Comments | littlewomen_fic: Little Women

lillian_raven in littlewomen_fic

Little Women - Read-a-Long

Feb 12, 2012 10:57

Hello and welcome,

to this read-a-long where we can discuss every minor fact about Little Women I. Every chapter has its own discussion under thread and you can post everything you want about this chapter.
What you love, like or hate.
What you find curious or cute.
Whatever you find worth discussing in this chapter.

( Read more... )

book: little women, discussion, read-a-long

Comments 62

Comments lillian_raven February 12 2012, 09:59:20 UTC

Here you can ask questions, talk about the read-a-long or whatever you want to say about it. :)

Re: Comments chiana606 February 12 2012, 13:25:39 UTC

Is there a date to read each chapter by, or something like that?

Will work on making a tag! Let's see how long the barely working internet let's me play tonight. If the internet doesn't shut down on me again, there'll be a tag in the next few minutes.

Re: Comments lillian_raven February 12 2012, 15:28:29 UTC

Nope there is no date. You will comment when you have read the chapter. :)

Thanks for the tag. :D

General informations about your edition lillian_raven February 12 2012, 10:00:18 UTC

Like the title says. Everything about your edition which doesn't fit into the other threads.

German edition lillian_raven February 12 2012, 10:21:43 UTC

I read the book in my mother tongue which is German. In Germany Little Women is called 'Betty und ihre Schwestern' which means 'Betty and her sisters.'

To be exact I read this version

( ... )

Re: German edition idahophoenix February 12 2012, 17:00:01 UTC

What an odd choice for the title...it makes Beth the star, the pivot. I wonder why. Also, I don't remember a camping chapter...hmmmm...thanks for your summary below. I'll have to get reading and compare.

Re: German edition lillian_raven February 13 2012, 13:18:24 UTC

In one of the first translations Meg name is changed into Betty and Beth is called Meg. You don't believe how confusing this is...

I think Beth as Betty is better because persoanlly I thought it fits. Beths life and especially her death changed so much for her sisters.

Also the translation of the words Little Women sounds horrible and boring...

Chapter 1 - PLAYING PILGRIMS lillian_raven February 12 2012, 10:01:07 UTC

In this, the opening chapter, the reader meets the four main characters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. The girls are trying to decide what to get each other for Christmas. This year, however, their father is away at war and funds are limited. The girls finally decide that they will each by a gift for Marmee instead of a gift for themselves. When Marmee returns home, the girls learn that she has received a letter from their father. The girls and their mother gather in front of the fire and read the letter.

Re: Chapter 1 - PLAYING PILGRIMS gehayi February 12 2012, 21:00:20 UTC

Finished Chapter 1! And I read it online, looking up a few things as I read.

Undine and Sintram seems to be two different stories originally written in German by Baron Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué (1777-1842): Undine, or The Water-Spirit and Sintram,[sic] and His Companions, both of which were translated into English by a Reverend Thomas Tracy. According to the preface, Tracy's translation seems to have been published in 1842.

Given that the book opens in December 1862, Jo isn't coveting a best-seller that was just published. She wants a book that has been out for the past twenty years.

The Witch's Curse: An Operatic Tragedy, which Jo and her sisters mention and which they perform in the next chapter, was based on a play that Alcott herself wrote called Norna; or, The Witch's Curse. You can read the plotline--which is quite complex--here, on page 226. It had fourteen scenes. Louisa's sister Anna said of it: "To introduce into one short scene a bandit, two cavaliers, a witch, and a fairy spirit--all enacted by two people-- ( ... )

Re: Chapter 1 - PLAYING PILGRIMS lillian_raven February 13 2012, 13:26:29 UTC

In my version she also says "dishes and dusting" and this would also be fitting because she has hated her dry hands...

Re: Chapter 1 - PLAYING PILGRIMS chiana606 February 17 2012, 21:16:59 UTC

I've got dishes and dusters, and I took dusters to mean feather dusters, or the tool used for dusting.

It was cool to see a mention of Undine and Sintram in Little Women. It plays a sort of big role in Jo's Boys, but I'd forgot it was mentioned so very early on in the series. Guess Jo's taste in literature doesn't change much over the years. The book supposedly has all sorts of awesome moral lessons.

Thread 12

Chapter 2 - A MERRY CHRISTMAS lillian_raven February 12 2012, 10:01:35 UTC

The girls wake early on Christmas morning to discover that their mother has placed a different colored book under each of their pillows. They prepare breakfast and then sacrifice it to another family in need down the street. The girls then give Marmee her gifts and perform a play, Operatic Tradegy. Dinner comes as a surprise to the girls when they learn that old Mr. Laurence has provided them with ice cream, bonbons, and flowers.

Re: Chapter 2 - A MERRY CHRISTMAS lillian_raven February 13 2012, 13:35:32 UTC

I'm confused. Who played who during the play? Also it really sounds like fun. It's like one of these cheap romance books. *g*

The first 'meeting' between the girls and Mr. Laurence is great. His present is great and really fitting. The same I can say for the presents from their marmee!

This reminds me I love it that they use "Marmee" instead of mum (which sounds to modern) or mother (which sounds to strict).

nocoward_soul February 14 2012, 17:16:26 UTC

I always thought the books were Bibles, and "the best life ever lived" was Jesus. But other people think it's Pilgrim's Process.

I love that Amy volunteers to take the cream and muffins.

lillian_raven February 14 2012, 17:21:56 UTC

I thought the same! The bible and Jesus as the main role sounds more fitting. Especially with their father.

Also... what is "Pilgrim's Process"? I never heard about this book/story.

Thread 8

Chapter 3 - THE LAURENCE BOY lillian_raven February 12 2012, 10:02:00 UTC

Jo and Meg attend a New Year's Eve party at Mrs. Gardiner's house. There is much commotion getting the two girls ready as they try to make the best of their old dresses and gloves. Jo tries to curl Meg's hair but only burns the ends off in a great tragedy. At the party, Jo meets Laurence, the grandson of old Mr. Laurence. He tells Jo that he would like to be called Laurie instead of his given name, Theodore, because classmates had teased him in the past. The girls return from the party and share their experiences with their sisters.

Re: Chapter 3 - THE LAURENCE BOY lillian_raven February 13 2012, 14:31:31 UTC

The ball scene is one of my favorites in the 94 movie but in the book it is so... boring. Idk but maybe I wished for more dialogue between Laurie and Jo?

Nevertheless the short scenes before and after the ball with the sisters were great. It shows their wonderful relationship!

Re: Chapter 3 - THE LAURENCE BOY chiana606 February 20 2012, 13:06:36 UTC

I'm curious, since you're very much not into the Laurie/Jo romance-ship, how you generally feel about their canon scenes together in the book. Do you enjoy reading them? Or is it something you sort of skim the way I do any description of the plays the girls perform.

Re: Chapter 3 - THE LAURENCE BOY lillian_raven February 20 2012, 16:58:42 UTC

No I read and also like their scenes because I love them as best friends. Their friendship is cute and I always only saw Lauries 'love' as a crush phase during a normal friendship so I never could ship them. Nevertheless I love their scenes together.

I admit the only scenes where I skim through are the later scenes with Meg and John. I often thought their romance is nice but slightly boring. It is enough to read their love story only one time except five, six and more times like I do it with the Amy/Laurie scenes.

Thread 8