Little Women Annotated

by Louisa May Alcott

An alternate cover edition can be found here.

     'Rich or poor, we will keep together and be happy in one another.'

     Christmas won't be the same this year for Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, as their father is away fighting in the Civil War, and the family has fallen on hard times. But though they may be poor, life for the four March sisters is rich with colour, as they play games, put on wild theatricals, make new friends, argue, grapple with their vices, learn from their mistakes, nurse each other through sickness and disappointments, and get into all sorts of trouble.

Genres: Classics, Fiction

374 pages, Paperback

Published April 10, 2023

About the author

Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known for writing the novel Little Women (1868) and its sequels Good Wives (1869), Little Men (1871) and Jo's Boys (1886). Raised in New England by her transcendentalist parents, Abigail May Alcott and Amos Bronson Alcott, she grew up among many well-known intellectuals of the day, including Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Alcott's family suffered from financial difficulties, and while she worked to help support the family from an early age, she also sought an outlet in writing. She began to receive critical success for her writing in the 1860s. Early in her career, she sometimes used pen names such as A.M. Barnard, under which she wrote lurid short stories and sensation novels for adults that focused on passion and revenge.
Published in 1868, Little Women is set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts, and is loosely based on Alcott's childhood experiences with her three sisters, Abigail May Alcott Nieriker, Elizabeth Sewall Alcott, and Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt. The novel was well-received at the time and is still popular today among both children and adults. It has been adapted for stage plays, films, and television many times.
Alcott was an abolitionist and a feminist and remained unmarried throughout her life. She also spent her life active in reform movements such as temperance and women's suffrage. She died from a stroke in Boston on March 6, 1888, just two days after her father's death.

Reviews

[Shannon Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful coming-of-age classic that I can’t believe I’m only reading now for the first time. It’s chalked full of wise lessons and biblical morals that would benefit every young girl to read.

[Makayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book!

[♡ Sam ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

(This is for the back half, I finished the book portion last month, this is letters and essays and biographies and inspo and such)

It was so long holy cow. The size of a whole other book. I had to renew this copy four times I KNOW the library HATES ME. (The last time wasn’t even a whole month just 19 days 😭😭)
I really liked some of the parts, the last essay and one or two others were very interesting and informative reads. I enjoyed “The Purple Jar” and “Norna” stories/play. Oh my gosh was it slow sometimes. I dreaded “A Modern Cinderella, or The Little Old Shoe” but the following story was good again. I like how they included many of Louisa’s stories like I feel like an expert on her life. Also it’s very interesting to see how she uses her life story as inspiration for almost all her writing material, like I’ve read that before hmm. Anyways. That’s that. First read (yes im counting it 😠)

Btw the last log was this Norton Critical Edition. I just thought since I actually started and finished LW in 2024 I could log it as its own thing and now this is part 2.

[Fran Barlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m glad I can finally say that I’ve read Little Women. And despite being a classic and dated, it is easy to read.
However it’s was all a bit too ‘twee’ for me. Overly sentimental and idealistic, and a bit heavy on the morals.

[Naomi Partridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A devious slice of history, endurance, life and joy ✨

[Denise Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

We read this as part of our homeschool read alouds. Just a perfect book that has quite a few lessons that everyone should remember every once in a while.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do adore this book for how - in it’s time - it was a key piece of feminist literature. You can see how she gave Jo agency and let them each mature separate to certain expectations, but some of it does ring hollow to modern ears. The emphasis on religion and obedience just made me laugh. Overall I did enjoy it, but with a pinch of ‘how far have we come in 150 years’.

[Niamh Ennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

As this is my last book to finish (and only half the story lol) I won't make my target even though I'm in bed sick for the day.
On a much more positive note, this book however still a bit odd in places was way ahead of its time with working and exceptional female characters that will stay with me.

[Miia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn't love Jo March?

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to get into but good after that

[Philippa Brunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Loved the story and the writing style.