#25 Little Women

When I first started reading Little Women, I was discouraged.  I do not do well with literary classics (ironically enough) and the copy that I read is almost 800 pages long.  For the first few chapters, I became extremely annoyed with Amy and her whining and obsession with herself.  I ended up setting page goals in order to finish the book because I was so overwhelmed with the length and tone.

I can’t exactly pinpoint when or where in the book that I got sucked in, but I most certainly did.  I just remember sitting on the couch to read and it seemed as if a hundred pages flew by and I was craving more.  I had never read this book or heard what exactly happens throughout the story.  All I knew going into it was that it was about four sisters.  So when I came to the realization that Beth was, in fact, going to die, I started shaking with anxiety.  I had to put the book down and talk to my husband for a few minutes, letting him calm me down and realize that it was just a story.  I was devastated not only when Beth died, but also when Jo chooses not to marry Laurie.  I felt as if he was cheated out of a best friend for life and, let’s all admit it, Amy is obnoxious.

Little Women may be added to my “read once a year” list of books because I enjoyed it so much and it is a book that you can glean a lot from each time you read it.

Little Women

by Louisa May Alcott

Originally published in 1868

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