From Publishers Weekly
The first comprehensive collection of Louisa May Alcott's (1832-1888) nonfiction sketches, this volume of vivid short writings deserves a special place on the bookshelves of scholars and general readers alike. As Kansas State University Alcott scholar Gregory Eiselein writes in his introduction, Alcott's "achievements in the genre have largely escaped attention because most of the texts have been unavailable." Fortunately, this is no longer so. Grouped into five categories ("Hospital Sketches," "Letters from the Mountains," "Sketches of Europe," "Concord, Massachusetts," and "From The Youth's Companion and Merry's Museum"), these by turns frank, witty, ironic, charming and pensive pieces were almost all written when Alcott was between the ages of 28 and 43. For a woman in the 19th century, she shows unusual independence, traveling widely by herself and writing, often irreverently, about her full range of experiences. A toughness of spirit, in fact, is amply evident in these pieces. As an army nurse during the Civil War, Alcott admits to "a taste for `ghastliness'" and describes the wounded with surprising detachment ("I would have given much to have possessed the art of sketching, for many of the faces became wonderfully interesting when unconscious"). She palpably evokes the tension in the air when, while staying at a Swiss pension, Alcott, a "born abolitionist," encountered a South Carolina family bewailing its wartime loss of 500 slaves. Alcott is best known for Little Women, but her work is more varied and complex than many realize. With the publication of this volume, her importance in American literary history may be better understood.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.From Library Journal
This first complete collection of Alcott's short, nonfiction sketches is the third title in the publisher's Louisa May Alcott Restoration Project. It contains "Hospital Sketches" (1863), which sum up her experiences as an army nurse during the Civil War, "Sketches of Europe" (1865-71), which offer impressions formed during two lengthy tours of the Continent, and others. Alcott scholar Gregory Eiselein (English, Kansas State Univ.) has written the introduction, giving a historical and biographical framework. Taken in the context of Alcott's other works, these short studies show her command of language, her humor, and her belief in social justice. The style of the sketches is astute, and "Hospital Sketches" is particularly vivid. While Alcott does write from an abolitionist perspective, some passages reflect the racial attitudes of the times. These sketches will complement any Alcott collection. Recommended for most libraries. Barbara Kundanis, Batavia P.L., IL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
