Thanks, Tash! I think sometimes it's just the memory of an earlier version that sticks with you. I will probably return to the Gerwig one and find I enjoy it more second time around.
I understand - this is how it is for me with The Talented Mr Ripley of 1999 and the recent Netflix adaptation. I’m way too attached to the 1999 version to put up with any other interpretations!
I loved this. Thank you. I remember reading an abridged version when I was quite small - it had line drawings in it, and I remember colouring the pictures in! I loved the 'Americanism ' of it, and how it seemed so far removed from growing up in the UK. All the snow, and skating on the ice, house parties and 'boys next door', Daddy away at war, and their make do and mend attitudes. I do remember the piety - I remember vividly even now their gifts of The Pilgrim's Progress and the descriptions of the different coloured covers. Gosh, you sent me back in time!
Thank you so much, June! I resonate with everything you say! I, too, had the abridged version and coloured in the pictures…it had a bright blue cover. I think I always wanted to spend a Christmas in Boston after reading it; skating on the pond and all of it. I’m glad to have sparked some happy memories :)
Thank you for this engaging and informative read. _Little Women_ was my mother's favorite novel, and I still have my first tattered but beloved copy of the novel (purchased when I was three at our local grocery store). It was my first "big girl book," and I can still hear my mother's resonant voice reading it aloud with such depth of feeling. It sits on one of my bookshelves directly across from my desk in my office at the college where I teach-reminding
me of why I pursued this calling. One of my greatest delights in my women's literature class is teaching a wide range of writings by Louisa May Alcott to demonstrate her passionate commitments to art, family, and expanding the opportunities for women to experience a sense of full presence in their lives. Your discerning essay testifies to her continuing influence over American cultural life today through her courageous & convicting example.
It sounds like you also have a very personal connection to this book! What an amazing legacy from buying the copy for your mother to teaching Alcott to your students 💕
What a lovely read - Little Women is one of my absolute favorite books/movies/stories in general and I vividly remember the first time I read the book. I picked it up one morning at breakfast-time and somehow found myself still on the couch reading it when it got dark that evening! Jo is one of the best literary characters of all time and SO relatable. Just the other day I burned the front of my sweater as I reached over the teakettle and thought to myself “what a Jo March thing to do!” I also highly recommend the BBC podcast In Our Time episode on Little Women, which just came out at the end of November. Thank you for highlighting such a wonderful, important book!
Thanks, Kelsey! It's mine too, and I really wanted to do it justice. It's just got such a special charm that I was glad hadn't faded one bit on a re-read ☺️
Thank you, Kate, that was truly lovely! And I agree with you that books that speak to our hearts and spirits are the ones most precious to us. You now have me thinking of all the Nancy Drew books I read, loving not just the mystery to be solved, but Nancy’s independence and verve as she zipped around in her convertible with Bess and George, poking around old houses and abandoned caves!
I love this essay, Little Women has always felt the same for me. It’s got a nostalgic, cosy feel and it’s lovely to hear how it takes you back to your own childhood too ❤️ you can really see the links between the author and Jo - particularly how she’s represented her own family on the page. This was the perfect time to re-read and explore the book again. Thank you for sharing x
Ah, thank you ❤️ I'm so glad I spent some time revisiting the book and I really wanted to do it justice. I can't wait to watch the Hepburn film over the holidays 😍
I have never read the book but watched the Winona Ryder version when I was in middle school in Bulgaria and I identified with Jo so deeply that I begged my parents to find me a fountain pen so I could write in my journals with it... 😂😂 I just recently found a beautiful discarded copy of the book in a little lending library and squealed in delight! It has beautiful illustrations, I will send you some photos. I tried reading it with Rumi but she was not interested, I think she is a little too young for it maybe. But your post inspired me to just read it for myself! 🥰🥰🥰
Ah, your book sounds wonderful…I must see photos of it when you get round to it! I feel like the illustrations in some of the old copies are what I really remember as a kid. I’m not surprised your daughter is not that interested right now; it must seem terribly dated. I would definitely recommend dipping into it around the holidays as the beginning has such a festive feel to it. I often smile when I think of how many young girls have found Jo and seen themselves!
Thanks Kate. This was my grandmother's favorite book as she and her sisters fit themselves into the characters. I always love hearing about the story and other people's relationship with it.
Ah, thanks, Matthew! What a lovely story about your grandmother :) I never had any sisters and always thought how much fun it sounded after reading the book!
Little Women also the first chapter book I remember reading on my own and loving. Have you read Geraldine Brooks’ retelling MARCH? It focuses on the father and may be an interesting companion to your research here about those family dynamics. I’ve not read it yet but it’s in my maybe pile for December and your essay here makes me want to pick it up soon.
Lovely! (I have to admit that I loved the Gerwig adaptation. Though I haven't seen the one with Hepburn.)
Thanks, Tash! I think sometimes it's just the memory of an earlier version that sticks with you. I will probably return to the Gerwig one and find I enjoy it more second time around.
I understand - this is how it is for me with The Talented Mr Ripley of 1999 and the recent Netflix adaptation. I’m way too attached to the 1999 version to put up with any other interpretations!
What a write up of this classic. You can really tell how much it means to you. A wonderfully researched and well written piece as ever.
Thank you 💕
I loved this. Thank you. I remember reading an abridged version when I was quite small - it had line drawings in it, and I remember colouring the pictures in! I loved the 'Americanism ' of it, and how it seemed so far removed from growing up in the UK. All the snow, and skating on the ice, house parties and 'boys next door', Daddy away at war, and their make do and mend attitudes. I do remember the piety - I remember vividly even now their gifts of The Pilgrim's Progress and the descriptions of the different coloured covers. Gosh, you sent me back in time!
Thank you so much, June! I resonate with everything you say! I, too, had the abridged version and coloured in the pictures…it had a bright blue cover. I think I always wanted to spend a Christmas in Boston after reading it; skating on the pond and all of it. I’m glad to have sparked some happy memories :)
Thank you for this engaging and informative read. _Little Women_ was my mother's favorite novel, and I still have my first tattered but beloved copy of the novel (purchased when I was three at our local grocery store). It was my first "big girl book," and I can still hear my mother's resonant voice reading it aloud with such depth of feeling. It sits on one of my bookshelves directly across from my desk in my office at the college where I teach-reminding
me of why I pursued this calling. One of my greatest delights in my women's literature class is teaching a wide range of writings by Louisa May Alcott to demonstrate her passionate commitments to art, family, and expanding the opportunities for women to experience a sense of full presence in their lives. Your discerning essay testifies to her continuing influence over American cultural life today through her courageous & convicting example.
It sounds like you also have a very personal connection to this book! What an amazing legacy from buying the copy for your mother to teaching Alcott to your students 💕
What a lovely read - Little Women is one of my absolute favorite books/movies/stories in general and I vividly remember the first time I read the book. I picked it up one morning at breakfast-time and somehow found myself still on the couch reading it when it got dark that evening! Jo is one of the best literary characters of all time and SO relatable. Just the other day I burned the front of my sweater as I reached over the teakettle and thought to myself “what a Jo March thing to do!” I also highly recommend the BBC podcast In Our Time episode on Little Women, which just came out at the end of November. Thank you for highlighting such a wonderful, important book!
Also, I will go and download that podcast right now!!
Thanks, Kelsey! It's mine too, and I really wanted to do it justice. It's just got such a special charm that I was glad hadn't faded one bit on a re-read ☺️
Thank you, Kate, that was truly lovely! And I agree with you that books that speak to our hearts and spirits are the ones most precious to us. You now have me thinking of all the Nancy Drew books I read, loving not just the mystery to be solved, but Nancy’s independence and verve as she zipped around in her convertible with Bess and George, poking around old houses and abandoned caves!
Thanks, Beth! Oh, my daughter loved Nancy Drew too! I remember her acting like her, wanting to solve "mysteries". Such great books.
I love this essay, Little Women has always felt the same for me. It’s got a nostalgic, cosy feel and it’s lovely to hear how it takes you back to your own childhood too ❤️ you can really see the links between the author and Jo - particularly how she’s represented her own family on the page. This was the perfect time to re-read and explore the book again. Thank you for sharing x
Ah, thank you ❤️ I'm so glad I spent some time revisiting the book and I really wanted to do it justice. I can't wait to watch the Hepburn film over the holidays 😍
I have never read the book but watched the Winona Ryder version when I was in middle school in Bulgaria and I identified with Jo so deeply that I begged my parents to find me a fountain pen so I could write in my journals with it... 😂😂 I just recently found a beautiful discarded copy of the book in a little lending library and squealed in delight! It has beautiful illustrations, I will send you some photos. I tried reading it with Rumi but she was not interested, I think she is a little too young for it maybe. But your post inspired me to just read it for myself! 🥰🥰🥰
Ah, your book sounds wonderful…I must see photos of it when you get round to it! I feel like the illustrations in some of the old copies are what I really remember as a kid. I’m not surprised your daughter is not that interested right now; it must seem terribly dated. I would definitely recommend dipping into it around the holidays as the beginning has such a festive feel to it. I often smile when I think of how many young girls have found Jo and seen themselves!
Yes... Jo is the original Thought Daughter. 🥰😂
I love that…
Thanks Kate. This was my grandmother's favorite book as she and her sisters fit themselves into the characters. I always love hearing about the story and other people's relationship with it.
Ah, thanks, Matthew! What a lovely story about your grandmother :) I never had any sisters and always thought how much fun it sounded after reading the book!
Little Women also the first chapter book I remember reading on my own and loving. Have you read Geraldine Brooks’ retelling MARCH? It focuses on the father and may be an interesting companion to your research here about those family dynamics. I’ve not read it yet but it’s in my maybe pile for December and your essay here makes me want to pick it up soon.
Thanks, Abra. Ooh! No, I haven’t come across that- how interesting…I will need to seek it out. Look forward to hearing what you think of it!