From the Bookshelf of Should have read classics…

Little Women (Little Women, #1)

Louisa May Alcott

Start date: November 1, 2013

Finish date: December 31, 2013

Discussion: Children's Group Read

Why we're reading this: This is the group read for the childrens classic. It runs for two months.
[close] This is the group read for the childrens classic. It runs for two months.

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What Members Thought

Dec 25, 2009 Julia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: american-literature, classics, 19th-century, comfy-lit

It's a pity I didn't read this book earlier as I'm quite sure that this would've been another childhood/youth favourite just like Anne of Green Gables or Else Ury's Nesthäkchen: Nesthäkchen, Bd.1, Nesthäkchen und ihre Puppen: Bd. 1. Still, it was a lovely read for the Christmas holidays and I really liked Alcott's description of the four sisters, so different in character from each other and still united in love. Each has to struggle with the faults of her character and succeeds through hard wor It's a pity I didn't read this book earlier as I'm quite sure that this would've been another childhood/youth favourite just like Anne of Green Gables or Else Ury's Nesthäkchen: Nesthäkchen, Bd.1, Nesthäkchen und ihre Puppen: Bd. 1. Still, it was a lovely read for the Christmas holidays and I really liked Alcott's description of the four sisters, so different in character from each other and still united in love. Each has to struggle with the faults of her character and succeeds through hard work and earnest effort - a very Puritan view towards the world and it's obvious that the author was inspired by the ideas of the transcendentalists, movement in which her father was very active. Some of these ideas - like the platonic friendship between men and women and the fact that also women may be proud of earning their own living seem strikingly modern, other values are of course a little bit outdated and Alcott's style might be too preachy for some contemporary reader. The ultimate goal in life seems to find a loving and caring partner, have a family and care for parents and children, not self-fulfillment - this idea vexed me a little bit at some points, while being typical for the era in which the work was written. Still, at the end the artistically talented Amy and the literary Jo - modelled clearly after the author herself - start to produce art again, which is better and more mature because of their deepened understanding of the world, and that quite satisfied me.

Despite of the time passed, one can still identify with the characters and the situations, and this is definitely an achievement. The plot may be simple, but it's well-wrought and kept me interested throughout the story and it had some interesting and touching twists and turns. Apparently a big part of the book has been written based on Alcott's own childhood and experiences and so she might be right when she says that true art needs to contain a certain amount of truth. I'm looking forward to reading Little Men and Jo's Boys to see how the destiny of the March sisters, their parents and husbands develops. ...more

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Sep 03, 2009 Krissy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Little Women has been on my to-read shelf for years. Finally, I thought I would read it after the Shining. Like in the TV show Friends. But I ended up reading the sequel to the Shining first. So I read Little Women after Misery. That works too. Interestingly, both feature main characters that are writers and write novels within the novel.

There is a lot of love and hate for this book. Now that I’ve read it- I get it. First the love. This is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. That should be enough Little Women has been on my to-read shelf for years. Finally, I thought I would read it after the Shining. Like in the TV show Friends. But I ended up reading the sequel to the Shining first. So I read Little Women after Misery. That works too. Interestingly, both feature main characters that are writers and write novels within the novel.

There is a lot of love and hate for this book. Now that I’ve read it- I get it. First the love. This is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. That should be enough said. It’s a classic. Tried and true. More than that though, the writing is beautiful and heartfelt. You can feel the love that family shares for one another. Even though its setting was over 150 years ago I could relate to the characters and their struggles.

Now the hate. My god for such little women this is a huge book. Painfully slow at times. But, when you think about the time period and the audience for which it was written, it makes sense. What else are they gonna do- put it down and go watch TV? Or milk a cow? Sew some socks? Read the cliff notes version? These past readers would probably choose to read a whale of a novel over their other possible past times.

I would probably get burned at the stake for suggesting this…but it might resonate for more modern readers if it was edited more thoroughly. For example, cut huge chapters that don’t seem to focus on plot or character development, chapters that focus more on “a day in the life” or little life lessons. Then- release those chapters individually as Little Women 1.1, 1.2 novellas. I know this is pointless. People can read Little Women for free on kindle. But I found myself thinking I would appreciate the culture, class and style of the book a lot more if it were a tad shorter. And offering the cut outs as “extras” would be a good way for someone who couldn’t get enough to extend their journey.

I both loved and hated this book. I likely will not read it again, but I am very glad that I read it. Side note- the movie version with Winona Ryder is amazing. I could only envision those actors as the characters in the novel. I felt it cut through a lot to the heart of the story.

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Jan 30, 2012 Lisa rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, read-2012, classics

audiobook.
I am glad I have finally read this classic. I loved it as much as I hoped I would.
Life then seems so simple-and inviting.
My only complain is that the narrator sounds very much like a computerized girl's voice--like they ran the narrator's voice through a synthesizer. ...more

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