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Original poster

"Little Women". To read or not to read?

37 replies

Sgtmajormummy · 31/03/2015 22:17

I am an avid reader aloud of books to my kids. I enjoy it and for them it's the only way to end the day. DS had a triumphant finale with The Amber Spyglass at the age of 11, but still leaves his door open to have a sneaky listen to what his sister (9) gets.
I made a choice to read her books with positive female characters, so we've had Tom's Midnight Garden and Anne of Green Gables recently, both of which she understood and enjoyed. However, with Little Women I feel I'm dripping poison into her ears!
I am outraged at the obsession with forbearance and preparing yourself to be a dutiful wife, honouring housewifely skills and modesty and eschewing worldly pleasures. Not to mention the heavy handed Papist baiting!
Not even the character of Jo (which saved the book for me in the early 70s) can raise it to being acceptable for emancipated girls growing up in the 21st century.
So, people of MN, should "Little Women" be left on the shelf, and if so, in favour of what?

OP posts:
MrsBungle · 01/04/2015 08:03

I started it with my dd then decided to leave it until she is older and is better able to understand how things were at that time.

HettyD · 01/04/2015 08:00

I would skip it and go straight to Pride and Prejudice!! And I LOVE this idea!!

sassytheFIRST · 01/04/2015 07:58

Actually, Alcott was an early feminist. Many of her adult writings are very modern in their thinking and style. LW is moralising and saccharine but it is also of its day.

SanityClause · 01/04/2015 07:48

It's the constant moralising that's just too much for me. DD1 read it for herself, along with Eight Cousins and Rose In Bloom. She is now 15, and very much understands that they are of their time and place. Maybe 9 is a bit too young to get this, though? Certainly, DD1 has come back to Austen, and now understands it from the point of view of the social mores of the time, so can enjoy the pithy social commentary, much more.

I know they're not classics, but the Percy Jackson books have strong female characters, who are in no way inferior to the male characters. She might like those?

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 01/04/2015 07:44

I love it, even though I am a feminist, and my DD is named after one of the characters.

I think they actually display some positive attributes and the family function very well, but overall, I just love the story.

Ubik1 · 01/04/2015 07:41

Well it's of it's time. Deep protestant work ethic, virtue in suffering, duty above happiness.

But I don't think that means you shouldn't read it to your children. It's a great story, fabulous characters. They can analyse it when they are older.

Original poster
Sgtmajormummy · 01/04/2015 07:40

I've got Matilda waiting next in line as an antidote!
I agree, some books have to be read if you're growing up in an English-speaking world, but they need "parental guidance" notices nowadays...

OP posts:
TheCrowFromBelow · 01/04/2015 07:40

I re-read recently. I'd probably leave it until she can understand the historical context, I agree about all the forbearance etc and myself skipping quite a bit of it Blush

JemFinch · 01/04/2015 07:35

In very simplistic terms it's and old fashioned book that is of it's era - I would read it to her but explain that?

BeeInYourBonnet · 01/04/2015 07:34

Oh Sad I LOVE Little Women. And the three sequels. I will be verrry sad if it is deemed to be an unsuitable read for 21stC girls but will encourage my DD to read it anyway .

Original poster
Sgtmajormummy · 01/04/2015 07:30

Yes, because in that book Mary was the outspoken and plain-looking heroine. Here each of the girls is a two dimensional paper doll and, although everyone loves a good sob session, I feel as if we're giving in to the maudlin sentimentality of it all.

OP posts:
Lifesalemon · 01/04/2015 01:00

Read it years ago and hated it. My favourite is The Secret Garden.

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