Little Women (Artisan Edition)

by Louisa May Alcott

"Little Women", a timeless evocation of idealized family life, was an instant success and became one of America's most beloved classic novels. Little Women tells the story of the four March sisters, who grew up in New England against the backdrop of the Civil War. The narrative details their struggles with poverty and hardships, their moral failings, and their disillusionments. Since its first publication in 1889, Little Women, an autobiographical novel of Louisa May Alcott's own childhood, has become a classic for its warm and poignant portrayal of family life. The work has been adapted into film and television. The most recent adaptation was the movie "Little Women", which received no fewer than six nominations for the 2020 Oscars, securing the third place in the Best Picture category. The novel, Little Women, is a classic that is part of the famous "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die."


   

   

Genres: Classics

656 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 2021

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

[noor. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was reading intense fantasy books and dystopian books heavy with action and adventure. I needed a break and decided to try Little Women out. I instantly fell in love with it!
Starts out a little slow and I know the english is quite heavy on our modern minds. But once you get through the few first chapters you will absolutely love it. It’s such a comfort book. It’s literally so cozy and adorable. It’s filled with sisterhood, friendship, romance, humor, and adventure <3 FMC, Jo March is very powerful and a great role model for younger girls. All the characters have unique yet beautiful personalities. This is the type of book that makes you to curl up on the couch with a fluffy blanket on a rainy autumn day, sip hot tea, while listening to classical music. It’s such an adorable book filled with beautiful messages and lovely characters. Must read. Totally recommend! ☕️

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

ahh so wonderful!! beautiful exploration on sisterhood and motherhood i feel:) each sister is so uniquely their own person it’s lovely to read about their childhood tendencies and later on about their disposition as adults. such a cozy, comforting, and endearing read, definitely one i will revisit for sure!

[Teodora Florentina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐| "So grouped the curtain falls upon Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. Whether it ever rises again depends upon the reception given to the first act of the domestic drama, called Little Women."

Maaaybe a bit too cosy for my taste, a little action was definitely needed. Although I did not get the hype, it was a nice read. I am still debating wether or not should I read the other books in the series (probably won't, but who knows?). To be fair, I wanted to rate it lower, I don't know what changed my mind, but I just felt like it.

The characters? Amazing. The plot? Meh. The vibe? As cosy as you can think of. Action? zero. This last aspect made me stop my rating at a generous 3,5.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve seen at least 2 film versions of this story and read the play. But never the book. What an engaging, heart warming read.

[ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Rose Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book starts very slow and calm, and just few chapters before the book ends, there you have to feel all sorts of emotions. By the end of it, felt cliffhanged. I am so curious what is gonna happen with Jo and Laurie. Although, I already know what is gonna happen based on some spoilers, I still am questioning, what on earth happened between them.

I have been restraining myself to watch the movie as it consist the Good Wives, but damn I could not find the book online to buy it. Lol. I cannot restrain more as I am much curious of how things went. So yep, I'm going to watch the movie and thought need not to read the 2nd book.

[Desiree Vasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story, but oh my gosh it took me so long to finish it!!! I’ve never read the full story before (other than a children’s summarized version) so it was great filling in the gaps the movies are unable to portray. This story is sentimental to me and comforting, as it is a classic feel-good tale about life, no matter how much it ages. The old English it’s written in is only half the reason why it took my brain double the time to process what I was reading and thus took so long to finish 🙈

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has always been one of my favourite stories. I saw the movie first and then read the book.

Little Women is a great read, with lots of turns to follow.

I think something a reader needs to keep in mind while reading this story is that it was first published in 1868, an era completely different to our own, with its own language (yes, it's in English, but English has evolved over the last 100 years - just consider gay used to mean happy and nothing else at all), it's own expectations, social rules and lifestyles.

The language and writing style can take some getting used to.

If you can stick out the difference in speech and style, there is plenty of romance (no spice!! not the right era for that), strong female characters and a fascinating glimpse into the lives of women in the mid 1800's America given Alcot set the story in the same decade she wrote it in.

This book is not for everyone. But an undeniable classic!

[Kirsten Savert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik HIELD van dit boek (ook al had hij drie boekenkastjaren en één vergeefse poging achter de rug). Het is lekker rustig, moraalinitiëterend (toepasselijk voor de 19e eeuw) en na de helft best wel spannend om uit te lezen. De karakters zijn goed beschreven en ik heb er bij elk van hun een levendig beeld bij, waar ik heel erg van hou. Ik ben nu Good Wives aan het lezen, ofwel deel 2 van dit boek. Allebei de delen zitten in één uitgave, dus dat is dan 800 pagina's dik! Maar dan ben ik al wel over de helft heen, gelukkig. Ik heb nu 5 boeken te lezen - 2 van de bieb, dus die krijgen voorrang of juist niet? We zullen zien over een maand. Veel leesplezier!

[Ashlee Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked up & put this down more times than I can count but after 6 months I am so proud to say I finished it. It was hard to read at first. Old literature is very different from what we moderns are used to nowadays but since reading more classic literature over the last several months, it has become so much easier.

This book was truly a joy to read. The characters are beautiful and good and virtuous. I laughed so many times and cried a couple too. I plan on reading Little Men soon which I’ve heard is preferred to Little Women!

[Evie Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

After only seeing the Greta Gerwig movie, I loved getting to see the original story line and all of the details (although it was a little longer than I had expected). I felt like I learned something for my life every time I opened the book either from Marmee’s wisdom or through the simplifying view of a child. I must have written down a dozen quotes. A beautiful story with beautiful characters that made me pray the liturgy for finishing a beloved book (every moment holy, vol. 1 😉) with a heart that felt every word!

[Oksana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book because it appeared in Friends as the book Rachel liked the most. I also watched the 2019 movie adaptation, and I think I liked it more than the book.
There were some good parts and ideas, but also some tedious ones, such as the detailed descriptions of the theatre play and some of their games. Part two was also too long for me.
I also didn’t like Jo and her relationship with Teddy in part two, unfortunately. For me, Amy was the better character. The ending was okay.

[B &#x1f9a2; ⊹ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this book thinking it would include everything the adaptation did like the “love triangle” between Jo, Amy and Laurie and that Beth would die, but guess I’ll have to read the second one and at least this book was comforting because it didn’t have much drama or sadness. It was really sweet and I enjoyed reading it especially while curling up in a sofa next to the fireplace in december. I adore the March sisters, loved to see them learn and grow.

[Mackenzie Hearne · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I have a Little Women book club meeting and wanted to re-read it. *
This is one of my all-time favorites, and such a comfort read!
Added bonus, I found a copy in January that looks like the book in the 2019 film, and it also has pictures from the film! Though, I was disappointed that it has very few pictures of, Meg, Laurie, and Beth. :((

[Koyel Behara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely 😍😍

[Elen Prokšová · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m in love with this book so much, please how could you not love Little women…

[Eva Branc Ambrož · Rating 4 out of 5]

it has a "short story collection" vibe, simple and enjoyable

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

Yeaaaa this was my favorite classic of the year. The quotes, the wisdom of the mom, the bond between the sisters, and LAURIE AND JO’S RELATIONSHIP. Right person wrong time for real. I felt so robbed. They were so right for each other. Miss Alcott made me want to punch a wall multiple times. I don’t know if this makes sense, but I’m giving the book a 4.25 ⭐️ because of Jo and Laurie, but I’m also docking 0.75 ⭐️ for them not getting together. READ THIS BOOK. And you should definitely watch the 2019 adaption. It was amazing, I have no notes.