That was a very interesting read. Despite having read Little Women and the sequels when young and later reading some writeups on the author, I "went down the rabbit hole" upon reading this...
That was a very interesting read. Despite having read Little Women and the sequels when young and later reading some writeups on the author, I "went down the rabbit hole" upon reading this article: transcendentalism, questionable communes, genteel poverty, maternal mortality, early feminism, social work, art history, proto-veganism, et. al...
I was also interested to learn that Little Women had historically been seen as an uncontroversial work. When reading it as a child, I identified with the (I guess, countercultural) undertones of Alcott's writing.
These are not books I've reread over and over like some books I was exposed to at a similar age. However, Meg & Jo remain in my memory as stronger, more evocative characters than Amy & Beth. Marmie, in my memory, is more of an environmental influence - less of a character in her own right.
Overall, this article made me want to revisit Louisa May Alcott's writings, to discover nuances I'd missed as a younger reader.
I don't know if my comment contributes anything to the overall discussion, but (as there were no the comments) I hope it can serve as an inspiration/impetus for further discussion.
That was a very interesting read. Despite having read Little Women and the sequels when young and later reading some writeups on the author, I "went down the rabbit hole" upon reading this article: transcendentalism, questionable communes, genteel poverty, maternal mortality, early feminism, social work, art history, proto-veganism, et. al...
I was also interested to learn that Little Women had historically been seen as an uncontroversial work. When reading it as a child, I identified with the (I guess, countercultural) undertones of Alcott's writing.
These are not books I've reread over and over like some books I was exposed to at a similar age. However, Meg & Jo remain in my memory as stronger, more evocative characters than Amy & Beth. Marmie, in my memory, is more of an environmental influence - less of a character in her own right.
Overall, this article made me want to revisit Louisa May Alcott's writings, to discover nuances I'd missed as a younger reader.
I don't know if my comment contributes anything to the overall discussion, but (as there were no the comments) I hope it can serve as an inspiration/impetus for further discussion.