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

I was on the tube when I read about Dog Monday.

Not the best place for it... I was literally sobbing into a handful of tissues.

There are loads of old school stories on Project Gutenberg look for L T Meade, Angela Brazil and the rest of Louisa Alcott's books.

We should do an abridged Little Women according to mumsnet.
Amy ends up a prostitute.
Jo and Laurie get together.
Beth lives.
Meg leaves the bastard.

Mog - dd1 would have been Laurie, had she been ds! (And probably would have been called Teddy when tiny too).

You lot have made me start re-reading the series again now. I'd forgotten that lovely bit when Jo thinks she's talking to Laurie about his g'father's portrait, and she's actually talking to Mr Laurence himself.

I was outraged on reading Little Women because I desperately wanted Jo and Laurie to get together. I named DS3 Laurie partly after the Little Women Laurie (yes, I know he's Theodore really) because I envisioned him as this glorious, golden boy .

Haven't read whole thread - has anyone mentioned one of the best lines from Friends? Joey (natch): "How little are these Little Women? Are they, like, scary little? Because otherwise why would you bother?"

Just like to say - I didn't realise there were 2 more books in the Katy series & am just half way through 'Clover' & have 'In the High Valley' nest.

Am loving 'Clover' - some great descriptive writing of Colorado. And that it was such a long way for her to travel.

Ah. Jarvis is better! :)

Jervis, I think - Master Jervie.

Is Daddy's real name Master Jarvis? That always tickles me too, if I've remembered it correctly. He's only a couple of years older than Judy really; she just pictures him as being ancient.

I don't think Jo does settle for 'less' in marrying the Prof tbh - Laurie is basically a petulant little boy when he proposes, and she knows they'd drive each other mad. The Prof is a man. Laurie needs to grow up to be able to temper Jo's moods but in allowing him to do that, she grows away from him. Much as it pains me to admit it, I think she was right. And even when he's a rich old patriarch, she still pretty much babies him.

I remember reading Little Women in Year 6 and all my friends watching the film when it came out on TV, and how the next day we all bunched together and wailed about how mean Jo was for refusing Laurie and how good-looking the young Christian Bale was (hmm, nothing's changed!)

I think Esther in Bleak House is supremely irritating. And narcissistic. Her children would have joined that " but we took you to stately homes" thread. And I love Bleak House.

Dorothea Casaubon drives me mad. Celia is much nicer. And Will Lasidlaw is just a wimp.

Maggie Tulliver is pretty annoying too.

But I agree about Dora, can't cry at her death.

Laurie and Jo not ending up together.. one of life's onsolved mysteries, I was devastated and thought I was the only one.
Meg pissed me off being a goody two shoes, Amy just didn't deserve Laurie, Jo pissed me off because she didnt end up with Laurie and settled for less, Beth pissed me off for dying so graciously and being so feeble. I have a love hate relationship with all of them.

Oh no, not creepy - I loved him!
That final bit when he is so ill and she goes in to see him!
Ooo and the bit where he gets stroppy about Judy liking Sallie McBride's brother!

HOW did I not know that there is a sequel to, 'Daddy Long Legs?' HOW? I need it! Daddy Long Legs is one of my absolute favourites - I love Judy, I love Daddy, I love the cows and the crossness and the sweetness. And Daddy is young and sexy, not old and creepy.

I agree Poppy but it's all that goodness I can't stand. Still can't see what Scarlett saw in Ashley.

drudge I used to think the same, but she kicked ass when that solider came in and she rocked up from giving birth with a shotgun to save Scarlett.

I could never stand Melanie in Gone with the Wind. First of all she pinches Ashley,not that he's much of a catch, from right under Scarlett's nose but then she causes a lot of trouble by deciding to have a baby during the destruction of Atlanta.

She is just so blooming good all the time and can't even see that Scarlett is after Ashley,God knows why. Then we have the deathbed scene without any coughing or retching or unladylike croaking. Really really hate her.

Balloon...I played Dora Spenlow once...in a production of David Copperfield and I got on my own tits!

Cannot believe no one has mentioned DORA BLOODY SPENLOW in a "most irritating literary characters" thread.

I mean . . . < astonished >

The Water Babies, cringe.

Anne of the Island is lovely, the whole dynamic with house sharing and essays and slightly unsuitable boyfriends just feels so realistic, even modern. Think Canada was well ahead of the UK in the educating female stakes - of course women did go to university in the late 19th century here but it's presented as really normal in the Anne books rather than as something remarkable.

Shirley was Susan's little brown boy, but he didn't seem to feature in the stories much, did he?

And yes, I wanted to live in Patty's Place with Gog and Magog and Anne and Philippa and Stella and Aunt Jimsie! I'm getting to reread all the Anne books with DD1, who adores them too - it's fabulous.