Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Blurb (on back of book):
Generations of readers young and old, male and female, have fallen in love with the March sisters of Louisa May Alcott’s most popular and enduring novel, Little Women. Here are talented tomboy and author-to-be Jo, tragically frail Beth, beautiful Meg, and romantic, spoiled Amy, united in their devotion to each other and their struggles to survive in New England during the Civil War.
It is no secret that Alcott based Little Women on her own early life. While her father, the freethinking reformer and abolitionist Bronson Alcott, hobnobbed with such eminent male authors as Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne, Louisa supported herself and her sisters with "woman’s work,” including sewing, doing laundry, and acting as a domestic servant. But she soon discovered she could make more money writing. Little Women brought her lasting fame and fortune, and far from being the "girl’s book” her publisher requested, it explores such timeless themes as love and death, war and peace, the conflict between personal ambition and family responsibilities, and the clash of cultures between Europe and America.
UPDATED REVIEW
MY OPINION: ****
This is my third time reading this book. I have to say, this is such a heartwarming tale. I love the easy familiarity of it and the way that you can easily connect to the different characters in the book. It's rare that I can connect to the main characters but this book was an exception.
I do know that there is a movie coming out in 2019 (yet another one) and I'm excited for it!
I read this with my sister so we went through the incredible journey together. I'm going to separate this review into the LITTLE WOMEN part and the GOOD WIVES part because that's important.
LITTLE WOMEN
CHARACTERS:
JO- I felt for Jo. She was more on the masculine side (i.e. a tomboy) but she was also struggling with managing her anger and keeping her temper, something that a lot of people can relate to. She was the backbone of the family after her sisters left on their different paths and I loved that she strived to change her personality to make sure that the people around her were safe and happy and healthy. I loved her headstrong ways and her various foolish societal mistakes and antics were hilarious and made me laugh out loud.
MEG- She was the older sister who was struggling to fit in to society. The Marches aren't the richest family (the book starts off with Amy saying "it's so dreadful to be poor!") and Meg's friends are on the other side of the spectrum. I feel like we can all relate to her dreams of wanting to be rich and happy though Meg learns that money isn't everything by Good Wives. I was always hesitant towards Meg because I just never really liked her bossy and irritating mannerisms but this time around, I learned to feel for her and I definitely appreciated her more and understood where she was coming from.
BETH- Beth is the sweetest little angel.
Of course, the good ones always have to go, though Beth stays longer than I think she was meant to in an effort to save her family. I loved her character. She was the good girl that people strive to be but never truly meet. She was the most unselfish character and her dreams were focused around staying and helping her family for the rest of her short life. I loved her for it and I think we can all admit that nobody is really like her. I loved her shyness and her gradual opening up to others, something that people can also relate to.
AMY- She was a rather vain little girl who I never liked but learned to treat with mild indifference this time around. Amy is the youngest of the four sisters who is always looked down upon, in my opinion. She's very artistically inclined but the poverty that the Marches live in sometimes prohibits her ability to exhibit her talent. I did like her little escapades because I found them sweet and hilarious.
LAURIE- AGH I love this boy. I mean, he's the honorary March member and I loved his entire personality. He's bold and headstrong and has way too many faults but to me, he felt like the most realistic character. The March girls are honestly too... good most of the time. And Laurie is good too but he shows it in a less obvious way. I also love his bluntness of character and his ability to fit in with a group of girls and have a great time. Though I am a JoxLaurie shipper forever.
Overall, all of the characters are complex and beautifully written. They each have their own flaws, talents, dreams, etc. I loved how we watched them grow throughout the lengthy novel, especially Jo. The entire novel is about them trying to grow as women and help them find themselves as better people.
GOOD WIVES
*spoilers ahead*
JO- Her ability to grow up as a woman was shocking and wonderful. I loved how she matured. She started as a crazy, insane girl and became a mature, less-crazy woman, though she still had her own worries and flaws. I loved her independence and her maturity towards Laurie and his proposal (though I still love them together!). She and Mr. Bhaer, though. I don't know entirely how I feel about their relationship. My opinions have definitely changed but still, they're fifteen years apart and I know that this is a very controversial topic of the novel. I have not yet decided how I felt but I suppose if everyone's happy, then it's all right..
MEG- She and Mr. Brooke have so many adult problems in their married lives that I found it almost hilarious the little things that they found to worry about. They're not the richest of families but they learn how to get by, even though they both make mistakes and get into little arguments from time to time. This is to be expected of any family, especially once kids are brought into the picture. (I loved the twins!)
BETH- Her passing was the saddest scene but yet we all knew it had to happen and dear little Beth made it so much better with her positivity to the end. She knew what was happening to her and instead of complaining, the worst she ever does is admit she's scared and cries a little. I know I would not have reacted the same way. I loved her up until the very end and I loved how LMA managed to bring her up from time to time so that she was never truly forgotten.
AMY- She has definitely matured and I loved the older Amy so much more than the younger Amy. I loved seeing how her personality has grown along with her talent. She and Laurie are an unexpected couple and I feel like it was a little rushed but other than that, I loved Amy's changed mindset and her new dreams.
LAURIE- There was a point when I disliked him for a large variety of reasons but overall, he definitely got himself together and grew up. I completely felt for him when his first heartbreak came about (not that I'm relating necessarily) and I loved how he gradually got past it. His temper also cooled and I loved his new personality and his optimism that he always brought with him.
This book was set in the times of the Civil War, making it historical fiction (yay! I need to branch out!) I did like how it wasn't completely focused on the history because as much as I like history, I don't necessarily love a long history lesson in my "fun reads." It's also a religious read but that wasn't overwhelming and I liked how the messages were interwoven in (I'm not religious so this was educational!)
I would recommend this book to readers looking for a heartwarming tale of the growing-up stories of four girls!
Main Character: Jo, Meg, Beth, Amy, Laurie
Sidekick(s): Parents, grandparents, etc
Villain(s): War, hastiness, misunderstandings, growing up, etc
Historical Fiction Elements: This book was set in the American Civil War.
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