Little Women

By: Louisa May Alcott

Narrated by: C. M. Hébert

Length: 18 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's Summary

This favorite book for children, based on the author's own youthful experiences, describes the family life of the Marches in a small New England community. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March are raised in genteel poverty by their loving mother, Marmee, while their father serves as a chaplain during the American Civil War. Jo, at 15, is ungainly, unconventional, and enterprising, with an ambition to be an author. Meg, a year older, is pretty and wishes to be a lady. Beth is a delicate child of 13 with a taste for music. Amy is a blonde beauty of 12. The story explores their domestic adventures, their attempts to increase the family's small income, their friendship with the neighboring Laurence family, and their later love affairs and destinies as women.

(P)1999 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic Reviews

"C. M. Herbert reads the story with the gentle affection and conviction one imagines in Jo March as she reads to her elderly aunt." (AudioFile)

A very good reading of a classic

I was surprised at the negative comments of another reviewer about the reader, C.M. Hebert, of this version of Little Women. I found the reader to be warm and lively and to have conveyed well the old-fashioned moralism combined with a genuine love for her characters that rescues Alcott's classic from merely being larded with bromides or unbearably treacly. Because let's face it, this is a very sentimental book, but the characters are so loveable and so sympathetic that the reader overlooks this quality and just goes along for the ride. And C.M. Hebert, with her amused tone, well conveys this spirit.

14 of 14 people found this review helpful

Wonderful Story and Performance

Would you listen to Little Women again? Why?

I'd consider listening to this again with one of my children or nieces. It was a wholesome story that was incredibly moving.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Little Women?

I felt so bad for Laurie at his low point, but chuckled because I knew that Jo was right.

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed the girls playing at Pilgrim's Progress, but I was moved the most by Beth's final days.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Four diamonds in the rough: cut, polished and sparkle in love's light.

Any additional comments?

Read this book at your own peril. I listened to it as an audio book and can attest that you will laugh, cry, celebrate and mourn along with the characters in this book. That might sound wonderful, but when you're walking along in public with earphones in and start cracking up laughing, you'll get the strangest looks from people.

I fell in love with the March daughters in this book and find it a wonderful tale with a strong morality. While I don't have daughters, I'm picking up a copy of this book for my nieces who I hope enjoy the story as much as I did.

As I understand it, the book was broken into two parts - Little Women and Good Wives. Together, they were excellent. In the unabridged version I listened to, the narration by C. M. Hébert was outstanding. By her tone of voice, I could easily distinguish between the dozen or so characters she was portraying.

Overall, I thought this book was really good and I highly recommend it. It's a wholesome tale that will move you and very much might stir you to become a better person.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

A must read classic

Charming and fun. If I read, it was as an adolescent, but as an adult, this was thoroughly enjoyable.

Don't consider this as an old-fashined, classic for girls - I think anybody would enjoy the story of these four girls, their family and friends around the period of the American Civil War.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

A few technical issues

I would give a five-star review but there are chapters out of order and part of one chapter missing entirely. Narrator does a good job except for a few overdone accents (Esther the French maid of Aunt March is nearly impossible to understand). When the narrator relaxes, she has a very pleasant voice reminiscent of Susan Sarandon. This is one of my favorite books, so I hope the glitches are fixed so many more people can enjoy the story.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Loved it!

Any additional comments?

I read this as a child and enjoyed it then, but now find I have a new appreciation for it as an adult and enjoyed it even more. The reader did an excellent job and I found myself laughing and crying throughout.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Great story, great narrator

What did you love best about Little Women?

Little Women is such a sweet story with a wonderful message, and many meaningful lessons. Each girl has her own challenge to overcome, and each does her best to conquer it. It is a loving family story, and a classic.

Which scene was your favorite?

I love the scene where Jo feels deep remorse about her hot temper and the disastrous consequences they almost faced because if it. Her mother confides her own story of conquering her temper. It was quite poignant.

Any additional comments?

I truly like this narrator best of all that I investigated for the Little Women. She did a wonderful job, and doesn't sound as squeaky and annoying portraying the younger girls as some seemed to.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Well done!

What a joy! The narrator was splendid! I laughed and I cried. I highly recommend this!

150 years later it remains a masterpiece

Timeless themes of love, loss and faith told with adept narration and truly human characters

Absolutely Charming

Gone are the days. This is one of my favorite books. So full of grace, morals and values. Things I feel are missing in this day and age. It’s daters because times have changed but the lesson to be learned ... care about family and treat others as you would like to be treated should never get old. I wish girls 12–14 would read and love as much as I do. Truly a treasure.

Fabulous read!!! A true classic story:)

The headline says it all. The only thing I have to add is that I agree with the review regarding the whispering, but that is subjective and I love this story so much that it didn't affect my feeling and overall rating of this classic.

A classic tale, told well

I really quite enjoyed this story and the narrator was perfect I thought. However, this audiobook had a chapter missing and one was repeated instead - if you don't have a paper copy of it hanging around to see what you missed, or don't have the faculty of vision to do so, I would suggest buying a different version.

Buyer beware

This book is very well read and the characterisations are good. However what it fails to say is that although the Little Women part of the recording may be unabridged there then follows a mixture from the sequels Good Wives, Little Men and possibly part of Jo's Boys (it's a long time since I read them). You might not mind this but at least you have been warned about what to expect.