This went from delightful to tedious in thirty pages. It's amazing to me that Jane Austen, who wrote some one hundred years before Alcott, could feel so incredibly modern and this novel so insufferably outdated.If you like regular lines such as "Oh, you little dear!" and scenes of the older man holding the chin of the thirteen-year-old girl and tenderly kissing her rose-bud lips and telling her to mind him and all of her dreams shall come true (did I mention it is her uncle--her dear, dear uncle...

This was a delightful book with great charm. It had many twists that surprised me, and the characters were adorable. I loved the unconventionality that was Uncle Alec's doctoring. Very unique and special.Content:* expletives (a few)* swearing by saints (twice)* underage drinking, smoking, and gambling* one or two mentions of gods and godessesI was not compensated for my honest review.

If you read Little Women and thought, “Wow, I wonder what other books Louisa May Alcott has written!” just know that I, a Little Woman superfan who has read almost all of Alcott’s books, think all of them are absolutely trash. I’m sure Alcott was considered a feminist icon back in the Stone Age or whatever, but WOW she sucks at writing women.She’s unbelievably judgmental when girls want to do anything that involves fashion or beauty. Like, yeah, you don’t need rich dresses or makeup to look pret...

After her father's death Rose is listless and ill, until her new guardian, Uncle Alec, encourages her to try healthful food, sunshine, and exercise. Gradually, Rose begins to improve both in health and spirits, and soon she is able to join her cousins in their frolics and adventures. She has seven cousins, all boys, who gather around her with energetic fun. But Rose also has a great many meddlesome aunts, who object to Uncle Alec's parenting style, saying that he will make her into a shameful to...

I had SUCH a crush on Uncle Alec, who rides in on his white charger bearing oatmeal and imported silk sashes and SAVES young Rose from well-meaning overbearing aunts and migraines and addictions--some heavy stuff even by today's kiddie lit standards. (If you haven't read it and think I'm kidding, I'm not.) And when I wasn't fantasizing about Uncle A, I imagined myself with my own gaggle of guy cousins to pal around with--one or two tapping at my heartstrings, of course. Five stars? How about eig...

The latest book in my Louisa May Alcott kick...and I found it generally charming. I love the idea of "throwing out the window" the general practices at the time (wearing tight corsets and belts, taking strong coffees and cordials to improve health, teaching girls to act like 'ladies' instead of allowing them fresh air and exercise) and enjoyed watching young Rose become a picture of health and happiness. I also loved the idea that her uncle taught her to be a self-reliant woman (hence the emphas...

5+ stars & 7/10 hearts. What a darling little story this is… just so sweet and fresh and relaxing! And still crammed full of excellent advice! This book is set in late-1880s America and is evidently a protest from Alcott on the popular way of raising girls, and her suggestion of how to actually raise them. It’s fascinating from a historical point of view, giving a great glimpse of what things were like in Alcott’s time; and a lot of what it says still stands true today, and is great inspiration

I love Little Women, I really do. Though I realize in retrospect that a lot of it is sort of . . . preaching the philosophies of the May/March parents. Which is fine, because wanting girls to be strong and self-sufficient is a wonderful thing.But if you thought Marmee was a little too full of wholesome advice, this is NOT the book for you. The entire book revolves around orphaned Rose, and how her Uncle Alec, a free-thinking doctor, rehabilitates her. The virtues of fresh air, exercise, wholesom...

Let's face it, Louisa May Alcott wrote a beautiful books for young adult/children. It is a fact. Period. ;-)During reading I was thinking all the time that this book should be obligatory for children and also for parents (guardians). There are so many people who read guides for parents and so on. I think they should start with such books like this one. It is so full of wisdom that you can't miss it. And almost all of them are true today too. There weren't computer games or Internet in those time...

I loved Little Women when I was young. My mom gave me Eight Cousins when I was finished with Little Women and I remember liking it quite a bit. I’m not sure it held up after all these years but it was nice reading one of my mom’s old books again. Rose has been orphaned and is under the care of her two elderly great-aunts, Peace and Plenty. One glorious day, her uncle Dr. Alec comes home to take charge of Rose’s care. As her guardian, Uncle Alec devises “cures” that help Rose to become a healthy

Just as wonderful the third time round! :D

This was such a cute book. And that's saying much because I don't think I've ever called any classic "a cute book."But I enjoyed myself so much reading this! The characters, as trying as they could be sometimes, were delightful, and it was so satisfying to see them grow. I can't wait to continue with the sequel.

Halfway through reading this book, I dismissed it as a saccharine funnel through which Alcott wished to teach children life lessons. After finishing it, I still think this is true, but I realize this book is dated and is more appropriately viewed as a piece of historical work. I mean this in the sense that there are some backwards views that are reflected in this book, but also some surprisingly progressive ones that Alcott cements, which is worth some notice. There are parts of this book that s...

I never knew that Louisa May Alcott ever wrote anything other than Little Women, its sequels and some scary stories. But in 1875, Alcott published Eight Cousins, a predictable, bathetic novel featuring a ridiculously plucky orphan named Rose Campbell and her seven boy cousins; except for Mac, all of them would make Pollyanna appear a spoiled, selfish misanthrope. It’s no Little Women by a long shot.The story began well enough, with Rose mourning the death of her beloved invalid father. Her uncle...

When I was in my early teens, there was a trifecta of authors that I devoured: Jane Austen, L.M. Montgomery, and Louisa May Alcott. I even made an informational web page about them on Angelfire... those were the days...Anyway, revisiting a book like Eight Cousins reminds me exactly how I was influenced by these characters. A lot of my world view was shaped by this innocent wholesomeness, exemplified by Rose, the main character. Her ladylike presence automatically inspired people around her (name...

There are no words to express how lovely this book was to me. I just loved it.I am wondering though, what exactly was the disagreement between Dr. Alec and Rose's father? Was it that they both loved the same girl, Rose's mother? If so, then I fear that the next book, Rose in Bloom, will hurt a bit."Fathers and mothers are too absorbed in business and housekeeping to study their children and cherish that sweet and natural confidence, which is a child's surest safeguard, and a parent's subtlest po...

Oh my goodness this was such a good book and I already have the next one in the series, so I am all set. Sweet, loving, charming, delightful.

"It may upset things a trifle, but half a child's pleasure consists in having their fun when they want it."I'm a big fan of Anne of Green Gables, Heidi and A Little Princes, so when I came across Eight Cousins, which appeared to be somewhat similar, couldn't help resisting reading the book. And without going in to much detail, this is a nice story - and a great one for children. However, I thought, it to be a bit less engaging compared to Anne and other books. Hadn't this book been intended for

Age Appropriate For: All AgesBest for Ages: 10-18Some of my favorite memories of my early teen years were the hours that I spent reading Little Women with my sisters. We read the whole book together over a few months, sitting outside in the woods, each with a different project. Alcott always makes me think of those happy times, and makes me feel nostalgic.My younger sisters have read many more Alcott books then I have, and I got to hear all about their favorites. The book I heard them gush the m...

If you've read any Louisa May Alcott, the general ideas and characters will be familiar. The characters are all very high-minded and very concerned with morality, building character, proper behavior, etc. Being written nearly 150 years ago, some of the ideas on health, class and race relations, and gender roles are very antiquated, and can even seem a bit bigoted. But you have to remember the time in which it was written. The way they describe a Chinese man is particularly interesting.The basic