‘Little Women’: Tween Tale
Taki´s Magazine,
by
Steve Sailer
Original Article
Posted By: earlybird,
1/1/2020 10:46:55 AM
The umpteenth remake of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott’s witty 1868 girls’ novel about growing up in Concord, Massachusetts, during the Civil War, is directed by Greta Gerwig and stars her alter ego, the lovely Irish lass Saoirse Ronan, as Jo March.(Snip)This reflected the remarkable upbringing of Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Back before Mark Twain, American literature was kind of a who-you-know business, and the Alcotts knew everybody who was anybody in the author industry. Ralph Waldo Emerson lent her family the money to buy their house in Concord, Henry David Thoreau told them it was haunted, and they eventually sold it to Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
hurricanegirl 1/1/2020 11:03:51 AM (No. 275938)
I read "Little Women" as a kid and enjoyed it, but when I tried to reread it as an adult, I found it WAAAYYY too pedantic and preachy. I suppose that was the writing style back then, but this children's book hasn't "stood the test of time" with me as a classic should because I have no desire to read it ever again. As for the movie, I'll treat it just like almost every other movie put out in the last decade--I'll skip it!
7 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
earlybird 1/1/2020 11:24:57 AM (No. 275954)
The book I loved a a young teenager? Gone With The Wind…read it in three days...
12 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Hobbitmom 1/1/2020 12:02:17 PM (No. 275978)
Read and loved the book as a child. I was interested in Alcott as a writer, and as I read about how she became the sole breadwinner for her family, over even her father, who thought himself some "philosopher king," who shouldn't have to work, I began to loathe the characters in the story, based on her family. Alcott payed for her younger sister to study art in different places in Europe. This sister had minor success as a copyist of others' work. She stayed in France, and was extremely anti-American, scolding about what an awful country America was, compared to those in Europe. She died after giving birth, and sent her daughter back to her sister to raise. The sister who financed her study of art. Where? In America. Quelle surprise!
11 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
thewarden 1/1/2020 12:21:05 PM (No. 275997)
Each modern version is virtually identical with slightly different casts. It seems they use the same script each time, as Sailer mentions, taken directly from the book. Predictable and boring. I don’t know why the screenwriters can’t be just a bit more creative. And I didn’t care for the book, either...thought it was boring. The movies are pretty boring, too, and becoming more preachy and screechy. Bleck.
5 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
LadyHen 1/1/2020 1:19:35 PM (No. 276027)
Read this book as an adult, thought I would enjoy it. I really didn't. Totally surprised me. It is indeed one of the few where I actually thought the a couple of the movies based on the book are better.
3 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
jalo1951 1/1/2020 2:11:48 PM (No. 276054)
Never cared for the book but always enjoyed the movies. The English was clumsy and I didn't especially like her writing style. But it was not written for readers of today. Saw the new movie this past weekend. I enjoyed it. Beautiful to look at. I liked Jo's spunk and the actress who portrayed her did a very good job. If you did not know the story I can see how the flashbacks could be confusing. I did not care for the actress who played Amy. It has nothing to do with her acting she was too old to play the part. And Amy was self centered, materialistic and a bit catty. Elizabeth Taylor played her perfectly. A woman's life today is not the life of 150 years ago. Choices, I am happy that we have them. I wonder what Ms. Alcott would think of women's lives today?
5 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
JHHolliday 1/1/2020 4:22:22 PM (No. 276088)
The book was also, of course, made into a stage play and done by countless amateur little theaters. It's actually better than most of the movies...shorter and more clear. Sometimes having to cut something down to the essentials makes a better product.
4 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
earlybird 1/1/2020 4:23:50 PM (No. 276090)
OK. Having read the reviews here, I will stand pat and not try to read this book after all. Probably won’t see movie either. Now, if they bring out “Gone With The Wind” again, I might go and see Scarlett and Rhett and wonder again what she ever saw in squish Ashley...
5 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
caljeepgirl 1/1/2020 9:45:11 PM (No. 276164)
I think that's a smart move, #8. I adored Little Women when I was young (10 maybe?). It was, in fact, a Christmas present. But I think there's definitely a 'window of time' when it's best read, and I was lucky enough to hit it.
Agree, of course, about Gone With the Wind....what girl could possibly put that one down?!
2 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
smcchk 1/1/2020 10:21:26 PM (No. 276169)
Adored this book as a child. Enjoyed the Winona Ryder 1994 version but don’t need to see yet another. Read a biography of Louisa May Alcott that was fascinating. Her father was a loon - would be campaigning for Bernie for sure - her mother often reduced to begging her well-off family for money. Louisa definitely had a tough life and many burdens. Information about the Civil War and the horror of medical/surgical treatment of the times was awful to read. Finally, Louisa was treated with mercury for the typhoid she contracted as a Civil War nurse. The effects were not good.
3 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Shells 1/1/2020 10:29:10 PM (No. 276172)
Threads like this make me so want to get together with my fellow Ldotter ladies and have a long chat!
So interesting to hear everybody’s views.
Never read the book, but really enjoyed the Winona Ryder version. Very atmospheric. But that, obviously, speaks more to the cinematography than the story.
4 people like this.
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Comments:
Steve Sailer is an interesting, entertaining writer and this piece is no exception. A fascinating look into Louisa May Alcott, her “improvident” father and his wacko commune “Fruitlands”, Alcott was a tomboy who related more to boys than girls, and other trivia I’ll bet you never knew. And she wrote the book to make money. Even if you never read the book (I hated it, so didn’t even finish it), this article is very good reading. Sailer, who obviously liked the book, doesn’t care for Gerwig’s latest filmed interpretation and tells us why. Now I may read the book.