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pandabearsfly 's review for:
Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott
After having watched several movie adaptations and sung in the chorus of my high school's production of the musical, I thought it was time to read the original book.
It was more moralizing and sentimental than I expected, and I found the most angelic characters (Mr. and Mrs. March, as well as Beth) the least engaging. On the other hand, I never found Amy insufferable: in many ways, she's a mirror image of Jo. I don't have a gripe with the romance between Jo and Bhaer either, though the final chapter felt unsatisfying. There are so many heroines with artistic ambitions in 19th century literature who shelve their dreams when they meet their future spouses. But beyond that, it seems like a forceful shift towards domesticity and motherhood inconsistent with Jo's character, even if Alcott does hint earlier that our protagonist's tomboyishness is a flaw to be corrected.
At the end of the day, what I found most impressive is how Alcott navigates an expansive cast of characters and maps out their believable progression towards maturity. Do I love everything? No, but not every writer can make you care enough about her fictional children to have a strong opinion. Alcott's story is one I keep referring back to, especially for its fiery protagonist.
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On a side note, it is quite disconcerting how similar Gilbert's initial proposal in the movie Anne of Avonlea is to Laurie's proposal to Jo. Why did the screenwriters paraphrase so heavily? As if Anne and Gilbert's relationship is amending the mistake of Jo's rejection? It comes off like hamhanded fanfiction.
It was more moralizing and sentimental than I expected, and I found the most angelic characters (Mr. and Mrs. March, as well as Beth) the least engaging. On the other hand, I never found Amy insufferable: in many ways, she's a mirror image of Jo. I don't have a gripe with the romance between Jo and Bhaer either, though the final chapter felt unsatisfying. There are so many heroines with artistic ambitions in 19th century literature who shelve their dreams when they meet their future spouses. But beyond that, it seems like a forceful shift towards domesticity and motherhood inconsistent with Jo's character, even if Alcott does hint earlier that our protagonist's tomboyishness is a flaw to be corrected.
At the end of the day, what I found most impressive is how Alcott navigates an expansive cast of characters and maps out their believable progression towards maturity. Do I love everything? No, but not every writer can make you care enough about her fictional children to have a strong opinion. Alcott's story is one I keep referring back to, especially for its fiery protagonist.
---
On a side note, it is quite disconcerting how similar Gilbert's initial proposal in the movie Anne of Avonlea is to Laurie's proposal to Jo. Why did the screenwriters paraphrase so heavily? As if Anne and Gilbert's relationship is amending the mistake of Jo's rejection? It comes off like hamhanded fanfiction.