A book that passed me by as a child, as a teenager, and what's more, I probably never would have gotten to it if a high-profile film adaptation in 2019 hadn't suddenly reminded me of this novel. Incidentally, the 1994 film with a young Winona Ryder and Christian Bale also, oddly enough, I had never seen it. In the end, the information settled in my memory, and, with the advent of the New Year vacations, I armed myself with the story of the March family, which I enjoyed reading near a brightly decorated Christmas tree, wrapped in a blanket and sipping hot fragrant tea, to get into the spirit of this family-friendly and festive book.
Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on November 29, 1832. She and her three sisters, Anna, Elizabeth and May were educated by their father, philosopher/ teacher, Bronson Alcott and raised on the practical Christianity of their mother, Abigail May.
Probably because the beginning of the story falls on Christmas, the book is really imbued with the atmosphere of a good fairy tale. In front of us is a small living room, the fire crackling merrily in the fireplace, and even though the window panes are decorated with frosty patterns, it is warm and cozy inside. The four girls, the March sisters, talk as they await their mother's return, planning what gifts they can make this year, despite their cramped circumstances. The girls may be sisters, but their characters are quite different: Margaret, a well-mannered and refined beauty, already almost quite a woman, but not yet aware of her blossoming beauty, Josephine, or simply Jo, remains in her fifteen years an immediate teenager who is interested in composing fascinating stories, skating, fun active games, All hints and direct requests of older Meg to behave like a lady, Joe stubbornly ignores, Beth - the third oldest - admires her unruly and unruly sister, probably just because Beth herself is a quiet and impossibly shy girl who loves music, kittens and her dolls, but the younger Amy would never stoop to play dolls. Dolls! She - a young artist, capricious, a little spoiled, and considering herself a very grown-up lady, which is why her lips can often be heard a lot of wise statements worthy of a lady, wise experience. These girls, so different from each other, have a lot of lessons to learn, which will teach them life, to learn the most important thing: the real wealth - a family in which support and love each other, true happiness - is when all loved ones are healthy and close, no quarrel is not worth the sacrifice of friendship. Of course, they have flaws, but the girls are trying to be better, and their mother, the wise and loving Mrs. March, is always ready to give advice, support and comfort her children. She knows how difficult it is sometimes for little women on the road of life.
I understand perfectly well why one might criticize this story. As I read, I was haunted by the word that wafted over every scene and every phrase of the novel, which I wanted to characterize as kulpoeic. For me, lubok pictures, for example, are just such idyllic images of beautiful angelic girls in dresses with bows at the waist, playing with kittens, who, in turn, merrily chase a ball of wool, reaching for the knitting, which is occupied by the woman in the cap. Such, you know, a primitive cliché or set of garish scenes designed to delight the audience with their idyllicity and sweetness. Yes, there's that in an Olcott novel, there's no getting away from it. But there is something else that, in my opinion, outweighs the sugariness of the depicted life, which, incidentally, the March sisters are not at all sugary sweet, as it may seem. Also, we should not forget that the book was written for the girls of the XIX century, which means that it should not only be entertaining, but above all, didactic, to pursue educational goals, to teach growing girls piety, modesty and self-sacrifice. But if one abstracts a little from what may seem pompous and luscious to the modern reader, and focuses on what makes the book a beloved classic to this day, one can see that "Little Women" is a novel that resonates even today and that can touch and interest readers of all ages.
First of all, it is a wonderfully warm atmosphere that is transmitted to the reader. The atmosphere that reigns in a family where not everything is smooth, when there is no money, the father is at the front, and yet the family members find the strength to enjoy life, to fulfill their daily obligations with a smile, to find solace in their work, to appreciate what they have without comparing it to others. The girls laugh a lot, sing, put on plays, make up lots of games, and isn't that why their rich neighbor Laurie so often looks out the window of his big but cold mansion with sadness and envy at the March family, who never lose heart no matter what happens and gather in the living room by the fireplace every night to be together, share the impressions of the day, read, play music, or just to give their mother a big hug and sit by her side when she gets home?
Secondly, the moral message is very correct. Despite the fact that the book was written in 1868, its themes remain contemporary, for there are things that do not change, growing up, for example, and all the difficulties associated with it. The book teaches to be more tolerant to loved ones, to be able to forgive, to distinguish between the important and the secondary, the truly important and the extraneous, to be yourself, not to lose heart, to follow your heart, but not to be selfish, always thinking of others, to support friends and relatives when they feel bad and share moments of joy with them, and most importantly - to share troubles, doubts, fears, ask for advice or just sometimes talk openly with the most important person in any young woman's life and not just women - her mother. After all, who but a mother, can always find the right words to reassure or mildly, but strictly scold when children do something wrong.
The book got me in the mood, I read it with great pleasure. The delightful atmosphere of classic nineteenth-century novels has always had a calming effect on me. "Little Women" was, thankfully, no exception. The story of the March sisters, touching, naive, funny, moralizing, gave me moments of warmth, smiles while reading, and once again reminded me that happiness is when everyone is healthy, and family is not just people living under one roof, but people bound together by love, mutual respect, who enjoy being together. For me, "Little Women" will forever be a Christmas book that reminds me of the most important things.
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