Little Women

I loved this book as a child. its a classic for a very good reason. It’s a great story!

Just finished this wonderful novel. I reckon this book is a must read for any aspiring writers. The pace is refreshingly slow. Which suits my idea of the era the story is set.

I enjoyed savouring and learning The Way To Write.

The descriptive techniques used are inspiring. The author gives the perspective of dangling flowers, bobbing on a vine outside a bedroom window as they view the commotion surrounding Meg’s wedding preparations.

This classic piece of literature needs no review from me. Outstanding as it is. I wholly recommend it to those writers who haven’t read it.

Little Women was one of my favorite books from childhood that has stayed with me through the years and I find myself re-reading from time to time. I find myself connecting with all four of the March sisters throughout the story and their adventures. While some of the messages in the book are a little dated, the overall messages about family are ones to remain. Louisa May Alcott writes vivid characters that I felt they were standing in the room with me!

This is another classic that I had never read before, but have seen a movie or other adaptation of more than once in the past. In this case, I’ve only seen the 1994 movie with Winona Ryder as Jo, though I have seen it more than once over the years. I also did read the Great Illustrated Classic adaptation with my daughter just over a year ago, but this was my first time reading the full, unabridged version, technically listening to the audiobook. Be aware, there will be spoilers in this review, so read on at your own risk.

One of the things that struck me the most about the full story is how much these sisters thrive in their environment. This is a time period where women are oppressed and kept in their place, and while at some times this makes tomboy Jo unhappy, she doesn’t have to completely rebel in order to make some inroads and even do what she wants to do. In fact, most of what gets in her way as a writer is her own ideas, plans, hopes, dreams, failings, and attempts to be a better person. In modern times, we if we want to write historical fiction where women aren’t just stuck in a box, they are often wild and outrageous (but at least they manage to meet that one man who’s okay with the woman who refuses to wear a dress or attend any formal functions). I think that’s one of the biggest things I love about Jo.

I also really like the fact that most of the way through the story, the March sisters are striving to better themselves. They are quite poor, but vow to be happy with what they have and avoid grumbling, even as they allow themselves hopes for the future in which they find wealth in one way or the other (different for each girl). And though I speak generally, Beth is usually perfectly content with what she has. Speaking of Beth, how well did I relate to that quiet, shy girl. Even too scared to go to the neighbor’s house who’d extended an open invitation so she could exercise her talent on his piano…that would definitely be me.

I loved the references made to Pilgrim’s Progress in the first half of the book, which plays a lot into what I mentioned above, about the sisters trying to be happy with what they have and be good “pilgrims.” I’ve never read Pilgrim’s Progress, though I’ve always thought I should (tried once, but I’m really not good at sticking with books that are hard to read), and now I wish I had. The reference back to the pilgrims and the game the sisters played when they were younger, shortly before Beth’s death, made the tragedy of her death all the more emotional to me.

On probably the most disputed point of this book, though I never lamented over the fact that Jo rebuffed Laurie, it did always seem strange to me that he ended up marrying little Amy. However, after reading this book, I think Louisa May Alcott did a fine job setting up the ways the various romances went. I could certainly see that Jo had no romantic feelings for Laurie and had good reason to think that they wouldn’t have a very pleasant marriage. And when Amy was still young, a connection grew between her and Laurie that paved the way for their love later. Jo’s feelings for Professor Bhaer came very naturally, and it was easy to see why she fell in love with this mature man of integrity and morals.

Before I wrap up, I want to say a few words about Barbara Caruso, the narrator of the audiobook I listened to. I haven’t listened to many audiobooks and can really only listen to certain types of books that way, since my mind tends to miss details if I’m not careful. Also, like many others I’m sure, the narrator can really make or break my enjoyment, and I’ve discovered that I’m really picky about it. Which is why I’m really glad that this is the narrator I listened to for this book, because she did a fantastic job! I really liked how she brought the characters to life and even managed to have slight differences between the sisters. Her reading of foreign words or sentences (French and German) and accents for characters like the German Bhaer are incredible. I will definitely look for her when I listen to other books that she has narrated.

This was the first long novel I read when I was a young teen. The story was so endearing that I have read it many times over the years. I love that the girls call their mother Marmie. It will always be one of my all time favorites.

Alcott’s ‘Little Women’ are diverse and well defined in personality and aspirations. Her world is as detailed as our own, her story equally realistic and the setting is perfectly illustrated. Several central themes of the story like family bonding, poverty and women empowerment are depicted in the first few chapters which laid a solid foundation for the later part of the story. Numerous pages simply portray the daily life of the March family. Throughout this ordinary tale filled with extraordinary narration, there are several incredible monologues that directly speak to the reader. The pacing is slow but for someone who cherishes the finer details, it is perfect. Each chapter is like an arc of its own focusing on certain characters and foreshadowing upcoming consequences. All these different incidents are elegantly weaved into a single correlated masterpiece. I immediately fell in love with the March girls with their various creative pursuits, tragi-comic adventures and moral dilemmas as they grow into adulthood. The homes Alcott depicts are both cozy and claustrophobic, the marriages companionate and the March girls’ dreams both fulfilled and depressingly renounced. It’s certainly possible to read ‘Little Women’ as an untroubled sentimental text about family bonds and individual development but then, you’d miss out on the joys and insight of the novel’s deeply strange, frustrating yet inspiring relationship to feminity. The novel models what it means for women to have a creative relationship to the dull and limited facts of life under patriarchy, to take life’s often disappointing material and make art out of it. This book is, in fact, less propelled by its sweetness and light than by its internal frisson ; between the novel’s embrace of the values of sentimental womanhood and their clear association with death and abjection. The book endures because of the power of its lessons about balancing family and career, it’s sweet exploration of individualism and selflessness and the value of truly companionate matrimony. Alcott’s elegant and poignant narration is perfect for the era it was set in, whilst the sisters’ personalities were intricately described throughout the whole book. To summarise, this is a very woman centric novel clearly reflecting the period when it was written but at the same time, presenting ideas way ahead of that era. Alcott’s writing is influential, nostalgic and charming. She depicts the everyday tasks of the women of that era as heroic in this novel and her characters defy traditional outlook multiple times. It is a fulfilling story of every other middle class family in economic and political hardships. The author succeeds in conveying her philosophy and her story is essentially a guide to dealing with the difficulties of life for young women growing up in a coming of age society. Highly recommended.

My Dad bought me a first edition when I was about six yrs old. By then I’d been reading for four years. I fell over into the book and it came to life. A true classic.
A must-read.

2020 Review:

Little Women is a charming story that I loved ten years ago and still love today. The simple stories of these beloved sisters, just an average, every day family, have been cherished for over a century for a reason. Louisa May Alcott crafted a family so many of us can relate to and many more can love because they are real people just like you and me.

My favorite sisters are probably Jo and Amy. They are so full of spirit and life! Albeit in very different ways, but spunk and tenacity still. I thought the whole time that Jo would certainly have loved living today—she could wear pants and hang with the boys all day! Haha! Amy matures a lot in this book (though what real life women wouldn’t over the course of 10+ years, beginning at age 13?) but I love that she knows what she wants (or thinks she does) and goes after it. She works hard and develops her talents and becomes so good.

Meg and Beth are lovely. Naturally I love Beth. It would be hard not to love someone who tries so hard to love everyone else. Meg learns a lot of hard lessons but does become a sweet little mother. I admit to bristling a little about some of the expectations in regards to wife and motherly duties, but there is also some good marriage advice in here, so it balances out (and yes, I’m aware that the social expectations of wives and mothers were very different 200 years ago; I can understand that and appreciate how far we’ve come and be very glad it isn’t the same anymore).

I sincerely love that no sister is without her flaws. Each one is beautifully human and learns things the hard way and develops into wonderful women. Perhaps the only character in the book that is practically perfect is Marmee; one can’t help but love her! The entire supporting cast is lovely. Laurie, Mr Lawrence (I want him to be my grandfather), Aunt March (she makes me chuckle…I might not like her much in person but reading about her character is fun), John Brooke’s, and Hannah are all so great. It’s just a lovely, though simple, book and I love it.

2009 Review:
As a friend of mine said in her review of this book, I love the language and the way they spoke back then! I really had to watch myself while I was reading this book not to say something the way Alcott would! It’s a charming and endearing story, with just enough trials and joyfulness to not make it feel too “story-bookish”. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and probably will again someday.

Louisa May Alcott is a wonderful writer. Her characters are well developed. The setting is descriptive and is very accurate to Orchard House in Concord.

I read this book in my teens and cried all the way through it. I am thinking about reading it again and seeing the new movie.