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A review by emmaisnotavampire
Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I know my review is incredibly biased, that since this book is a childhood favourite for both me and my mother I grew up loving it and it is extremely unlikely that I will change my mind on it, but come on, give me a reason not to give it five stars.
Yes, precisely. There is no reason. It is an absolute comfort read for all people of all ages, all genders, all ethnicities and so on. I would recommend it to anyone at any time.
It was not my first time reading it, though I had originally read it in the Italian translation, so I still managed to find something new within this old flame of mine, a different shade of meaning, a different sound, a different perspective. It might also be, however, that it was not just the language that made these two experiences varied: I am now in the same age range of the characters, going through (the modern equivalent of) the same things, and I feel like I can understand so many things a lot better. Setting down, finding your place in the world, pursuing your ambitions, the complicated dynamics of love… all these things I only knew in theory when I first read this, but oh how they hit different now.
Personally, I was once conflicted, but a reread made it so clear to me that Jo and Laurie were not made for one another. Laurie is not intellectual enough for Jo, and she is not materialistic enough for him: their priorities are way too far apart. They are the most amazing pair of friends, that I agree with, but as lovers they would have never worked out; I am glad he ended up with Amy instead, and now that I was prepared for it I could actually appreciate them together, see the similarities in their personalities that made them a good couple. Sure, maybe she was a little bit of a rebound at first, but I do not believe she was in the end, for they seem to have found a perfect symbiosis in their marriage that Jo could have never brought. Who says one cannot fall in love twice?
Yes, precisely. There is no reason. It is an absolute comfort read for all people of all ages, all genders, all ethnicities and so on. I would recommend it to anyone at any time.
It was not my first time reading it, though I had originally read it in the Italian translation, so I still managed to find something new within this old flame of mine, a different shade of meaning, a different sound, a different perspective. It might also be, however, that it was not just the language that made these two experiences varied: I am now in the same age range of the characters, going through (the modern equivalent of) the same things, and I feel like I can understand so many things a lot better. Setting down, finding your place in the world, pursuing your ambitions, the complicated dynamics of love… all these things I only knew in theory when I first read this, but oh how they hit different now.
Personally, I was once conflicted, but a reread made it so clear to me that Jo and Laurie were not made for one another. Laurie is not intellectual enough for Jo, and she is not materialistic enough for him: their priorities are way too far apart. They are the most amazing pair of friends, that I agree with, but as lovers they would have never worked out; I am glad he ended up with Amy instead, and now that I was prepared for it I could actually appreciate them together, see the similarities in their personalities that made them a good couple. Sure, maybe she was a little bit of a rebound at first, but I do not believe she was in the end, for they seem to have found a perfect symbiosis in their marriage that Jo could have never brought. Who says one cannot fall in love twice?