Book: Little Women

 

I finally got around to reading this American classic, written by Louisa May Alcott and now I understand why it is a classic.  By today's standards this book may seem a bit boring and possibly preachy but when given the complete context it's ground-breaking. Alcott created a world where the main characters weren't just women living alongside the men, they were the focus and the men were in the background barely influencing the plot, even in their own homes.

The book begins with the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth sitting by the fire talking about how they won't get presents this year for Christmas. Then they start talking about how much they miss their father who is fighting in the American Civil War and how they wished they could do something. Above all else, restless Jo hates feeling so useless.  They have very distinct personalities. Meg likes fancy things (is a bit of a prima donna) and is the pretty older sister, Jo is the outspoken tom-boy who loves to write, Amy is the artist who loves to experiment with many different mediums and Beth is the youngest and the sweetest who keeps kittens.

The book was the first in the series and takes place one year in the childhood of the March sisters. The narration follows the girls on their adventures through school, social interactions, friendships, sickness, faith, work, and family life. Through it, all the girls grow, mature, and learn to rely on their own wits and each other. The book ends at the next Christmas the girls wiser and closer to each other than ever before and lourie is there as well.

My thoughts

There are some works of literature in existence that leave you wondering why they are considered a classic but that is not the case with little women. Despite it being written in 1868 many of the themes it touches on like being honest and hard-working or the need to control your own anger are very applicable today. However, when reading this you must keep in mind that it is a product of its time, so there are moments when religion very much influences a character, a scene or even the narrator. Also, Alcott was told by the publishers that if a woman is the main character to make sure she either marries at the end of the story or dies. So, take a wild guess what happens in book two, Good Wives.

Genuinely I think this book is worth reading and is deserving of its status as a classic. The writing style is good, the characters have a personality as well as character arcs and great development. The author knew what she was doing. If you want to read about girls discovering things about themselves and the world as they grow and just have some good clean fun, then this book is for you.

This book gets 4 out of 5 stars from me.

Kat K out