#65: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Source Material, Volume 3
Reading this was like eating freshly harvested farm-to-table food in my Sunday best on a bright day under the shade of an oak tree. It was wholesome and soul-filling.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Published: 1868 | Pages: 504
The Book
While Pride & Prejudice felt like the original rom-com, this feels like one of the original coming-of-age novels. The four March sisters each have a sin or fault they are trying to overcome under the steady guidance of their wise mother. Their choices, experiences, and heartaches cause them to grow and mature over the course of the novel. While a bit unrealistically pure, the characters are flawed enough and different enough that every reader will ask themselves “Am I a Jo or a Meg? A Beth or an Amy?”
What is my history with the material?
I grew up on the 1994 film. Jack Kelly from Newsies (Christian Bale) as Laurie gave my young macho self an excuse to watch this “girlie” movie. Truth is, Winona Ryder’s Jo is who stole my heart with her fiery independence. Years later Saoirse Ronan would do the same thing for the same reasons in the 2019 version.
Why you should read Little Women
The childlike point of view is full of wisdom and humor.
Marmee’s sermons are detailed and lovely.
The loyalty of the girls to one another is inspiring.
There are apologies. There is forgiveness. We all need those.
The tender intimacy of non-romantic relationships.
The happiest of happy endings.
The Movies
Should you read the book or watch the movies? Do both! Each movie honors the source material and captures the tone well, but there is so much to mine in the text. Reading Alcott’s words and seeing how they’ve inspired filmmakers for generations to create their own interpretations is a case study on adapting literature.
Many talented writers and creators have discussed Little Women adaptations, so be sure to check out the following:
Charlotte Allen’s thoughtful opinion observes without criticism that the elements of faith and God from the book are missing from the 2019 film. I love Greta Gerwig and will watch everything she makes and I adore that film and all the actors in it. I also love the faithful striving for self-mastery of the girls in the book and how Marmee encourages them to trust God, as she has.
Isabel of Be Kind Rewind made a great YouTube video comparing four of the films and how they reflect the time periods in which they were made.
This definitive list of adaptations that PBS put together. Yes, there’s a 2018 adaptation on PBS with Angela Lansbury playing Aunt March! How perfect is that?
What’s next?
Next week I’ll talk about my experience with A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans.
I’m currently reading The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Feel free to read along!
I love 2022 already. Thanks for being on this journey!
Kyle