From the Publisher
Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth - are four "little women", enduring hardships and enjoying adventures in Civil War New England. The charming story of the March sisters, "Little Women" has been adored by generations. Readers have rooted for Laurie in his pursuit of Jo's hand, cried over little Beth's death, and dreamed of traveling through Europe with old Aunt March and Amy. Future writers have found inspiration in Jo's devotion to her writing. In this simple, enthralling tale, both parts of which are included here, Louisa May Alcott has created four of American literature's most beloved women.
About the Author
Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1832.
Two years later, she moved with her family to Boston and in 1840 to
Concord, which was to remain her family home for the rest of her
life. Her father, Bronson Alcott, was a transcendentalist and
friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Alcott early
realized that her father could not be counted on as sole support of
his family, and so she sacrificed much of her own pleasure to earn
money by sewing, teaching, and churning out potboilers. Her
reputation was established with Hospital Sketches (1863), which was
an account of her work as a volunteer nurse in Washington, D.C.
Alcott's first works were written for children, including her
best-known Little Women (1868--69) and Little Men: Life at
Plumfield with Jo's Boys (1871). Moods (1864), a "passionate
conflict," was written for adults. Alcott's writing eventually
became the family's main source of income. Throughout her life,
Alcott continued to produce highly popular and idealistic
literature for children. An Old-Fashioned Girl (1870), Eight
Cousins (1875), Rose in Bloom (1876), Under the Lilacs (1878), and
Jack and Jill (1881) enjoyed wide popularity. At the same time, her
adult fiction, such as the autobiographical novel Work: A Story of
Experience (1873) and A Modern Mephistopheles (1877), a story based
on the Faust legend, shows her deeper concern with such social
issues as education, prison reform, and women's suffrage. She
realistically depicts the problems of adolescents and working
women, the difficulties of relationships between men and women, and
the values of the single woman's life.
In 1977, Showalter published A Literature of Their Own: British
Women Novelists from Bronte to Lessing. It was one of the most
influential works in feminist criticism, as it sought to establish
a distinctive tradition for women writers. In later essays,
Showalter helped to develop a clearly articulated feminist theory
with two major branches: the special study of works by women and
the study of all literature from a feminist perspective. In all of
her recent writing, Showalter has sought to illuminate a "cultural
model of female writing," distinguishable from male models and
theories. Her role as editor bringing together key contemporary
feminist criticism has been extremely influential on modern
literary study.
Hardcover
1 Pages, 5.5 x 8.25 x 1.25 in
July 9, 2009
English
0141192410
9780141192413