The Annotated Little Women (The Annotated Books)

September 15, 2015

Readers attuned to this sort of book may wonder, weren't we just here? Two years ago saw an annotated edition of Little Women (Belknap: Harvard Univ.) edited by Daniel Shealy, which was attractively packaged and deeply researched but not necessarily a volume one might pick up for fun. Here, editor Matteson (Eden's Outcasts) is at least partly out for a good time. He humanizes Alcott's characters by noting that the March sisters "are who they are because of what they read." Matteson aims to re-create the experience of a March, or an Alcott, and his populist approach should be welcomed by a wide readership. Some of the annotations cover similar information, but the works diverge greatly in depth of content. Despite source overlap for illustrative matter, this new book doesn't recycle the material of the aforementioned one. Matteson thanks Shealy in his acknowledgements and cites two of Shealy's works as further reading, making his text less of a competitor than an audience broadener. VERDICT Readers who found Shealy's title a bit too detailed might do well with this one. Those who appreciated the earlier edition will find Matteson's less enlightening.--Audrey Snowden, Orrington P.L., ME

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