Little Women Read-Along: A Telegram (Ch. 15)

Oh boy.  When things get serious, they get really serious.  We go from "Yay!  Jo's published!" to "ACK!  Father's grievously wounded!" in a couple of pages.  A matter of minutes, if you don't pause between chapters.  Marmee goes quite helpless for a few minutes, giving us some new insight into her -- she's becoming more and more human as the book goes on, I think.

Laurie and Mr. Laurence are awesome here, stepping up to the plate as true friends and helping in any way they can.  Mr. Laurence offers every help he can dream up, "from his own dressing gown to himself as an escort" (p. 144).  What a sweet guy he's turned out to be.

And then Jo cuts off her hair.  Selfless, impetuous Jo.  I think I like her better for that than I have in the whole book so far.


Favorite Lines:

Jo assumed an indifferent air, which did not deceive anyone a particle... (p. 145).


Possible Discussion Questions:

Do you find Jo more sympathetic or less after she confesses she's crying in the night over losing her hair, not over her father's peril?

"The March Family Letters" -- a Guest Review by Birdie

The March Family Letters

by Birdie

With the huge popularity of 'vlog'-style adaptations of classic works of literature, it was only a matter of time before someone would adapt Little Women in this way. And lo and behold, since Christmas last year, The March Family Letters have started on YouTube. The modern day adaptation of Little Women is the first webseries by the Canadian Cherrydale Productions, but is broadcast on the Pemberley Digital channel, well-known for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Emma Approved.

In the adaptation, the four March sisters, led (or should I say coerced?) by Jo, are filming updates for their mother 'Marmee,' who is deployed. The updates vary from snippets of everyday life to Meg's 'How to' videos, Amy trying to follow current YouTube memes, and Beth performing her self-written songs. Soon, we meet some friends of the sisters, their neighbor Laurie and his tutor Joan Brooks.

Before I give my opinion about this webseries, I must say I 'binge' watched it over the last week. I never know whether this is a good idea with webseries, or whether you lose something by not following the story in small chunks over time.

With that out of the way:  I'm not a big fan of The March Family Letters. I definitely think the idea behind the vlogs is a good one. It feels natural for a family to want to update a relative, and this technique is also used in From Mansfield with Love, a webseries based on Mansfield Park which I absolutely love. No, it's the characters which trouble me. I just can't connect the loud, pushy and weird-lipstick-wearing Jo of this adaptation with Alcott's beloved Jo. Nor does Meg feel quite right; she seems cold and almost arrogant. I read a comment beneath one of the videos about Amy, how she 'made Lydia Bennet look like a responsible adult.' So yes, I can see the characters resemble those that Alcott created, but they all seem inflated, larger-than-life and somewhat unrealistic. You might notice I didn't mention Beth. That's because I like her portrayal best of the four sisters so far. She's quiet, shy, but clearly talented, and loves her sisters and home-life very much. As to Laurie, I reserve my judgement, because I feel we haven't gotten to know him well enough. Which is in itself a little point of criticism, I feel like his closeness with the March sisters came out of nowhere.

So far, in the story line, I have not seen a lot of big changes from the novel. Of course there are the necessary changes to adapt a 19th century story to the modern-day, but they are done quite cleverly, I think. One example is how Amy's revenge against Jo is portrayed -- really quite shocking! The main changes are in the characters' everyday life. Instead of dreaming of becoming a writer, Jo is now in film-school and dreams of directing her own movies. This annoys me for some reason: Jo should just be a writer. Meg does a program in business engineering and Beth plays the guitar instead of the piano. And, maybe you understood from my short synopsis above: John Brooke has been changed into a woman, which might lead to a pretty big change later in the story.

What I also really miss in this series is the presence of Marmee. She doesn't necessarily need to be present in the videos herself, but her presence in the lives of her daughters is very much missed. In the novel she is such an important example and teacher for the girls, and here they have to discover and learn everything by themselves. There have not yet been a lot of learning moments by the characters, though there were a few poignant moments in the last episodes, so I have hope the series is finding its pace and its heart.

If you are a big fan of Little Women and the characters of Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy you might want to content yourself with the novel and the excellent adaptations already out there. But, if you're curious what these four sisters would be like in our 21th century, you could give The March Family Letters a try. I think I'll keep following it for a while and give the characters some time to develop and grow. Maybe they will grow on me!


(Note from Hamlette:  Thanks for this enlightening review, Birdie!  I'm hoping to find a bit of time to try this series for myself.)

Little Women Read-Along: Secrets (Ch. 14)

In which Jo secretly submits two of her stories for publication.  I so identify with that desire for secrecy -- what if the stories aren't accepted?  Better to keep the whole thing to yourself until you know you've succeeded.  Then no one can laugh or commiserate with you if you fail.

But anyway, I love Jo and Laurie's discussion as they walk home.  Such great pals!  Of course, you know I loved the part where Jo wants Laurie to teach her to fence so they can play Hamlet and Laertes :-)  I'm really struck by that comparison for the two of them.  Hamlet and Laertes grew up together in Elsinore, and presumably they palled around together as youngsters.  But then Hamlet went to Wittenburg University, and Laertes went to France, much like Jo goes to New York while Laurie goes to Europe.  Hamlet fell in love with Laertes' sister, much like Laurie marries Jo's sister.  Hamlet and Laertes fought each other, but made peace eventually, and Jo and Laurie of course have their falling out later on, but also make up.  So this comparison is a nifty little bit of foreshadowing, I think.  Though I rather think Jo switched who was who -- Laurie has much more of Hamlet's moodiness, and no sisters.

And then Laurie tells Jo his secret, which really isn't exactly his to tell:  Mr. Brooke has kept Meg's glove.  Jo is upset because she hates change and can see that Meg will be leaving the nest before long.  I hate change too, so I identify really strongly with Jo through the whole chapter.

Finally, hurrah for Jo!  Her stories get published!  She doesn't get paid for them, but it's a start :-)  Much like the for-the-love markets today, eh?


Favorite Lines:

Lying back on the sofa, she read the manuscript carefully through, making dashes here and there, and putting in many exclamation points, which looked like little balloons (p. 132).

Jo's eyes sparkled, for it is always pleasant to be believed in, and a friend's praise is always sweeter than a dozen newspaper puffs (p. 136).

"Don't try to make me grow up before my time, Meg.,,. Let me be a little girl as long as I can" (p. 137).

Possible Discussion Questions:

Do you think Laurie really expected Jo to be pleased by Mr. Brooke's interest in Meg?

Little Women Read-Along: Castles in the Air (Ch. 13)

I don't usually do GIFs, but this is my favorite Laurie moment in the 1994,
and he's so mischievous here that I had to include it.

The beginning of this chapter was supposed to make me think frowningly about how badly behaved Laurie had been, but I have to admit it made me laugh instead, when I got to the part where he had "frightened the maidservants half out of their wits by mischievously hinting that one of his dogs was going mad" (p. 124).  That just brings all sorts of hilarious images to my mind.

But anyway, he discovers the March girls have a Busy Bee Society he hasn't been invited to, and they say they've been doing this for quite a while... so why is this day the first time he's noticed them going off in their old hats to play pilgrims?  Hmmmmmm.

I find it interesting that of all the castles they've built in the air, the only one who gets what she wants is Beth.  And what she wants is what she already has -- she is "perfectly satisfied" (p. 128) with her life.  

By the end of the chapter, Laurie has been soothed out of his "mood" and resolves secretly to "let my castle go, and stay with the dear old gentleman while he needs me, for I am all he has" (p. 131).  And that makes me love Laurie all the more -- much more than his mischievousness or his high spirits or his eagerness to please the girls earlier.

Favorite Lines:

"You'd have nothing but horses, inkstands, and novels in yours," answered Meg petulantly.

Possible Discussion Questions:

If they'd achieved their castles in the air, which of them (not including Beth) do you think would be the happiest?  Would any of them be happy?

Beth March: A Guest Post by Olivia

Beth March

by Olivia (Arwen)

Hello, people! 

I'd like to talk about my favorite character from Little Women:  Beth.  (Of course, her full name is Elizabeth, but why would we ever call little Bethie by her full name?)  Oh, and this is my first attempt at a character sketch, so… please be patient ;-)

(If this is your first reading of LW -- gasp! -- then you should be aware that there will be spoilers in this post.)

At the start of Little Women, Beth is described thus: 

"A rosy, smooth-haired, bright-eyed girl of thirteen, with a shy manner, a timid voice, and a peaceful expression, which was seldom disturbed.  Her father called her "Little Tranquility," and the name suited her excellently; for she seemed to live in a happy world of her own, only venturing out to meet the few whom she trusted and loved." (Chapter 1 of Book I,  "Playing Pilgrims") 

The reason Beth is my favorite is that she's so thoughtful and considerate and selfless.  Take, for example, when she visits the Hummels even when she's not feeling well, and in so doing, she contracts a fever that permanently robs her of health, and eventually takes her life.

She works quietly for her family's benefit, helping Hannah, making the house bright with little "Beth touches," caring for the kittens, etc.  I love this quote that Alcott used to describe her:  "There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully, that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind."  (Chapter 4 of Book I, "Burdens")

At one point, Jo refers to Beth as her conscience, but honestly, I think she's the conscience of all three of her sisters.  She's the peacemaker, as Alcott says.  She's the constant -- always there for her sisters when they return from whatever flights of fancy or derring-do they've last completed.  During Beth's first bout of sickness, I'm especially struck by how Amy suddenly realizes how much Beth means to her.  "[Amy] went to her little chapel, and, sitting in the twilight, prayed for Beth with streaming tears and an aching heart, feeling that a million turquoise rings would not console her for the loss of her gentle little sister."  (Chapter 19 of Book I, "Amy's Will") 

Speaking of her sickness…

Another thing I admire about Beth is her childlike faith in God, especially when she realizes that she will never fully recover.  "She could not say, 'I’m glad to go,' for life was very sweet to her; she could only sob out, 'I’ll try to be willing.'" (Chapter 13 of Book II, "Beth’s Secret")  She just resigns herself, not in a trite, self-martyring way, but in the sweetest, simplest act of letting go, the beauty of which occasionally takes my breath away. 

What remarkable trust resides in that small, frail body!  What a capacious heart, what a pure religion, what patience, what peace.  In the fullest sense of the word, I think I can honestly say that Beth inspires me.  I want to be like her -- sunshine in my home, gentleness embodied, willing to take the Lord's hand and follow Him wherever He might lead, saying merely, "Yes, Lord."  (I've got a long way to go.)

"Seeing [Beth "weaning herself from life"] did more for Jo than the wisest sermons, the saintliest hymns, the most fervent prayers that any voice could utter; for… she recognized the beauty of her sister's life -- uneventful, unambitious, yet full of the genuine virtues which 'smell sweet, and blossom in the dust;' the self-forgetfulness that makes the humblest on earth remembered soonest in heaven, the true success which is possible to all." (Chapter 17 of Book II, "The Valley of the Shadow")

(Hamlette's Note:  Thanks so much for writing this guest post, Olivia/Arwen!  You've highlighted Beth's sweetness and light so well.)

Little Women Read-Along: Camp Laurence (Ch. 12)

(Source)

What a jolly chapter!  A little romantic intrigue, some encouragement for Jo from Marmee, and then a fun picnic outing with Laurie and his friends.  I especially like the game of "Rig-marole," as we used to play something like that when I was a kid, only we called it Silly Stories.

Got to admit I don't have much else to say today.  We've got a hint of romance, with Meg's missing glove and Mr. Brooke being so attentive of her at the picnic, but she's pretty unaware so far... or so Alcott says, anyway!  But not a particularly meaty chapter.

Favorite Lines:

"Snuffbox," said Jo, in a sepulchral tone, which convulsed the audience (p. 116).

Possible Discussion Questions:

Do you think it's realistic for Meg to be so unaware of Mr. Brooke's interest?

When was the last time you went on a picnic?  Do you enjoy picnics?  Have any favorite picnic recipes or traditions?  Please share!

The Bookshelf Tag

Natalie at Raindrops on Roses & Whiskers on Kittens started this tag a few days ago, and it's such fun I totally wanted to play.  There are zero rules about tagging -- if anyone wants to do this, then do it!  It would be nice of you to link back to Natalie's blog, though, if you decide to do the tag.

Some "rules":

The book(s) you answer with must be from your bookshelf.

And include a picture of your bookshelf if you'd like to and if possible (if not, no big deal. Include pictures of your dream bookshelf, if you wish!)


Describe your bookshelf (or wherever it is you keep your books-it doesn't actually have to be a shelf!) and where you got it from:

We bought these three bookcases the first year we were married.  They're just cheapy $20 cases from Walmart, but they've lasted us 13 years and 4 major moves, so hooray for them!  This is where I have all my fiction and history books.

This pale shelf we bought after we moved here.  It has my Shakespeare stuff, books about writing, poetry, sheet music, and books about pop culture.

The shorter shelf holds all kinds of old Readers Digests from the '50s and '60s -- my husband got them the first year we were married, when he was working for our college.  He helped clean the library, and they were going to throw out all of these!  He asked if he could take them to our apartment instead of the dumpster, and then we randomly found the little shelf thingie by the dumpster that same week.  Serendipity at its finest!

And these two almost-black shelves have my homeschooling stuff, Cowboy's text books that he thinks he'll reference some time, all our books about religion and parenting, and his collection of comic strip books.

(Note:  I didn't take pictures of my children's books or most of my junior fiction and YA novels.  Those are in the living room, kitchen, and basement, and I'm not going to focus on them in this tag.)


Do you have any special or different way of organizing your books?

I have all my fiction shelved alphabetically by author's last name, and multiple books by the same author are either in alphabetical order by title or in series order if it's a series.  My poetry, books on writing, Shakespeare and books involving Shakespeare, books about movies and TV shows, and music books are all grouped together.  History books are grouped by era -- WWII together, Civil War together, etc.  My teaching books are together, and one of these days I'll put all the nonfiction-but-written-like-a-novel books together (i.e. Laura Ingalls Wilder, James Herriot, and probably Thor Heyerdahl).  There are three shelves full of TBRs.

Sherlock Holmes gets his own shelf, for all my pastiches, literary analyses, etc.

What's the thickest (most amount of pages) book on your shelf?

The Unabridged William Shakespeare is 1421 pages counting notes and glossary and index, 1318 of actual text.

What's the thinnest (least amount of pages) book on your shelf?

Not counting children's books on their shelves, but books on mine, it's The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, at a whopping 54 pages.

Is there a book you received as a birthday gift?

SO MANY!  I often write in them if they're gifts, when I got them and from whom.  For instance, my copy of A Room with a View by E. M. Forster says, "from Mom, birthday 2013" inside the front cover.

What's the smallest (height- and width-wise) book on your shelf?

I have three teeeeeeeeeeeny books that are all the same size!  Jane Austen:  Her Complete Novels in One Sitting, William Shakespeare:  The Complete Plays in One Sitting, and Sherlock Holmes:  The Essential Mysteries in One Sitting.  These are each 2 3/4 inches wide, 3 1/4 inches tall, and the Austen and Holmes are each 19/20th of an inch thick, but Shakespeare is 1 and 1/20th of an inch thick.

Here they are, on top of my massive Unabridged Shakespeare to compare:

What's the biggest (height- and width- wise) book on your shelf?

For height, it's D-DAY:  Operation Overlord:  From the Landing at Normandy to the Liberation of Paris, edited by Bernard C. Nalty, which is 13 1/2 inches tall and 10 1/4 wide.  Thickest, inch-wise, is The Complete History of World War II by Francis Trevelyan Miller, Litt.D., LL.D., which is 3 inches thick and superbly heavy.  It was copyrighted in 1945 and I love how first-hand an account it is.

Is there a book from a friend on your shelf?

Again, so very many.  I have great friends :-)  My sister-in-law and friend gave me Peace Like a River by Leif Enger last fall, not for a birthday or Christmas, but just because.

Most expensive book?

As in, one I personally paid the most for?  Hmm.  I bought my copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows brand-new when they first came out, and they say "$29.99" inside their covers, so that's probably about what I paid for them.  I buy most of my books used or find them as cheap as I can because if I didn't... egad.  I'd either be deeply in debt or not have very many books.

The last book you read on your shelf?

Persuasion by Jane Austen.  Everything else I've finished lately has been from the library.

Of all the books on your shelf, which was the first you read?

By myself?  On those shelves?  Those exact copies?  Probably Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.

Do you have more than one copy of a book?

No.  What kind of weirdo would have more than one copy of a book?

Okay, you're right, I'm that kind of weirdo.  I have 5 copies of Jane Eyre, two of Persuasion, Northanger Abbey and Pride and Prejudice, and more copies of Hamlet than  I care to admit to.  Also, I just bought a second copy of The Lord of the Rings exactly like the copy I already have so that, when they get old enough, my kids can read a copy that doesn't have all my notes in the margins.

Do you have the complete series of any book series?

Indubitably.

You'd like me to elaborate?  I have all the Harry Potter books, all the Anne of Green Gables books, all of Patrick O'Brian's naval novels, all the Narnia books, all the Eragon books, all the original Sherlock Holmes stories, all of Jan Karon's Mitford books except the newest one, and let's not get started on all the junior fiction series I have all of....

What's the newest addition to your shelf?

I bought a whole bunch of books at the thrift store yesterday, so my newest additions are:

• Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
• Becoming Jane Eyre by Sheila Kohler
• The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carre
• Kate's Choice by Louisa May Alcott
• Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart
• Night Without End by Alistair MacLean

What book has been on your shelf FOREVER?

Not counting children's books and junior fiction... probably my Anne of Green Gables set, which my parents gave me when I was about ten.

What's the most recently published book on your shelf?

Very likely John Wayne:  The Life and Legend by Scott Eyman, which was published in 2014.  I got it for Christmas from Dad and haven't started it yet.

The oldest book on your shelf (as in, the actual copy is old)?

Hmm.  I have a copy of Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore that's copyrighted 1909.  I also have a copy of Jane Eyre that I suspect is older, but it doesn't bear a copyright date.

A book you won?

I've won several, but the first one I ever won in a blog giveaway was Jane Austen Made Me Do It edited by Laurel Ann Nattress.

A book you'd hate to let out of your sight (aka a book you never let someone borrow)?

My first copy of Jane Eyre, which my friend Julie gave me long ago.

Most beat up book?

That really old copy of Lorna Doone I mentioned.  The front cover comes off, as do the first few pages.  In my defense, that book came to me in that condition.

Most pristine book?

Um, any one of several brand-new books I haven't read yet?

A book from your childhood?

A book?  A book?  I have boxes and boxes of books from my childhood.  My kids read them now, more and more all the time as they age.  I didn't take pictures of them for this, but we have two half-sized book cases full of books for them.

EDIT:  I just realized I do have a book from my childhood on "my" shelves.  It's my copy of A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, which is with my poetry books.

A book that's not actually your book?

There are quite a few of my husband's books on our non-fiction shelves, though only a few on the fiction shelves. Those are Roots by Alex Haley and a couple books by Larry Niven.

A book with a special/different cover (e.g. leather bound, soft fuzzy cover etc.)?

The Love Poems of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning has a fabric cover with gold embellishments, and the edges of the pages are tinted purple.

A book that is your favorite color?

This is part of my favorite Christian historical fiction series, and my favorite book of the six.  I swear the fact that it's purple had no influence on my love it, though -- I read a totally different edition when I first read these.

(It looks much more purple in person.)

Book that's been on your shelf the longest that you STILL haven't read?

I bought The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower by C. Northcote Parkinson when I was in college and still haven't read it.  Sigh.  One of these days!  It's only been about 15 years....

Any signed books?

A couple.  I got my copy of Fahrenheit 451 signed by Ray Bradbury when I was in college, and I got my copy of The Beekeeper's Apprentice signed by Laurie R. King when I lived in Connecticut.