I really love your insights about LW and Pilgrim's Progress...I sometimes felt like, "Huh, did we read the same Pilgrim's Progress?" because Marmie and the girls seemed so focused on overcoming their flaws through their own efforts, but I think I missed that emphasis on play.
This time around, Marmie talking about how her husband helped remind her to control her temper stood out to me. Really sweet and practical.
I feel like aunts exist in cozy novels to be curmudgeonly and provide conflict while also being both unavoidable and good at heart. Aunt March is one of my favorites!
Wondering how Meg's chapter about Vanity Fair would change if it was set in today's culture. Clearly, the issue wasn't her trying to look nice, but the fact that she was being a false version of herself to impress others, but some of the era's measures of what was modest/demure vs. ostentatious and showy have changed for sure.
And, finally, my annotated edition really helped me understand the Pickwick chapter, which I mostly skipped before, so huzzah!
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts Amy! One of the things I love about this book is how different parts stand out to me each time. I absolutely love Aunt March (she is who I would want to play if I was cast in Little Women.... aside from Jo, obviously😅). That's an interesting question on Meg and Vanity Fair. I really appreciated that chapter because later on in the book, it describes Amy as being very into fashion, and that being fine! So it seems that here the problem -- like you pointed out-- was the ignoring your inner conscience and letting society totally rule how you looked. I feel like today Meg would have an instagram (or instagram/tiktok filter??) problem. Or she would be tempted to get Botox as like a 25year old because "all the girls" are doing it.
I really love your insights about LW and Pilgrim's Progress...I sometimes felt like, "Huh, did we read the same Pilgrim's Progress?" because Marmie and the girls seemed so focused on overcoming their flaws through their own efforts, but I think I missed that emphasis on play.
This time around, Marmie talking about how her husband helped remind her to control her temper stood out to me. Really sweet and practical.
I feel like aunts exist in cozy novels to be curmudgeonly and provide conflict while also being both unavoidable and good at heart. Aunt March is one of my favorites!
Wondering how Meg's chapter about Vanity Fair would change if it was set in today's culture. Clearly, the issue wasn't her trying to look nice, but the fact that she was being a false version of herself to impress others, but some of the era's measures of what was modest/demure vs. ostentatious and showy have changed for sure.
And, finally, my annotated edition really helped me understand the Pickwick chapter, which I mostly skipped before, so huzzah!
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts Amy! One of the things I love about this book is how different parts stand out to me each time. I absolutely love Aunt March (she is who I would want to play if I was cast in Little Women.... aside from Jo, obviously😅). That's an interesting question on Meg and Vanity Fair. I really appreciated that chapter because later on in the book, it describes Amy as being very into fashion, and that being fine! So it seems that here the problem -- like you pointed out-- was the ignoring your inner conscience and letting society totally rule how you looked. I feel like today Meg would have an instagram (or instagram/tiktok filter??) problem. Or she would be tempted to get Botox as like a 25year old because "all the girls" are doing it.