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Little Men: Life at Plumfield with Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott

1 review

chalkletters's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Finally, I get to revisit the March family. I was particularly excited to reread Little Men because all I remember about reading it the first time was a confusion of boys’ names. Like the younger siblings in What Katy Did, I struggled to remember which name was attached to which personality, and which children were related, friends, or connected to which others and which adult. I’m glad to say that, this time around, I managed to keep much better track! 

Given my marked preference for character development, it will be unsurprising that I most loved the characters who went on a definite journey: Dan, Nat and Jack. The other children — Demi and Daisy and Stuffy and Nan — are all interesting or amusing enough, but they don’t stand out to me the way in quite the same way. And yet, as much as I like characters who learn and grow, what I really appreciated about Little Menwas all the hints at continuity. Jo is still the same Jo we left at the end of Little Women, the one who loves to exclaim and romp with Laurie and write down stories. Mr and Mrs March are still the wise presence that they’ve always been. 

Though I don’t love Little Men as much as Little Women, Louisa May Alcott’s writing can still make me tear up. I was particularly touched, this time around, by Nat’s story and all the descriptions of music and singing, especially as I’ve just been back to choir for the first time in eighteen months. It really is a joy to be able to sing with people and not worry about bothering my neighbours or being criticised for sounding ‘weird’ when I’m singing the harmony rather than the tune. 

It feels weird to review Little Men now, knowing that the stories continue in Jo’s Boys. It definitely feels as though something is missing, which hopefully will be delivered when I reread that final volume. I think, compared to Little Women, Little Men is a little more shallow, as it would almost have to be, with its much larger cast of main characters. Still, it was nice to dip back into Louisa May Alcott’s writing, and I look forward to doing so again before too long.
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