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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
A true classic, but just not one of my favorite books. I remember not being crazy about the book as a young teen and I still feel the same today. I still believe this is a must read along with Bronte, Austin, and Dickens.
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
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
Justice for Jo, a trans man who would’ve never married an anti Hegelian that hates fanfiction!
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I loved the movie, and have watched it repeatedly over the years. However, the book was beautiful - I choked up more than once, cried at other points. I love how much more in-depth you get with the characters, it is such a precious book. It gets so much deeper with the love that the couples in it. Just read it if you love the movie at all. ❤
slow-paced
Alright, this is going to be a bit longer of a review because I have a lot of thoughts, and I'm going to separate it out by 3 broad themes I found in the book.
Love: I went into this thinking it was some dramatic love story between Jo and Laurie (basically Pride and Prejudice), and was sorely disappointed in that respect. HOWEVER, this book has a great message about platonic versus romantic love and does not force love onto Laurie and Jo which I think is great. If I was Jo, I also would have rejected Laurie because the proposal scene felt really pushy and I hated that. Jo sticking to herself and knowing that she can love Laurie only as a brother is a great message and teaches young girls that it's okay to reject someone, even if they are great because they are simply not what you want. I do wish however that Jo didn't marry a much older man because it feels wrong, but all in all, I can get past it.
Gender: Gender is so present in this book. You are constantly bombarded with feminine this and feminine that, and I did not appreciate it. Even with Jo as the "tomboy" character, the book seemed almost obsessed with having all women be mothers and the more mature counterparts to the men. The book even had the phrase "boys will be boys," which was so very disappointing. I understand that a book this old wouldn't have a nuanced take on gender, but I at least hoped that Jo wouldn't be typecast in the end. Honestly, I would love for this story to be reworked with an expanded understanding of gender and sexuality now that it's 2021. Maybe that already exists and I just need to find it.
Death: The themes of death were also very disappointing to me. I felt as though Beth didn't really get to have a personality, especially in Part II, and I just wish she could have been drawn up more to feel like a person. Her death wasn't even that tragic for me because she had no ambitions or anything, and that feels unrealistic and is poor writing in general. Even when the dad is sick, it feels as though it doesn't matter that much because we never even saw him in the book beforehand and he has pretty much no lines in the entire book afterward. I really feel as something really great was missed here.
Overall, it's a great story and I enjoyed reading it, but there is definitely something left to be desired from this book. 3.5 stars.
Love: I went into this thinking it was some dramatic love story between Jo and Laurie (basically Pride and Prejudice), and was sorely disappointed in that respect. HOWEVER, this book has a great message about platonic versus romantic love and does not force love onto Laurie and Jo which I think is great. If I was Jo, I also would have rejected Laurie because the proposal scene felt really pushy and I hated that. Jo sticking to herself and knowing that she can love Laurie only as a brother is a great message and teaches young girls that it's okay to reject someone, even if they are great because they are simply not what you want. I do wish however that Jo didn't marry a much older man because it feels wrong, but all in all, I can get past it.
Gender: Gender is so present in this book. You are constantly bombarded with feminine this and feminine that, and I did not appreciate it. Even with Jo as the "tomboy" character, the book seemed almost obsessed with having all women be mothers and the more mature counterparts to the men. The book even had the phrase "boys will be boys," which was so very disappointing. I understand that a book this old wouldn't have a nuanced take on gender, but I at least hoped that Jo wouldn't be typecast in the end. Honestly, I would love for this story to be reworked with an expanded understanding of gender and sexuality now that it's 2021. Maybe that already exists and I just need to find it.
Death: The themes of death were also very disappointing to me. I felt as though Beth didn't really get to have a personality, especially in Part II, and I just wish she could have been drawn up more to feel like a person. Her death wasn't even that tragic for me because she had no ambitions or anything, and that feels unrealistic and is poor writing in general. Even when the dad is sick, it feels as though it doesn't matter that much because we never even saw him in the book beforehand and he has pretty much no lines in the entire book afterward. I really feel as something really great was missed here.
Overall, it's a great story and I enjoyed reading it, but there is definitely something left to be desired from this book. 3.5 stars.
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
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