Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

A charming book for girls, and one which will also be read with pleasure by their elders. Miss Alcott has the happy art of making her characters thoroughly alive and interesting. The four March sisters are drawn with a truth and a tenderness that are very winning. Meg, the eldest, with her little vanities; Jo, the tomboy, with her literary ambitions; Beth, the shy and gentle invalid; and Amy, the youngest, with her artistic pretensions — all are distinct and individual. The story of their trials and pleasures, their little quarrels and their deep affection for each other, is told in a simple, unaffected style that is altogether delightful.

Miss Alcott's "Little Women" is a book which deserves a hearty welcome. It is a story of home life in New England, told with a freshness and a naturalness that are very rare in books written for the young. The characters are not the conventional puppets of juvenile fiction, but real children, with all the faults and virtues of real children. The moral lesson of the story is conveyed, not by precept, but by example, and the book is at once entertaining and improving. We cordially recommend it to parents and to all who have the charge of the young.

Miss Alcott has given us a story of American domestic life which, if it lacks some of the refinements of English fiction, makes up for it by a freshness and a vigour that are very attractive. The March family are drawn with a realism that is sometimes almost painful; one cannot help feeling that the author is describing scenes from her own experience. Jo, the second daughter, is the most striking figure in the book — a spirited, unconventional girl who rebels against the narrowness of her lot and longs for a wider field of action. The book is wholesome, amusing, and well worth reading.

I know this is a beloved classic but I found it really slow and preachy. The moral lessons are so heavy-handed — "be good little girls and dont complain" basically. Jo is fun but her sisters are kinda boring. And the ending with Jo marrying the professor instead of Laurie was a cop-out. I know Alcott didnt want her to marry anyone but still. The Greta Gerwig movie is better lol.

Ive read Little Women probably 10 times since I was a kid and it never gets old. Jo March is my spirit animal. The relationship between the sisters feels so real — the fighting and the love. Beths story destroys me every single time. Some people say its too sentimental but thats the point. Alcott writes from the heart. If youve only seen the movies do yourself a favor and read the book.