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Little Women
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Little Women Paperback - 2009

by Louisa May Alcott; Valerie Alderson (Editor)


About this book

Little Women (or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy) is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Written and set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts, it was published in two parts in 1868 and 1869. The novel follows the lives of four sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March—on their way into adulthood while their father serves as a chaplain in the American Civil War. 

Although it is not based on a true story, it is loosely inspired by the author's childhood experiences with her three sisters and her father’s educational philosophy. Amos Bronson Alcott, a pioneer of “progressive education,” was a notable intellectual at the time. 

The book was an assignment of Alcott’s editor Thomas Niles, who wanted a novel for young women for the Robert Brothers publishing catalog. Although she initially despised the idea of writing a "girls' story," once she started, her writing became feverish. The first volume was published in 1868 with illustrations by Louisa’s younger sister May - the inspiration for the character of ‘Amy’ in the novel. It became an immediate hit, and the initial printing of two thousand copies sold out in two weeks. Little Women's original book cover was maroon cloth with gilt lettering, and it has become one of the most iconic Little Women book covers. 

The second part of the novel was issued in 1869, under the title of Good Wives in the UK. The novel is still published separately in some instances, although starting in 1880 the two parts were published as one single volume under Little Women in the US.

Little Women has been adapted into a film on four different occasions. The first one was George Cukor’s 1933 version, which cast Katharine Hepburn as Jo, followed by the 1949 Mervyn LeRoy adaptation, and the 1994 film directed by Gilliam Armstrong, the first one directed, adapted, and produced by women. The most recent version was in 2019 by director Greta Gerwig and stars Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan, and Eliza Scanlen. 

Alcott’s most successful work has had notable cultural relevance all over the world. The ambitious and free-spirited Jo March has inspired women writers since its publication. Her unpretentious depiction of the March sisters and their aims and frustrations distinguish the work from the pious and moral tales of the time. 

If you are looking for books like Little Women, the novel has two sequels that constitute an unofficial trilogy: Little Men: Life at Plumfield with Jo’s Boys (1871), which tells the story of Jo Bhaer (formerly March), Professor Bhaer, and the children at Plumfield Estate School; and the followup, Jo’s Boys and How They Turned Out (1886).

From the publisher

This classic story of the March family women and their lives in New England during the Civil War has remained enduringly popular since its publication in 1868. Poor, argumentative, loving, and optimistic, the March sisters struggle to supplement their family's meager income and realize their own dreams. This highly autobiographical novel shows us women who are strong-minded and independent in their determination to control their own destiny. The introduction to this edition provides a fascinating history of the Alcotts, and a biographical history of Louisa Alcott's own struggles as a writer. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

First Edition Identification

The first US edition of Little Women was published in 1868 by the Roberts Brothers, Boston and includes an advertisement in the back pricing Little Women at $1.25. The second part was published in 1869. Each volume is illustrated with a frontispiece and three plates; those in the first part of Little Women were created by the author’s sister, May. Originally bound in purple cloth with gold lettering. The first UK edition was published by Sampson Low in 1869.

Details

  • Title Little Women
  • Author Louisa May Alcott; Valerie Alderson (Editor)
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Paperback
  • Pages 528
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Oxford University Press, USA, Oxford
  • Date 2009-03-15
  • Features Table of Contents
  • ISBN 9780199538119 / 0199538115
  • Weight 0.8 lbs (0.36 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.6 x 5 x 0.9 in (19.30 x 12.70 x 2.29 cm)
  • Ages 09 to 12 years
  • Grade levels 4 - 7
  • Reading level 1230
  • Themes
    • Holiday: Christmas
    • Religious Orientation: Christian
    • Sex & Gender: Feminine
    • Topical: Coming of Age
    • Topical: Family
    • Topical: Friendship
  • Library of Congress subjects Mothers and daughters, Domestic fiction
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2009291113
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC
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Little Women (Oxford World's Classics)

Little Women (Oxford World's Classics)

by Alcott, Louisa May

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Little Women (Oxford World's Classics)

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Little Women (Oxford World's Classics)

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Little Women (Oxford World's Classics)
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Little Women (Oxford World's Classics)

by Louisa May Alcott, Valerie Alderson (Editor)

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Little Women (Oxford World's Classics)
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Little Women (Oxford World's Classics)

by Alcott, Louisa May

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Little Women (Oxford World's Classics)
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Little Women (Oxford World's Classics)

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