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A review by lindseysparks
Những chàng trai nhỏ by Louisa May Alcott
4.0
I have read Little Women more times than I could possibly count. Yet, until I entered my 30s I hated the ending so much that I rewrote it in my head so effectively that if you had asked me who Jo marries I would have answered with complete confidence that it was Laurie.
I think that's why I put off reading Little Men for so long. I couldn't face Jo's adult life until I finally realized Alcott had it right all along. I was also worried that reading Little Men for the first time as an adult would make it seem too saccharine and old fashioned instead of charming. I was wrong again.
I was surprised by how much I liked this. The boys won me over, especially Demi and Dan, and Nan has the same charm Jo did in the original. Yes, it's a bit old fashioned to a modern reader but you can see how it would have been revolutionary at the time. Two girls are taught alongside the boys, the education prepares them for life and is tailored to each student's needs and interests and Jo lets the kids be kids.
I was a little frustrated by Daisy and her cooking lessons at first, but then realized that's just what she liked. Nan was far more interesting and when she shows a desire to care for the sick, Jo encourages her to prepare for medical school to be a doctor - not a nurse. I wanted to reach back through time and give Alcott a hug for that.
It was a little hard to see the more mature Jo at times, but then she would do something wonderful and remind me that she's still Jo, even if she's now a grown up and a mom. It took me at least 25 years after reading Little Women for the first time to finally read Little Men. It won't take me that long to read Jo's Boys!
I think that's why I put off reading Little Men for so long. I couldn't face Jo's adult life until I finally realized Alcott had it right all along. I was also worried that reading Little Men for the first time as an adult would make it seem too saccharine and old fashioned instead of charming. I was wrong again.
I was surprised by how much I liked this. The boys won me over, especially Demi and Dan, and Nan has the same charm Jo did in the original. Yes, it's a bit old fashioned to a modern reader but you can see how it would have been revolutionary at the time. Two girls are taught alongside the boys, the education prepares them for life and is tailored to each student's needs and interests and Jo lets the kids be kids.
I was a little frustrated by Daisy and her cooking lessons at first, but then realized that's just what she liked. Nan was far more interesting and when she shows a desire to care for the sick, Jo encourages her to prepare for medical school to be a doctor - not a nurse. I wanted to reach back through time and give Alcott a hug for that.
It was a little hard to see the more mature Jo at times, but then she would do something wonderful and remind me that she's still Jo, even if she's now a grown up and a mom. It took me at least 25 years after reading Little Women for the first time to finally read Little Men. It won't take me that long to read Jo's Boys!