The mark of a true classic, I’m beginning to think, is the ability of the book to change over time. Not the text or the length, but what the reader gets from it, understands, and loves. This year, as I embark to read and re-read whatever tickles my fancy, I returned to Little Women – a book I read at about 12 – and was not prepared for the wonder that the book is. I picked it up again because of nostalgia and am now treasuring it for the wisdom and comfort I can better appreciate now over a decade since my first reading.
For any not familiar with the tale, Little Women follows the four March girls – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy – as they live life and grow up together. Set toward the end of the Civil War and published in 1868, the story gives a gentle peak into a different way of life, but with worries, jealousies, loves, and cares all the same. Each of the girls has a different temperament and a different way of handling the challenges they face, all the while patiently shepherded by their mother, who they affectionately call Marmee.
It will be no surprise to those who know me when I say that I’ve always seen myself as Jo. I remember so vividly rejoicing and hurting along with her as her life took different twists and turns, aching when I felt Amy got something she should’ve had (no spoilers here). Reading it again has made me appreciate the bigger picture, understand things I did not the first time, and marvel at how such a quiet, wholesome book can teach such powerful lessons. While I fell in love with the girls’ story at 12, I feel I’ve grown with them more at 28.
Not many books, I believe, can stand the test of time – can be loved in such different ways over long periods of time – but Little Women stands the test of time in such a quietly remarkable way. It’s just a story of a little family and four girls, but the lessons it teaches and the journey it takes you on is something I would encourage everyone (man or women) to take part in.
I love these little women and hope to be more and more like them as I grow up.
2% Rating: 10/10
Recommend? With a passion.
Re-Read? Absolutely. Let’s see what new things I learn a decade from now.
Time: 2:00
Bonus Content: This is a sad book, but I found myself crying at different parts than I expected to on this re-read. I found myself tearing up at the girls’ growth, at the moments of quiet fortitude, and the moments of joyful maturity.