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Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

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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:

Lifesalemon · 01/04/2015 01:00

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

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.

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BeeInYourBonnet · 01/04/2015 07:34

Oh 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 .

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?

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

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...

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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.

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.

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?

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.

HettyD · 01/04/2015 08:00

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

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.

Original poster

Sgtmajormummy · 01/04/2015 11:05

Yes, 9 is a bit young and that's why I'm reading it to her. We stop and have a little chat about the background and if we'd do the same thing today. But these books are still being sold and handed over to young girls without a second thought (there are Geronimo Stilton versions, too).

We all know our kids are influenced by what they read and I wonder how much the 4 books affected ME (I have a part-time volunteering interest in enabling teenage boys...maybe that's where it comes from ).

Sanity Percy Jackson is on my wishlist, thanks!

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AmeliaPeabody · 01/04/2015 11:17

The only redeeming character for me was Amy. It is very much of its time, and I found it more palatable as a younger girl, finding more fault as I grew older. Being of it's time it's heavy on the moralising, though I found it tame by comparison to similar books of the period, books like Elsie Dinsmore!

I'd read it to her.

BadPoet · 01/04/2015 17:00

My dd hasn't read it (yet) but I wouldn't stop her. I remember reading somewhere that LMA thought all the moralising a bit tedious but her publisher wanted her to put it in? Although I'd take Marmee's sermons in LW any day over Jo ( Jo !) saying in one of the later books that girls are best learning housewifely skills like sewing and being a good influence on the rambunctious boys .

AmeliaPeabody · 01/04/2015 18:18

Yes, Jo is often far worse that Marmee with the sermons

AmeliaPeabody · 01/04/2015 18:19

*than

Original poster

Sgtmajormummy · 01/04/2015 20:06

So, the jury is still out on this one...
We've got Beth with scarlet fever tonight and I have to steel myself. DD was already horrified at the dead canary mutely imploring for food and water (snort!) in a previous chapter.

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Takver · 02/04/2015 15:02

Personally, I think Little Women is fine, in the sense that even to a 9 y/o it will read as a piece of history. I'm assuming of course that most of the books she reads are contemporary and have more appropriate role models!

I actually think it's very useful for girls - well boys too - to be aware of how things have changed.

A book that you might really enjoy reading with your dd is 'A London Child of the 1870s'. It's the autobiography of Molly Hughes, and it's a lovely read - her life as a middle class girl brought up in the Victorian era. Her family were very liberal for their time, but even so her brothers get sent off to school while she is taught at home then goes to a very rubbish girls day school. (She does eventually arrange for herself a place at the North London Collegiate School and goes on to one of the first women's colleges.)

Original poster

Sgtmajormummy · 02/04/2015 17:53

I'm trying to find a Newberry prize winning book from the 60s about a high priestess (a bit like The Giver but female). Last time I looked on Amazon it was out of print and now that book of "tasters" has gone to the jumble sale. Does anyone else have suggestions for modern books? I found the Mighty Girl website had good ideas but Tuck Everlasting will have to wait a while...

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ragged · 02/04/2015 19:26

Laura Ingalls Wilder books would be better.
Modern books... EB White books would be great and not too dated.

Original poster

Sgtmajormummy · 02/04/2015 19:59

What's the quote, ragged? "It's not often you find a true friend and a good writer. And Charlotte was (sob) both."
I'll be so sad when the day comes and DD says she wants to read to herself. It's been a privilege...

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BitOfFun · 02/04/2015 20:04

Have a listen to this podcast about Louisa May Alcott- it's fascinating, and certainly serves to put her work into context.

jazzandh · 02/04/2015 20:21

Well Alcott was a feminist of her times and Little Women was fairly autobiographical.

I thought Jo pushed against her upbringing in a positive way - but the family values in it are strong.

I think it is a good historical book for girls and can be read on lots of levels.

GotToBeInItToWinIt · 02/04/2015 20:29

I absolutely love Little Women, one of my favourite books. I don't see any issues with it being read to a 9/10 year old as a piece of historical literature. It's completely clear that it's 'of it's time'. I read it on my own at about the same age and managed to remain a feminist!

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