Book Club | I Lost My Little Women Virginity and it was Magnificent

It finally happened. I finally understand the references in the infamous Friends episodes where books are put in freezers and no viewer was surprised when Rachel reveals that “Beth dies” (except for me and Joey, of course).

I finally lost my Little Women Virginity.

I am embarrassed that I’ve survived my modest 21 years without reading the classic novel, and that when I finally did it took a not-so-modest 5 months for me to finish the book. But now that I have, I can tell you with confidence and with little literary expertise that Little Women is the book that will make all of us better people. Never have I read narration with such honest portrayal of the normal thought patterns of a young person, despite being written in the late 1800s. I say ‘person’ because to say woman would ignore the plain fact that the anger, guilt and loneliness explored in the story are exclusive to females. The girls are the heartbeat of this colourful little world but each main character’s actions and desires are so comprehensible and real, I imagine any reader would find something to relate to. 

I was re-taught many values in my time reading this story, one of which being honesty, so I must honestly tell you that my reason for finally reading the novel was nearly exclusively because of the new motion picture. The trailer alone drew me in within seconds, especially the clip of Timmy attempting to gentlemanly escort Saoirse Ronan only to have her punch him in the arm and stalk off (“OW, Jo!). Once again I was convinced to read something based on the inclusion of Timothée Chalamet in the upcoming film adaptation. Call Me By Your Name was not a book I discovered while browsing, it was a targeted hunt in the bookstore after first laying eyes on the future “Internet’s Boyfriend” in the trailer for the incredible 2017 film. Though, as I read, the stunning Italian setting and annoyingly relatable self-deprecating narration changed my love for the book into something much less fan-girly. The same thing happened with Little Women. Though I found Jo and Beth the most personally relatable, I developed a true soft spot for Amy over the last third of the 571 page book. Her classic middle child syndrome lead me to understand my own sister, our family’s middle child, a little more. Marmee — the nickname the girls have given their mother — humanizes the concept of being a perfect mother and perfect, supportive wife. And even if we take Timmy out of the equation, Laurie is a dream literary crush with his bad-boy streaks, humble nature, and earnest ability to profess love. Each character reveals their faults at some point and becomes even more loveable. I came out the other end of this book balling my eyes out, clutching it to my chest and declaring to an empty room, “it’s just so beautiful”.

Writing this post, raving about a book so widely known and loved feels almost pointless. You must know by this point that the story is worth reading, without me rambling on about it. But even so, I feel compelled to share my unwavering advocacy for this book and these characters. You don’t have to learn a language or master a new skill during lock down, read this book and you’ll re-learn all the most important lessons of life, and have an excuse to spend quality imagination time with a cast that will soon feel like family.

Thanks for reading.

Em