Reviewed by anastasia on
The Author Louisa May Alcott prefaces Little Women with an excerpt from John Bunyan’s seventeenth-century work The Pilgrim’s Progress, an allegorical novel about leading a Christian life.
This story begins with the March girls sitting in their living room. Marmee comes home with a letter from the girls’ father, who is serving in the Civil War. The letter inspires the girls to bear their burdens more cheerfully and not to complain about their poverty.
The girls have various adventures. Amy is caught trading limes at school. Jo refuses to let Amy go with her to the theater and as a result, Amy burns Jo’s manuscript, and Jo, in her anger, nearly lets Amy drown while ice skating. Meg goes to Annie Moffat’s party and allows the other girls to dress her up in high style. Meg learns that appearance is not everything.
The family receives a telegram saying that Mr. March is sick in the hospital in Washington, D.C. Mrs. March the girls mother, goes to tend to him. Beth becomes very sick, she contracts scarlet fever from the Hummel baby. Beth recovers, though not completely, and Mr. Brooke, Laurie’s tutor, falls in love with Meg, much to Jo’s dismay. Mr. Brooke and Meg are engaged.
Many years pass before Part Two begins. Meg marries and moves into a new home with Mr. Brooke. Meg struggles with the duties of keeping house, and gives birth to twins, Demi and Daisy. Amy goes to Paris. Jo thinks that Beth loves Laurie. Jo moves to New York so as to give Beth a chance to win his love. Jo meets Professor Bhaer. When Jo returns home, Laurie proposes, but she turns him down. Beth dies.
Amy and Laurie reunite in France, and they fall in love, marry and return home. Jo begins to hope that Professor Bhaer will come for her. He does, and they marry a year later. Amy and Laurie have a daughter named Beth. Jo inherits Plumfield, Aunt March’s house, and decides to turn it into a boarding school for boys. The novel ends with the family happily gathered together, each sister thankful for her blessings and for each other.”
This is the first time i've read this book and i loved it! This book shows the daily life of the 4 March sisters and their struggles.
A must-read!
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 24 March, 2012: Finished reading
- 24 March, 2012: Reviewed