"Now and then, in this workaday world, things do happen in the delightful storybook fashion, and what a comfort it is."
This is my very favorite book.
(Besides the Bible, of course.)
It was the first American children's classic - in other words, I really couldn't have a more cliche favorite. Except maybe those Anne of Green Gables books. Oops, they're my second favorite. Anyway, I wanted this to be my first post, but it just seemed too obvious. So here I am at post #2.
The thing is, Little Women deserves to be so well-loved. I will not go droning on about the reasons for its fame - that's kind of obnoxious - but I think it can be summed up in one word. Love.
Of course there aren't any good stories without love (here we go with the cliches again), but not in all good stories is the love made so obvious. That's what is so special about Little Women. Louisa May Alcott is not a fan of subtlety! Sometimes she pauses the story to point out a lesson. (That sounds like it would be annoying, but it's not.) The Marches are based on her real family, and you can see the love she had for them in the love the Marches have for each other. When the girls' world falls apart, God's love holds them up.
It makes excellent comfort reading.
Just in case you don't know the premise of Little Women... Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy are sisters living in Civil War-era America. Each girl is lovable and relatable in her own way: Jo, the bookworm who likes adventures; Meg, the proper older sister; Beth, the shy and faithful homebody; and Amy, the artist and "flower of the family", with a temper that nearly matches Jo's. The book follows them from girlhood to womanhood, through sorrow and joy. There's a good amount of romance, if you're into that, but not too much if you aren't. "Jo couldn't even lose her heart in a decorous manner, but sternly tried to quench her feelings; and, failing to do so, led a somewhat agitated life."
At the risk of making it sound sentimental, Little Women is a history of events that shaped the March girls' hearts - from dances and haircuts to proposals and pilgrim journeys.
"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." - 1 Corinthians 13:7-8a (ESV)
Bonus: The 1994 Little Women is one of my very favorite movies. I've seen all four, and this is the best. (Also, the music is beautiful. I have it on CD.) It's especially fun to watch at Christmastime!
Comentários