Alcott also wrote other domestic narratives drawn from her early experiences: An Old-Fashioned Girl (1870); Aunt Jo’s Scrap Bag, 6 vol. During the Civil War, she went to Washington, D.C. to work as a nurse. Dustcover of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel. Mujercitas (en inglés, Little Women o Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy) es una novela de la escritora estadounidense Louisa May Alcott publicada el 30 de septiembre de 1868, que trata la vida de cuatro niñas que, tras pasar la adolescencia con la Guerra Civil en los Estados Unidos como fondo, entre 1861 y 1865, se convierten en mujeres. Updates? Based on her recollections of her own childhood, Little Women describes the domestic adventures of a New England family of modest means but optimistic outlook. (863 from 1001) - Little Women (Little Women #1), Louisa May Alcott Little Women is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888), which was originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869. The book traces the differing personalities and fortunes of four sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March) as they emerge from childhood and encounter the vicissitudes of employment, society, and marriage. A daughter of the transcendentalist Bronson Alcott, Louisa spent most of her life in Boston and Concord, Massachusetts, where she grew up in the company of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Theodore Parker, and Henry David Thoreau. Over the final years of her life, she turned out a steady stream of novels and short stories, mostly for young people and drawn directly from her family life. She also submitted work regularly to The Atlantic Monthly and published several short stories and other novels for youth, but none were as successful as Little Women. Louisa May Alcott died of a stroke in 1888. Her novel Little Women gave Alcott financial independence and a lifetime writing career. The publication of her letters in book form, Hospital Sketches (1863), brought her the first taste of fame. Omissions? Little Women is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888) which was originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869. Louisa May Alcott, (born November 29, 1832, Germantown, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died March 6, 1888, Boston, Massachusetts), American author known for her children’s books, especially the classic Little Women (1868–69). Alcott’s stories began to appear in The Atlantic Monthly (later The Atlantic), and, because family needs were pressing, she wrote the autobiographical Little Women (1868–69), which was an immediate success. Alcott produced potboilers at first and many of her stories—notably those signed “A.M. Her education was largely under the direction of her father, for a time at his innovative Temple School in Boston and, later, at home. tags: spinsters, women. Louisa May Alcott wrote many works in every genre — conservatively, more than two hundred, over a career that spanned almost forty years — … The story follows the lives of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—and details their passage from childhood to womanhood. The great success of Little Women gave Alcott financial independence and created a demand for more books. Some modern researchers have found her ailments later in life symptomatic of lupus. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Alcott was born on November 29, 1832 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a result, her writing style greatly impacted American literature. Alcott also tried her hand at adult novels, such as Work (1873) and A Modern Mephistopheles (1877), but these tales were not as popular as her other writings. In 1862, she also adopted the pen name A.M. Barnard, and some of her melodramas were produced on Boston stages. The Gothic tales and thrillers that Alcott published pseudonymously between 1863 and 1869 were collected and republished as Behind a Mask (1975) and Plots and Counterplots (1976), and an unpublished Gothic novel written in 1866, A Long Fatal Love Chase, was published in 1995. Residing in Boston and Concord, Massachusetts, Alcott worked as a domestic servant and teacher, among other positions, to help support her family from 1850 to 1862. Jan and John join in a "Prelude to a Virtual Book Launch" by discussing his new book, A Worse Place Than Hell - How the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg Changed a Nation prior to the actual event on Tuesday, February 9th at 7:00 pm. But it was her account of her Civil War experiences, Hospital Sketches (1863), that confirmed Alcott's desire to be a serious writer. The home of Bronson Alcott and his family, including his daughter Louisa May Alcott, in Concord, Massachusetts, wood engraving, 1875. The latter works are unusual in their depictions of women as strong, self-reliant, and imaginative. Little Women also inspired numerous movies, including the 1933 classic, starring Katharine Hepburn as Jo, and Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation. Alcott wrote the book over several months at the request of her publisher. Learn more about Alcott’s life and literary career in this article. Louisa May Alcott, American author known for her children’s books, especially the classic Little Women. Corrections? Alcott was a best-selling novelist of the late 1800s, and many of her works, most notably Little Women, remain popular today. © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. His idealistic approach to life focused on spiritual growth and radical self-denial, which left his family in constant poverty. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. Kurt Vonnegut was an American author best known for the novels Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions. She was never completely well again. 662 likes. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Louisa May Alcott is most famous for her novel Little Women (1868–69), an autobiographical text about a cheery family of modest means. Her health had been flagging for decades prior, however, and she wrote in her journal that she frequently suffered from exhaustion, headaches, nerve issues, and digestive pain. Famed author Louisa May Alcott created colorful relatable characters in 19 th century novels. 760 likes. Her own health, never robust, also declined, and she died in Boston two days after her father’s death. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! A Modern Mephistopheles, which was published pseudonymously in 1877 and republished in 1987, is a Gothic novel about a failed poet who makes a Faustian bargain with his tempter. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Like “Love is a great beautifier.” ― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women. Alcott wrote the books over several months at the request of her publisher. Louisa May Alcott was an American author who wrote under various pseudonyms and only started using her own name when she was ready to commit to writing. The financial woes that had troubled the Alcott family were finally over as Little Women launched the author as a literary star. 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