Grand Rapids Nesties
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Re: Little Women final check-in
Not gonna lie, I never finished it. And because I forgot it was due back while we were moving, I now owe the library like 2 bucks lol.
I loved it! I got soooo much more out of it this time around as opposed to when I read it when I was 11. Obviously, as an adult, I now have a much better appreciation for the adult issues presented in the second part of the book.
I kind of wish Jo would have been been happy as an independent woman making her own way in the world and that she didn't conform and get married and have children. Anyone else feel this way? I'm glad she was happy at the end of the book, but I was a little disappointed that she could only find happiness through a husband and kids. But, I suppose you can't expect anything else considering when this was written.
I have really mixed feelings on Amy. Through most of the book, I didn't really care for her, but then I started liking her when she had her big talk with Laurie and told him to shape up.
I really liked Laurie. I want to be friends with him. And my heart broke for him when Jo turned him down. I'm glad he found happieness in the end.
I thought Meg's struggles in the second part were kind of interesting, and even though I don't have kids, I feel like perhaps the challenges she faced trying to balance taking care of her kids with everything else in life perhaps still hold true to a large degree today.
When I read this book when I was 11, I think it was the first time that I read a book in which one of the main characters died. (Not so many people died in the Babysitters Club series!). I remember at the time Beth's death had quite an affect on me. This time around, I think the way that the family grew closer together and prepared for Beth's death was to some degree, a thing of beauty.
Anyway, I'm really glad I reread this book. I really enjoyed it.
I don't know how many people view in bump mode, so this might not get any attention.
I finally finished!!!
This was my second time reading this book as well, the first time being as a young adult/around the time the movie was released. I also got a lot more out of the book this time around. I also agree with LVila that it was a book I needed to focus on and I made a lot of progress when I had quiet, uninterrupted time to read it. Unfortunately, I didn't have much of that in April.
Beth's passing wasn't as devastating to me as an adult. Like Kasa said, it seemed more bittersweet. Maybe knowing it was coming this time helped soften the blow a bit. My favorite thing about Beth is her cats. Love that!
I, too, wish Jo had ended up with Laurie. It still seems weird to me that he and Amy married. I guess different time and all that, but it just doesn't sit well with me that he married the sister of his first love. I found it sort of unbelievable that Jo would be okay with that and then that Amy would be okay being "second choice." I also wish that Jo had made her own way as an author, traveling and having adventures.
The marital issues that Meg and John face were very interesting. I agree with Kasa that there are a lot of parallels to today and as always, Marmee gave Meg some great advice. The twins sound like such a handful and I enjoyed them.
Overall, I did really enjoy the book.
I do!
I agree that the Laurie/Jo/Amy love triangle was strange and perhaps something that's hard for us to comprehend these days.
And, yes, Beth's cats! I didn't remember them at all from the first time I read the book, so they were a pleasant surprise this time around.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed the book, too, Suze.
I didn't read it with you, but have read it in the past and loved it. It was my grandma's favorite book, and she even named my mom Laurie - with that spelling b/c of the book.
Anyway, I just wanted to chime in on the Laurie/Jo/Amy thing b/c that's my life! I ended up marrying the brother of a guy I had dated in the past. Granted, I wasn't in love with him in the same way as Laurie/Jo, but I have kissed my brother in law! It's not awkward at all... but we had decided that we were better of friends and stayed really good friends. DH and I didn't start dating till a few years later.
HDM, that's very cool about your grandmother naming your mom "Laurie." I have always intended to give any future children literary names of some sort.
That's interesting about your situation with your BIL. Perhaps I don't like it in the book because I feel set up for Laurie and Jo to be together. They seem like such a great match in so many ways and Jo's refusal feels really heartbreaking. I'm sure under the right circumstances, like yours, everything could work out just fine.
Gandalf always seemed extra cuddly whenever I was reading this book. I thought maybe it was because she "sensed" the strong presence of a cat-loving character. It turns out she was just being needy because I had been a bit neglectful lately. She was just taking advantage of me sitting still on the couch.