Quotes from Little Women

Y'all, I've had these four quotes from Little Women sitting in drafts for weeks now. I wanted to write a post about each one similar to how I wrote some pretty great posts from quotes out of Vanity Fair (not to toot my own horn or anything, but seriously).

Honestly though? I'm just not feeling the inspiration. So rather than trash them all, I figured I'd combine them together here for your enjoyment. Maybe this will be the last little nudge you need to go read this wonderful book. All of the following quotes are from Part II of the novel.

Quote #1:

"Wealth is certainly a most desirable thing, but poverty has its sunny side, and one of the sweet uses of adversity, is the genuine satisfaction which comes from hearty work of head or hand; and to the inspiration of necessity, we owe half the wise, beautiful, and useful blessings of the world."

Proverbs 14:23 says that all hard work brings a profit, and in Colossians 3:23-24, Paul encourages us to work heartily knowing that our reward is from God. That "genuine satisfaction", those "wise, beautiful, useful blessings", come from working mightily as unto the Lord rather than bemoaning what we lack. Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side.

Quote #2:

"'I almost wish I hadn't any conscience, it's so inconvenient. If I didn't care about doing right, and didn't feel uncomfortable when doing wrong, I should get on capitally. I can't help wishing, sometimes, that father and mother hadn't been so dreadfully particular about such things.' Ah, Jo, instead of wishing that, thank God that 'father and mother were particular,' and pity from your heart those who have no such guardians to hedge them round with principles which may seem like prison walls to impatient youth, but which will prove sure foundations to build character upon in womanhood."

I couldn't help but think of Proverbs 22:6. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." I'm so thankful that my mom and dad were particular, and I truly do pity those who don't have parents loving enough to instill Godly principles in them. 

Quote #3:

"...a woman's happiest kingdom is home, her highest honor the art of ruling it--not as a queen, but a wise wife and mother."

I mean, isn't it just the truth? In this age of female empowerment, isn't it just nice to rest in our God-given roles? For men, to protect and provide for their families. For women, to respect their husbands and raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. It's not easy, but it's simple, and I'll take God's way no matter what the world thinks of me and my "backward" notions. See Ephesians 5, Colossians 3, Titus 2:3-5, and 1 Peter 3, for starters.

Quote #4:
"Rich people have no right to sit down and enjoy themselves, or let their money accumulate for others to waste. It's not half so sensible to leave a lot of legacies when one dies, as it is to use the money wisely while alive, and enjoy making one's fellow-creatures happy with it. We'll have a good time ourselves, and add an extra relish to our own pleasure, by giving other people a generous taste."

I can't even start picking out all the verses that exhort us to give to the poor, but I will quote that "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35) and remind you of the parable in Luke 12 of the foolish rich man who tried to store up all his wealth for himself, only to have his soul required of him and realizing his labor had been in vain. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)

Happy Wednesday to you! I hope you enjoyed a few more wise quotes from Little Women today. Which one was your favorite and why?

Casual Fridays

Alright, y'all, let's talk Little Women adaptations. If you caught last Friday's post, you know that I now own three of them: the 1933 adaptation starring Katharine Hepburn as Jo, the 1949 adaptation starring June Allyson as Jo, and the 1994 adaptation starring Winona Ryder as Jo. If you've been reading this blog from the beginning, you already know my opinion on a book versus the movie (hint: the book is always better), but I still love watching a good movie and what better kind of movie is there than one that's been inspired by a classic work of literature? 

Having said that, none of these adaptations can hold a candle to the novel. Really. I have yet to watch any version of Little Women that accurately captures the essence of Laurie's relationship with Jo and the rest of the March family, which is a crime. It's one of the sweetest aspects of the book, in my opinion, and they just can't get it right on film. *sigh* They also leave so much out of the movies. I know, I know: no film adaptation of a book can ever fit it all in. It can't possibly be as well-developed. And I understand that if they tried to truly turn Little Women into a movie chapter by chapter, it'd probably be 24 hours long. I get it. But it's still a shame. 

Enough of this, let's break down each film one by one. 

1933

This film is my most recent acquisition, and, you guys, I hate to say it was a waste of six dollars and thirty-six cents, but....it was a waste of six dollars and thirty-six cents. I hadn't seen this version since I was a little girl, and a lot of people actually claim that this is their favorite version, the version that is truest to the novel, blah blah blah. 

It's the worst. 

It is a complete and total, ridiculously overacted, melodramatic, trainwreck of epic proportions. I wish I was kidding, but seriously? The make-up on the male actors alone is going to give me nightmares for weeks. 

On the plus side, they took a lot of small details from the book and included them in this movie which I appreciated. Beth's kittens, Marmee's charity work, Amy's penitence over her selfishness and getting Marmee a larger bottle of perfume for a present, Meg kissing Marmee at her wedding, and Jo's Christmas play among others are all examples of things done in this movie that weren't done in any of the others and showed the great attention to detail given to the novel. This was the first adaptation of Little Women (okay, actually the third following two silent versions...so I mean, they don't really count) made for the big screen, and it won the academy award for Best Adapted Screenplay, but it will never be a favorite of mine.

My biggest bone with this movie is the horrendous overacting. I couldn't even handle it. It was 1933. They did their best. Whatever. All I could do was cringe. It was so melodramatic it was almost comedic. I don't think I can ever sit through this one again. If this is your favorite movie and you want a free DVD of it, holla at me. I will put it in the mail to you tomorrow. Don't judge me for hating it. The one other thing I couldn't get over was the casting of the March sisters. No way could any of them have passed for adolescent girls. Please. 

Moving on.

1949

June Allyson is still my favorite. This movie blows the other two out of the water, for sure.

After watching all three films back to back (don't judge me, it was a stormy day, okay?!), it almost seemed that for this one, they took 1933's screenplay and just did it better. These two films follow each other so closely, it's impossible not to compare them. 

In my opinion, the casting for 1949 was far and away the best of all the adaptations. Each actress really became the little women in Alcott's beloved novel. June Allyson is the most convincing Jo I've seen on screen, and Janet Leigh, Margaret O'Brien, Elizabeth Taylor, and Mary Astor did equally as well playing Meg, Beth, Amy, and Marmee. And while I'm touting the phenomenal acting in 1949's Little Women, I may as well tell you that Peter  Lawford is for sure my favorite Laurie. I also have to note that the scene in which Beth receives the piano from Mr. Laurence and immediately goes to thank him is definitely done best in this film and is worth mentioning when comparing all three of them like this. 

A criticism worth noting with 1949 is that Beth comes off as much younger than Amy. Beth is not the youngest sister and Amy is very much babied in the novel, and that doesn't play at all in this film. It's unfortunate, and if I could change one thing about this movie, that would probably be it. But seriously, if you are going to watch an adaptation of Little Women, pick this one. It is, by far, the best and my favorite, favorite, favorite. I cry from beginning to end, and, if you know me, you know that's a good thing. 

1994

Last, we come to the 1994 adaptation starring Winona Ryder as Jo. I grudgingly have to admit that this may actually be the best adaptation as far as staying true to the novel is concerned (taking exception to the scene where Beth receives the piano which does not happen at all like it does in the book and the entire invention of Laurie promising Amy a kiss which doesn't happen in the book at all). 

This movie includes scenes from Little Women that the other two films didn't even attempt to address such as Laurie's induction into the girls' gentlemen's club, Meg's trip to the Moffatts', Amy's feud with Jo in which she burns up Jo's beloved manuscript, and the following scene where Jo and Laurie go off ice skating and Amy nearly drowns when she falls through the ice. This film also keeps the integrity of the book in tact in scenes that the other two films get horribly wrong. The most notable being the ball (Beth and Amy stay home), Amy's punishment and subsequent withdrawal from school (it's about bringing limes, not drawing on her slate), Meg's wedding to Mr. Brooke (they're engaged for years before it happens, people), and Laurie's proposal to Jo (it does not happen immediately after Meg's wedding, for crying out loud). 

Another thing I appreciated about 1994 was that they cast Kirsten Dunst as a young Amy and Samantha Mathis as the older Amy rather than trying to have the same actress pass for a child and an adult in the same film. This could have worked out beautifully if I didn't hate Samantha Mathis so much as older Amy. Also, it's possible that Claire Danes is my favorite Beth.

However, Winona Ryder is the worst Jo in history, and Susan Sarandon is an awful Marmee. I actually prefer Katharine Hepburn's Jo to Ryder's, and did you read my take on 1933? I didn't like it. So that's huge. And I think just about anyone could have played Marmee better, but, to be fair, I think the biggest problem with Sarandon's Marmee was the writing--not her acting. I also didn't care for the way that Winona Ryder narrated this movie. This was probably the biggest difference between 1994 and the other two. I understand that narration in a movie like this can help the flow and development of the story, but as far as I'm concerned, it didn't work at all, probably due in part to the fact that Ryder was such a terrible Jo. Having said all that, the most significant issues with 1994 are the feminist spin they put on it and all the emphasis on the romances of the sisters. This movie didn't get Meg's, Jo's, or Amy's romances with Mr. Brooke, Professor Bhaer, and Laurie right at all. And, I'm sorry, but there was just way too much kissing going on in this movie. Shoot me. I'm a diehard romantic, but don't put in a bunch of crap that's not supposed to be there, okay?! And as for the feminist spin, I understand that they were trying to draw from Alcott's personal life as the novel was somewhat autobiographical, but they took way too many liberties with their liberal agenda--yeah, I said it. 

So there you have it. Some of my comparisons and critiques of the 1933, 1949, and 1994 film adaptations of Little Women. To my chagrin, none of the films get Jo's relationship with Professor Bhaer right. (People, she does not write a novel and send it to him! All three movies did this, and I hate it so much. Where did this come from??) I realize they're trying to make a huge novel into a 2-hour movie, but this is my biggest contention with all of them. 

If you are dying to watch Little Women, once again, PLEASE watch 1949. It is the best! (But, for the love of everything pure, READ THE BOOK!)

And I wasn't kidding when I said I'd give you 1933. I was going to try to pass it off like a great giveaway, but seeing as how I told you how awful I think it is, it hardly seems classy to make it seem like it's something worth winning. But if you want it, I will give it to you. 

What are your thoughts? Have you seen any version of Little Women? Which is your favorite? Are there any big-time Hepburn fans out there that I've mortally offended? Reagan, how did I do? Could I be a Hollywood film critic?

Have an explosively fun Independence Day weekend, and stay safe out there!

Let's Bust a Recap : Little Women

It's time to recap Little Women, y'all. To be honest, I don't even know where to begin. Paul Sweeney once said, "You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend." Well, I'm feeling like my very best friend just moved to Timbuktu. I stretched it on as long as I possibly could, but on Saturday, June 20th, minutes before midnight, I finished reading Little Women. 

I was given my beautiful copy (the picture above is NOT of my copy) of Little Women by my grandmother on my 10th birthday. I read it immediately, of course, but as I think about it now, I believe this is only the second time I have ever read it all the way through. I have two movie adaptations of Little Women that I have watched several times throughout my life, but I believe I have only read the book twice, even though I have always said it is one of my all-time favorites (which it is). 

Louisa May Alcott, the authoress of this timeless classic, lived from 1832 to 1888. As soon as she was old enough, Louisa had to go to work to help support her family. She held various jobs from teacher to seamstress to writer, and after having met with success in her writing endeavors, her publisher asked for a book for girls. This prompted Louisa to write Part I of Little Women in only six short weeks. It was published in 1868 and was an instant success. Her readers demanded a sequel, and the second volume was published a year later under the title Good Wives. Today, both parts are typically paired and sold together as one book. 

Louisa May Alcott loosely based Little Women (particularly Part I) off her own childhood growing up with her three sisters, with Jo's character being Louisa's representation of herself. According to Alcott, Little Women is "simple and true, for we really lived most of it" and for that reason, it has remained one of the greatest children's novels of all time. 

Little Women chronicles the lives of the March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, and opens in the midst of the Civil War. The four sisters live with their beloved Marmee and faithful housekeeper Hannah while their father is away in the war. Once an affluent family, they have fallen on hard times and are living in poverty throughout the novel. Under the loving guidance of their wise mother, each daughter struggles against her personal vices to try to live lives pleasing to their parents and their Heavenly Father. Meg's greatest downfall is her vanity and a longing to return to their rich lifestyle so she can have all the pretty things. Jo fights against her hot temper and boyish, rowdy ways. Beth is painfully shy and works hard to overcome it, while Amy labors against her natural selfishness to become a true gentlewoman. Between Parts I and II, Little Women follows the numerous scrapes and adventures, triumphs and tragedies of these four little women from their childhood into their womanhood.

Like Vanity Fair, Little Women is more character-driven than plot-driven, but unlike Vanity Fair, Little Women is consistently a pleasure to read to the very last page. I would highly and whole-heartedly recommend Little Women to anyone, and I believe it is one of those timeless classics that ought to be read aloud by parents to their children when those children are young. As I mentioned when I began reading Little Women, this book keeps me crying and laughing from start to finish, and it truly is one that I hate to come to the end of. You can't help but relate to the struggles and victories the four sisters face on their journey of life, and see yourself on the pages of this endearing work. The wisdom and morals promoted throughout the novel are wholesome and helpful as well. Please, PLEASE go get yourself a copy, and if you have children, read it out loud with them. If you don't love it, there is seriously something wrong with you. (Yeah, I said it. #sorrynotsorry)

A few other fun facts about Little Women as relates to my reading endeavors for the year:

• The Pilgrim's Progress (which is also on my reading list) is an inspiration to the March sisters and is referenced all throughout Little Women. 
• Louisa May Alcott has been called the Thackeray of the nursery and the schoolroom (which I found interesting as I just read Vanity Fair this year).
• Part I of Little Women consists of 23 chapters, and Part II consists of 24 chapters making Little Women 47 chapters and 527 pages total. 
• I began reading Little Women April 12th and finished June 20th, taking my sweet time and enjoying every minute I spent in its pages.

To conclude this recap, Amos Bronson Alcott (Louisa's father) said, "That is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed with profit." And his daughter's greatest work certainly fits that description beautifully.

Go read Little Women.

Have you read Little Women or seen any of the movie adaptations of it? Which sister is your favorite and why?

Sweet Times

Y'all, I know it's Saturday, but I just wanted to give you a little peek into my day. It's been on the yucky, rainy, thundery side--perfect for staying inside and reading. And this guy has been by my side constantly. 

Reading Little Women with my puppy in my lap? Yes, please. Sometimes he drives me crazy, and there are days when I'm ready to put him out by the road with a For Sale sign, but really, he's the sweetest little guy, and I can't imagine our lives without him now. 

"Dog are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." -Roger Caras

"The world would be a nicer place if everyone had the ability to love as unconditionally as a dog." 

-M.K. Clinton

"Why does watching a dog be a dog fill one with happiness?" -Jonathan Safran Foer

"When an eighty-five pound mammal licks your tears away, then tries to sit on your lap, it's hard to feel sad." -Kristan Higgins

"Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished." -Dean Koontz

"Happiness is a warm puppy." -Charles M. Schulz

Salads or Steaks

Oh Little Women. It's just the best. (picture me sighing contentedly) I think Marmee is probably the best and wisest mother in literature. Her little speeches to her girls leave nothing to be desired or discussed. Take this one, for instance: 

"Money is a good and useful thing, Jo; and I hope my girls will never feel the need of it too bitterly, nor be tempted by too much. I should like to know that John was firmly established in some good business, which gave him an income large enough to keep free from debt, and make Meg comfortable. I'm not ambitious for a splendid fortune, a fashionable position, or a great name for my girls. If rank and money come with love and virtue, also, I should accept them gratefully, and enjoy your good fortune; but I know, by experience, how much genuine happiness can be had in a plain little house, where the daily bread is earned, and some privations give sweetness to the few pleasures; I am content to see Meg begin humbly, for, if I am not mistaken, she will be rich in the possession of a good man's heart, and that is better than a fortune."

From chapter 20 ("Confidential") page 224.

This reminds me of one of my favorite Bible verses:

"Better is a dish of vegetables where love is than a fattened ox served with hatred." 

 -Proverbs 15:17 (NASB)

I would rather eat salads with this guy every day for the rest of my life than steaks with anyone else. And for those of you who actually know me, that's huge.

moving into our first Home Sweet Home together

I know, this is like, the second mushy post this week. What can I say? June really is the month of romance.

Any other votes for Best Literary Mom award? Who would you rather eat salad with? Or are you one of those weirdos who actually like salad to begin with? (Don't be offended that I just called you a weirdo. But really though. Salad?)

P.S. Robin Jones Gunn announced on her blog yesterday that the pre-order is FINALLY open for One More Wish!! You better believe the receipt is already sitting in my inbox. I'm so #happy!

Modest is Hottest

Happy Monday to you! Today I'm not talking about the way you dress, I'm talking about humility. In chapter seven of Little Women, we read about a scrape the youngest of the March girls gets herself into. Amy is the only one of the sisters that still goes to school and the latest rage at said school is limes. Well, the teacher had banned them, but Amy managed to get her hands on two dozen juicy, delicious limes to take to school to give and trade among her favored friends. When the aforementioned teacher finds out about it, he punishes her pretty harshly (among other things he makes her throw every single lime out the window--oh the horror!), and Amy leaves school never to return. Seriously. She doesn't go back. She continues her education at home with her sister Beth. 

After she shares all the details of this traumatic incident with her mother and sisters, her mother offers her this beautiful bit of wisdom:

"'I should not have chosen that way of mending a fault,' replied her mother; 'but I'm not sure that it won't do you more good than a milder method. You are getting to be altogether too conceited and important, my dear, and it is quite time you set about correcting it. You have a good many little gifts and virtues, but there is no need of parading them, for conceit spoils the finest genius. There is not much danger that real talent or goodness will be overlooked long; even if it is, the consciousness of possessing and using it well should satisfy one, and the great charm of all power is modesty.'"

From chapter 7 ("Amy's Valley of Humiliation") on page 82.

Jesus Himself said, "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:14)

There's not much I can add, and I couldn't possibly say what Marmee said any better. Nobody likes a know-it-all. Stuck-up people don't have many true friends. Even if our good qualities are never noticed by anyone in this world, I hope that the consciousness of possessing and using them well will always satisfy us. 

Let Us Be Elegant or Die

One of the reasons I chose to indulge myself with Little Women is because it keeps me laughing the whole way through. (It also keeps me crying, but let's not get into that right now.) This quote in particular tickles me:

"Meg's high-heeled slippers were dreadfully tight, and hurt her, though she would not own it, and Jo's nineteen hair-pins all seemed stuck straight into her head, which was not exactly comfortable; but, dear me, let us be elegant or die."

From chapter 3 ("The Laurence Boy") on page 35. 

This quote makes me giggle, and even though it's written with perhaps a hint of irony, it's true isn't it? My mind immediately went to movies like Cinderella (starring Brandy) in which Bernadette Peters cries out to her two stepdaughters, "Beauty knows no pain, girls!" or Bride Wars (starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway) where the attentive sales attendant oh-so-helpfully tells Liv, "Just be careful of any pre-wedding weight gain. You don't alter Vera to fit you, you alter yourself to fit Vera."

In today's culture, so much emphasis is placed on how you look, how you dress, and how you carry yourself. And I'm all about keeping my appearance neat, putting my best foot forward, and even getting dolled up occasionally. But I think it's vital to remember what's really important:

"Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."
-1 Peter 3:3-4 (NKJV)

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."
-Proverbs 31:30

But dear me, let us be elegant or die!

My Bridal Portrait
(arguably the most elegant I will ever be in my life)

Mothers

Mothers Day is coming up in a few short weeks (May 10th, to be exact, so consider this your reminder), but rather than posting something then, I decided to post today because, well, I'm reading Little Women (yes, it won out for A Book To Read--I love it so much), and this absolutely perfect quote was in the very first chapter:

"She wasn't a particularly handsome person, but mothers are always lovely to their children, and the girls thought the gray cloak and unfashionable bonnet covered the most splendid woman in the world."

From chapter 1 ("Playing Pilgrims") on page 17.

And isn't it just the truth? My mother is the loveliest and the best. I love you, Mom!

the most splendid mother in the world with all her babies (the last one still inside)
1994