Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
rated: 5 out of 5
This book has become one of my favorites. I don't know what took me so long to read it, I've seen the movie version a few times.
The four March sisters named Meg, Jo, Amy & Beth live in a cozy home with their mother 'Marmee' while their father is away in the Civil War. The family was wealthy at one time, but it is hinted that he helped a friend who did not repay the debt, and that is how the family ended up living in poverty. The girls do feel sad having so little, but their mother reminds them that they have more blessings than most. Marmee even gives their Christmas breakfast to a poor German immigrant family living nearby. The girls all walk over there on Christmas to give the family their food.
The four sisters all have different personalities. Josephine is real high spirited and even wishes she could be a boy, she even has people call her 'Jo'. She loves writing. The oldest Meg, is kind of vain at times, since she remembers when the family had money and she had a finer way of life. Amy is the artist, the youngest, and is a little selfish and spoiled. Beth is like a saint, very shy, loves to play piano, and thinks of everyone else but herself.
'The two older girls were a great deal to one another, but each took one of the younger into her keeping, and watched over her in her own way; "playing mother" they called it, and put their sisters in the places of discarded dolls, with the maternal instinct of little women.'
The girls become close friends with their rich next door neighbor, Laurie.
He is almost like a brother to them, but you begin to see how he is falling in love with Jo.
'I've done my best, but you won't be reasonable, and it's selfish of you to keep teasing for what I can't give. I shall always be fond of you, very fond indeed, as a friend, but I'll never marry you, and the sooner you believe it the better for both of us so now.
That speech was like gunpowder. Laurie looked at her a minute as if he did not quite know what to do with himself, then turned sharply away, saying in a desperate sort of tone, You'll be sorry some day, Jo.'
I could most relate to Jo, the second eldest daughter. She has a love of books and has a passion for writing. Growing up at home she wrote plays and she and her sisters acted them out.
'Jo's ambition was to do something very splendid; what it was she had no idea, as yet, but left it for time to tell he; and meanwhile, found it her greatest affliction in the fact that she couldnt read, run, and ride as much as she liked. A quick temper, sharp tongue, and restless spirit were always getting her into scrapes, and her life was a series of ups and downs, which were both comic and pathetic.'
The one thing I didn't like about this book was that it got real 'cheesy' at times. At one point Jo and her professor are singing together out loud in front of family, him in his German accent none the less...lol. It also tends to get 'preachy' as well at times. Looking past that,
I highly recommend Little Women. I found it to be a 'comfort book', a very sweet read. It's about family, friends and love.
this book has also been reviewed by : jeanne
