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Original poster

to think that Amy March is one of the most irritating literary characters ever.

344 replies

squoosh · 21/04/2013 17:22

God she annoys me, throwing Jo's book in the fire, being a general brat and then sin of sins marrying Laurie when she had no business do any such thing.

I don't care what the subsequent books may say the Amy/Laurie union was a stupid idea.

They should have left her to drown in the icy river.

OP posts:
KitchenandJumble · 21/04/2013 18:02

I agree, Chandon. I think Laurie appreciated Jo for herself. It makes me so uncomfortable to see her tamed, domesticated, turned into a proper hausfrau in the later books. If she and Laurie had married, I could imagine her living a much different sort of life, with her spirit still free and a bit wild, writing interesting books, travelling, making use of her considerable creativity.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 21/04/2013 18:01

Oh, I feel sorry for Meg too squoosh. Especially with the dance. I love how Alcott writes that, who can't sympathize with her there? I know the 'fashion plate' dress (and the 'soupcon of rouge'! Grin) aren't that shocking but it's the exact same emotion I bet every teenage girl has had at some point.

But she pisses me off because she goes and plays house for 'John' and gets all the credit for being properly 'womanly', but John is clearly more or less a total wanker. He really is. He has very, very few positive qualities.

And she just takes it as a sign she's not a good wife and resolves to be better. Hmm

I want to shake her and get her posting on MN. Grin

Chandon · 21/04/2013 18:01

Oh, I love the chapter where Meg gets done up.

gymboywalton · 21/04/2013 18:01

the professor is much nicer than laurie

Francagoestohollywood · 21/04/2013 18:01

Agree Remus CD was totally WRONG as Beth (but then my hear was on June Allyson in the 1949 movie(

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 21/04/2013 18:00

Cousin Helen makes me want to vomit though - I like naughty Katy!

Original poster
squoosh · 21/04/2013 18:00

Ugh, Helen Burns! Was glad to see her croak it. Morally flawless angels were quite the rage in Victorian writing.

OP posts:
Chandon · 21/04/2013 18:00

Yes but Laurie and Jo had passion and sparks, and they could have made it work, probably somewhere abroad and sunny...

Francagoestohollywood · 21/04/2013 17:59

Meg was too "proper" wasn't she?

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 21/04/2013 17:59

I can cope with Beth in the book (just) but I detest the film version of her in the Winona film (I think it's Claire Danes - she is truly terrible and was horribly miscast).

Original poster
squoosh · 21/04/2013 17:58

Why does Meg piss you off LRD? I always remember her deep, deep shame at being 'done up like a fashion plate' at some dance, you'd swear she'd taken part in a Roman orgy or something. It's been so many years since I've read the books, I may need to give them another whirl.

Confident I'll still dislike Amy though.

OP posts:
sicutlilium · 21/04/2013 17:58

Helen Burns in Jane Eyre is much more irritating. And the saintly Cousin Helen in What Katy Did needs a good slap.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 21/04/2013 17:58

I agree that Amy was just a consolation prize and that Laurie never really stopped loving Jo. However, I don't think Laurie and Jo would have lasted and I do love the prof too.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 21/04/2013 17:58

I think Laurie wanted Jo to spoil him, and she wouldn't. If she'd married him she'd constantly have had sour-faced relatives going on about what a bad wife she was, and Laurie would have stopped finding it charming that she had her own life and didn't always agree with him.

alterego2 · 21/04/2013 17:57

I think Amy and Laurie were right for each other. Both were quite superficial: liking 'culture' etc but not thinking deeply about much. Jo may have started out 'spirited' but by the time she had seen Beth through her illness and death she was much deeper that that. Still lively but much more given to thinking. I'm not entirely convinced by the Prof but I do think she'd have been unhappy with Laurie.

Chandon · 21/04/2013 17:56

But I always felt that Jo made Laurie nicer, and that he genuinely was in love with her...just for who she is, which I always liked.

Mumof3men · 21/04/2013 17:55

Happy days, have found them all online :-)

LRDtheFeministDragon · 21/04/2013 17:51

Mmm.

I think I sort of get it, Jo is not especially nice to Amy and I really dislike the way Alcott talks snobbily about how Amy is 'only' talented at drawing while Jo is a 'genius'. Hmm

Frankly it's Meg who really pisses me off.

I can totally see why Jo goes for Bhaer over Laurie, though. Laurie, in my head, is probably played by Rupert Everett.

MissMogwi · 21/04/2013 17:51

Little Women is one of my favourite books, but they all annoy me calling their mum 'Marmee'.

I much prefer the professor to Laurie. Laurie is a bit of a drip.

Original poster
squoosh · 21/04/2013 17:49

Could not stand What Katy Did, she was an insufferable prig. Remember when she broke her back and her broken backed Aunt Helen told her never to complain, just to sit there sweetly smiling at everyone.

I know it was of its time but even when I was 10 I gave it a big eye roll.

OP posts:
Chandon · 21/04/2013 17:48

Oh, are we talking about movies....

Mumof3men · 21/04/2013 17:46

5feet5, you might be right! (I had Little Men as a Sunday School prize).
Have now been thinking of the other books I loved, What Katie did and What Katie did next!
Might have to see if I can find them on the internet!

KitchenandJumble · 21/04/2013 17:43

I agree. It's so unfair that Amy gets everything Jo should have. She travels to Europe when Jo should have been the one to go. And for Amy to marry Laurie is just ridiculous. I was always so glad he wouldn't allow her to call him Teddy, since it was Jo's pet name for him. I think he carries a torch for Jo throughout the later books, and Amy is just the consolation prize.

Chandon · 21/04/2013 17:43

Originally it was 2 books, the first one ends with meg's marriage and Laurie smiling at Jo in te mirror.

The book was a huge success, which took the writer by surprise. Pressurised by her editor she agrred to write another book with "moral pap for te young"(dsdainful emoticon).

She almost took revenge on her fans for liking it so much, by anding Laurie to Amy (no!!!!!) and making Jo all spinsterish and ending up with a fat German called Bear.

A bit like Radiohead, hating those fans who loved Creep, and then writing a song about how pathetic people are who loved that song.

Still, little women is the book I read when I am sick or depressed, it is hearwarming (sigh)

Francagoestohollywood · 21/04/2013 17:42

Beth's death is much better in the 1949 movie, btw