alcott’s sad demise.

[Josie Mcconnell]

A great book to dip in and out of. Great insight into Louisa's writings.

[محمد الزهراني · Rating 4 out of 5]

لويزا ألكوت،( Louisa May Alcott) (1832 – 1888 ).
هي كاتبة أمريكية. من أشهر أعمالها ، "نساء صغيرات 1868م.كتبت الشعر ولم تكن قصائدها قوية. وبرزت في حكايا الأطفال والقصص. ماتت ولم تتزوج وهي في العقد السادس من عمرها. أخلصت لأسرتها وللكتابة.
-----
يقع الكتاب في ( 387 ) صفحة ويشتمل على مقدمة وعدة فصول ( النسب والسلالة ، الطفولة ، الحياة العاطفية ، التأليف ، سنة الحظ السعيد ، مشاهدات المشفى ، أوربا والمرأة الصغيرة ، تغيرات العائلة ، السنة الأخيرة ، الخلاصة ) .
----
من يوميات طفولتها:
1-
[إحدى ذكرياتي الأولى، اللعب والعبث بالكتب في مكتبة أبي. أبني المنازل والجسور من القواميس والجرائد.أحدّق في الصور؛أتظاهر بالقراءة، و"أخربش" ،على الصفحات الفارغة،كلما وجدت أمامي قلم رصاص.ولاتزال مدوناتي تلك، مدوّنة على سلسلة كتب الفيلسوف (فرانسيس بيكون)، وكتب المؤرخ الروماني ( بلوتاخ). ويبدو أن ذائقتي الطفولية كانت تميل نحو الأدب الرصين ].
2-

"هناك ذكرى أُخرى، هي عيد ميلادي الرابع ،الذي أُقيم في حجرة دراسة أبي في المعبد الماسوني ، كل الأطفال كانوا هناك، لبست إكليلاً من الزهور، ووقفت على الطاولة ، أوَّزع الكعك على جميع الأطفال ، ويبدو أنني سهيت قليلاً ، و بدأت حبات الكعك تتناقص ، وقلت لنفسي " لو أنني أعطيت الأطفال آخر حبة كعك فلن يتبق معي شيء لنفسي " ! و بما أنني أميرة الحفل أمسكت بالكعكة بشدة و جذبتها نحوي ، بعد ذلك قالت أمي : " من الأفضل أن نعطي الأشياء الجميلة ونقدمها للآخرين ، بدلاً عن الاحتفاظ بها ، لذلك أنا أعرف أن ابنتي لوليَّ لن تترك صديقتها الصغيرة تذهب دون أن تحصل على حصتها من الكعك ".
وهكذا أعطيت صديقتي الكعكة المحببة إلى قلبي ، وقبلتني أُميَّ ، كان ذلك الدرس الأول الذي تعلمت فيه و تذوقت جمال العطاء و انكار الذات ، الدرس الذَّي أظهرته أُميَّ خلال حياتها النبيلة .
-----
ذات يوم تساءلت :"أريد أن أفعل شيئاً جديدا في حياتي"، بعد رفضها لفكرة الزواج والتوقف عن الكتابة والتدريس والخياطة، فأقترحت شقيقتها الصغرى أن تمرّض جنود الحرب الأهلية، فوافقت على الفور وتطوعت كممرضة للجنود لمدة ستة أسابيع ، وخلالها كتبت رسائل مصورة بعنوان ( صور من المشفى).
-----
على حد تعبير المحررة (Ednah D. Cheney):
أخلصت لويزا لأسرتها والكتابة ومساعدة الآخرين. ساعدت عائلتها الفقيرة ووالدها الفيلسوف الذي كان يقيم محاضراته بالمجان. وتقول أيضاً أنها عدلت الكثير من رسائلها وحذفت الكثير من الرسائل العاطفية. كانت تكتب القصص مقابل 15 دولار، ولم تتخل عن التطريز والخياطة. ويبدو أنها أصيبت بالمرض بعد تعرضها للحمى في فترة المشفى وعلاجها بالزئبق سبب لها مضاعفات سيئة . كان طبيبها ينصحها بعدم الكتابة الطويلة الجادة

[John Scheck · Rating 5 out of 5]

An authentic account of the domestic yet inspiring life of authoress Louisa May Alcott. What is perhaps most interesting to the Alcott fan is how remarkably and how vividly the characters and events of Little Women, and many of her other fictional tales, were directly inspired by her own sisters, parents, friends, and life events in general. What is perhaps most interesting to friends of Louisa is the discovery of her noble character demonstrated in her writings, humbly revealing to the reader the quality of her love and faithfulness as sister, daughter, and friend.

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives very interesting insight into the author of Little Women....the book she described as 'Dull'!

[cathedralwindow85 of BRISEIS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read L.M. Alcott's letters during Graduate Studies at Texas A&M.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read! Louisa May Alcott is one of my favourite authors but I just wanted this book to be over after reading 50 pages of letters about her vacation in Europe. Most of the information in this book is now common knowledge for any Alcott fan and/or those who have been to Orchard House.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a chill Sunday in late June, I decided to have a reading day. I didn't leave my house or change out of my pajamas. I made food when I was hungry, but otherwise I just read. It was lovely, and one of my reads that day was Louisa May Alcott: Her Life, Letters and Journals. I found a copy at a used bookstore, and since I am a Little Women nerd and Alcott devotee, I had to buy it. My copy is old, like second printing old, and I was deeply nervous reading it simply because I didn't want to damage it. It was also great prep for my July trip to Orchard House, where I got to nerd out and bug my friends with all of my Little Women fun facts.

I thought I knew Louisa May Alcott, but reading her journals made her a real and complex person in a way no biography really could ever do. The journal entries start during her childhood and follow her throughout her teens and early adulthood to fame and success in middle age all the way to her early death. There are a few editor's notes here and there to add additional context for the entries, but mostly this book is Louisa's journals. When she was approached to write Little Women, she wrote, "Marmee, Anna, and May all approve my plan. So I plod away, though I don’t enjoy this sort of thing. Never liked girls or knew many, except my sisters; but our queer plays and experiences may prove interesting, though I doubt it." On that entry, she commented, "Ha!"

What struck me from these entries was how fiercely Alcott loved and took care of her family. Perhaps that should not be surprising given how she writes the Marches, but I did not realize before how much taking care of her family was the guiding force of Alcott's life. She was the primary breadwinner of the family as a young adult, making a living as a tutor, seamstress, and short story writer. Her entries frequently recount how she sends most of these wages to her family, only ever keeping enough for herself to life on. As she became more successful, Alcott still prioritized earning for her family. She took pride in sending May to Europe for art school and being able to buy her sister Anna a home after her husband passed, leaving her a widow with two sons. You can also see this love and devotion on display in Orchard House, where May drew flowers on the wall in Louisa's room when she was sick to cheer her up. Louisa's relationship to May, her youngest sister and the basis for Amy, really stuck with me. Even though she was jealous of her baby sister, who benefited greatly from Louisa's success and the financial stability that came with it, Louisa was devoted to May. When May died from childbirth complications, she left Louisa her daughter, also named Louisa. I came away from these journals loving the Alcott sisters almost as fiercely as I have loved the March sisters.

If you're a Little Women fan like me, you have to find a copy of this book. I might try to find a more contemporary copy simply because I feel like modern footnotes might be useful in parsing through some of the references.

[Drebbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compiled and edited in 1889 by Ednah Cheney, this book offers an interesting look into the life of Louisa May Alcott. Cheney intersperses the letters and journal entries with some biographical information. The Alcotts were very poor and lived off the money Louisa made from her writing; Alcott keeps track of how much money she gets for each story, even after the success of "Little Women". Unfortunately, the amount of time she spent writing (up to 14 hours a day), plus the illness she caught after nursing civil war soldiers took a toll on her and many of her letters, plus many of the journal entries mention her various illnesses and describe how she had to take morphine to help her sleep.

Fans of "Little Women" will be most interested in the segments regarding that book and may be surprised to find out that Alcott thought the book was boring. It's hard to believe she really meant that because it's clear from her letters and journal entries how very biographical "Little Women" is. In fact, Alcott's journal description of Beth's death in real life is used almost word for word in the book. Other elements in "Little Women" are fiction (there was, alas, no real life Professor Bhaer and Alcott included him against her better judgement - she would have preferred Jo remain single, as Alcott herself did) and Teddy was based on a Polish acquaintance, not a next door neighbor. However, the four sisters are based on Louisa and her sisters and the journal entries and letters make you realize how perfectly she caught them on paper.

This is an interesting book about not only a fascinating woman but also a fascinating family. The Alcotts' friends included the Emersons, the Thoreaus and the Hawthornes, all whose influences helped shape Louisa May Alcott's writings. Despite her success, her life was not an easy one and was often filled with sorrow. Yet, despite her sorrow and illnesses, Louise May Alcott's works enchanted children then and now.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a surprise to discover that this book that had been sitting on my parent's bookshelf for forever is from 1889 - at least that's what I'm guessing. There's no face page and the only date attached is 1889 from the dedication. I'll have to treat it more carefully.

While reading letters about Louisa May Alcott's life is fascinating, the compiler (I think it was her aunt) does a horribly amateur job of bringing the correspondences together smoothly. Some events are out of order and facts are often stated twice - first in an aside by the compiler, then in the letters themselves (sometimes using the same wording). It was somewhat stilting to read.

Still, I'm surprised at how hard-working and down-to-earth LMA was. She supported most of her family, first through various odd jobs then with her writings. I can't believe how complacent she was about her useless father. Instead of getting a real job and supporting his wife and four (later three) children, he was a philosopher, traveling and giving lectures at parties and universities - often without pay. Thus Louisa and her mother and sisters had to take up work to support themselves. Aside from this annoyance the book is brimming with details of life at that time and of a worthwhile individual.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely interesting. Well put-together collection of her best letters and journal entries. I could read her journal entries and letters about her trips to Europe every day and never get tired of them. I'm so glad I found this charming book. I especially liked learning so much more about the rest of the family, all were interesting and all are described in this book. The youngest sister, May, was especially interesting. The father was not as bad as I'd previously thought. Was it Lincoln who said you only dislike those you don't know well enough?

[Dottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some reptitions due to selecting overlap but which gives a richly detailed view of the author in her own words as well as thoughtful conclusions on the part of cheney in compiling this work. I believe this being close to contemporary gives a relatively true slant which may be lacking in much later assessments of the life and work. Being obssessed with Alcott and her family and thier circle, I've read a good many volumes and I still feel that I learned a few new bits from this early work.

[Debarati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dramatic Biography

Miss Alcott is a true idol for every women. The book has been wonderfully arranged and the short momentary description by the author of the time makes it feels like you are in those days. A biography in a dramatic format.
If you love Little Women and is quite fond of Jo's character, it is better to know the real Jo too.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

My copy of this book is a hand-me-down from my Great Aunt Mary Henderson Holland Houlberg - so it is almost 100 years old. Also have Little Men and Jack and Jill from the same set.

Sanitized by the editor, Louisa's own voice fascinated me as a teenager.

[Leslie Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly a reread as I've read her journals, but a while ago. There's much to admire about her.

[Grete · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshingly unlike Little Women and Alcott's other (generally delightful though) didactic fiction.