in which i read a well-loved classic | Little Women

*glances up from the pile of books on my desk* Hello, all my fellow bookworms and writers and librarians and Other Bookish Folk of the Interwebs! ^^ I hope your March has been going splendidly and that you’ve all been able to enjoy writing in some lovely, warm spring weather! I know tis cold over yonder in the States, so I do hope things start warming up soon!

I, alas, have not had much ‘spring weather’ here in Thailand (*cough* seemingly eternal heatwave with no end for several months *cough*), but we are heading back to China soon, where the weather shall be cooler and the flowers shall be blooming and where it feels like spring instead of eternal summer! ^^

As much as I adore Thailand, I must admit, I miss the changing of seasons. Thailand… really only has two seasons here. Dry summer and wet summer. Tis not the most “spring-like”. There are, however, mangos!! Where we live, there are just these mango trees growing on the side of the street, and whenever my family heads out, we always end up picking a great deal of those that’ve fallen and just toting home a bag of mangos. XD Tis most delightful!

Today, however, I thought perhaps I would share with y’all a well-loved classic I recently read. A classic that took me a long time to finally start reading. A classic that is just so very beautiful, that really encapsulates growing up and life, the hardships and the losses, the hopes and dreams and ambitions… A classic that made me cry so hard at the ending, just because I loved the characters so much and it was so lovely seeing how far they’d all come. A classic that is both heartbreaking and cozy.

A classic that, I think with the exception of Primrose Everdeen from the Hunger Games (I will never forgive Suzanne Collins for that!! *sobs* Never!), may have one of the most tragic* literature deaths of all time.

*by this, I do not mean tragic as in, being betrayed by your best friend in mid-battle as she stabs you right in the heart and it is revealed that she has been working with the villain all along. Though we do love those deaths as well. *nod nod* Tragic, as in she was such a sweet soul who didn’t deserve to die, who was most precious, and just HOW COULD YOU KILL HER OFF!

And this book is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

Little Women. How could I possibly describe this book?

It is cozy. The world and the home of Orchard House feels so real and lived in, like a real house that is full of family and banter and hope. The characters are just as real and dear to me as friends. It is heartwrenching. One of the most beloved characters dies. It fully manages to encapsulate… just so many things. The bond between sisters. The dreams and ambitions of being a young woman. The changes you and the people you know go through as you finally cross the bridge to being not a girl, but a woman.

It feels like both a rainy day and a hug on a rainy day. It feels like a very dear friend that you have been on a long journey with.

It is complex, yet cozy, all at the same time. It really manages to just capture life in general, really. And though this may have been set in the 1800s, a great deal of the things written into this novel are things that still very much apply to life now.

It’s a coming-of-age novel that follows four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March, growing up in New England during the civil war. Their father is away, serving in the army, far from home, and it really follows them as they grow up and try to find their own way in society — who they are, what all their dreams and ambitions and hopes and plans are. It follows them through all sorts of adventures in life, as they fall in love, try to conquer their faults, and also end up in a great deal of mischief…

I am not entirely certain “mischief” is the right word, since I’m not entirely certain any of it was intended and a great deal of events are both terrible but also somehow humorous.

And the characters!! The characters.

I love them. I love them so very much.

First, there is Jo. Dear Jo. She is brilliant. <3 I first saw Jo’s character in the 1994 movie of Little Women, and I think Winona Ryder did a most fantastic job of portraying her. Jo is fifteen years old when the noel begins and very much a tomboy, especially in the first part of the book. She longs to do something important, perhaps write a great novel, and I related so much to her. She has a temper, which she struggles to learn to control throughout the novel, and she is also a fellow writer!! This I am most happy about, because you don’t always see writers as main characters in novels.

And Beth.

*blinks*

*weeps*

*greatly mourns*

Beth was one of my favorite characters in Little Women. She is just the sweetest soul. <3 She is quiet and kind and helpful and is always there for her sisters. She isn’t brash or too stubborn, and she is very much a quiet, shy soul. Though she is frightened of people, she is just such a beautiful person and so sweet and would make a brilliant friend. And I loved her relationship with old Mr Laurence!!

And her death…

It may be one of the most heartbreaking deaths in literature. *sobs*

Amy is the youngest sister, and she is around 12 years old when the book starts out. She is such a splendid character! She has her flaws and isn’t perfect, of course, but I do think she tries, and I loved seeing her grow and change throughout the novel! Younger Amy is a flawed but still quite lovable character, and Older Amy is a most wonderful and knowledgeable one. And quite amusing as well. Chapter 26 had me dying of laughter.

*is still dying of laughter as I remember*

I so wish I could give you quotes from Chapter 26: ARTISTIC ATTEMPTS, but alas, tis a great deal of long paragraphs, and tis much better if you read the novel yourself. She does, however, end up attempting to “cast her own pretty foot (in plaster)” and it ended up hardening much faster than expected and the whole March family were greatly alarmed by an unearthly bumping and screaming and it’s just… *dies laughing* You simply must read it yourself to get the full Experience.

I didn’t really like movie Amy in Little Women, but the book gives her so much more depth, and I love her!!

And lastly, Meg. (Yes, I’m listing the four sisters in order of my favorites, what of it??) She is 16 years old when the book starts and is the oldest of all the March sisters. She is very much the more responsible, feminine, caring one (or tries to be, at least). She is a splendid character, and as much as I do like her, I must admit, I did not connect to her. Perhaps I shall when I am older, but for now, she shall remain very well-loved but not my favorite.

And Marmee!!!!!!!!!

I love her.

The end of 2026 is quite a long way away, but if I ever end up doing The Smashing and Dashing Character Awards of 2026, she shall undoubtedly win best YA parent. Marmee is so kind and encouraging, and she always gives the most brilliant advice to the girls whenever they are in need of it. <33 We all need someone like Marmee in our lives, I think.

I have ever so many Marmee quotes highlighted on my Kindle, but these are my favorites.

Isn’t Marmee the best??

Laurie is also a wonderful character. I did not like him much in the movie (I adore the 1994 Little Women, but I do not think it did Laurie’s character justice. *shakes head and tuts*), but like with Amy, the book gives us so much more depth and backstory. His friendship with the girls is wonderful, and they really do bring out the best in him, I think.

The novel is split into two parts, Part One and Part Two. (Which were originally published as two separate books, apparently — Little Women and Good Wives*). Part One follows the girls throughout their teenage years, while Part Two picks up a few years later, after Meg is married and the rest of the girls have grown up and are trying to make their way through the world. Part Two is also when Beth dies, and for this reason alone, I was debating whether or not to read Part Two. I am most glad I did though!!! I simply adored reading about all of Jo’s adventures in New York (and Bhaer!! He has a most wonderful name and teaches Jo German and he is just splendid. We loves him forever) and Amy’s adventures in Europe! I loved seeing her relationship with Laurie grow as well.

And I fear this post is getting a tad long, but I cannot help it because I could rave forever about Little Women because it is so gorgeous. I will, however, leave you all with a moodboard of the book and some of its different characters.

(Also, thanks to Ava at Always Ava who included the most gorgeous moodboards in her Emma M. Lion post, I hath discovered this nifty little thing called galleries… It is most interesting. And it shall be most useful. *nod nod*)

Jo

Beth

Amy

Meg

I very much wanted to do moodboards for every single one of these characters (as well as the glorious Orchard House!!), but alas, compiling the moodboards has taken a great deal longer than I thought. So we shall merely have to stick with the ones for the four sisters.

Do let me know down in the comments if you’ve read this book! ^^ I love hearing from y’all, and would be most delighted to meet a fellow Little Women reader. But till then, you shall find me holed up in my little writing cave as I attempt to wrangle this new project of mine.

Till next time, and wishing y’all a splendid week! ^^

-Isabelle