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emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It was hard getting into this book but once I did it was unforgettable. It really resonated with me as someone who has also just left girlhood behind and stated out in the adult world. Alcott's writing made me laugh and cry, she is excellent at evoking a sense of longing, love and despondency.
I loved her choice to pair Jo with the professor and Amy with Laurie. I was startled at first but the more I read the more I understood how correct this was.
I loved this book but I couldn't give it 5 stars mainly due to how slow the beginning was and how fast the ending was. I also didn't enjoy a lot of the religious overtones and "womanly" nature descriptions but that can be forgiven because this was still quiet progressive for the 1870's.
I loved her choice to pair Jo with the professor and Amy with Laurie. I was startled at first but the more I read the more I understood how correct this was.
I loved this book but I couldn't give it 5 stars mainly due to how slow the beginning was and how fast the ending was. I also didn't enjoy a lot of the religious overtones and "womanly" nature descriptions but that can be forgiven because this was still quiet progressive for the 1870's.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, War
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I know Little Women is a beloved classic so this will ruffle some feathers, but I was so disappointed in this read. I grew up on the 90's movie and loved it, I toured the house when I was a kid, and I've heard enough cool things about Alcott that her letters/journals are on my TBR. But this book was a slog. If I weren't accounting for the first part/book being essentially a children's book and the whole thing being written in the 1800's, this would have been 2 stars.
The first part has the issue of feeling more like a collection of short stories than a book. It felt like the kind of book that you would read to your kid a chapter at a time before bed. The formula of one or more sisters doing something "wrong," experiencing consequences, and then getting a little religious/moral lecture from Marmee and promising to do better was tiring. It doesn't leave room for any subtlety or nuance, and often Alcott is just telling us stuff instead of showing us. One of the books supposed strengths is it's characters, but they behave in such formulaic ways for so much of this first part that they feel more like caricatures than people. Jo is somewhat the exception to this, I suppose because she's the character based on Alcott herself.
Some of my favorite bits of the first part are exceptions to the above. Notably, John's story in the Camp Laurence chapter about the knight wanting to free a captive princess gives us insight into his character, shows us how he feels about Meg, and feels quite romantic without out-right telling us that John wants to marry Meg . I love that the story gets wildly off-track as the "Rigmarole" game continues, but as the last story-teller Laurie brings the story back to the knight . Alcott manages to convey his support for John, his love for the Marches, and that he thinks John should be more active about his feelings. Unfortunately this is somewhat ruined in a few chapters when Alcott feels the need to outright tell us these things, but I loved the subtlety while it lasted.
The second part felt more like a cohesive novel and I started it with a lot of relief, but it soon fell back into the short-story pattern of the first part. The messages about marriage feel very outdated, and Meg feels like a shadow of herself after the wedding chapter . I found Beth's quiet struggle to accept her fate compelling , and the talk she has with Jo when she finally reveals that struggle is very moving .
Throughout the book Amy's portrayal has felt off to me, and I finally came to the conclusion that Alcott just... doesn't like Amy.
I have more Thoughts but this is long enough. I'm glad I read this, but I wish it lived up to the hype. I'm going to go watch the adaptations and try to find fan fiction about Amy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism
Minor: Animal death, Racism, Xenophobia, War
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
I enjoyed the characters in this book a lot. There were a lot of eye roll moments for me though, as almost every chapter seemed to have to have a life lesson 🙄
I did not realise that this is actually two books in one and it took me a while to get through it because this type of classical writing style is just something I cannot read fast or for long periods of time.
I did not realise that this is actually two books in one and it took me a while to get through it because this type of classical writing style is just something I cannot read fast or for long periods of time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Grief
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Xenophobia, War
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So happy I finally read this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Xenophobia, Antisemitism, War
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Sexism, Grief, Classism
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War
Minor: Racism, Xenophobia
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Sexism, Grief, Classism
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War
Minor: Racism, Xenophobia
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I truly did not like this book. I like Jo and I like that it is about sisters but it just felt like it was constantly lecturing at me rather than telling a story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism
Minor: Child death, Slavery, Xenophobia, War
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Xenophobia, War
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Xenophobia, Antisemitism