Thread:Ultimatebooknerd/@comment-24.242.221.127-20200319204649

Hi, Ultimatebooknerd!

Thanks for the post about Little Women. I can tell that I'm probably old enough to be your grandmother (!) but I still reread Little Women every now and then to sort of cleanse my mind from all the crap going on these days. I've read several critical articles about Alcott's work, but if you think TOO much about the deep, dark motives or whatever of the characters, it just spoils the innocence and fun and REST you can derive from it. I believe one reason Jo ends up with the Professor is that she is more mature for her age than Laurie was at the time. Then she goes through the year of caring for her terminally ill sister--the one who was her special pal--and then loses her. Such ministry to a dying loved one tires you out physically as well as emotionally, and grief can weigh you down until you think you just can't get out of bed. At the same time she was going through all this, Laurie was pining away in Europe, then trying unsuccessfully to write some music--then discovers that little Amy isn't so little anymore. They have all the fun, and Jo has all the work and the heartache. Fun doesn't deepen your character the way sorrow does.

One thing I think would make Little Women better as far as Jo and Bhaer are concerned would be if Alcott had included some mention of letters between the two during the year and a half or so that they were apart. All the movies seem to include this, and I have no problem with that because it makes more sense than if Jo and the Prof had had no contact before he showed up at her door.

The 1933 Katherine Hepburn version is still my favorite adaptation. The 1949 June Allyson version is a virtual remake of the 1933 film, and they completely miscast Elizabeth Taylor as Amy. There was an NBC made for TV movie with William Shatner as Bhaer, and it has its moments, but the screenwriter veered away from the text more than I liked. The Ryder version is okay, and Bhaer was pretty sexy, but the kiss at the opera was not true to Jo's character or his character. I saw the Masterpiece version, but I didn't think much of it. It did have two redeeming qualities--it used music actually mentioned in the book, and Bhaer was DREAMY!! There was also a British TV version, but it tended to be shrill in parts. However, the actor who played Bhaer was the most true to the book. To tell you the truth, I 'm scared to see the latest movie; I don't want to be disappointed again.

If you see the latest one, will you drop me a line to tell me how you liked it? I might be persuaded to buy it if you give it a thumbs ujp.

God bless you during this time of trial. Everything will be ok. Remember, God knows exactly what's going on, and He will take care of it. I hope you will see through this that our President isn't really the slob everyone says he is. God put him there for such a time as this.

Take care!

Karen 