Little Women and Werewolves: The original version of the beloved classic

by Porter Grand, Louisa May Alcott

A literary landmark—the original, suppressed draft of the classic novel!

Little Women is a timeless classic. But Louisa May Alcott’s first draft—before her editor sunk his teeth into it—was even better. Now the original text has at last been exhumed. In this uncensored version, the March girls learn some biting lessons, transforming from wild girls into little women—just as their friends and neighbors transform into vicious, bloodthirsty werewolves!

Here are tomboy Jo, quiet Beth, ladylike Amy, and good-hearted Meg, plus lovable neighbor Laurie Laurence, now doomed to prowl the night on all fours, maiming and devouring the locals. As the Civil War rages, the girls learn the value of being kind, the merits of patience and grace, and the benefits of knowing a werewolf who can disembowel your teacher.

By turns heartwarming and blood-curdling, this rejuvenated classic will be cherished and treasured by those who love a lesson in virtue almost as much as they enjoy a good old-fashioned dismemberment.

Includes the original letter from Alcott’s editor, telling her not to even think about it!

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Classics, Werewolves, Supernatural

396 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Tasha Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author did a fantastic job of staying true to the original and adding werewolves made for a fun read. One of the best classics rewritten with paranormal aspects I've come across

[Michele Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewed for MonsterLibrarian.com

Yet another literary mashup, Little Women and Werewolves is the classic tale of Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy, four girls trying to grow up, once rich, now poor, their father gone off to the Civil War and with werewolves running around. Unlike with other mash ups there is no tongue-in-cheek take on the original, just a tmesis of the traditional tale with the occasional line, or scene, about werewolves crammed in. If someone spliced frames from a slasher flick into a high brow romance then peppered in some morals, you'd get the same effect.
Grand mimics Alcott's style very well, even rounding the edges a bit. Readers who loved the original will likely enjoy this tale (particularly because Alcott also wrote gothic style novels, thus the set up of this being the "original" version of Little Women that was rewritten into what we know today is fitting). While it has a certain charm it also doesn't appeal to the same audiences as most paranormals and horror books because of an overdose of generally repressive morals and a lack of plot. The book encompasses about six years in the girls' lives, and a lot happens, and is often lovely written but it seems as if just when the good stuff is about to get going the narrative shies away for another lesson about being “a good little woman”. Overall, despite promising prose, I found myself disappointed. Those acquiring for public collections should be assured that there are better mash ups out there, however if the library's patrons seem to have a taste for Little Women or the “new classics” no doubt they'll love this.
Contains: violence and some gore

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

*WARNING: SPOILERS!*

I was very excited to win this book through FirstReads, and I wondered whether this would be an enjoyable "monsterization" (is that a word?) of one of my favorite books of all time.

It was.

First, everyone should know that the influence of the success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is almost painfully evident in this book. From the general concept itself to the black and white illustrations, it is clear that without the sales of that earlier retelling, this book would not exist. However, Little Women and Werewolves will probably surprise many as a solid entry into this new subgenre of literature rather than a rip-off of a rip-off.

The book begins with the cheeky conceit/joke of trying to assert that this is the original text of Little Women, and in truth, because Louisa May Alcott actually did write sensation stories, some readers may find this combination more palatable than Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Beware of the bloodiness of the added material (the horrible teacher Mr. Davis, who lashes Amy's hand, is dispatched by Laurie, who is now a werewolf, for example), and know that Porter Grand does much more editing of the text of the classic she's working with than did Seth Graham-Smith for P&P&Z. (Which might actually work in its favor.)

Obviously, rewritings of classic novels to include various monsters will NEVER replace the original works, but as offbeat instances of homage, they can be quite entertaining. Little Women and Werewolves was.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

won this in the GR First Reads Giveaway


I liked this book for the most part, but I’m not sure if I would continue reading other zombifications. I do look at this new genre as a spoofing, and don’t take it too seriously.

Having read the original “Little Women” 35 years ago, I really don’t remember much and I could now benefit from re-reading it as an adult.

Interjecting werewolves into the storyline was true to the era, but some parts were a little too graphic for my taste, but I quickly scanned and moved on.

On a side note: I did a little research on Ms. Alcott’s history, and found she wrote three gothic novellas and another thriller under a pen name, which she called her “blood and thunder” works. So, this literary mash-up is possibly not that far of a stretch.

[skein]

I do not have strong feelings towards Little Women *or* werewolves, and for whatever reason I'm far more willing to see Alcott populated with preternatural beings than Austen - who knew?

Although. If Beth does not die from werewolfian causes, THAT IS IT.

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

TLDNR: Too much Little Women not enough Werewolves.

I have two other books along this vein on my bookshelf; Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and Sense and Sensibility and Sea-Monsters. Both of those I didn't like because I'm not a fan of the source material. Somehow I convinced myself that because I like Little Women I would like this book, but I wasn't really in the mood to read Little Women again. I was in the mood to read about Werewolves. I can't even fathom who this book is written for. I would think that fans of Little Women wouldn't be interested in the long descriptions of rib cages being torn open and blood licked up by Werewolves. People who are looking for a book about Werewolves would probably not be interested in the excruciatingly long chapter about a domestic dispute between Meg and he husband, completely werewolf free. I just feel like there were lot of opportunities for campy fun in this book and absolutely every one was missed.

[BookCupid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since the basic plot is borrowed from May Alcott's classic, I feel that it's only fair to give praise to the author as to what he added to the plot rather than what he reproduced. Which turns out to be not much, unfortunately.

A rewrite would have allowed him to change some characters behaviors or desires. Surpringly, his focused was on Mr. March, Mr. Laurence and Beth. Those who were more passive in the original story. I'm not going to say that seeing them being developed with a tie to the werewolves didn't cause some excitement on my end. I still wish he would have gone further and changed the story even more while maintaining the original tone of the era.

[Angela England · Rating 2 out of 5]

I much prefer the original little women. Reading this really made me feel like the author had to force the idea of werewolves into the original story. And to be honest I felt there wasn’t much to do with the werewolves much at all and felt like an opening to something much bigger that will never come because Little Women was a one and done.

[Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!} · Rating 4 out of 5]

2019 ONTD Reading Challenge July: Posted!:

We don’t like it when the same news gets posted twice on ONTD, but when it comes to books, the same story can be told in many different ways and still charm the reader. This month, let’s read a retelling!

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this was an experiment, because I'd never read one of these Classic Novels With a Horror Twist books before and wasn't sure how I'd enjoy them. As a big fan of both Little Women and werewolves, I figured this would be the one to try if I was ever going to try one.

I put it down fairly quickly though. I don't know if it's just that what I like about Little Women (the sweetness and kindness and putting others before yourself) wasn't marrying well with what I like about werewolves (the warning about letting go of social inhibitions). Those themes sound like natural things to put next to each other and maybe Little Women and Werewolves gets there eventually.

But the bit I read seemed more interested in building a world where werewolves are an acknowledged, but persecuted element of society with the novel being about prejudice against them. Again, maybe I didn't stick with it long enough to get an accurate impression. I wasn't enjoying it though, so I'm moving on.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe how much I liked this book.
Little Women is the book I am always recommending for younger readers and one of my most loved ones, so it might explain how I ended up with a copy of this retelling but I kept putting it off because I couldn't fathom anyone doing anything to the classic.
What Grand manages is to maintain the heart of the story and jazz it up with the rather subdued inclusion of werewolves. They actually make total sense in the story and fit into a retelling that manages to hit all the important points despite the massive overhaul to the core of the story.
I'm still not sure I would recommend this to anyone in particular, but I found it rather charming in the end and can see how retellings like this one got so popular.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was surprisingly good! I didn't have high expectations as monster mash books can be hit or miss. I had recently read Little Vampire Women and really enjoyed that, so I didn't expect this to be as good. This one had even more extra bits added to it, it's about 100 pages longer than the vampire one. It doesn't shy away from gory descriptions, and even has some illustrations! I recommend this if you are interested, it makes a refreshing re-read of Little Women.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really not sure how many stars to give this book. It was ridiculous, which I know it was meant to be. It stayed pretty true to Little Women, although taking out Marmee's morality lectures, and then would sprinkle in chapters involving werewolves. I was still sad when Jo refused Laurie and sad when Beth died. I wasn't sure sometimes if I was supposed to laugh or not. And then Mr. March was so weird with a bone altar. What the heck was that about?! It was definitely weird. I picked it up for $4 so I can't complain.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fun!

[Lindsey Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a long time to finish this book. It wasn't that it was bad. It really wasn't. It was great. It was just really slow to read, plus I lost it once. Thankfully it still had it's book mark in it when I found it again. I only had to re-read a little before I remembered where I was.

The book is slow because "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott is slow. It's terribly slow. Werewolves really liven up Alcott's work. I couldn't finish the original "Little Women" when I tried because women's literature from way back when tends to make me want cry or burn my bra or both at the same time. This version didn't produce such extreme reactions, though I did muddle through most of Meg's chapters.

I gave the book a five star rating because I love werewolves and I was really able to connect with the characters in this setting. I definitely felt a strong connection with Jo and I envied Amy near the end. This book made me shed a few tears but it didn't ruin my whole day. Plus, I felt like one quote, "Soon I'll be twenty-five, with nothing to show for my years! An old maid, a literary spinster with a pen for a spouse and a family of stories for children" (pg. 357), described my life at this point all too well.
It doesn't hurt that there was some really magnificent pictures in this book either.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had not thought of Jo and her sisters for years. In childhood the reading of Little Women is a write of passage for the literate of the English language. I think that all of this is about to change. This is due to the wonderful work of
Porter Grand. Little Women and Werewolves is the retelling of that classic tale with a twist. There are wolves about in Jo's little hamlet. The story progresses through familiar territory and takes the reader on a breathtaking re-examination of a story that we all thought that we knew.
I would highly recommend this dark humored adaptation of Alcott's classic for anyone that enjoys a bit of a scare on a moonlit evening in summer.

[Jaque Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first opened this book and began to read, I got through two pages and put it down thinking this concept was absurd. A few days later, I picked it up again and began reading...after half a dozen pages I was hooked. This was a very entertaining read. Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy March grow up during and past the Civil War...they have the added difficulty of werewolves as a normal part of their world.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the way this book was done! It sounded like Alcott, had her plot, her themes, and her voice. This was not meant to be a parody like some of the other mash-ups, because it was intended to be written as Alcott would have if she could have gotten a book with werewolves past the male Victorian editors. This book made me realize all mash-ups are not alike, and it really shines far above the rest of them in literary value and content.

[Jessica Azrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes, you need to read something just for yourself. This is the perfect book for that. The werewolf bits are enough to make it new and exciting while the original Little Women text helps refresh your memory of a beloved classic. Somehow, they blend together seamlessly to create a fascinating and fun read overall.

[SilentEvilCry · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I would not be the target audience for Little Women. That just isn't my style. The time period and the content are just not for me. However, I am into horror. There were things about this book that I enjoyed immensely. I love the concept of changing a classic into something very different. The brutality and horror aspects were great. The werewolves for me, helped with the setting and time period that I wouldn't normally be into. I felt the same way about Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, but that held my attention far more. This book did drag on for me, but I liked the politics of showing how werewolves were used and how since they were looked at as lesser it was assumed that all werewolves were among the lower class people which was very much not the case. Since many were upper class and wealthy they held more power against the lower class, but used the fear of werewolves to use poor people. Good book overall, but the non-werewolf aspects bored me.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read and smooth book, I was able to cruise through this during some airplane rides and waiting room visits. I appreciated the fact that I could be entertained for a few hours and not be put to sleep with long tomes that drug on, so credit to the author for keeping things moving and pleasant to read. That being said, having not read Little Women, the book doesn't make me want to reach up and grab the original. There were times it was a little dull - not awful but I just got a little sick of everyone. No character really stood out as interesting and Amy was probably the only person who had some changes and growth. Jo turns out a little lame and the non stop do-gooder thing gets over whelming. I am not sure I would recommend it but I wouldn't NOT recommend it, so it gets a 4 star because it is readable enough to stay out of the 3 star level, but it hovers right above it.

[Noel Diem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Women and Werewolves is a fun take on the book that we all know and love. It follows the same basic plot, but of course there are werewolves. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
It has been a few years since I picked up Little Women, but I had wanted to reread before the movie came out. Thankfully, this scratched that itch and then some. It was fun and a great way to spoof the classic.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Of course, this book will never replace the original and the impact Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy had on me. I read it for #spookathon and it was a welcomed reprieve from the terror that was Dracula - even if it still considered horror!⁣

[Squirrel]

This really does improve it and make it more enjoyable. Usually I have to do things like this to classics myself.

I remember my best friend asked about this version at a talk about Louisa May Alcott, and then was sad to learn it is, in fact, not actually real. Well, you can't blame her for thinking the world should be this way.

If you really want to read one that's condescending, Old Fashioned Girl has some good opportunities for jokes too. I remember laughing super hard at the part they said going sledding was wicked when I had to read it for school.

[Rama Thoopal · Rating 2 out of 5]

One star for picking one of my favourite childhood classics and one additional star for the convincing letter from the publisher. I could not get through it, maybe I should have persevered but Joe dreaming of Laurie's manly chest hair was too reminiscent of the godawful 50 Shades of Grey. So I put it down. Btw never went past 20 percent of Grey either

[Shajila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely reccomend this over the original. A lot of the scenes i originslly found unsavoury (looking at you marmee) were left out or shortened to make space for werewolves. Its definitely gorier than i had anticipated but still readable!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remembered very little of Little Women but I have to say Werewolves make almost any story better :)

[Naomi Toftness · Rating 3 out of 5]

good, but not great. some parts were too clever, but so with the original. a good light summer read

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm impressed by how seamlessly the werewolves fit into the story, while still keeping most of the beloved classic in tact.

[Belinda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not enjoy this book

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wolves

I adore this book and will re-read immediately. What a treat for a new year. If you like books...read this one.