A question about Little Women.

[CurlewKate]

That scene at the beginning where they each find a book under their pillow. What book is it? I ask because I have always thought one thing-and I discover my best bookish friend thinks something else….

Reading it as a child I assumed Pilgrim's Progress, but when I reread it as an adult I thought it was the Bible, for the reasons above (or perhaps just the NT/Gospels - hadn't thought of this but it makes sense!).

Odd not to specify but I guess readers' assumptions in this area have changed a lot in 150 years.

that beautiful old story of the best life ever lived,

PP is fiction, so wouldn't have been described as 'a life lived', would it? I always thought it was NT

Of course the family would have a Bible for general use, but these are the girls' personal copies, to keep by their beds.

The books all have different coloured covers (v helpful for Greta Gerwig when making her film!) are pretty and have a picture inside . This is too pretty and potentially vain for a Bible. PP was often illustrated.

Various internet sources says it is PP. The whole of Chapter 2 is about it.

Those girls would already have Bibles. They would be covered in a black leather.

It does feel like the sort of item that might be marketed towards young women. The smallness of the volume, the attractiveness of the binding (ok maybe not so much the grey one). Brides used to carry prayer books or gospels in white binding instead of bouquets, I think.
Gospels would be considered suitable for young women - cutting out the racier bits of the OT and the more mystic bits of the later NT perhaps.

As a wise woman once said, it's all very well to give your own breakfast to the Hummels: quite another to make free with someone else's.

Rowan Marlow?

I always thought PP but now I'm questioning it! I live near where it was written and it's always felt like a claim to fame that the inspiration for the Hill of Difficulty, House Beautiful etc are on my doorstep.

This is, Louisa tells us, a story about how to be good. The girls take to heart their father’s exhortation; with their mother’s help, they transform themselves from girls into young women. The task is especially hard for rash, impatient Jo. Marmee suggests that the sisters take The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan’s 17th-century devotional novel-one of Bronson Alcott’s childhood favorites-as their guide.

https://prospect.org/2012/06/11/mother-girls-books/#:~:text=Marmee%20suggests%20that%20the%20sisters,the%20tomboy%20with%20literary%20ambition.

Me too. I drive to work through the Slough of Despond, mind....

The very same

I've just found this in ch.16, which strengthens my view that the 'little books' are the Gospels.

In the cold gray dawn the sisters lit their lamp and read their chapter with an earnestness never felt before. For now the shadow of a real trouble had come, the little books were full of help and comfort [...]

It's a bible. It says "the story of the best life ever lived" or something like that. Pilgrim's Progress is the book that they've read and they used to play a game and pretend they were the lead character, Christian.

I didn't like Little Men at all, tormenting cows and killing butterflies - no they can keep that one thank you!

Oh, I love Rowan!

Google says Marmee gave them The Pilgrim’s Promise as a moral and spiritual guidebook.

I think this is looking at a 19th century book from a 21st century perspective. Unfortunately many 19th century naturalists collected butterflies, a practice we would now rightly regard as abhorrent. What I like about LM is that the children are recognisably children doing typically naughty childish things. The chapter where they ‘sacrifice’ their toys is very funny. Plumfield is a remarkably enlightened educational establishment for its time. Could have done without the mawkish, unnecessary death of John Brooke though.

John Brooke was a bit of a drip though!

Oh , and in answer to the original question I’m pretty certain the book is a collection of the Gospels. The PP theme running through the book is separate.

I always thought it was PP.

No, Victorian Bibles were often illustrated.

I think a pretty binding for a New Testament or the Gospels wouldn't be odd at all.

But that could easily apply to PP.

Hmm
I'm from a New England family somewhat similar to this and am not convinced.

Also, PP was a religious primer and Branson Alcott's childhood favourite.

I have never ever questioned this. The whole chapter is about PP. The bit in Chap 16 sounds like a references to PP to me. Yes, Bibles have chapters but people talk about reading their verses, generally. The girls are hugely wrapped up in and guided by PP.

I remain defiant!

Hmm, it would be very strange to be reading a novel at such a time, when father is lying dangerously wounded, perhaps dead.
I just don't think there is any way round 'the best life ever lived' being the story of Christ, really.
Agree about the pretty illustrations and bindings being absolutely standard for the young female devotional market in the C19. There are probably some nice examples in libraries, will see if I can find some examples.

I suppose PP isn't exactly a novel. But I still can't see them reading fiction when they are terrified about their father's fate.

Gosh! I assure everyone I didn't say anything horrific in my reply there - I linked to an article on illustrated Bibles in America. Hope no one is too shocked!

I won't re-link, but FWIW, illustrated and prettily-bound Bibles/New Testaments were absolutely normal. Charles Ingalls had an illustrated Bible to read to his children.