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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wasn't my cup of tea personally but not bad. Not a writing style I enjoyed. But it was worth a listen
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
"It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.
"I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff.
"We've got Father and Mother, and each other, anyhow," said Bess contentedly from her corner.
The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darked again as Jo said sadly,
"We haven't got Father, and shall not have him for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps never," but each silently added it, thinking of Father far away, where the fighting was.
And so begins Little Women, one of the most pleasant reads that I've come across recently. I'll be honest and say that I actually had no interest in reading the book prior to seeing the trailers for Greta Gerwig's adaptation of the story for film. When I chanced across the book, it felt like kismet and a sign that perhaps I should take a chance on the story. The book surprised me in terms of how much I liked it, because it's really a very domestic and simple tale about the four March sisters - each different in their temperaments - as they grow up under the loving guidance of their beloved Marmee. But there's just something that feels truly warm and loving about the way that Louisa May Alcott writes about each of the four girls, as they are all fully-formed characters, each with their own flaws.
Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth are the March sisters at the center of the story and they are described thusly:
Margaret, the eldest of the four, was sixteen and very pretty, being plump and fair, with large eyes, plenty of soft brown hair, a sweet mouth, and white hands, of which she was rather vain. Fifteen-year old Jo, was very tall, thin, and brown, and reminded one of a colt, for she never seemed to know what to do with her long limbs, which were very much in her way. She had a decided mouth, a comical nose and sharp gray eyes, which appeared to see everything, and were by turns fierce, funny, or thoughtful. Her long, thick hair was her one beauty, but it was usually bundled into a net, to be out of her way. Round shoulders had Jo, big hands and feet, a flyaway look to her clothes, and the uncomfortable appearance of a girl who was rapidly shooting up into a woman, an didn't like it. Elizabeth, or Beth, as everyone called her, was a rosy, smooth-haired, bright-eyed girl of thirteen, with a shy manner, a timid voice and a peaceful expression which was seldom disturbed. Her father called "Little Tranquility", and the name suited her excellently, for she seemed to live in a happy world of her own, only venturing out to meet the few she trusted and loved. Amy, though the youngest, was a most important person, in her own opinion at least. A regular snow maiden, with blue eyes, and yellow hair curling on her shoulders, pale and slender, and always carrying herself like a young lady mindful of her manners. What the characters of the four sisters were, we will leave to be found out.
And of course, who could forget Laurie? Sweet, dear Laurie who was rather lonely until he was taken under the wing of the March sisters and ends up growing up next to them, his wealth and privilege a contrast to the Marches' relative poverty.
Spoiler
I imagine that generations of girls have hoped that Jo and Laurie would end up together - given their similarity in dispositions and their close childhood friendship, I get understand that. And yet, given Alcott's contrary personality - it's not surprising that she swam against the course of popular fiction.And above all, I found the story to be a deeply feminist one - where each of the girls make their own choices regarding their lives. Jo appears to be the most admirable one, and it seems to me that she was kinda modelled after the author herself, but each of the girls make their choices in their world. Indeed, there's a moment in the story where Meg powerfully assures Jo that the choices that she makes are the ones that she desires, even if they aren't the same dreams that Jo may share. There's love, loss and plenty of heart in this sweet, domestic story and I'm glad to have read it.
Told myself I couldn't see the new movie until I reread it! Bring on the popcorn!
i’m so disappointed in myself because i realized i don’t like classics that much, little women was a good book but there wasn’t enough action for me