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mschrock8's review against another edition
2.0
This is a sad and bleak book, passed on to me by a friend.
I wrote, "Making do and staying together" then crossed out staying together. Not always.
Louisa's pen name Tribulation Periwinkle made me smile.
I wrote, "Making do and staying together" then crossed out staying together. Not always.
Louisa's pen name Tribulation Periwinkle made me smile.
justicepirate's review against another edition
3.0
It was so lovely to read this book. I have been a fan of Little Women since girlhood, and I have been to Concord, MA - mainly at Walden Pond and Fairy Pond, but I have plans to see Orchard House and more eventually.
It was so good to learn the life story of Louisa May Alcott. I have heard bits and pieces of her life and knew that Little Women was drawn from her own story, but I wasn't sure how much. I am so sad about what happened to her during her time as a nurse and how her really wonderful health was changed forever. I feel she could have had a longer life otherwise.
Her upbringing was unique and difficult for a child of that time. I am glad to hear that Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson were so close to their family and even taught the Alcott girls. That was so exciting to read about, as a fan of theirs.
I learned way more than I thought I would while reading this. I do think sometimes, things were repeated a bit too much and this book felt longer than it was.
It was so good to learn the life story of Louisa May Alcott. I have heard bits and pieces of her life and knew that Little Women was drawn from her own story, but I wasn't sure how much. I am so sad about what happened to her during her time as a nurse and how her really wonderful health was changed forever. I feel she could have had a longer life otherwise.
Her upbringing was unique and difficult for a child of that time. I am glad to hear that Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson were so close to their family and even taught the Alcott girls. That was so exciting to read about, as a fan of theirs.
I learned way more than I thought I would while reading this. I do think sometimes, things were repeated a bit too much and this book felt longer than it was.
erincataldi's review against another edition
3.0
A quick, albeit depressing, look at Louisa May Alcott's unconventional life. Prior to reading this biography I knew nothing about Louisa's life. I had of course read Little Women many times and count it as a childhood favorite, but that is where my association with the author ended. It was interesting to learn about how unique her upbringing was, and how that shaped her into the woman who would do anything for her family, even at the detriment to her own health and ambitions. Dirt poor from a young age, Louisa knew what it was like to want more. She vowed that when she was older she would become a successful writer and no one would ever want for anything again. She slowly started having short stories published and a few small books, but when Little Women hit the market, she finally found her fame and success. She modeled the March sisters after her and her three sisters and she of course was the spitfire, Jo. As she promised no one in her family lacked for anything and Louisa worked herself to the bone and to an early grave trying to maintain that promise. It's sad that she never really seemed to do much for herself. An enlightening read.
sprinkied's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I have read other more extensive biographies of L.M. Alcott but I enjoyed and appreciated this books’ ability to present enough information for the reader to make up their own minds about why Alcott’s family made the choices they did without getting bogged down with too much detail. A very enjoyable read for Alcott fans
blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
LITTLE WOMEN is one of my favorite books of all time. I've read it numerous times, but I've never known much about its author's real life. I was thrilled, then, to get SCRIBBLES, SORROWS, AND RUSSET LEATHER BOOTS from the publisher. With its charming middle-grade cover, I figured it would offer a good overview of Alcott's life, written at a level appropriate for junior high school kids and younger. I was right about the overview. Rosenberg offers an in-depth and intimate look at Alcott's experiences as a daughter, a sister, an author, a breadwinner, a suffragette, and more. Much of the material is bleak and dark. Rosenberg doesn't shy away from or gloss over these elements, making the book feel like it's most suited to an older audience, despite its juvenile appearance. The author doesn't talk down to her audience (although certain information is repeated more than necessary), but the text is still very readable. Despite its hefty 405 pages, it reads pretty fast. I found it fascinating. Also, quite sad and depressing. I came away from the book with new knowledge about Louisa May Alcott and with a new appreciation for her genius, duty, generosity, humility, and perserverance. I'll gladly read more about her very interesting life.
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.
mumabear50's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
mercourier's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.75
Some parts of this get repetitive and seem out of order. But I do love how this author delves into difficult subjects in the author's life introducing them to a younger audience.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
henrym's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
kailey_luminouslibro's review against another edition
3.0
Louisa May Alcott is best known as the author of the popular classic Little Women. However, her life before she became a famous authoress was full of difficulty. She grew up poor and needy in an unstable though loving home. Her sisters, whom she immortalized as the March sisters, were her closest friends and companions. But it was her parents, Abbey and Bronson Alcott, who had the deepest influence on her life.
Bronson Alcott was insane. He literally had insanity running in his family tree. He told people he was "the Messiah of education", and thought he would completely reform the American education system. However, all his attempts to start a school failed miserably once the parents found out what nonsense he was teaching their children. He was more interested in his daydreams than in providing for his family's everyday needs, so it fell to Abby and eventually to Louisa to work and scrape to put food on the table.
To make a few dollars here and there, Louisa took odd jobs, sometimes as companion to rich relations, and she wrote little sensation stories and sketches for magazines. She also worked as a hospital nurse during the Civil War, where she contracted pneumonia and was treated with a medicine that had mercury in it. Her health never fully recovered, and she suffered from the effects of mercury poisoning for the rest of her life.
In the midst of illness and poverty, she began to write in earnest, eventually writing Little Women, which became an instant best-seller and made her a rich woman. She used most of her money to help her family, to fund her nephews' and niece's education, and to help the poor.
This book is not exactly pleasant to read, because Louisa's life was not exactly pleasant. There is a lot of heartache and disappointment. Someone in the family is almost always ill, collapsing from overwork, stressed and frustrated. One by one, friends abandon them, schemes for employment fall through, and relations die suddenly, leaving behind a grieving Louisa.
It was inspiring to read about how Louisa triumphed over her difficult circumstances, and I admire her courage and tenacity, and of course the brilliance of her writing. However, this book just made me sad. There is so much focus on the negative things in her life.
I think the illustrations make this look as if it should be a book for children or teens, but the subject material is quite dark at times. The art style is very cartoonish and fun, but the tone of the book is sad.
I was not particularly impressed with the writing style. It was fine, and I found it interesting to read, but there were little things that I felt could have been explained in a better way. Some of the information was repeated again in different chapters, and I felt it was redundant. I would have liked more of a focus on Louisa and her sisters, rather than so much of the book being taken up with weird Bronson and morose Abby.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
Bronson Alcott was insane. He literally had insanity running in his family tree. He told people he was "the Messiah of education", and thought he would completely reform the American education system. However, all his attempts to start a school failed miserably once the parents found out what nonsense he was teaching their children. He was more interested in his daydreams than in providing for his family's everyday needs, so it fell to Abby and eventually to Louisa to work and scrape to put food on the table.
To make a few dollars here and there, Louisa took odd jobs, sometimes as companion to rich relations, and she wrote little sensation stories and sketches for magazines. She also worked as a hospital nurse during the Civil War, where she contracted pneumonia and was treated with a medicine that had mercury in it. Her health never fully recovered, and she suffered from the effects of mercury poisoning for the rest of her life.
In the midst of illness and poverty, she began to write in earnest, eventually writing Little Women, which became an instant best-seller and made her a rich woman. She used most of her money to help her family, to fund her nephews' and niece's education, and to help the poor.
This book is not exactly pleasant to read, because Louisa's life was not exactly pleasant. There is a lot of heartache and disappointment. Someone in the family is almost always ill, collapsing from overwork, stressed and frustrated. One by one, friends abandon them, schemes for employment fall through, and relations die suddenly, leaving behind a grieving Louisa.
It was inspiring to read about how Louisa triumphed over her difficult circumstances, and I admire her courage and tenacity, and of course the brilliance of her writing. However, this book just made me sad. There is so much focus on the negative things in her life.
I think the illustrations make this look as if it should be a book for children or teens, but the subject material is quite dark at times. The art style is very cartoonish and fun, but the tone of the book is sad.
I was not particularly impressed with the writing style. It was fine, and I found it interesting to read, but there were little things that I felt could have been explained in a better way. Some of the information was repeated again in different chapters, and I felt it was redundant. I would have liked more of a focus on Louisa and her sisters, rather than so much of the book being taken up with weird Bronson and morose Abby.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
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