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A review by user613
Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott
5.0
4.5 stars
This novel is a classic for a reason.
It's a heartwarming, fun, innocent book, full of good lessons, well-intending characters, and loving relationships.
The innocence, too, was refreshing. Where else could you find friendships with seven male cousins, a loving, sweet, close relationship with an uncle, (I think everyone needs an Uncle Alec!) and so many sweet loving relationships, without even a hint of romance in any of them?
As a child, this was one of the only classics I read from start to finish, and actually enjoyed. (Most classics gave up on halfway through, or read out of a sense of duty, not understanding a word).
When I reread this book as an adult, it was just as sweet as I remembered. As a bonus, the story had a lot more to it than I remembered! I suddenly realized how many sentences, phrasings and conversations I had failed to properly understand in my childhood and early teens (though, I had enjoyed reading it nonetheless).
This is the sort of book that can be read at many different ages, and at each age you'll notice more of the story's depth.
This is a book that I think everyone should read at least once in their lifetime.
"Uncle, when you add up your expenses do you ever find you have got more money than you had in the beginning?"
”The writers of these popular stories intend to do good, I have no doubt, but it seems to me they fail because their motto is, ‘Be smart, and you will be rich,” instead of ‘Be honest, and you will be happy.’”
Similar:
[bc:A Little Princess|3008|A Little Princess|Frances Hodgson Burnett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327868556l/3008._SY75_.jpg|1313599][bc:Five Little Peppers and How They Grew|7911|Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (Five Little Peppers, #1)|Margaret Sidney|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386924472l/7911._SX50_.jpg|1167387][bc:Princess Academy|85990|Princess Academy (Princess Academy, #1)|Shannon Hale|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349410861l/85990._SY75_.jpg|3299770]
Content Warning
Romance: very clean
There’s a mistletoe hung up at Xmas, and innocent jokes about kisses (all on the cheek).
Religion: some Christianity
The main characters are Christian. I don’t think I noticed this fact as a child. Rereading it now, however, I noticed it was all over the book. There were a few mentions of going to church, reading the Testament, praying, angels, and God. The mark of Cain and Balaam and the ass are mentioned.
God noticing everything people do is discussed once.
A scene from the immortal story of “Babes in the Wood” is acted out. And, one of the scenes of the book is of xmas day complete with stockings, a mistletoe and family celebrations.
There were also a few mentions of temples and gods in passing.
Other:
Uncle Alec teaches Rose about the body, with the help of a skeleton.
This novel is a classic for a reason.
It's a heartwarming, fun, innocent book, full of good lessons, well-intending characters, and loving relationships.
The innocence, too, was refreshing. Where else could you find friendships with seven male cousins, a loving, sweet, close relationship with an uncle, (I think everyone needs an Uncle Alec!) and so many sweet loving relationships, without even a hint of romance in any of them?
As a child, this was one of the only classics I read from start to finish, and actually enjoyed. (Most classics gave up on halfway through, or read out of a sense of duty, not understanding a word).
When I reread this book as an adult, it was just as sweet as I remembered. As a bonus, the story had a lot more to it than I remembered! I suddenly realized how many sentences, phrasings and conversations I had failed to properly understand in my childhood and early teens (though, I had enjoyed reading it nonetheless).
This is the sort of book that can be read at many different ages, and at each age you'll notice more of the story's depth.
This is a book that I think everyone should read at least once in their lifetime.
"Uncle, when you add up your expenses do you ever find you have got more money than you had in the beginning?"
”The writers of these popular stories intend to do good, I have no doubt, but it seems to me they fail because their motto is, ‘Be smart, and you will be rich,” instead of ‘Be honest, and you will be happy.’”
Similar:
[bc:A Little Princess|3008|A Little Princess|Frances Hodgson Burnett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327868556l/3008._SY75_.jpg|1313599][bc:Five Little Peppers and How They Grew|7911|Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (Five Little Peppers, #1)|Margaret Sidney|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386924472l/7911._SX50_.jpg|1167387][bc:Princess Academy|85990|Princess Academy (Princess Academy, #1)|Shannon Hale|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349410861l/85990._SY75_.jpg|3299770]
Content Warning
Romance: very clean
There’s a mistletoe hung up at Xmas, and innocent jokes about kisses (all on the cheek).
Religion: some Christianity
The main characters are Christian. I don’t think I noticed this fact as a child. Rereading it now, however, I noticed it was all over the book. There were a few mentions of going to church, reading the Testament, praying, angels, and God. The mark of Cain and Balaam and the ass are mentioned.
God noticing everything people do is discussed once.
A scene from the immortal story of “Babes in the Wood” is acted out. And, one of the scenes of the book is of xmas day complete with stockings, a mistletoe and family celebrations.
There were also a few mentions of temples and gods in passing.
Other:
Uncle Alec teaches Rose about the body, with the help of a skeleton.