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Little Women
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Little Women Paperback - 2008

by Louisa May Alcott


About this book

Little Women (or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy) is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Written and set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts, it was published in two parts in 1868 and 1869. The novel follows the lives of four sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March—on their way into adulthood while their father serves as a chaplain in the American Civil War. 

Although it is not based on a true story, it is loosely inspired by the author's childhood experiences with her three sisters and her father’s educational philosophy. Amos Bronson Alcott, a pioneer of “progressive education,” was a notable intellectual at the time. 

The book was an assignment of Alcott’s editor Thomas Niles, who wanted a novel for young women for the Robert Brothers publishing catalog. Although she initially despised the idea of writing a "girls' story," once she started, her writing became feverish. The first volume was published in 1868 with illustrations by Louisa’s younger sister May - the inspiration for the character of ‘Amy’ in the novel. It became an immediate hit, and the initial printing of two thousand copies sold out in two weeks. Little Women's original book cover was maroon cloth with gilt lettering, and it has become one of the most iconic Little Women book covers. 

The second part of the novel was issued in 1869, under the title of Good Wives in the UK. The novel is still published separately in some instances, although starting in 1880 the two parts were published as one single volume under Little Women in the US.

Little Women has been adapted into a film on four different occasions. The first one was George Cukor’s 1933 version, which cast Katharine Hepburn as Jo, followed by the 1949 Mervyn LeRoy adaptation, and the 1994 film directed by Gilliam Armstrong, the first one directed, adapted, and produced by women. The most recent version was in 2019 by director Greta Gerwig and stars Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan, and Eliza Scanlen. 

Alcott’s most successful work has had notable cultural relevance all over the world. The ambitious and free-spirited Jo March has inspired women writers since its publication. Her unpretentious depiction of the March sisters and their aims and frustrations distinguish the work from the pious and moral tales of the time. 

If you are looking for books like Little Women, the novel has two sequels that constitute an unofficial trilogy: Little Men: Life at Plumfield with Jo’s Boys (1871), which tells the story of Jo Bhaer (formerly March), Professor Bhaer, and the children at Plumfield Estate School; and the followup, Jo’s Boys and How They Turned Out (1886).

Summary

A story of 4 young women and their varied adventures

From the publisher

Come laugh and cry with the March family in this beloved classic. Meg - the sweet-tempered one. Jo - the smart one. Beth - the shy one. Amy - the sassy one.
Together they're the March sisters. Their father is away at war and times are difficult, but the bond between the sisters is strong. Through sisterly squabbles, happy times and sad, their four lives follow different paths, and that discover the growing up is sometimes very hard to do. . . This edition includes an introduction by Louise Rennison, and a behind-the-scenes journey, including an author profile, a guide to who's who, activities and more.

First Edition Identification

The first US edition of Little Women was published in 1868 by the Roberts Brothers, Boston and includes an advertisement in the back pricing Little Women at $1.25. The second part was published in 1869. Each volume is illustrated with a frontispiece and three plates; those in the first part of Little Women were created by the author’s sister, May. Originally bound in purple cloth with gold lettering. The first UK edition was published by Sampson Low in 1869.

Details

  • Title Little Women
  • Author Louisa May Alcott
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition [ Edition: First
  • Pages 816
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Puffin Books, New York
  • Date 2008-04-01
  • Features Glossary, Table of Contents
  • ISBN 9780142408766 / 014240876X
  • Weight 1.04 lbs (0.47 kg)
  • Dimensions 6.8 x 4.9 x 2.4 in (17.27 x 12.45 x 6.10 cm)
  • Ages 10 to UP years
  • Grade levels 5 - UP
  • Reading level 640
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 1851-1899
    • Catalog Heading: Classics
    • Cultural Region: New England
    • Curriculum Strand: Language Arts/Literature
    • Geographic Orientation: Massachusetts
    • Locality: Boston-Worcester, Mass.
    • Topical: Family
  • Library of Congress subjects Sisters, New England
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2008274335
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

About the author

Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) grew up in Concord, Massachusetts, and began her writing career at an early age, with short stories for newspapers and magazines. What began as a series of stories in the 1860s became the classic American children's novel we know today as Little Women.
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Little Women (Puffin Classics)
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Little Women (Puffin Classics)

by Alcott, Louisa May

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Little Women (Puffin Classics)
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Little Women (Puffin Classics)

by Alcott, Louisa May

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ISBN 10
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Little Women (Puffin Classics)
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Little Women (Puffin Classics)

by Alcott, Louisa May

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ISBN 10
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Little Women (Puffin Classics)
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Little Women (Puffin Classics)

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by Alcott, Louisa May

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ISBN 10
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Little Women (Puffin Classics)

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Little Women (Puffin Classics)

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ISBN 13
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ISBN 10
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