Little Men (Little Women Series Book 2)

While a literary classic, it is not well written. The characters are often referred to by different names which confuses the reader. The language is often complicated and challenging which is not helped by archaic words. The plot is overly simple to almost non-existent, lacking complications and depth to keep readers drawn-in. The Kindle version contains a few typographical errors; however, the text follows the Signet Classics version.

what a. lively and uplifting novel. it had been so long since I had read little men. an example of parenting and wanting to build character in the young. wish it were more true today,that educating them in all aspects of life went e true

This production of Little Men was done beautifully by the narrator. She gave wonderful voice to all the many characters in the book. The book itself is a great story, especially for home educators or educators who want to think "outside the box". Its also a lovely tale of friendship and coming of age sans sexual revolution content. Thank you Louisa May Alcott for painting such a real and poignant book of boyhood. As a mom of three boys myself, I really enjoyed it.

Louisa May Alcott writes as beautiful a story here about Little Men as she did in her other famous book Little Women.

Little Men picks up where the book Little Women leaves off. Here in Little Men, Josephine March (affectionately known as Jo) has inherited her aunt Josephine March's estate known as Plumfield.

Jo, who is married to Professor Friedrich Bhaer in this warm story, turns Plumfield into a school for boys where the main characters include Professor Friedrich Bhaer's orphaned nephews (Franz and Emil), Jo and Friedrich's own sons (Rob and Teddy), Margaret (Daisy) the only girl at Plumfield, and John Laurence (Demijohn or Demi) twin to Daisy. Other notable characters in this heartwarming story include Nat Blake, the violin playing orphan, Dan and then Nan, the only other girl at Plumfield.

Plumfield is a non-conventional school where all the children are encouraged to grow their own gardens, have their own pets, and to implement personal business ideas as a way to earn extra money.

While some of the boys encounter troubles, as most children and young men do, Jo and Friedrich Bhaer are there to gently guide the errant kids back into the folds of family life and gentle society.

Readers of Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women will marvel at how well that story continues into this uplifting story about Little Men.

Excellent book!
One reviewer (who seems to be a whole lot better writer than I am- congratulates, Judy!) wrote that the morals inside were better than God's Ten Commandments. What would those morals be without the Ten Commandments? As the most obvious example: Commandment Eight. "You shall not steal." And stealing only happens after a violation of Commandment Ten: "You shall not covet… anything that is your neighbor's." (Found in Exodus chapter 20). Jack learned about this the hard way.
I wouldn't take any lessons about raising any children from this book, though! Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer are too lenient. Nothing about is real, and after looking through the sequel Jo's Boys, I came to the conclusion that they didn't do much for most of those boys. (And how come they didn't take in any more boys after the original 'little men' left?) Anyway I don't think they taught them much about forgiveness because they accused Nat with no proof, rebuffed Dan, and completely shunned Jack. You'll have to read it to know what I'm talking about.
And for all its many, many flaws, nice job, Louisa Alcott!
T.D.

Little Women is one of my favorite books, but this book lacks what made that book successful -- a sense that you were reading about people who were vital and alive. This book takes places after Jo and the Professor have set up their school. Jo seems like a lobotomized version of herself so much of the time -- she spends most of the book darning socks and waxing poetic about her "boys" and how wonderful they are. Most of the actions is the episodic adventures of the boys and they're so heavily moralistic that few of the boys get a chance to emerge as real characters. This is a tedious read for adults.

You know that sad feeling when you suddenly realize your grandma or mom is getting kind of old? That's the feeling I get from this book. Little Women is one of my favorite books ever and I just hate to watch my girlfriends from that book age and get plump and frowzy and motherly in this book.

That said, this is a rather adorable tale about Jo's crop of boys- my favorite of which is Dan- and a couple of girls- out of which I love Naughty Nan.

I have only read this book once or twice before, in contrast to a steady adolescent diet of Little Women, it's prequel, and Jo's Boys, it's sequel. For me, Little Men will continue to be a pleasant bridge between two glowing favorites.

Little Women is one of my favorite books, but this book lacks what made that book successful -- a sense that you were reading about people who were vital and alive. This book takes places after Jo and the Professor have set up their school. Jo seems like a lobotomized version of herself so much of the time -- she spends most of the book darning socks and waxing poetic about her "boys" and how wonderful they are. Most of the actions is the episodic adventures of the boys and they're so heavily moralistic that few of the boys get a chance to emerge as real characters. This is a tedious read for adults.

You know that sad feeling when you suddenly realize your grandma or mom is getting kind of old? That's the feeling I get from this book. Little Women is one of my favorite books ever and I just hate to watch my girlfriends from that book age and get plump and frowzy and motherly in this book.

That said, this is a rather adorable tale about Jo's crop of boys- my favorite of which is Dan- and a couple of girls- out of which I love Naughty Nan.

I have only read this book once or twice before, in contrast to a steady adolescent diet of Little Women, it's prequel, and Jo's Boys, it's sequel. For me, Little Men will continue to be a pleasant bridge between two glowing favorites.