Who's Your Favorite Little Woman?
I used to want to be Amy, but not anymore.
posted by Roger Sutton at 4:09 PM
Thursday, August 17, 2006
About Me
- Name: Roger Sutton
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
I've been the editor in chief of The Horn Book, Inc, since 1996; previously editor of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books and a children's and young adult librarian. Received my M.A. in library science from the University of Chicago in 1982 and a B.A. from Pitzer College in 1978.
Previous Posts
- Putting the A in YA
- Paradigm shift
- Sell-by dates
- Walking after Midnight
- Betsy Halbrooks, R.I.P
- September Stars
- Emily Litella is confused.
- Abridge too far?
- We Can Only Hope That It Will Stick
- Actions Speaking Loudly as Words
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14 Comments:
To quote Caryn James, "Amy had golden hair and curls. Jo had a rat. Who would you rather be?" Actually, I just wanted to marry Laurie--and in a weird twist of fate (I'm just realizing this as I type it) my sister Amy is married to a man named Laurie. Didn't the universe realize that was a fate intended for me???
I'm always explaining that my brother-in-law's name is "Laurie, like in Little Women." But I never thought about who Laurie ends up with in the book...
And by the way, many of my friends used to call me Beth. Hope I don't die of consumption anytime soon.
Jo. Always.
Though I never understood why she didn't marry Laurie.
Jane
I didn't get it at all as a kid. But now I think Laurie wouldn't have been enough of a match for Jo during a long marriage. On the other hand, I still think marrying the old professor comes off as very dull indeed.
Laurie's kind of a girly-man--I can see him on the cover of Tiger Beat. I think that would get old for Jo very quickly.
Jo.
Roger, where DO you skurf up these fascinating little tidbits? LOVE em though!
Well, I like Jo, of course, since she does write, but she'd be a bit overwhelming to be around personally all the time, I'd think.
But, oh, I'd rather, yes, indeed have the "dull, old college professor" for Jo. Who's to say they didn't have a hot sexual attraction? With Jo on board, I always felt sure they succeeded somehow in being perfectly content, on both sides.
Laurie's too "little boy," too spoiled, and, oh surely, SURELY too boring a mate, for Jo? And just a tad less intelligent, surely? I'd be bored with him anyway....
It all makes perfect sense: marrying the Prof gives Jo the freedom to do whatever she wants...including flirting with Laurie.
Oh, Jo. Independence, or even just the idea of it, is a beautiful thing.
Amy. Amy got to go to Europe, and study art, and marry Laurie. I wanted all of those things.
Jo. Just reread the book and it's definitely Jo.
You think the pickled limes are bad, wait til you try blancmange.
Though of course, nothing can compare to the disappointment/horror that is Turkish Delight.
Jo.
And later her namesake "Jo" in the Chalet School who was clearly Elinor M. Brent Dyer's homage.
And it must have imprinted because I've dated three professor bears, and married one.
Jo.
And later her namesake "Jo" in the Chalet School who was clearly Elinor M. Brent Dyer's homage.
And it must have imprinted because I've dated three professor bears, and married one.
Er the kindly professor didn't give Jo the freedom to write genre fiction. He was quite blistering about it, actually. I wonder if she'd continued writing it whether he would have withheld his love.
Pfeh.
Jane
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