Little Women by Louisa May Alcott on Gilmore Girls

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Key Details

Genre: fiction
Sub-Genres: coming-of-age
Publication Date: 759
Pages: 1868
Themes: creativity, family, femininity, wartime struggles
Accolades: Little Women is one of the most widely read novels and regularly ranks on “best of” lists PBS’s The Great American Read.

My Rating

Little Women is one classic that delivers. Despite being an older classic, it’s so easy to read, heartwarming, and emotional. This is not a classic that should intimate you! It’s one that you indulge in with a cozy blanket and a hot beverage to comfort you.

Each sister comes across as distinctly unique, and the book shines a light on how different young women can become themselves with the support of loved ones— a lesson that holds true today.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott has stood the test of time, and it is one of my absolute favorite books of all-time.

Gilmore Girls Episodes

Learn where this book on the Gilmore Girls reading list was subtly referenced:

Season 1, Episode 7 (“Kiss and Tell“)

Dean’s ex-girlfriend’s name is Beth, which may be inspired by Little Women.

Season 7, Episode 21 (“Unto the Breach”)

Like Jo March, Rory turns down a marriage proposal to focus on her writing work.

A Year in the Life: “Winter”

Like Jo March, Rory decides to write about her family and reflects on their past.

Best Quotes (by Amy March)

“I’d rather take coffee than compliments just now.”

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”

Book Review

Description

Little Women is the beloved children’s classic book about the creative and adventurous childhood of the four March sisters, who come of age in Massachusetts with their mother, Marmee, during the Civil War, all while anticipating their father’s homecoming:

Jo: a headstrong and ambitious writer;
Beth: a quiet music lover;
Meg: a nurturing and feminine caretaker; and
Amy: a youthful and spirited artist.

Why It Matters on Gilmore Girls

Little Women and Gilmore Girls share a bevy of paralells. First, Rory’s own journey is especially akin to that of fan favorite Jo March, who turns down a marriage proposal to write about her family.

Likewise, the many other female leads in Gilmore Girls show, and must balance the realities of life with their creative interests.

Like the March family, Emily Gilmore values domestic life and old fashioned American community in the DAR.
Like Jo, Lorelai Gilmore is fiercely independent and defies societal norms. At the same time, one of her favorite hobbies is sewing.
Like Meg, Sookie St. James is a giver and a caretaker, balancing her demanding cooking career and her family life.
Like Beth, Lane Kim is a music lover. Like Meg, she experiences some of the hardships of focusing on domesticity.
Paris Geller shares the strong will and steadfastness of Amy. To cope with these pressures, she enjoys crafting.

Who It’s Best For

Little Women is a “bucket list” book everyone should read at some time in his or her lifetime of reading. It’s a universally pleasing story that works beautifully for nearly all ages and genders.

I’d also like to see it read in schools more often. Girls regularly read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, so why can’t boys read about the adventures of the March sisters?

Reading Tips

These adaptations are some of the best, and not to be missed. See the trailers for the 1994 and 2019 adaptations below. (Personally, I liked the 2019 adaptation better, but readers are often split. Both are great!)
Read Louisa May Alcott’s Little Men: Life at Plumfield with Jo’s Boys (1871).
Read Marmee by Sarah Miller, a retelling in Marmee’s perspective, or Meg & Jo and Jo & Laurie by Virginia Kantra, modern re-tellings of these characters’ lives.
Explore Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, either in person or online.
Have a Little Women-inspired Christmas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Little Women quotes teach life lessons?

In Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, the matriarch, Marmee, tells her four daughters the following, which holds true to date: “Have regular hours for work and play, make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life become a beautiful success[.]”