Book Review: Little Women

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Narrator: Lorelei King
Length: 8 hours and 7 minutes
Publisher: AudioGo
Release Date: December 13, 2011

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Description:

Little Women begins the much-loved story of the March sisters:  Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. The girls grow up amidst the turmoils, adventures, and hardships of the American Civil War. There is Meg, the eldest, plump and fair; Jo, the tomboy who longs to be a writer and fights against the constraints of her sex; Beth, shy, timid, and delicate, who brings out the protective instinct in others; and Amy, the youngest and brightest and, at least in her own estimation, the most important. The household is presided over by Mrs. March, their “Marmee,” who tries to rule with kindness and to create harmony among her four little women.

I read Little Women as a girl and loved it so I was excited to have the opportunity to review an audio production of the book. However, I was quite surprised when the audio book abruptly ended in the middle of the story. I discovered that Little Women was originally two volumes: Little Women and Good Wives. They were first published together as one book titled Little Women in 1880. Most versions of Little Women published today are both volumes together in one book. This audio recording is just the first volume. Because what most people read as Little Women is actually both volumes, I feel like there should have been some indication on the box somewhere that this audio book does not include the second volume.

(I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who may not have read it yet so I’ll say this – remember the Friends episode when Rachel convinces Joey to read Little Women? And he has to put the book in the freezer because of one particularly sad part? This audiobook ends before that sad part happens.)

Even though this book was written more than one-hundred years ago, it still has relevance today. I think that the four March girls and Marmee have some good lessons to teach young girls that are timeless. Reading it now as a mother myself, I marveled at Marmee’s patience and wisdom. I could learn a lot from her! I was very impressed at how independent and free-thinking the girls and their mother were given the time period the book was written in and took place. (Of course, Louisa May Alcott was a Unitarian so I shouldn’t have been surprised at that.)

Lorelei King narrated this audio book. I thought she did a great job for the most part. The two voices I didn’t like were Beth and Amy’s. I thought Beth’s was too breathy and Amy’s was too babyish – they didn’t sound realistic to me. Overall, I enjoyed this audio production. My biggest complaint is that it left unexpectedly hanging at the end.

Buy this audio book at:
Amazon

(I received this book courtesy of the Solid Gold Reviewers program at Audiobook Jukebox.)