Oh yeah I remember those books (the Portraits of Little Women)! I loved those books so much when I was younger!

dotK: I think I liked it too...forgive me for not remembering much, it was like two years ago or something

I have read Little Women. I loved the anime version of it back when I was a little girl. Curiously, I tried reading Jo's Boys when I was in the 5th grade, but could not get into it.

The only book I have read of her's is Little Women and I liked it well enough, but I have only read it once a couple of years ago!

An Old Fashioned Girl is one of my favorite books! I actually like it much more than Little Women. It very relateable, and Polly is very human. I loved how the book was in two parts although, I admit that there were some slow parts in the beginning with the Grandmother's long stores. I also thought it would make a really great movie, and I'm surprised there's never been one. They made one (albeit a low budget production...) of The Inheritance which is defiantly not as good a book as AOFG.

I think I had a little crush on Tom when I was in middle school...

^lol . Yeah I'm suprised they haven't made a movie, the book is so great! I mean I was able to read that and not Little Women, of which there are several movies made.

Heroine, Hospital Sketches had the same effect on me. Such a touching book! What part of it did you read, if I may ask?

Mel, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on Under the Lilacs!

For movie productions, I sort of don't want any more to be done on Louisa May Alcott's writing... probably because some of the books I hold dearest are by her, and it would really upset me to see lousy adaptations of them. (from a pessimisstic standpoint right now). The only one I've seen is Little Women with Christian Bale as Laurie and Winona Rydes as Jo. Some parts of the movie were lovely, but other added or exaggerated ones were extra annoying. Due to the large amount of public display of affection and added scenes in that one I saw, I'm scared with what some directors might to do Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom, An Old Fashioned Girl and others... If someone does it nicely, then, hats off to them! :]

Bella, I am afraid the only thing I really remember about Under the Lilacs is that it had a lilac cover. Your description didn't jog my memory much either. So, um, it didn't make much of an impression? (However, I found an online copy and I will get back to you on the subject in a few days. )

Has anyone had an opportunity to see this version of Little Women? I haven't, but it looks like it was done by people who love the book.

Has anyone had an opportunity to see this version of Little Women? I haven't, but it looks like it was done by people who love the book.

I hadn't even heard of it. It looks interesting, but it's only 50 minutes. I can't imagine how much they had to cut to have it be less than an hour.

If they had to cut a lot, one would then hope that there wouldn't be anything extra added.

Under the Lilacs review: I really like how the reader is eased into this sweet story, and given a little bit of time to become acclimated to the prose and charming setting before the good citizens set about reforming the poor, uneducated runaway. The 'boy runs away from the circus' plot is sure to please, and you'd have to have a heart of stone to resist Sancho's winning ways.

Two parts tickled me especially,

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first, the bit about how "Miss Celia was still young at heart, for all she was twenty-four." Oh, yeah, twenty-four is soooooo old. But then, statements like that have amused me ever since Dan Reid (the Lone Ranger's fourteen year old nephew) made the comment that slid into family lore, "Miss Alice agrees too, and she's quite old. Nineteen at least!"

And then the other bit about "if one wedding wasn't enough for a children's book, I would hint at what no one could have suspected then..." D'awwwwwww. I laughed, but, please, someone scrape an ooey-gooey melted Mel off the floor... because it's such a perfect match and a happy ending for Ben, and Betty, and Bab. D'awwww.

Yaaay, so you liked it? (Neat about the online copy, btw! I wonder if they have more of Louisa May Alcott's books online...)

It is such a charming little story, plus Ben and Sancho wins one over in an instant.

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isn't it the saddest when Sancho's tail was cut off? I was so relieved that he was found, though

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Well, 24 is pretty old for people who are a little less than a decade younger than it... Not old as in ancient, of course. xDD
Aaaww, yes, that part was the sweetest! It had the same effect on me. Just the right sort of ending to warm the reader's heart. =]

On a side note, in Glimpses of Louisa I just read a story on the real boy who Laurie from Little Women was written after. It was interesting to see how Louisa May Alcott took people from her life and then put them in her stories quite skillfully.

I found Under the Lilacs on the Project Gutenberg site, and they have a nice large selection of her works. The link should take you directly to the listing of her stuff. (If it doesn't, you'll have to scroll down.)

Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn't really remember much about it,

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though I kept thinking that I didn't think the father was dead, and I wondered if I could have gotten Babs and Betty's father confused with Ben's

*SQUEE's!!* They have all the books I've been looking for. Thank-you, Mel!! *impulsively hugtackles her, since she can't help herself with this excitement*

Ah, so good to know someone shares my thoughts on the book! I hadn't read it before, which made it my first read but I remember mistaking a lot of characters to be others relations, too. Ohh yes, I understand what you mean about that. Additionally, Ben seemed a quite, amiable character but he wasn't so predictable so that made him fun.

You're welcome! Enjoy!

I feel like I'm running around in circles and repeating myself on the subject of Under the Lilacs. To return to Sancho's tale

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(Tail? ) it was very sad that his tail got cut off. But at least he got to come home!

Oh, and what did you think of Babs almost burning the house down? That somehow seemed sooo random. And then no on really seemed to care.

Please note that this Special Feature will be closing this Friday, April 16. For further Alcott discussion, feel free to bring up the topic in the relevant thread ... Books or Movies.