Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy
    Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy
    Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy
    Ebook906 pages11 hours

    Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy

    By Frank T. (Frank Thayer) Merrill and Louisa May Alcott

    4/5

    ()

    Read preview
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateJan 1, 1987
    Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy

    Read more from Frank T. (Frank Thayer) Merrill

    Related to Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy

    Related ebooks

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Botched

      Sep 5, 2019

      As I scrolled through Instagram, gazing enviously at the girls with perfect bodies, an ad caught my eye. It was for a clinic in Turkey, promising to transform bodies. The picture showed a woman going from flat-chested to having amazing breasts. I wi

      6 min read

    • Article

      CELEBRITY gossip CHRISTMAS EDITION

      Dec 2, 2021

      Taylor Swift has received many special Christmas presents over the years but there’s one particular gift that was a little bit extra special. “I remember the present I got that really excited me was a guitar that I got when I was eight. I didn’t end

      2 min read

    • Article

      Totally EMBARRASSING

      Sep 13, 2020

      Totally EMBARRASSING
      2 min read

    • Article

      Whoa! How Embarrassing

      Dec 2, 2021

      Every Thursday I walk to school because my Mum starts work earlier than usual. One morning Mum told me to make sur e I took an umbrella with me because it might rain. I couldn’t find my umbr ella anywher e so I just left without it thinking I’ll be f

      2 min read

    • Article

      Living Nightmare

      Aug 10, 2023

      Living Nightmare
      5 min read

    • Article

      Whoa! How Embarrassing!

      Jul 8, 2021

      As a treat for my birthday my Aunty took me to get my first pedicur e. I’ve wanted to get one for so long so I was excited. Everything was going gr eat and I was enjoying getting my feet pamper ed, but then the lady started scrubbing the soles of my

      2 min read

    • Article

      Whoa! How Embarrassing!

      Aug 5, 2021

      My family is good friends with another family that lives on our street and one day we all went to a carnival together . We were having lots of fun until our neighbour’s son dared me to go on the roller coaster with him three times in a row. I normall

      2 min read

    • Article

      Whoa! How Embarrassing!

      Apr 8, 2021

      I was getting in some kicking practice before the first soccer training of the new season. I was feeling awesome because last year my team was undefeated and we got pushed up into a bigger and more competitive division. I had my new boots on and coul

      2 min read

    • Article

      Whoa! How Embarrassing!

      Aug 6, 2020

      Whoa! How Embarrassing!
      2 min read

    • Article

      CELEBRITY Gossip

      Feb 2, 2022

      Ever since her music career has taken off fans have been wondering whether Olivia Rodrigo will return for season three of Disney’s High School Musical, The Muscial, The Series. Well, wonder no more because Olivia has confirmed that she will be back f

      2 min read

    • Article

      Totally EMBARRASSING

      Jun 24, 2020

      My grandparents were visiting my family’s house, and I needed to go to the toilet. I noticed the door was closed but I didn’t think anything of it. I opened it, turned towards the toilet and my nan was there! I said, “Uhhh…” and quickly stepped out,

      2 min read

    • Article

      Ready, Rosie?

      Jul 1, 2020

      “HEY! DON’T TELL me you’re scared!” Sasha smirked at Rosie, then leaned into her horse’s cheek and circled his head with her arms, as if he were nothing but a big stuffed animal. “I’m not.” The lie didn’t sound as definite as Rosie wished it did. She

      6 min read

    • Article

      Magical MEMORIES

      Jun 26, 2020

      Magical MEMORIES
      6 min read

    • Article

      It Happened to Me…

      Apr 21, 2022

      It Happened to Me…
      8 min read

    • Article

      My Country Childhood

      Sep 4, 2019

      AUTHOR AND FORMER executive director of the Australian Writers Guild, Angela Wales, 71, moved from Bondi in Sydney to Walcha in the Northern Tablelands of NSW when she was five years old. Angela’s father, Bob, was to take over a struggling sheep prop

      7 min read

    • Article

      The House That Grandpa Built

      May 29, 2017

      WORDS JENNIFER FRIEDMAN MY GRANDPARENTS LIVED IN THEIR HOUSE IN PHILIPPOLIS FOR 58 YEARS. I visited often and despite its National Monument status, it’ll forever be the happy place where I felt safe and loved and valued. Grandpa built his sandstone h

      3 min read

    • Article

      A Southern Christmas

      Nov 1, 2023

      A Southern Christmas
      7 min read

    • Article

      Estella’s Fate

      May 17, 2023

      Estella’s Fate
      7 min read

    • Article

      Summer Reading Guide

      Jan 2, 2022

      Summer Reading Guide
      6 min read

    • Article

      Estella’s Fate

      May 17, 2023

      Estella’s Fate
      7 min read

    • Article

      All I Want For Christmas

      Dec 16, 2020

      IT was more than an icicle. More like an icy boulder, oversized and murkily white, faceted like a cartoon jewel and, shortly, dripping. It had lurked beneath a low stone bridge at the bottom of the wood, where sycamore thickets bald for winter gave w

      18 min read

    • Article

      The Black Spider

      Sep 27, 2019

      The Black Spider
      11 min read

    • Article

      Terms Of Endearment

      Feb 22, 2024

      Terms Of Endearment
      2 min read

    • Article

      Hard Times Party

      Jan 30, 2024

      Hard Times Party
      3 min read

    • Article

      Old-time LIFE HACKS

      Nov 8, 2020

      Make a list now in a notebook of the things that you want to take on your holiday. It’s much easier to think of all the things beforehand than in the last-minute rush of packing. Take the book on holiday with you and add any extras that will come in

      2 min read

    • Article

      My Country Childhood

      Jan 4, 2024

      My Country Childhood
      5 min read

    • Article

      Can’t Take It With You

      Apr 10, 2022

      Can’t Take It With You
      8 min read

    Reviews for Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy

    4/5

    2,247 ratings265 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      The classic tale of the March sisters--Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. It's a coming-of-age tale in many ways as the girls grow up and most find love. Marmee imparts wisdom when her daughters seek it. The neighboring Laurance family, particularly Laurie, plays an important role in the book. Jo begins her career as a writer. This classic never fails to make me cry. Even though I know it is coming, I never want Beth to die.
    • 3/5
      Somewhat entertaining read. I did get a little weary of the repeated moral preaching by adults.
    • 3/5
      While it is a charming coming of age tale, I found it a tad slow and a bit dry, I really like the movie though.
    • 3/5
      It's interesting to listen to a book written in the 1800's. The dialog isn't that great and some of the phrases mean something totally different in 2016. For example snowballing. I didn't know what it meant in 2016 until I typed it in during my bing rewards searches. Of course Louisa May Alcott was talking about an innocent snow ball fight. I think with classics like this, I might stick with the movie.
    • 4/5
      Although this was a novel primarily intended for a female audience, I still found this incredibly likable and appealing. There is much here: sorrow, friendship, family, yearnings, disillusionment, and closure. The characters are vivid and the setting serves as a ready placard to explore their innermost feelings, desires, and emotions. The plot does not waver, it stays concentrated and focused on the intrigues of its principal characters and I feel that it managed to accomplish all that was intended. Overall, a great book. 4 stars.
    • 1/5
      I was given this book when I was a child by my aunt. I absolutely hated it. If I had been a boy, I would have received something like Jules Verne, Gulliver's Travels or The treasure Island. Instead I had to settle for this crap and similar books about nice proper idle stupid girls. No wonder I hated being a girl. I still do. To be precise, now I hate being a woman.
    • 3/5
      “I want to do something splendid…something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead. I don’t know what, but I’m on the watch for it and mean to astonish you all someday.”Can you believe it? The last person on Earth has finally read Little Women! Okay, I’m kidding, I’m sure I wasn’t the last one to read it but sure feels like it. But yes, this was my very first time reading it and I’m glad I did even though it was a bit of a struggle because 18th century works of fictions and I don’t often get along real well. But despite my apprehension View Spoiler » this one really won me over in the end. I learned to appreciate it for what it’s meant to be: an old-fashioned yet authentic tale of a close knit family, and in particular four very different young women, struggling to find their place in a difficult time in history. It’s not a glamorous tale of silk gowns and ball rooms, but rather an accurate interpretation of how life really was for Louisa May Alcott and her three sisters, as well as all the other women coming of age in the 1800s. It makes you appreciate family, life itself, and presents under the Christmas tree. And NOW, I can finally watch the movie.
    • 4/5
      This is a classic for a reason, even if it is at times overly sentimental and "lesson-of-the-week" in its delivery. The themes of love, respect, kindness, and duty to your family, even of they make you angry or you'd rather be doing something else, are admirable. As someone with 2 younger sisters, the March sisters and their relationship struck a chord with me. I was pleasantly surprised to note a good deal of humor, and even some progressive (for late 1800s) thoughts on women and marriage. I'm sure I would have loved this book even more had I first read it when I was younger.
    • 5/5
      I love this book. I had three sisters so I really sympathized with the girls. While the book may seem old-fashioned and preachy to some I think you have to look at the era that Alcott was writing in while reading the book. Keeping that in mind I think you get a better understanding of the characters, especially Meg and Amy who, while they seem vain and driven by "womanly" pursuits actually had a better understanding of how women of the time could use the system to make changes in the lives of those around them - especially in the the second part. While, when I was younger I longed for Jo and Laurie to get together as an adult I know that Jo would have walked all over Laurie. I also wonder if Alcott knew that Jo couldn't have love and societal changes both - she had to choose.
    • 2/5
      A book so sweet it made my stomach churn. So few authors have made me respond physically (though never churning before) that I have given it an extra star. An interesting document of what people did before the invention of television (ie, not a lot) and I'm sure generations of students will be able to churn out papers on whether or not Jo is a lesbian. Unfortunately the narrative is so very boring that I am abandoning it a few chapters into part two.Alcott is determined to avoid any incident of interest. Take the episode where one of the characters puts on a fashionable dress. Anything could of happened, I don't know, she could have been showered in the spunk of her admirers, but no, she changes back into her normal clothes, and repenting, promises never to do it again.I thought at first that Alcott was being boring by mistake. Take Chapter 10, which consists of some documents produced by the girls during one of their games. The chapter is shorter than usual and I thought at first that Alcott had bored even herself, but she emits a similar performance in Chapter 16, a collection of letters none of which contain information of any interest or consequence.I would recommend this book to little girls who were rude to me.
    • 3/5
      This is not the first time I have read Little Women, in fact I tried many times in my teens to read the story, but I always so loathed it because I couldn't help thinking how backwards these women were. Joe was scandalous for not being a proper lady (and sadly she was the one I related to the most). Each time I was left feeling bleh about the thing and wondering what was wrong with me for not enjoying such a classic. At about sixteen I had decided that it wasn't me who had the problem, it was that I could not relate to the story because I was a modern woman and let it go at that, vowing never to read the stupid thing again.

      Then I got a Nook and found myself with very little money and a load of free books and went to town. Suddenly all I had left was Little Women. I figured what the heck, it was better than nothing, I was fairly sure. I was surprised how differently I felt about it this time. Now, having children, I can see the way I have tried to use some of Mrs. March's subtle techniques. Knowing other mothers, wanting a little girl, I found myself suddenly entrenched with their lives and wondering if I would have a Joe like me, or what would I do if I had an Amy! The things that seemed antiquated in my youth, now seemed nostalgic and charming. It is amazing how books change as we change! If you have read it before and weren't sure you cared for it, perhaps you should try it again!
    • 5/5
      Delightful
    • 5/5
      A classic tale read so many times growing up I lost count. My favorite little woman? Jo, of course. These young women inspired me to be a better person.
    • 5/5
      This is the classic children's story, loosely based on Louisa May Alcott's childhood in Massachusetts, of a year in the lives of the four March sisters. Pretty Meg is the eldest at 16, but the heroine is tomboyish Jo. The two younger girls are quiet Beth and 12 year old Amy, who is still something of a child. Though of 'one of our first families', the Marches have fallen on hard times, and in addition, Mr March has joined the army and is away from home. In spite of longing for easier times, the girls and their mother help those less fortunate than themselves, both materially and emotionally. They make friends with Laurie and his grandfather, who are their neighbours, and include them in their adventures.The story of the sisters is enchanting in itself, and draws you in. The girls - Jo especially - get into and out of scrapes, from which their mother usually draws a lesson, to encourage them to be better people. I remember being outraged alongside Jo whenever she got into trouble, when I read this as a child myself. It also offers a glimpse of life in America in what was the Victorian era in Britain.I think this is a well written story for children; as a child, I was passionately involved in Jo's ups and downs in life, although I don't think I fully understood Meg's embarrassment when she didn't have as nice clothes as her friends to wear to a party. The hardships the family had to go through were part of the background to the story, but didn't oppress the atmosphere. Mrs March's lessons probably went straight over my head; re-reading the book as an adult, they seem slightly preachy, though they are incorporated fairly well into the fabric of the story.On the language front, it was amusing to note that a lot of linguistic quirks I normally associate with pre-war British literature made their appearance, such as "there's a good fellow".All in all, still a good 'un to read.
    • 5/5
      I first read Little Women when I was quite young and I fell in love with the March sisters, their friends and family. In this re-read, I could identify and recognize some flaws in the book, but my heart had already been given and I can’t bring myself to take back any of the five stars that I assigned to the book years ago.While my older self found the book slightly dated and could see that it was a little too sweet with more than a few religious overtones, there are still elements that I believe are relevant to today. While the book does seem to imply that most girls should grow up to become wives and homebodies, Jo struggles to be independent, wants to earn her own living by writing. Amy has a desire to paint and when she decides that she isn’t as talented as she hoped, she begins to make plans to give art lessons for a living. The closeness of the family, the quaintness of it’s themes, the life lessons that are gently delivered still resonated with me. I can see that this book is perhaps a difficult sell to today’s young girls, but as with books like Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables, there are rewards in the reading. Well-crafted characters, emotional story-lines that touch the heart, a beautiful background that illustrates middle class life in 1860’s America all combine to make Little Woman a classic that holds it’s place of honor on my shelves.
    • 5/5
      There's a reason this book is so beloved - the March's are that ideal family. Love is not perfect, but it endures. Each of the girls (and their parents, for that matter) have flaws and shortcomings, but there is a continual striving to be better and to look to the ideal. This is not a modern novel, however. There is plenty of philosophizing, particularly in the second part (my copy includes both "Little Women" and "Good Wives") and the Christian faith of the family is very apparent. I loved many of the scenes from the first half - Jo meeting Laurie at a dance - hiding her stained glove and burned dress, the dramas the girls put on, the mailbox between the March home and the Laurence home, the week the girls did no work. All the details made this family come alive for me. By contrast, the second half had fewer of these scenes and more summaries of what had happened to each character, which I thought made it not as strong.
    • 3/5
      I know it's a classic, but the book bored me to tears every time I was forced to read it (in high school and in college). I like action. This has none at all, but I suppose it's not meant to be that kind of book.
    • 2/5
      I know a lot of people who just rave over this book, but it was really a struggle for me to even get through it. The characters had no depth, the book was preachy, and the ideals it was preaching for the proper behavior of women were bile-inducing. I know, I know, it was written a long time ago, in a world with different ideals, etc. And yes, I know Alcott was a social reformer and a feminist. But my respect for her and what she did can't make me like this book any more...sorry.

      I have to kind of agree with Jo's publisher, even though this statement was made as something we were supposed to disagree with in the course of the book...

      "People want to be amused, not preached at, you know..."
    • 2/5
      *contains spoilers*

      This is a "classic," one to which I was sadly introduced in a movie. Sadder still, the movie is not very good, and yet it's better than the book. Perhaps if I'd read it as a youngster, I would have gotten more instruction out of its text, for it is one big lesson in how to behave, an "Everything I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten" for the 19th Century.Here's an interesting factoid: Alcott was a lifelong opium addict, and she wrote LIttle Women in an opium haze.
    • 5/5
      A book that both defines and transcends the sentimental literature of the nineteenth century, Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is one of those lifelong companions that I have read and re-read, in whole and in part, too many times to count...The story of the four March sisters, their adventures and friends, their joys and sorrows as they come of age during the tumultuous period of the American Civil War, is as relevant today as when it was first written. Here we see both the warmth and strength of family love, and the bitter rivalries that can arise between siblings. As someone who grew up in a house with three girls, I could enter fully into many of the characters' feelings, whether it was Amy's pique at being left out, or Jo's righteous indignation at the burning of her precious papers, and subsequent ecstasy of repentance when her anger almost costs her something far more dear. Who hasn't longed, like Meg at Vanity Fair, to be popular? And who hasn't secretly wished that, like Beth, they had a kindly benefactor?Like the March girls, many children today must cope with the absence of a parent, whether through military service or other causes; and like the March girls, children have always been forced to confront difficult moral choices as they struggle to become adults. I have sometimes seen this book described as very "modern" in its appreciation of the many different kinds of friendship and love possible between men and women. Frankly, I tend to think that every generation overestimates its distinctness, and that what some read as "modern," are simply observations about the human animal that were as true in the 1860s as they are today...There are so many aspects of Alcott's masterpiece that I love, that it would be impossible to list them all. Suffice it to say that this is a beautiful book, both in its overarching themes and structure, and in its particular characters and narratives incidents. Finally, I should note that although this book has been published in a seemingly endless variety of editions, I myself grew up on the Illustrated Junior Library edition, with illustrations by Louis Jambor.
    • 3/5
      It took me three years to read this book, and I mostly only read it because it was a classic. Not my favorite, but well written and a nice illustration of the time.
    • 2/5
      I enjoyed this book up until a point where I knew what was happening. In many books, a similar situation will arise where you can start making guesses to what is going to occur. With this particular book, something else happened. It wasn't guesses, as I soon learned. It was the route of the book and I lost my desire to continue reading it. Even Jo's chapters, which I usually loved, couldn't keep me invovled. And thus, I admit, I skipped around two chapters. To honor that confession, I will also note that they were Amy's chapters.

      By the end of the book, I was waiting for find a secret chapter that ended similarly to the television show, Roseanne. I wanted to find out that this story wasn't the actual story and that the mother character changed things around because she felt that is how things worked. But, that wasn't to happen.

      So, I find it difficult to giving this book a rating. If this was before those chapters in Nice, I would surely give this an 5. Now, I sit debating a 3.

      To give a book whose chapters I have skipped a 5 makes little to no sense and a 4 seems pointless. A two, truthly, seems most exact but I cannot deny that there were things I loved before the last arc.
    • 5/5
      All "little women" should read Little Women. I know it's a time gone by, but there are timeless lessons and "sisterhood" traits here. 
    • 3/5
      I decided to reread this book. It was just as charming as I remembered it. The book introduces us to the Marches, a formerly prosperous family that has fallen on hard times and is now poor. The four girls are teenagers when the story begins and cover a little over a year if I remember correctly. Their father is away at war, the two oldest girls are working to help the family make ends meet. We learn their hopes, dreams, and personality. The book ends with Meg's engagement to John Brooke.Read first time: 1980
    • 5/5
      Having seen two of the three versions of the movie, it was definitely an experiment for me to read the book now. I try not to do that but in this case in worked and I put the movie characters out of my mind (I'll discuss how well the movie did in a minute). While long, this book is excellent and a must read, for at least every girl out there. Alcott makes each one of the girls relatable and each girl has one thing or another that I wouldn't mind having myself. Alcott also makes the men in this story easy to fall in love with and makes great cases for why each man is which each girl.

      My favorite version of the book is the 1994 version with Kirsten Dunst and Winona Ryder. Now, having read the book, I can see it is an excellent adaptation, which I rarely say about a movie based on a book. They always get something wrong. They did not in this movie, with the exception of changing the order of some of the events and the way that Beth dies.
    • 5/5
      I feel like this book is epic is scope and length and content, that I am going to break my review down a bit. This will contain spoilers so if you haven't read this book, then please do not read anything after this paragraph. Also, if you haven't read Little Women yet, I highly recommend it, especially at this time of year. I think it fills you with a lightness of spirit and generosity, and reminds you that what is important in life is not a what, but those that you love.***Beth's Death: I might as well start off with a big one. Sweet, kind, gentle, Beth dying. Do we know what she died from? She had scarlet fever as a young teen, that she got when she helped the Hummel family down the street that had a million kids. It is like she recovered from the scarlet fever, but not really. It was like all of a sudden Jo just knew Beth was dying, years later, and Beth was like yep I am. Yet she didn't want to see a doctor, and everyone in the family accepted that she was dying, and did nothing about it. I remember crying my eyes out when I read this when I was younger; as an adult, I was sad, but really only teared up when something of Beth's was pointed out in the narration, like her sewing that she put down one day and never picked up again. Poor Beth, who never really lived at all.Jo: I have always had a love/hate relationship with Josephine "Jo" March. I could relate to a character that loved to read and write and eat apples, but she also got on my nerves. She was always such a loud character to me, and I don't enjoy being around loud people very much. I also could relate to her temper getting her into hot water. I just wish she was a little quieter.Jo and Laurie: Ok seriously? How do these two not happen? One of the reasons I get annoyed with Jo, I think is Laurie. Best friends from childhood, these two know and understand each other better than anyone else. They are always in each others pockets, getting into scrapes, helping each other through rough times, family in heart. It seems only natural that they would end up together one day. But they don't! Jo turns Laurie down, breaking the heart of Laurie - and the reader. If two character should ever have ended up together, it was these two. But Alcott didn't give us this happy ending. Instead we get...Jo/Mr. Bhaer and Laurie/Amy: Talk about disappointing!! First, lets talk Laurie and Amy. Laurie runs off to Europe to nurse his broken heart, and hangs out with Amy, who is there with her aunt as a companion. Amy is the little sister, vain and selfish, grasping for aristocracy and the good life. And somehow, even though she is a complete opposite to his love Jo, he falls in love with Amy, and she with him. And they get married!!! NOOOOO!!! How could that happen?? But then to make matters worse, Jo falls in love with a German tutor/Professor, who is described as not very attractive and much older, but he does have a generous and giving heart. I did like the man, but not for Jo. Was Jo looking for another father, since her father was an absent father, due to the war? She even thinks to herself how much her father would like to have conversations with "her Professor". It's just not right. Laurie and Jo should be together.The March Family: Oh, how I love this family. The love they have for each other is very clear, as is their willingness to help each other out as much as possible, in any way they can. Fiercely loyal to one another, although they fight amongst themselves as is normal for sisters, they adore their mother, whom they call Marmee.Their goodness shines from the pages, inspiring the reader to their own good works, whether small or large.Amy and Meg: I think these two sisters have similar qualities- both like the finer things in life, and covet them. Meg grows out of this, and marries Laurie's tutor. She enjoys her little home and family, and is content, with only the occasional flash of jealousy. Amy supposedly matures on her European trip, but I don't see it too much. I think it is weird she just marries Laurie without even checking with Jo. I mean, I guess she doesn't have to, since Jo has made her feelings known, but it does feel like she is breaking some sort of sister code.Although the book frustrates me in parts, I genuinely did enjoy it. Everything works out in their little world, for better or for worse. It is so calming and peaceful, and in the end, the family is perfectly happy with their life.
    • 5/5
      Love this book. Sad about the "choice" made in the end but I completely understand, now that I am older. 15 when I first read this book now I am 30.
    • 2/5
      I've never been a fan of this book.

      As a feminist, I'm REALLY not a fan of this book. Teaching little girls that the most important thing is to find a man and keep him! As an atheist, who doesn't mind religion, the religious undertones were too ... irritating in this book.

      I know it's a classic. I know people love this book. It just wasn't for me.

      The second star is solely for it's 'classic' status. I know... I'm a sucker.
    • 5/5
      A joy to finally read, after seeing both the 1933 and (the best) 1994 versions of the movie several times. I ate it up, cover to cover. I was glad the novel gave more about the sisters' lives after their marriages than either of the movies did, and while the families were clearly happy, Alcott did not tie up the conclusion with a perfect "not-a-care-in-the-world-and-happily-ever-after" bow. I was so disappointed to confirm how much the Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel film copied directly from Little Women, as far as Jo/Laurie and Anne/Gilbert were concerned, but that's not Little Women's fault, and though I may never be fully reconciled to the way Laurie "switched over" to Amy, I'm still fond of the story in spite of it.Jo's poem to Beth, toward the end, was one of the most moving pieces of the novel, as were Beth's words to Jo, at the sea: "Jo dear, I'm glad you know it. I've tried to tell you, but I couldn't." Beth, in all of her virtue, was still portrayed as human: a dying, nineteen-year-old girl wondering if her short life has truly amounted to anything. One of my main questions going in was whether or not Alcott had made Beth a flawless, otherworldly angel, and I was pleased that she didn't.
    • 5/5
      Why have I just now read this book? I don't know! It was a wonderful and well written story. I couldn't get enough of the entire family. I cried. I laughed. I couldn't put it down, I had to knwo what happen. So glad I finally read it!

    Book preview

    Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy - Frank T. (Frank Thayer) Merrill

    }1^book_preview_excerpt.htmlےG%+l8 U[lDQdivDv2* i>bpZ#2EqzCUy=|a׸/>֫nhEY*>x e/Wպ__[Df?lvۓ.)>5unwXPks-} }^z. }8SE/6pm(C]D O~rkSEzُj/iꪬArqc̔6d>f!%jJO]O溪㢟P,>\3۶t/`ݲxrC_}˯tϫPo۪"ۿ_>,/o~><_^}W>z7 OE)M܏,ϋchnx&]&V+XBxVٴ1e]|a/Xö8\ֱ_7 ?aSjC8lf(b6CWL PVaUظk5<]L@k~~?6~߰CO`+U~lro䔿[ۅMJ. ,Tdc;{IzǸ87-&Mݗݡq{_8O5wn}o(MWi"e#,]}wfՏ?]y/yok޿~͋/?eB]K}c߅6—2m%*%[Ol'sLAXL mL*)^mox^Mq-^^.^E?Ox7$'f,Wo~\<{՛y9d9MMaBueF&m3S mxWp5oiVmnV>tƔjfN{fh;];}VL?/9?:џWwn7wwOU  85MMojk-1tʿ_pQiաUM]>!C-"[\*LCE&M\޹#n50, ՛uta0x:+S]hMOxwqO#2SA+zlX}z`0xwemK+R6ϷFF驍85i/k&#wTqC}aLP]:MhkO:wpl&wWwXh]8!6dcpއ8li^4ݵlv::sg"ۗBMq{^CLͮ^0ԧP_N]Sv}5^^Żϳf-RFﾶh+ٮ5ŰevU0ZNᷳ~im sǏ"&bX57/eN7emL1T/aPOWOnӬIa_V% vύt }0lmKE C]fs|<$Sjf ]K^p~hkbF )qq.Uh ɕKmuu_wȁmo>_`ozE~ٟwm~+C{cwң߄9j~+.0)M2`1seøѶb>|rkS֡MB5ܯ=7bǞS.-wHSyhK¸cA.|t\|̾\/l-m0%|Fٺ3ɧJ!|l?OUk߆ _vhMgv9ffw|PT`,y7޹gjI/_ƍh4Sԛο")5{v /{|A =sx~ Lh:=1[ \,)&x2K̕o~4'tgq6 m?'_5-X& TWuݷj521P7e# =X TXAw/ԟj`ʸ?y4>1Uc$}˟7dcbxHkXǵMu|d:ݍÁY&1dД4&Ҽ<ffIt-QydDm{,( O"_ h?c4)?t8ho};WxC0atXfɮy)y Ͽ{j̒WK3tYXjNjCi~*ص#E]9'g!q*(on ʌΕ}ul[޺2WXmzl벯[]yMkųziqlOL?܏i:֫x{dW{#C;u*wuOA݁x< IwA٧i? k| ^?[+W=tvT^|-XσDk  f`Oxk(Q)$`I]|8: A ˵@m|yMFb{M ( M<,=d%^>#oz[/XϭaMܚVR΍ͶGDm@O}s-Ҍl&^3ͣ3R*WCw\c/%T1l:_]PAf[ǭ*6=!:XL]C $=&pfXHi>)M0MvWSLEZqD9sFZpQO {m|)#g/yMVC'w)08/|Iŏ9\}_MPyzy##6+fSɃs;g0^s0fYXL]6l/Va9RkdkfV6uUyw;{XiMxx <=LM(A:vdahCoqR)P>Oaz,`Mf+{@XHK+cnn}2WVa7j.#!X@5 ?!|f#Gg'2Np$*_UѾ:K6BlRgzlXWH]ڑq5LW_dy2 T"+F`{CWQ nlM`,F-V۟|aO,+oL?߼X~\K@tɶyN,ڰ 7~舸c@Ԭ\9a?N(@QR19SnBw# *A `М޶"ҡӮxAWN{(-ڟqPWtx#m'8ɲ?=D%2bQ{h"7| e@u$z^Šۑ5Ҿ &bU*UFlY|f 5HN.aTCxL V&,T`;ߍ*~]8 p&#ue%Z+Q?ozcS )M zM}y4Դg.ǧdzpAWpf8:[ _mS6"Mkқ츀`𕞚ǰVwU,ScGIBa?+ !wP -@7@{ %!3DrsoU^yFpo)Neæt~WZ]"YB6zh=(8绝7 GzzT>cLM & N&ŭLPA\^׶MDKLtiH;L .\M+KP2If}=A{P\p6&]~!هzә+[*FB&L% ŶҵW-&ܶF NbL HuIŠ66uYu6ز::o2\&.HY_ZK0^yDv2LYX 4NL⛋]̛YcDaYwRI2sK=F1F&bPg˳dKAY  T]*3WPH`HY1]O {k O@9SȨ9Y_Vf!, |=̈́h@u_pdɠ ~]ihmr`O] 4.%׸r0(rBWbbc&vI@L>iJ9;>ʼ1E&Wm?"j~܉RhTDϺ=}VBM_G{M=>t\ab$[ XI=ڗj%s45[֢?Rl8NdVmXGEFC@)A~6>&"BMC|›\ӊ`e 碡 d)c#-</J#xm 61IieAWD*e~$V?/O6~ ˶Rx^[yJ(˩|q;l7yگktPݸXLڰܦUuf;e |-¡VZۍ,Yo[EHI*abyr9I{}xmLImALHܢ՜Sy _< QlCC_tUabpmeжŏ =~AeKh mff]u*R{шTĭ4˹VBSYglVY8XubI3LgN)bYD'*wt.Hnu/G4BqCuRzDwK:~W4yCC-;zfuo@ҺM[0Ca2KdBl 0["RW8jyUge&k2NLC,_#rE--aɬrj.sP!|G!O 94;w'YېfD4-Pt^<5h1㖦̭9]W?mxAeYП pZQ2zaQ;6vEA "p0/i|+M 0Xa]&;;噬`+<۶e, mJ_(ep?pcFR$5h`}QxB\ ~6 s߼,lUgOq(!CڐK@5g3= 8~#抚'cϤ 5b5~y=ʧs' yu32t}=`0sNf ZvIu#A5X4{20ѽlyl6zYoN6ݑes#{;⭲3+XЊ^ $Xur%fĴ5\#} /R<="bܵ{ 좩oD@Co]̲Cs#OP `_0ε'|ԬTlKV,{q[ m~8Kq7,~Tύ/J4X!es3<^R=eQsWڋǪu &W@}jЙAaa;)@y*W^ K_=m(@S'Rg;%ڄ(@>eY5T9#ELЦj[ &~RTCh?L@\Ν>P*ZH0o?lJj,0Pyt6U7ꣵ 7tf*,Os@ƨ84HWXHanulsxA 7B ̲2ֶ^$,rsO;8$c>`D>b]un/0xDK5z~.t&&޴z"@bK%3DЪE_YZ7dڵrXV.xFڳn%JHvF#[d-JsY{c2=Lzh~n?гf:IH.Tǒ$̽l[S4k%)"Qyj [ n3TA <%V.$L[2Xh:7}VzyD k(pϲ']#̍;;~ouטM뱘'9!- z)apwJ/ϱ^I0e7,困chbwe''7K?Rgq8LjΏ)%OZ/Ws˩J0B;A|̦mr}')oG4~`,ƧA `}>m隹̀>FsaEmHYdZG`52Dl#ׄ$p1L6-e zJ]*܃(kQy$ꃃr(oN 8m }9fߕzqo"aJ$:,969"jgxmiLM Jb}_y+ym8JFv[ORO"<؎l^|F#p`Ʊ Jv :SF׬ҊYf1=4Btl (掜cnw駺=uu2gejӷiQ\V/x嶹g f6s0M~HEc-NxXYڪrpzT @:Ѩ8Cd3.zl9 tm̧YU^F+EECv91%@o}-ec%&ld92pmTGOY Xj,iq$>sHgNͨƒӑ b#i C"w*< L|Ѓib9ŒH7ŔRO7IQi[i?6%QaK. $#lPŸ'{,FMPyޑ#:Lbk86yt `HZP)nH$}; }8ٔ?E]e3kZⴼ7/wbD;s~Q?X\/†Bm9\I@.9\~q\ܿw<[<OTa i4jԽ <0yp* vܱ _/*Hn%|n\ U1},e5m,HH1$g 7ج&ȫj#1SlM$M1oKi[ E"Lަ6=Ǿujg-'! H)mR=n[]᪍%\zJEZ[@#=wȲ,WJo 9#]{kT%O Ͳ-T,nڶPv?b'5l_ ^<2rX099i1 _؇,A. A~dG=Ix-%NLkO&" |:У[n,8elL7RƐPUѡKƊyg1SG(C_j Ӣ.El>sG]l1фP.Y\LInidgNKd -ZYT&H@7@f"{OEo7*#> 5Ks: UXYiRP̫++[#|՘@J$= TO:2J~d1sUط'rFB*?LmA Mb`O">X:ޡM1Y8 gMDI#?(b3v@X#jk nN"GPt!l)llL)Zb 812IW}dH؍iE*N.[S{I3; HН 7}J9PyB%(zV=ҸFp[k~thVC,(oCMu@ DF_ZF"RY!{u?_̒=Y1ʞBoW[u[V8~"(ucވP&qBgUAmm~,u"%s2ױt.!o^iViBp>c故[:GoOw¦McSp b M$2OB-r+eqYKsj㘔neqA:9QyXLJ P<ӧ.='Z)2U`RA\}ʝ%+{k̔.$F 'fikߓt6! TTVE{"ISx (fBZXZ:3}` Q-1 L:OՐuc,/7(]ͥ [psQ{3X"GP-k]'+]˸ӱ^RtXt2غi׬ rM&*:|R o`FQ ,m %,28K}j.XC2i*EG.DxRěsݭƒZoGv!v*q"$H̑؝Q.Jl’C@n*d5qJ 9h0foO3^rk<ԫ`iw:,ĴRv 2SvQ0q6`.4ik~T`@1f Ԑ31erڗg}씲T~9}1M<JcTWdH! ó& |rS8_e;2c/#DtLY(JJTRn*#l͖[g'%aP^f[b<9f#8d*&B]DCTpRFL沈{9/>R[` i)2ѿ֞O^<룭`.5{ђQ<4߀bI_')K li&?:ʗX5mSoM;DpW-eR)=qjnAJAīyRAj?BRɘf5BLΰ[{M͛Cg1unSހU?9RoqZNjX>xƬHnf[;0Qى}(+`[mv}ʧ >ƍj` K bAX33/#eGyU %T:JlhR)-aG jeV#"vYSβ2 I4 *ލ%<[ȩ#&DRvXr x~H. R*ҨJӧ֕0T4`N$11ǶjLܩkxnhQh;G@B+r1P'J$K LbEЧG-CĊ޾_ǎ(5]ۀ̥z>rqՕO Y?J u8ę_1Y!K|hhOtdAOSwGK/۷̇K/$ E"v멁~" GWɁO t.$9&rv.|Ȕ8A%dryt:(̔o@Qm+5zL:P4I;H{0<-4u483'%M}-;e7^в94>eDJc _LbzdkFZgthj+ փ f 0ҿ ~܉Jv;QRr=`dϋ}(\vH7ՖkipVŘu>cu•62^A96Zyi4gN:M'b׃L/gü'K)A2O +f@gMZtdKc"[.*0 |!K@݇tVS--M|{x &_l>h.DSъPwolHMt݁\Lul tTX`A.NjNBD%Ԏ|}VK?o.ôa ۮTfg=Z,yʰLthf8_RљaWvy7u^⬲/@KHՃ+mcPp?e*;ZUnhq כFDs+_{o~9߭ 3 r&wI=k؊"c,IU#4G\S*] *a f>?y+Hmا)JIKԮ +9Dݩ jt)-."&@< \/Ǥs 4T F_k6P q&XSQbC]6hѡdL8Iݾ>nIc<) 9;C~NMT^Њ"~̔jUSOߖ؏@('a#yW3 j y#0|t~Ԓf +9%Y[:wP쭫eJZ⽭<|HFZtȒu8"kdz*EMDs1#4Y\u!ܪ\LMWCԘT:-sRN iLTZdDLZQN^Sxq&\6/ Pv+>YࡖysB>Qv O5@G ۔.fJreGC 1*>iNDe9̕ku4D UXpӶ%-4u16&fؘtZ@ l(i׏qQCYI8U>:6ql]Nw$:Ŝ*q9m!{s/󤃻I{ko0L`ʻ[$I"NOdG٣IV/[9XDt_Q"@oxݡlQT]*=ǘJ53\ƅ 6q#XAOAփBwl!VʆKC,'0{V,VL)`7ROTe'i &я3MJ+L>,#S|Ɵۊ&uȍ /]qi. ]ql\zH{Pyrn+oNaݹYM1c 'su'ky%'P'Cm: eav n=l1_bypRpj!Ge 4s%*?jPt&f qY-0*8d 8rԌYҭf.:d,^/˪|c%wq? R^2Vk?ΝNg-wR:3jR^ԭ f{Ԅ)u|J'$5RSzCtnMy'drN{+"#vY5]΅ lgU;juKryˍXPݞ4%>@-SK}JNHw i=4Rnw9`*Ɂt;IpRl#l ת(X؁'|E0]u0vH5^BGnf; d_~`cirBqỌ̆݊p!A 3_둉-- j1ХlP+xj1A5>)jm"JVBơ?ME2һ8l@17wFqhΪ?hQ5$ZğiB`!=/2`sflLyADKK3hU9xк j1|Yfe["ٽRIlalLԏc֒=lK^.QZiff磌^bMR>ǫIzoi/{ژל_O?CGpAx٘XNCٺ<bUm,bV~{N$f')H4h{#lg16XFM'J&{DL 3r@.FuDqZLg*ڊ r~6X\>Yo'p0F7p|H5ET@6ۖQ&ʩz1:Y|DwС8RYWfѓycxttH+l刹5 7!kjӴbY [uJKDHR$b{WZ$MJ7$I ꂒqC:Bt oRCJWvp2.I)k`1tԡύbPnUÎzdލmQS1vib#B=SK'2aOH&#LiUtPu3h3p0Mwς]Hy$,ueoU@mQ3'mblBnµ넜B:uv?cǠvE {Dr2F I0U]|8J船h1N,Cֆno1Cc+Io0-<:MZTwe^Hge@cB*;=鸀:Deh$eZI]U;1PrGGnR+XD !<Tۘ  Mm1t禕ކZMtpzeb{gͧ. *wv&US~ҤYDo[x^BSt5UMy|0rщ~sOxWt0Ǭ&})7g6oR'Me|c}T@e{.qV,=A-ՉNfT.U󨳂+D.=U>ۙ79mI5t!~$娖UkroCٱe$5H'^֔{c驅M )ycܫVdthR*^ X|&_yjoRj# $A{[IWis1CG Kz)`Ww=_7#?- [ym#G6O0Y)JGR榉IX{1V0A ӳ7gCY;)Vt= 't{No_M߉rU/#uy͝9jeVLA l%(&o-Q])Ae$TnxzGj+wRIs65 9y鶁&]2 C7z M e4-iCq ܀c p1Iّ#(b m|kCxi󜈑7jl1g9bZzf* X첋|99RC7-iNM" Xy|toSdp|/&?i:UL%*JZ%9;<`Yf $QPt%v\b1 &8i?AbF,Yxįl^:QSWasR2AU}qrsZ[ĺmմ%ݼ ;"+86]2~!_tKR!K_ 6'̆ʥ7'{yEݤ(tuDe+TC1=Ul7ڽa?T4ӣyu\ȡVq"9nI-i2:RL$]AXap5 u=0UI=1Jֺ,Jcf`,xڑ8Gt$P2$?@v \_[ի@(qqI%)diDp9R$;/@%!1f- dJ;Eүx)*7ag yc%ch;lQмA:cFuNp#
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1