Little Men

A very enjoyable reread, although it read as if new fifty-five years on. Once again I preferred this to [Little Women].
This book focuses on Jo, now married and running a home, alongside her husband, for orphaned boys, while raising her own two young ones.
the antics and capers of the boys is entertaining. The setting is somewhat more wholesome , I am sure, than modern day equivalents.

Little Men by Louisa May Alcott is another childhood favorite of mine and although it has been some time, this is probably my fourth or fifth rereading of the story. This book covers a year of the experimental school at Plumfield run by Jo and Fritz Bhaer. Allowing “boys to be boys” the students are encouraged to follow their individual talents, play hard yet spend equal time in study and chores. The Bhaers provide the guidance and love that is needed to ensure that their students thrive. There are fourteen boys, and a couple of girls. They are engaging and fun to read about and are all completely different from one another such as “wild boy” Dan, lively, engaging Tommy and on the female side willful, spirited Nan and quiet, show more gentle Daisy.

I did notice during this reread that the Jo March of Little Woman had quite disappeared and “Mother Bhaer “ had taken her place. It’s only been 10 years yet Jo seems firmly settled into middle age and her domestic role. Other than one scene where she climbs up into a tree with one of the boys, she doesn’t seem like the high spirited, adventurous Jo that I remember. This issue is addressed at the end of the book however, with Jo imploring Laurie not to pity her for the life she leads rather than the one she planned to have when she was young. I felt this illustrated how many of us plan one life only to end up leading a totally different one.

While, for me, Little Men didn’t quite have the magic that Little Women has, it is nevertheless a classic piece of American literature mixing Christian values, views of childhood and unorthodox teaching methods to produce a very readable if somewhat dated book. Plumfield remains a school that I wished I had been able to attend so appealing are it’s inhabitants. show less

This was my first time revisiting this since I was a kid. At times it was just delightful in its whimsy and innocence, and at others the sticky sweetness was just too much for me. The chapter about John Brooke was SO well done - I think that may be the most I've ever cried over a book. But then the final chapter seemed to drag on forever. For me it wasn't quite so charming a read as Little Women but it's lovely in its own way.

I read this book as part of a summer reading program that asked that I reread a childhood favorite. My favorite book is Little Women, which I have read many times. But I had not read Little Men since childhood. It It's not as good as it's famous precursor, but it still has that Alcott style I love so much. Yes, there is a lot of moralizing in it (as there is in Little Women) but despite it's outdated notions of womanly and manly characteristics, it still has many sentiments about how to live a good life that ring true today. And in these hard and scary modern times, the descriptions of how children spent their days in play and work that involved no screens really helped me escape to a simpler time.

I like this one better than Little Women but not as much as Jo's Boys. I adore Dan from the moment he slouches in, and Tommy Bangs reminds me of my own boy. There's not as much overt moralizing here as in LW, and the scenes of domestic life are somehow a little more vibrant in their cheerful chaos. It's in this book that one really sees how perfect the Professor is for Jo, and how happy she is with a houseful of harum-scarum boys to tend. It's certainly hard to be objective about a book one has read a zillion times. I love this one and always will, no doubt.

A sequel to Alcott's masterpiece, Little Women, and the author's second book chronicling the fortunes of the March family, Little Men follows the story of Jo, her husband Professor Bhaer, and their school for boys at Plumfield. Here the reader will encounter some of the beloved figures of the first book. And here the reader will also have the pleasure of meeting a host of new characters - many of them the sort of mischievous, but essentially good-hearted, young boys so dear to "Mrs. Jo's" heart.

While not equal in my esteem to the incomparable Little Women, (and after all, what could be?), judged on its own merits, this novel is an engaging story of a large and rambling "family," and their many adventures. Published many times over, the show more version I had the pleasure of reading was the Illustrated Junior Library edition, illustrated by Douglas W. Gorsline. show less

So interesting to see Jo as the mothering figure to all these boys. The book is full of moral lessons for the boys of Plumfield. The rough and prideful character of Dan was my particular favorite. I didn’t love it as much as Little Women, but it was a sweet book.

“For he had learned how easy it is to lose the confidence of others, how very, very hard to win it back. And truth became to him a precious thing since he had suffered from neglecting it.”

“Salt is like good humor and nearly everything is better for a pinch of it.”