Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. The (really short!) GoodRead’s summary:
In picturesque nineteenth-century New England, tomboyish Jo, beautiful Meg, fragile Beth, and romantic Amy come of age while their father is off to war.When did I first read it?
I read it for the first time in elementary school--probably around 4th or 5th grade.
Why did I first read it?
I don’t really remember. I think it was probably one of the books my teacher had in the classroom “library.” I seem to remember reading it at the same time as my friend.
What did I think about it then?
I loved it, and it became my favorite book up through high school. But I think at the time I liked it mostly because it made me feel smart. It was the first classic I’d read, and it made me feel superior to my classmates, who were reading Goosebumps or whatever. (I was way more of a book snob back then than I am now.) My favorite character was Jo--I felt like I could really relate to her, although now I’m not sure why, since I’ve realized since then that we’re not all that similar.
What do I think about it now?
I still adore this book, but I think it’s more of a nostalgic love than anything else. I mean, it’s been 10 or so years since I read it last. But despite the time that’s passed, there are still a bunch of scenes that I remember perfectly. In fact, this book was such a part of my reading identity growing up that I remember parts of the book practically as if they’re my own memories--like Amy falling through the ice, Jo taking Beth to the seaside, the girls playing Pilgrims Progress, etc. I’m kinda scared to reread this book actually, because I don’t think it could possibly live up to my memories of it.
Have you read “Little Women”? What did you think?
I really do think that the books you read when you're a child shape the person you are when you're older. There are just some books that pull you back in time no matter how long it's been since you last read it. This is one of those books for me. That and The Outsiders by S.E Hinton. Love the new meme Karen. Looking forward to the next installment.
ReplyDeleteI loved Little Women. Last year there was a great book out The Little Women Letters. It made me think back to the original and what I loved about it. Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust
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