Back log - "A" is for Alcott

Well well! Its been quite a while since any of us have posted. Maybe we should make some kind of arrangement so there is continually new material and not just explosions of it on the weekends. We'll see.

I wanted to start posting my thoughts on some of the books I have already read so HERE WE GO!

A) Little Women. watch out - ***SPOILERS*** ahead.

When I started to read this book I checked out from the library a really great edition. It was embedded with lots of small historical details, which helped create the context of the book, and some of the original illustrations. From this edition I learned that Little Women as we know it now is actually two short novels combined, "Little Women" and "Good Wives" and I must say, I liked Little Women much better.

I hadn't ever read this book before (I think I tried to start it in the fourth grade), even though I owned two copies of it, and I hadn't ever watched the movie either, but I had seen enough cultural references to know the basis of the story.

Immediately, I loved Jo and Beth. Amy annoyed me throughout the book, though not terribly until the end. I LOVE the creativity and general moxie that Jo has in the book. When I read these kind of books I always find myself drawn most to the character that is most like me or that I most would like to be and that was definitely Jo for me. She is so adventurous and full of spirit but still such a creative spirit, an artist and writer. However, she always had a soft side, especially for Beth and her mother, which I think makes her more real and much less a caricature, but hey, thats me.

Speaking of characters, I wish their mother, Marmee, had been a bit more developed, just because mothers are awesome, but I don't think it held the story back or anything.

I also loved Beth, I think because she represents a lot of what I wish I was more like - more kind and gentle. I know I can be a bull in a china shop and though I can be very callous and harsh, I hate to hurt people's feelings and I think that is why I fall for sweet characters like Beth. I CRIED when she finally died, even though I knew it was coming. Its funny how much I enjoyed this book even though I knew most of the plot ahead of time.

Amy annoyed me I think because I came in ready to not like her and her selfishness irritated me, though it really was not overbearing or a central part of her character. The way she interacts with Aunt March was wonderful and those kind of developmental milestones, when people start to grow up, and appreciate these finer more delicate points of being an adult, I love to read.

Meg, ahh Meg. Being the oldest I suppose I should have connected with her more but I just always really wanted to her grow a pair like Jo (egg up as Bowen would say) and not care about what other people thought - really I mean, not care about being poor. I imagine being poor sucks, I really don't feel like I can even possibly begin to imagine what its really like. As much as my family has to budget and can't have the nicest things, etc., I didn't really realize this wasn't the average experience until I went to college and was surrounded by Johnson county, Chicago suburb, St. Louis, Minneapolis "my parents give me an allowance and pay for my tuition, car, etc, etc," kids. And as much as there is a huge gap between my parents and their's, I won't pretend I ever had to worry about food like the March girls did in this book. What I liked about the representation of this was that the poverty didn't dominate their lives - and they weren't even the bottom of the totem pole on that. They went out of their way to help people even worse of than them (something we all should do) and still wrote plays, and had fun, and loved each other. Also, there wasn't much jealousy with Laurie as the rich neighbor. Its hard for me to not resent that, as unfair as it is of me, when I know people whose parents bought them a condo or something. However, it wasn't overly idyllic (a little yes) and they still had familial squabbles and such.

However, I am still SUPER PISSED about the ending of this book. What the crap is this I can't marry Jo so I'll just take her sister instead crap?? THATS WEIRD. Maybe it was more acceptable in the times, but Im pretty sure, if someone had been in love with me, couldn't have me, and proposed to Lea instead, there would be more than one hell to pay. Though really, if its ok with all parties involved should I care? Probably not, but it Jo and Amy are so different it seems weird to substitute one for the other and I don't feel like Laurie really "fell" for Amy as a different person as much as just transferred his love, and it was easy, because he loved the family as a whole. The Jo and Professor thing made much more sense, and as much as I wanted her to end up with Laurie, I could deal with it. I also enjoyed Meg and her match though never really got into Meg or Amy as characters. Was this just my preference or were Meg and Amy not as central?

In the end, I LOVED "little women" and didn't like "good wives". I guess I even have issue with the title Good Wives. Is that all you are after you get married? I would imagine my friends who are wives have identities and passions beyond being "a wife" and I sure as hell know I will. Maybe I am talking out of my ass here, as an unmarried person, but I think it sucks and is unhealthy for either partner to be too wrapped up in being "we". I know that being married is a complete paradigm shift in your view and place in the world, but I don't think it means giving up "you". Anyway, those are my thoughts on Little Women at this point. Not sure if I want to read any of the other books in the series yet.