In January 2021, my cohosts of this linkup and I decided to read Wuthering Heights together. Nineteen books later, we continue to explore the classics.
Here are the books we’ve read so far, with my personal ratings beside them. What I love about book discussions is that someone’s beloved five-star read is someone else’s low-star. It also amazes me how our book ratings can change dramatically when rereading at different points in time. Regardless of the rating, I learned heaps from each discussion. Although there were several five-star reads for me on this list, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and ‘Great Expectations’ were my absolute favourites.
Wuthering Heights
Agnes Grey
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Jane Eyre
Villette
The Professor
Shirley
Persuasion
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
Mansfield Park
Northanger Abbey
Emma
Great Expectations
Mrs. Dalloway
Alice in Wonderland
The Buccaneers
Out of Africa
To Kill a Mockingbird
Little Women
Five Stars
Four Stars
Five Stars
Five Stars
Four Stars
Three Stars
Four Stars
Four Stars
Five Stars
Five Stars
Four Stars
Four Stars
Five Stars
Four Stars
Three Stars
Four Stars
Three Stars
Four Stars
Five Stars
Three Stars
On The Struggle Bus With Little Women
Our current classic read is ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott. This is my original “guilt book” — one that has been on my bookshelf the longest (over 60 years), but I don’t remember actually reading. Although Chapter 14 did seem very familiar….so maybe?
When I entered ‘Little Women’ on my Goodreads shelf, I noticed that most readers, regardless of age, seemed to adore this book – including several friends whose taste in books I greatly admire.
I enthusiastically dug right in. Immediately, my struggles began. Yes, I know this was written 155 years ago, and the target audience was young girls. Still, I found it to be an incredibly LONG and SLOW read (my copy had 643 pages…but it felt in excess of 1000). Its moralistic, overly idealized, saccharine tone did my head in. And please don’t get me started on the “I’ll try to be good so that when Pappa comes home from war he will be proud of me!” The limited, subservient role of women (amongst other things) made me glad to be born at a much later time.
Our discussion group usually breaks large classics down into chunks to read and discuss over two or more sessions, which we did with this book. At our first meetup, I was afraid that I would be the only one who struggled with (and did not love) this book. To my huge relief, all four of us had similar views on what we had read that far. Our mutual summary was that, unlike other classics that some of us had read as children and then again as adults, this one was best left to our childhoods. Oh, and we all took an online quiz to reveal which March sister we were most like. Three of us were cast as Jos, and one was a Meg. You can find your inner Little Woman here (or here, or here).
As always, the sidebar rabbit holes aided my reading. The life of Louisa May Alcott is absolutely fascinating on numerous levels. I would gladly read much more about her. See below.
Louisa May Alcott – A Few Rabbit Hole Finds
- Louisa came from a family of prominent Transcendentalists who were friends with such notable as figures Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Her family were vegetarians (eating only vegetables that grew upwards, not downwards). They did not wear wool (because it belonged to the sheep) or cotton (because of slavery) and took only cold water baths.
2. Her family faced financial difficulties throughout her life, and she wrote to support them. She originally turned down her publisher’s request to write a book for girls (Little Women) but finally agreed so that her publisher would also accept her father’s book on philosophy.
3. She initially wrote under the penname Flora Fairfield. She also wrote Gothic thrillers under the pseudonym A.M. Barnard, which included such titles as “Pauline’s Passion and Punishment” and “A Long Fatal Love Chase.”
4. Louisa wrote ‘Little Women’ in under 10 weeks. It was published four months after she began writing it and became a rapid success.
5. There are many theories on who Laurie was based upon, ranging from Henry David Thoreau to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s son, Julien. Biographer Harriet Reisen believes Laurie was modelled after Ladislas Wisniewski (Laddie), a Polish musician Louisa met and hung out with in Europe.
6. Despite the traditional gender expectations for women often portrayed in Little Women, Louisa was a known feminist and the first woman to register to vote in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1880.
And these are only a few Louisa May highlights!
It’s In The Stars!
I’m fortunate that our classics discussion group includes author Joanne Tracey. Not only is she incredibly insightful on the classics that we read (as are our other cohosts), but I am usually able to get an early copy of what she is currently publishing. This past month, she published ‘It’s In the Stars’ and ‘Philly Barker is on the Case’ (reviewed here.) ‘It’s In the Stars’ is the final installment in her Melbourne Contemporary Romance books. I loved catching up with previous characters from this series. It was like meeting up with old friends, and it offered a deeply satisfying conclusion.
This fast-paced, enjoyable read explores breaking the rules to follow your heart. Joanne’s storytelling abilities shine through as she weaves together a compelling narrative of love, second chances, friendship, travel, good food, and how the stars can teach us more about ourselves. If that sounds like your kind of read, I highly recommend picking up not only this book but all five titles in this series. You won’t be disappointed.
What’s Been On Your Bookshelf Lately?
Have you read any of the books that I’ve mentioned above? If so, what stood out for you?
Do you have an all-time favourite classic to recommend? If so, I’d love to hear about it.
Have you read any other good books lately that you’d like to share? You can do so in the comments or via the link below.
Retirement Reflections 
I read Little Woman as a child and remember disliking Meg and Beth, loving Amy and finding Jo a bit annoying, as an adult I have loved both the recent films and now find Jo still annoying but much more likable. I am not sure I could read it now.
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Oh and fascinating about Louisa May Alcott!
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I know, right? Louisa May had an incredibly fascinating life!
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Hi, Barbara – My opinion on this (which is polar opposite of many others) is to stick with the Little Women movies in adulthood but leave the book to your childhood. It’s super interesting that the sister you liked most was Amy. From reviews that I read, she is often regarded as the least favourite sister. In the opening scenes I personally thought she was a BIG PAIN — but she did grow on my in the second half of the book.
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I think I liked Amy as a child because she was naughty…viewing her through child’s lenses!
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That makes good sense!
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I read and loved Little Women and all its sequels as a child – probably aged about 10. I cannot believe I did that! I tried to reread LW as an adult and felt exactly as you did. I gave up very early on, I just couldn’t plough through it. A book I can fecommend, if you don’t know it already, is March by Geraldine Brooks in which she imagines the father’s experiences while he is away at war and you see the family through his eyes. We read it in book group a few years ago and all liked it.
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Hi, Anabel – Phew, I am so glad not to be alone in this. Those shining Goodread reviews of Little Women really made me doubt myslef.
Thank you so much for the recommendation of March by Geraldine Brooks. Some of our cohosts are currenty reading it and absolutely love it!
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It’s been so long since I read Little Women. I think I read it along with the Five Little Peppers and How they Grew.
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Hi, Kate – I definitely read ‘The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew’ as a child. I haven’t thought of this book series for ages, but I still remember it quite vividly!
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I wanted to be a Pepper!
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I was going to mention March (Geraldine Brooks) but I see Anabel got there first. Little Women did appear to be preachy so I just had to remind myself about when it was actually written and attitudes of those days. Didn’t get far with it though, I tried but didn’t succeed. Such interesting titbits you came up with about the author – cold baths yuk.
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Hi, Cathy – Thank you for adding your recommendation of ‘March’ by Geraldine Brooks. I just ordered it from my library and was told that there would likely be an eight-week delay in me receiving it. That works for me as it allows me time to concentate on my holiday reads.
I loved the Louisa May tidbits. There were actually many more but I wanted to keep this post a relative short length. I 100% agree with you about cold baths. Brrrrrr!!!
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Love Little Women. I’ve always thought of myself as Jo, although in the quizzes I got Beth twice. Honestly though, I had trouble picking out of the given answers on most of the questions. The one where I got Jo made the most sense to me. Have you read any of the sequels – Little Men? How about Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier?
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Hi, Janet – I agree with you about the questions on many of those ‘Little Women quizes.’ My most honest answer to the majority of those questions would have been ‘none of the above.’
I have also had a copy of ‘Little Men’ on my bookshelf since childhood but I definitely did not read that book.
I did read and love ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne Du Maurier. I realize that both ‘Little Women’ and ‘Rebecca’ delve into the lives and emotions of their female protagonists and that both explore themes of identity, the societal roles of women, and the complexities of relationships. But is there another connection that I have missed? Now, I am greatly intrigued!
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I reread Little Women as an adult and had the same reaction as you, Donna. To Kill a Mockingbird remains my all time favorite. I read it every summer.
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Great minds think alike. I couldn’t be in better company!
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Such great books. I get bored reading average books and forget about these great ones.
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Hi, Jacqui – There are so many great books out there it is often hard to decide which to choose. And then like you, I forget about some of the other great ones that I really wanted to read! ❤
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The book that never gets old – The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I’ll always remember Tom’s response to being told that salting the pork was women’s work, something to the effect that there was enough work to be done; it shouldn’t matter whose job it was. And then there’s the final chapter. Haven’t even read Alice in Wonderland but White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane is a classic to me.
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Hi, Mona – I absolutely LOVE ‘Grapes of Wrath.’ I read that earlier this year and it was definitely my favourite overall read of 2023….perhaps even longer. The early scene of the old turtle crossing the dusty highway hooked me forever!
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I’m afraid I didn’t read Little Women when I was a girl. I had the book and looked in it now and then but didn’t actually read it. I scanned through an excerpt from it in a girl’s annual I was given one Christmas and found it hard going – I much preferred What Katy Did! I still feel I ought to read it as so many women eulogise about it but maybe, as you say, it’s probably best left to girls. Do modern girls read it? I know that neither of my daughters have.
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Hi, Clare – I think we had the exact same experience. I have had a copy of Little Women on my bookshelf since I was a child (yup, the exact same copy). I don’t beleive I ever read it (until recently) but like you I may have glanced through it, or read a few exerpts. I totally loved ‘What Katy Did.’
According to Google ‘Little Women’ is still relevant for girls today. As a long-standing Middle School Principal of 11 – 13 year olds, I don’t remember ever seeing a student read this.
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Exactly! I’m not sure that young people read any 19th century literature these days unless they are specialising and getting ready to go to university.
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Sadly, this may be true.
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Hi Donna, What an impressive number of classic books you’ve read and interesting tidbits about Louisa May Alcott. I’m reading mystery fiction this month. I’m about 30% into The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths, a new-to-me author. Interesting tidbit about Elly Griffiths is that her husband and herself are both archaeologists. I look forward to reading Jo’s books in December.
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Hi, Natalie – I love interesting book/author tidbits. Thank you for sharing this one. And thank you for being a regular at #WOYBS. I greatly appreciate your book recommendations.
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Hi Donna. I always loved book club as I would read books that I normally wouldn’t pick up by my own choice. There were often wonderful surprises with these books. I loved Little Women when I would young, but haven’t read it since. I can imagine reading it with todays attitudes in mind could be challenging. Putting it on my TBR for next year.
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Hi, Jennifer – I am a big fan of book clubs and until recently I was in five different ones. I have now narrowed it down to two so I can focus on hiking and travel. And also so that I can have a bit more flexibility in my reading choices. Two is working out perfectly for me (although I definitely miss past book club members).
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I don’t think I’ve read the book (maybe long ago…..) but I’ve seen several movie versions. It is definitely a book of its time. I also thought I’d be a Jo and ended up being a Beth in the quiz. And the mention of Rebecca (above) reminded me of thinking I’d watch the recent Netflix version of the book – and gave up on it because the lead female character seemed so gormless, and yet the book stayed in my head for decades after I read it.
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Hi, Leanne – I read Rebecca ten years ago and it has stayed in my head as well. I saw that Netflix movie too and although I did watch the whole thing – I have already forgotten most of the movie version.
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In the last 4 years of high school (1962-5 inclusive) we had to read novels that came from lists of Australian and British classics, including many of the ones you mentioned. Our teachers who selected the novels, eg Pride and Prej, Emma, Sense and Sensibility etc must have already been aware of the need for female students to feel included, bless them.
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The classics that I remember reading in High School included: The Pearl (John Steinbeck), A Farewell to Arms (Hemmingway), The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald), Catcher in the Rye (Salinger), Lord of the Flies (William Golding) and Hamlet (Shakespeare). I sadly do not remember being assigned any female authors to read until I was in University. 😦
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Although I’ve always loved Little Women, it irritated me that Amy was such a brat and got away with it, and I thought Beth was much too good to be true and therefore not a believable character. I also remember being so angry that Jo and Laurie didn’t wind up as a couple! LOL It’s definitely an interesting contrast in lifestyles and what was expected of girls and women to what we’re used to today!
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I know, right?! In the first half of the book, I thought Amy was a HUGE brat and did get away with so many horrible things (and also let others get in trouble for tiffs she started).
Alcott published ‘Little Women’ and the following year she published its sequel ‘Good Wives.’ These two volumes have since been combined to form what is now typically published as ‘Little Women.’ After writing the first half of ‘Little Women,’ Louisa May was set against having Jo married. However she received much pressure from her readers and publisher to have this happen. She ultimately agreed but refused to have Jo marry rich, handsome Laurie and instead had him marry the poor, unhandsome, foreign professor.
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This was a great post Donna and I admire your honesty with your Little Women reading! I have just finished it (phew) and must admit the second half was much better than the first bit but oh my how different it was reading it as a62 year old rather than when I fist read it as a 10/12 yr old! It was hard going at times and I only realised towards the end that Marmee was only 60 years old and seemed ancient int he book! All your rabbit holes are fabulous and add so many new layers to the books, especially the vegetable eating you mentioned and cold baths. Thanks for being such a fabulous co-host 🙂
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Hi, Debbie – I liked the second half of Little Women better than the first half as well. When I read the Goodread reviews, I was surprised by how many people felt the opposite. Sadly, I believe 60 was considered (and actually was) ‘old’ in Louisa’s time. Thank goodness things have changed! 😀
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I would suggest a Canadian classic “Anne of Green Gables”. I believe it stands the test of time. I haven’t reread Little Women since I was a teenager. I identified with Jo. I am sure to read with today’s lens it seems unpalatable, but I recall loving the story. Then I read Little Men and Jo’s Boys. Louise May’s life details seem interesting, but I wonder what they wore back then if silk and cotton were ethically unacceptable.
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We were set Anne of Green Gables in high school to read in English Literature, and I loved it.
Hels
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Anne of Green Gables is definitely a Canadian Classic….and is also loved worldwide. It has been translated into 36+ languages and has sold more than 50 million copies. Very impressive!
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I just re read it before we went to Prince Edward Island last year, and it’s so descriptive that I recognized easily where we were.
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Hi, Bernie – Anne of Green Gables is a great choice!
According to the rabbit holes I fell into, Louisa May Louisa and her three sisters were given linen clothing to wear, because linen did not exploit the slaves who picked cotton or deprive sheep of their wool. Truly fascinating stuff!
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I wonder who picked the flax? The Stone Angel and The Handmaiden’s Tale also came to mind as Canadian classics.
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Great question, Bernie. And I have no idea about the answer. For awhile, the Alcott’s lived on a commune called ‘Fruitland.’ However, according to sources that I’ve read, Fruitland “ranks among the more ill-conceived utopian communities ever attempted.”
Margaret Laurence and Margaret Atwood are also strong classic choices (although I am sadly not an Atwood fan).
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I’m not 100% sure I ever read Little Women either. I did see the movie a couple of years ago… does that count? I also enjoyed March and highly recommend it.
I have read several of the books on your list, including Mrs. Dalloway… I think your three stars was generous. 🙂
Lucky you to get to read Jo’s books early!
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Hi, Janis – Thank you for the additional March recommendation. I look forward to reading it.
I can totally see your point about Mrs. Dalloway. I did appreciate that this book was a revolutionary novel, with strong linguistic inventions and poetic prose. I also recognized that Woolf was a foremost proponent of stream of consciousness writing, allowing readers unparalleled access to the thoughts and emotions of characters. Still, this novel simply wasn’t for me. Other book club members persevered and after reading it, listened to it on audio. That helped them appreciate it more fully. Me? I ran away screaming! 😀
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Only vegetables that grow up?!?! Cold baths?!?!? No wonder she escaped into fiction writing 🤣. Fascinating back story on Ms. Alcott. I love your deep dives and rabbit holes, my friend!
Deb
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Thanks, Deb – Louisa May’s life is fascinating without end. In addtion to what I shared above, Louisa never went to school and grew up ‘free-range,’ she served briefly as a Union nurse in the civil war, contracted typhoid pneumonia and then mercury poisoning (from the medical treatments given to her). Louisa was also publicity shy and often posed as a servant when fans decended upon her door. Although she never married or bore children of her own, she did raise the young daughter of her sister (who had died in childbirth).
Wow! My life is now seeming very dull indeed! 😀
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An intriguing post. The only Jane Austen I have read is Pride and Prejudice which I didn’t like. Otherwise I have read all but The Buccaneers, Out of Africa, and Little Women. Having seen your details about Louisa May Alcott’s life your impressions of her book make sense. Of the others I liked best all the Brontes’ , Great Expectations, and To Kill A Mocking Bird. I’m always hard put to choose favourites, but War and Peace and Grapes of Wrath are worth a mention. You may know by now that I have just finished Dan Leno and The Limehouse Golem by Peter Ackroyd. Today I will start on Roderick Random by Tobias Smollet.
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Hi, Derrick – I stand in awe of all that you read. I read ‘Grapes of Wrath’ this past year — it was definitely my favourite read of 2023 (and beyond). I haven’t yet read ‘War and Peace’ but it has been on my TBR list for a very long time!
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You will need some time to read it 🙂 You might be interested in this review from before we found each other: https://derrickjknight.com/2022/12/05/the-grapes-of-wrath/
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Thank you for the link. I greatly look forward to reading that post.
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I majored in English Lit in undergrad so I’ve read many of these novels, but a very long time ago. I’ve read:
Wuthering Heights
Jane Eyre
Persuasion
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
Mansfield Park
Northanger Abbey
Emma
Great Expectations
Mrs. Dalloway
Alice in Wonderland
Out of Africa
To Kill a Mockingbird
Little Women
And here’s the thing, I agree with your ratings on all of them. Being dubbed a classic in and of itself doesn’t automatically mean it gets 5 Stars! Just saying…
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Hi, Ally – I also majored in English Language and Literature as an undergrad. I’m impressed that you remember what you read during that time. From your list above, I only remember reading ‘Alice in Wonderland’ as part of my English degree. I do remember reading heaps of Canadian authors and poets (Mordecai Richler, Robertson Davies, Gabriel Roy, Michael Ondaatje, Al Purdy, Irving Layton, Susanna Moodie….) as well as Sylvia Plath, Hemmingway, Chaucer and a ton of Shakespeare!
I’m super impressed that your ratings on the classics shared abofe are similar to mine. I absolutely agree that not all classics are automatically a 5-star read. ❤
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I’m afraid I’m a huge Little Women fan but having said that, I still prefer Anne of Green Gables more. I have an abridged version of Little Women when I was young (around 8) which I read over and over. I still have it. Later I read the original book which was a bit more difficult to get through but I was already in love with the characters, so I managed it. From your list, the Jane Austen books and Out of Africa are my favourites. Well done to have read so many classics!
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Hi, Darlene – I saw your 5-star rating of Little Women on Goodreads. You were one of the ‘friends whose taste in books I greatly admire’ that I mentioned in this post. Thank you for your additional recommendation for ‘Anne of Green Gables.’ Again, that’s a book that I am not sure if I read as a child or not. I definitely need to read it now to find out. ❤
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💖
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Oh I just LOVED Little Women and Alcott’s other book 8 Cousins; but I haven’t read either one since high school… and based on your review and feedback I think that is a good thing. I do think there are some books that just don’t cross that age gap well.
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That’s so true, Joanne. I think that there are some books best left to our childhoods, and some books best kept to our latter years. There have been several renditions of ‘Best Books to Read at Any Age from 1 – 100.’ One book recommendation for my current age is “65 Things To Do When You Retire” by Mark Evan Chimsky.” 😀
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Interesting perspectives in your post, Donna! I never read LW, but viewed a movie or two. I appreciated your thoughts and facts about Louisa May Alcott–she was definitely ahead of her time during her life. I could read more classics, but I always appreciate your reviews! Have a great week!
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Hi, Terri – There are always so many books that I want to read — and never enough time. I agree with you – the struggle is real! ❤
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I’m still ploughing through Little Women – and let me tell you, the field is muddy and slow. I am, however, dealing with the second half more easily than the first. Thanks also for the shout-out!
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Hoorah! I’m glad that you also like the second half more than the first as well. I had read so many reviews praising the first half and trashing the second that I was afraid to admit that I liked the second half better. ‘The field is muddy and slow’ is a wonderful description of how this read was for me as well! ❤
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Impressive as always. I did read To Kill a Mockingbird this month, remembered how I loved it 5stars. I start Go Set The Watchman and unhappily plough through
not 5 stars , oh well
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Hi, Antoinette – I’m delighted that you read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and plowed through ‘Go Set a Watchman.’ As her first book written more than 60 years ago, and remaining barely edited, ‘Go Set A Watchman’ is definitely not a 5-star read. But I did think it was a thought-provoking companion for ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ (which I agree is 5 stars+! ❤
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Hi Donna, I’ve read about half of these books. I read Little Women years ago and I did love it. I enjoyed An old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott even more. I love Jane Eyre, a personal favourite. And I liked the gothic creepiness of Wuthering Heights. Great Expectations is my favourite Dickens. Alice in Wonderland is one of my favourite children’s books. I am not a fan of To Kill a Mockingbird the first half of the book is very dull for me. I’ve read Shane Austin but find a lot of her female characters very silly and irritating.
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Hi, Robbie – I love that we all have different approaches and different thoughts on books. That makes discussions much more interesting. Our next bookclub book after this one will be Tale of Two Cities. I am greatly looking forward to it!
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I can’t wait to hear what you think
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I will definitely share my thoughts here.
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I have 12 of those books on my classics shelf (the Jane Austens are some of my faves). I’m due to reread another fave, The Scarlet Pimpernel. I love it so much that I even named my daughter after the heroine. 🙂 I have the Anne Shirley series as well, definitely. And because I was a huge fan of the musical, I have two copies of Les Misérables, but, really, I choose not to read anything so depressing these days. Glad I stumbled upon your blog. 🙂
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Thank you so much for dropping by. And for the recommendation of The Scarlet Pimpernel. I havae never read it but it is now on my list. Like you, I try to stay away from depressing books (and violent/scary ones). There’s too much of that in the world already. I am off to visit your blog now.
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I read Little Women twice as an early teen and then again a few yrs. ago. I actually loved Little Women because I grew up 4 sisters and 1 brother. I am the eldest. Sure there were stereotypes but as a teen it didn’t bother me. I didn’t relate to Meg, the eldest at all. I related more to Jo, the rebel and writer who married an older guy, the Professor.
By coincidence I have my English literature degree, plus my graduate library degree. No I don’t have children but I was with my long-time partner, several yrs. senior, before he passed.
I related to the poverty of the family too because my family was poor, father a restaurant cook his whole life, mother housewife.
English lit. studies sapped my effort of novel analysis. So much of my leisure reading in past decades..has been non-fiction. They include:
Quiet- by Susan Cain. About Introverts, how they are misunderstood but offer unique contributions to social circles, etc.
I would have to dig up more titles.. let me know what interests you for non-fiction.
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Thank you so much for stopping by with this very insightful comment. Your defense of Little Women makes sense. When we relate to well-drawn characters on a person level, they have great power to move us.
My favourite non-fiction reads this year were: Remember by Lisa Genova, A Year of Living Kindly by Donna Cameron and Pandemic Urbanism by Ali, Connolly and Keil.
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I’ve read a number of the classics here, such as Wuthering Heights and Alice in Wonderland. I remember very long time ago I tried reading ‘Little Women’ and remember having a similar experience – long and slow as you put it. Some classics are like that to me, set in a time with a plot that does not resonate or make sense to me. It’s books like these I feel okay to put aside, and say maybe for another time 😄
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I have the same edition of Little Women. My grandpa gifted to my mom and she give it to me.
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That’s so cool! I love book gifts and can never bear to part with them!
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I’ve read several of the classics you listed.
I’m glad “the Professor” gets three stars – utterly insufferable character lacking any depth! One could see that it was an early work.
I was never a fan of “Little Women” either. I find that other feminine characters from the same century, like Elizabeth Bennet, had much more personality than any of the March sisters!
Have you anything by Marguerite Yourcenar on your list? I LOVE her novels.
Presently I am reading the novel “the iguana” by Italian author Anna Maria Ortese.
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Hi Donna, I was recently thinking about LIttle Women, because I don’t think I actually read it in full as a girl, although, like you I also remember some of it. I did try to read it a few years ago and it didn’t hold my interest, so I get what you and your book club thought. There are so many great classics out there, though, aren’t there?
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Thanks, Barb – I feel in great company regarding my experience in reading Little Women as an adult. More and more I believe that this is a book best left to our childhoods. But I did recently watch the 2019 version of LW directed by Greta Gerwig and it really helped put things in perspective for me.
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That’s good!
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This year’s Premier’s History Award went to St Kilda 1841-1900: Movers and Shakers and Money-Makers, by Carmel McKenzie. The book showed how St Kilda Melbourne was a bastion of aristocratic privilege back then. The judges described the book as a beautifully presented and profusely illustrated social history which may not appeal to non-Australians as keenly as it does to me. But C19th bloggers will love it.
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