Little Men by Louisa May Alcott, J. T. Barbarese

From the Publisher

Jo March, the heroine of Little Women, is back in a charming sequel to that beloved book. She and her husband open their hearts to a host of endearing little mischief-makers in an effort to teach them "how to help themselves and be useful men." A heartwarming classic.

Publishers Weekly

Like the semi-autobiographical heroine of Little Women , Alcott supported herself and her family by writing potboilers. This volume is the fifth of a series to reprint the romantic thrillers she wrote anonymously; the nine tales collected here originally appeared in Frank Leslie's Lady's Magazine between 1868 and 1870, before the success of Little Women made such efforts unnecessary. They demonstrate a rich imagination that could be harnessed to popular fiction. Designed to fit the magazine's format and to please the tastes of women readers, these romantic stories foreshadowed what was to come in the literary marketplace. Alcott's darkly handsome men and ravishingly beautiful women move through plots involving sex, illicit drugs, the betrayal of trust and the lavish life of the wealthy. Virtue always wins at least a moral victory, but not before rousing melodramas have revealed the sizzling passions surging under the laces and jewels worn by Alcott's characters. While the collection is of particular interest to scholars, who will appreciate the informative introduction and bibliography, it will also appeal to anyone entranced by Alcott's novels. Illustrations not seen by PW . (Nov.)

Children's Literature

Cheerful, resourceful Ben Brown, a 12 year old circus performer and his friendly, clever dog, Sancho, have run away from an abusive environment in search of his father who had mysteriously disappeared months before. The two travelers are befriended by two lively sisters, Bab and Betty Moss, as well as their mother and two wealthy neighbors. Throughout the rest of the novel we follow Ben's adjustments to work, school and life outside the circus. The book should appeal to Louisa May Alcott fans and readers who enjoy nostalgic, old-fashioned stories. 1877,

Library Journal

Gathering four of Alcott's early sensation stories ("Pauline's Passion and Punishment," "V.V.," "Behind a Mask," and "Taming a Tatar") from a previous Alcott collection (Louisa May Alcott Unmasked: Collected Thrillers, LJ 4/15/95), rare book collector and Alcott scholar Stern illustrates the ways in which women's struggle for sexual power form the thread that knits together Alcott's fiction. Each of the stories records the degree to which Alcott's female protagonists succeed or fail to break away from male domination to fashion their own self-identities. In "Pauline's Passion and Punishment," for example, Pauline succeeds in defeating her male opponent only to become trapped in a terrifying new relationship with him. Since the stories in this volume are readily available in other collections, only libraries wanting to own every edition of Alcott's stories will want to purchase it.Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Westerville P.L., Ohio

Stephen King

"A long fatal love chase is not the best of Alcott's sensation stories: that is probably behind the mask." -- The New York Times Book Review

Product Details

• ISBN: 1435247930
  
• ISBN-13: 9781435247932
• Format: Other Format
• Publisher: Paw Prints
• Pub. Date: April 2008
• Edition Description: Reprint

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents