Little Men by Louisa May Alcott Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott March by Geraldine Brooks Invincible Louisa by Cornelia Meigs (YA biography)
FYI, Invincible Louisa won the Newberry Medal in 1934. If we want a modern bio, we could try: The Woman Behind Little Women by Harriet Reisen
A.M. Barnard is Louisa May Alcott’s pen name. This is a thriller – one of several she wrote to earn a buck, just like Jo in Little Women. Per Wikipedia, “Of all her stories of femme fatales, Behind a Mask is considered Alcott’s masterpiece in the genre of sensation fiction.” It would show a very different side of Louisa May Alcott, and it’s free online (Gutenberg Project).
No, Good Wives is actually part two of Little Women–same book. Louisa May Alcott wrote the second half of the novel after the first half was already published (sort of the way Dickens used to do things), but the two parts have been published as one book since 1880. Part two was only called Good Wives very briefly in the UK before the novel became a single unit.
Okay, that makes sense. The library site Novelist had Good Wives as second in the Little Women series (for some reason), and I wondered how I missed it all these years. So, hey, I didn’t. Thanks.
If Behind a Mask or A Woman’s Power gets chosen, I think that we as book club ought to go with Project Gutenberg because it’s a one-and-done, free and easy. I wanted to mention the compilation of her thrillers though in case someone wants to go that route. Who knows - I may. My library system has the book.
Great, I consider three responses a quorum! And since they are all “yes” responses, we’ll have a duo of Little Women and Behind a Mask; or A Woman’s Power for October. I’m looking forward to it! I’ll start a new thread.
I hadn’t viewed it that way – I like the idea that Helen left so that she wouldn’t have to submit to the sort of “tyranny” that would come with marriage to Dror. But any way you look at it, it’s sad because she spends her life trying to convince herself that she did the right thing by leaving him.
I tried the audio book for a little while, but didn’t care for the narrator at all. She seemed to have a hard time shifting accents between Helen and Aaron. It was distracting.
Yes, I agree that Helen realized that staying with Dror would be devastating for her but she never made peace with it either. It was a regret she never reconciled.
How do we access “Behind the Mask”? Thanks! Will start thinking about these books.
I’m fine with the next pairing of books. Count me among those who never knew Alcott wrote thrillers.
Re: “Where the Crawdads Sing” – I read this for my RL Book Club; really enjoyed it. I admit, though, that my various book club readings lists start running together in my mind – I was thinking we’d read it here, too.
Hi everyone! I finally finished The Weight if Ink last night. I had hoped to read it over vacation, but that didn’t happen. I loved this book. I enjoyed the characters and liked that the storyline was not predictable for me. I also enjoyed the philosophical debates. It is a book I will recommend to my husband. Now I am off to read this thread!
I enjoyed reading all the comments. Here are some thoughts on The Weight of Ink I jotted down as I was reading comments.
Very impressed that studying philosophy was new to the author. I only took one Philosophy course in college, Philosophy of Education, and didn’t enjoy it. My husband had a Philosophy minor back in college and we have enjoyed many philosophical conversations over the years. I learned more from him, than I did in my course.
I love all your comments about what you learned from the book. While I was reading I felt how reading historical fiction makes me painfully aware of how little I know.
About Ester’s belief in God – Ester didn’t believe in an angry God who was looking to punish nonbelievers. @mathmom, I also looked up conatus and I’m still not sure I understand exactly what it means.
[quote=ingnatius]
John runs too easily to be considered a good man. How does he even know whether or not Esther is with child? Also he shares their lovemaking with Thomas who shares it with Bescos, who then taunts Esther. I mean, really ... If I remember correctly he doesn't even try to find her at any point after all's said and done.
[/quote]
John sharing his lovemaking with Thomas bothered me and eliminated any fondness I had for him. Definitely a sign of poor judgement and weakness on his part.
Mary was an annoying character. She was self-centered and foolish. She is kind of easy to forget about when discussing the characters in the story.
Rivka – Ester began noticing Rivka as person when the Rabbi died. Ester realized Rivka loved, and was in love, with him. After Rivka nursed Ester back to health and they escaped the mob, I feel they both grew to understand, respect, and love each other.
I enjoyed the development of Helen and Aaron’s relationship. Working together and working on the documents allowed them both to learn more about themselves and each other. Like Rivka and Helen, they grew to understand, respect, and love each other.
Derek Goodwin – I was thinking the same thing as @Mary13 when I was reading the end of the book. The new information could add to his dissertation. Derek was right. Thomas Farrow was an important voice of the time, more so than Derek even considered.
[quote=Mary13]
It remains to be seen how Aaron and Marissa work out. Who is the more intense one there? Seems like it could be a relationship firestorm.
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They both seem pretty intense. We only know Marissa through Aaron’s eyes, so it is hard to tell for sure.
I am in for Little Women and Behind a Mask; or A Woman’s Power.
I appreciated that in both cases, the positive change in the relationship was understated. It never felt corny or sentimental, which would not have been in keeping with the reserved, somewhat closed-off personalities of all four of the characters.
Hmmm, never thought of “in love” as a possibility. Interesting.
Here is the passage that made me think Rivka was in love with the Rabbi. There was something else said later, but I don’t remember it enough to find it.
