Little Women (Penguin Classics)

One of the best loved books of all time. Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read

Lovely Meg, talented Jo, frail Beth, spoiled Amy: these are hard lessons of poverty and of growing up in New England during the Civil War. Through their dreams, plays, pranks, letters, illnesses, and courtships, women of all ages have become a part of this remarkable family and have felt the deep sadness when Meg leaves the circle of sisters to be married at the end of Part I. Part II, chronicles Meg's joys and mishaps as a young wife and mother, Jo's struggle to become a writer, Beth's tragedy, and Amy's artistic pursuits and unexpected romance. Based on Louisa May Alcott's childhood, this lively portrait of nineteenth- century family life possesses a lasting vitality that has endeared it to generations of readers.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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Published Jan 1, 1989

504 pages

Average rating: 7.83

999 RATINGS

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Oddities Book Club

Contemporary, thriller, romance, historical - we read it all! We host a bimonthly Microsoft Teams video chat to discuss the selected books. Welcome!

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Community Reviews

Cresta McGowan
Dec 25, 2025
10/10 stars
Simply brilliant. ☺️
Deborah Trahan
Oct 23, 2025
10/10 stars
The dearest book ever - and so before it's "time."
noellecheong
Feb 25, 2026
my lifetime book. forever number one
elliebell
Jan 21, 2026
fell in love with the march sisters, at first inspired by their values before disappointed with how those values bereft them of the imperfect yet affable traits they excused in others. amy won idc!!!
hershyv
Dec 27, 2025
10/10 stars
Honestly, every time I reread Little Women, I find myself wondering if everyone from my generation and their parents has read it, because it feels like they really should. With each reread, I become increasingly aware of how we seem to be growing as a society into a more capitalistic, individualistic, greedy, entitled, and unkind one. This book has the ability to set those who are open and willing on the right path. There’s so much to love here, no matter how many times you return to it. Some moments and lessons stay familiar, while others shift, invite fresh perspectives, or even prompt new questions. And yet, through all of that, the heart of the book remains unchanged: tender, necessary, and deeply heartwarming.

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