An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa M. Alcott

[ailbhe]

I feel battered. That book was over 300 pages long and every blessed one of those pages had a moral on it. In big friendly letters, underlined. Then the author picked the book up and beat the moral into me with it. Jeepers.

It was like Pollyanna, only longer. And with fewer invalids.

Comments

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

And what fraction of those morals did you disagree with?

[ailbhe]

None, which is probably why I hated it so much.

[ailbhe]

Oh no, I remember, I didn't like the one about Boys Will Be Boys And Girls Must Be Forbearing. But that might have been an underlying assumption, rather than a Moral. There were a lot of those, too.

[taimatsu]

Mmm, yes. My copy actually has a picture in the front of Polly being all forbearing at Jack; at least, that's what it looks like.

[ailbhe]

They're all the same morals as in Little Women and Good Wives, really, but they are far more thickly spread. Very indigestible.

My library has ordered Little Men for me. I have Jo's Boys but don't want to read them out of order.

[taimatsu]

They're all the same morals as in Little Women and Good Wives, really, but they are far more thickly spread.

Yes, and Little Women has at least a sprinkling of humour, which An Old-Fashioned Girl is rather lacking in.

[ailbhe]

I don't remember ANY humour in AO-FG. Except possibly the opening chapter.

[supermouse.livejournal.com]

Now try What Katy Did for the full banquet. Think of it as a chocolate-coated moral soufflé as dessert.

[kightp.livejournal.com]

Not Alcott's best, by a long shot. Even in context of her times.

[ailbhe]

I had to go and see whether it was her First Book or something. And it's not - it's *after* LW&GW, even, both of which I enjoy enormously in the right humour!

[uitlander]

Surely the lack of invalids was a bonus?

[ailbhe]

It wasn't enough to redeem the book, though. It's just a minor plot difference.

[ai731.livejournal.com]

Love the icon! I miss your library.

[ailbhe]

You know Rob got rid of FEET of books recently? Feet and feet of them. This means I can buy some more. *rubs hands*

[jmkg.livejournal.com]

The moral is rather.. heavy.. in that one, isn't it. Have you read LMA's "Eight Cousins" and its sequel "Rose in Bloom"? I did feel occasionally bludgeoned by the moral in those too, though not as much as AO-FG..

Despite that, however, I do really enjoy her writing.

[ailbhe]

No, before this all I'd read were the usual four Jo March books. But my favourite assistant librarian has come to my aid and is helping me through what the library system has. I suspect she'll lend me some others on a personal basis if the library hasn't got all of them.

[flybabydizzy.livejournal.com]

I suffer sufficiently from indigestion as it is, thanks!
I read the first 4 books decades ago, and have since recovered.