soph (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sophia_sol) wrote2017-11-11 09:01 pm
sophia_sol) wrote2017-11-11 09:01 pm
Little Women, Little Men, and Jo's Boys, by Louisa May Alcott
These three are old favourites. Still very good! It's odd thought to be reminded of both how very good they are AND how very ridic and obnoxious the overt moralizing is. But it manages to rise above the moralizing!
In the first book, I was struck this time by just how debilitating Beth's social anxiety is (her shyness). I'd always remembered her as being kind of obnoxiously perfect and personality-less, but though she's certainly the Angel in the Home she's also a person.
I also realized on this reread why I've always felt so against the Jo/Laurie ship that it seems like everyone else is into: it's because Jo reads as aggressively aromantic for the vast majority of the first book, wow. And Laurie is pretty thoroughly romantic. You might think this would mean I would prefer to not ship Jo with anyone, but I'm actually thoroughly pro-Jo/Bhaer. The way their relationship is portrayed in the sequels is just such a charming comfortable partnership and it never seems to me to be out of character for Jo.
In other news I'm still super mad about Dan not deserving a happy ending, that the best he is allowed to hope for is to die young doing good. UGH.
But I'm delighted that Nan gets her aroace happy ending, that Tommy's obnoxious pursuit of her isn't portrayed as something she ought to give in to. She's a happy spinster doctor for the rest of her life! Awww yeah.
In the first book, I was struck this time by just how debilitating Beth's social anxiety is (her shyness). I'd always remembered her as being kind of obnoxiously perfect and personality-less, but though she's certainly the Angel in the Home she's also a person.
I also realized on this reread why I've always felt so against the Jo/Laurie ship that it seems like everyone else is into: it's because Jo reads as aggressively aromantic for the vast majority of the first book, wow. And Laurie is pretty thoroughly romantic. You might think this would mean I would prefer to not ship Jo with anyone, but I'm actually thoroughly pro-Jo/Bhaer. The way their relationship is portrayed in the sequels is just such a charming comfortable partnership and it never seems to me to be out of character for Jo.
In other news I'm still super mad about Dan not deserving a happy ending, that the best he is allowed to hope for is to die young doing good. UGH.
But I'm delighted that Nan gets her aroace happy ending, that Tommy's obnoxious pursuit of her isn't portrayed as something she ought to give in to. She's a happy spinster doctor for the rest of her life! Awww yeah.