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lyhadley's review against another edition
4.0
"Little Men" is decidedly not "Little Women," nor need it be. The romance, the intertwining plots and the decidedly feminist spunk of Alcott's initial work is toned-down in this episodic boyhood romp. Although returning characters play starring roles, including Jo (now the estimable Mrs. Bhaer) and Meg's childern Demi and Daisy, time is not wasted to introduce newcomers like the irascible Dan. Fixing youngsters is the Bhaers' prerogative, and they do so with some success. "Little Men" in some ways serves as a parenting manual, championing reasoning and forgiveness over straight discipline for young men and women in-training. Though not equal in depth as its predecessor, Alcott's second chapter reminds the reader how much must be learned through trial-and-error, notwithstanding the diligent tutoring of the best of parents. An exchange between the foils of Dan and Demi late in the book best illustrates the evolving maturity of the youngster when Demi speaks of his mind as a room in which all the bad in him must be wrestled away into a drawer to keep it from getting out. Details like this exhibit the author's belief that proper training on how to empathize and curtail malicious thoughts keeps men honest and strong. Feminism in this volume is not necessarily advertised as the unfettered independence of women, but rather the prescribed self-restraint of men.
brennasherrill's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
and_i_opp's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this one much more than Little Women.
derhindemith's review against another edition
3.0
Considerably more moralizing than I really want, and definitely written for a younger audience than Little Women (which is weird, 'cause you'd expect the audience to get older with time…). But it wasn't bad, and taken for the time and audience, not bad. But clearly, nowhere near as good as Little Women.
christina_likes_to_read's review against another edition
5.0
What a delightful book! Oh, how I loved it! It had a strong positive message, lots of love, and good old fashioned values. What a classic. I'll read this again sometime in the future.
sadsushi's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and Animal death
sarahanne8382's review against another edition
4.0
I read Little Women at exactly the right age to love it & so I'm surprised it's taken me so long to get around to the sequels. Still, I loved returning to the world of the March family to see how Jo March (now Bhaer) was getting along with her school for boys.
Kids who liked Little Women will find Little Men much the same as the first half of the preceding book, essentially a collection of short stories telling the adventures of the children at Plumfield, which are just as entertaining as the scrapes Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth got into in their youth. There are plenty of familiar faces from the original and the new crop of youngsters fills the place of the now grown ones quite well.
This is also an interesting book to read as a mother, because Jo often provides her perspective as both a former naughty child and current mother when her children get into scrapes. While this is a super-wholesome story, but the Bhaers are also surprisingly progressive. Even though few women studied medicine at the time, they encourage their female student, Nan, to pursue the studies that will prepare her for medical school and don't try to dissuade her from her plans to be a spinster.
All in all, a fun read, a welcome return to favorite characters of my youth, as well as an introduction to some new ones.
Kids who liked Little Women will find Little Men much the same as the first half of the preceding book, essentially a collection of short stories telling the adventures of the children at Plumfield, which are just as entertaining as the scrapes Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth got into in their youth. There are plenty of familiar faces from the original and the new crop of youngsters fills the place of the now grown ones quite well.
This is also an interesting book to read as a mother, because Jo often provides her perspective as both a former naughty child and current mother when her children get into scrapes. While this is a super-wholesome story, but the Bhaers are also surprisingly progressive. Even though few women studied medicine at the time, they encourage their female student, Nan, to pursue the studies that will prepare her for medical school and don't try to dissuade her from her plans to be a spinster.
All in all, a fun read, a welcome return to favorite characters of my youth, as well as an introduction to some new ones.
lilmischrysalis's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I think this is one of those books you’ll either love or hate. I really enjoyed it for what it was. It’s a series of episodic short stories with some slight overarching narrative direction. It’s cute and lighthearted, but don’t expect something as deep as Little Women. The main connective tissue is the educational theory that seems to underpin the whole book.