I've had this film on my watch list for a while. I don't know what made me want to watch it, most likely Emma Watson because I like watching the cast of HP in various movies and see how they manage to slip into another character. I don't know, I think they are great actors and I enjoy watching them in roles as diverse as possible. I don't go out of my way to do it, but if I come across a movie that looks interesting, why not.
So while I had Little Women on my watch list I happened to see the book in a store and I thought it would be fun to read the book then watch the movie and compare the two. What I did not know when I bought the book was that Little Women is a series. As I am not a fan of the genre I had no idea and no one bothered to specify that on the cover, I only got a hint about it on the very last page. There are two other books, Little Men and Jo's Boys that I have no interest in reading (I'll get to that).
This turned out pretty great if I think about it. Since I only read the first book of the series before watching the movie I can write this from both the perspective of someone who read the book and someone who didn't. I am sometimes curious about how movies made after books look like for someone who didn't read the books, so in the end it was a win-win situation.
—Setting/Plot—
Keeping in mind the first book of the series that deals with the girls' childhood, there are some differences. Some events are not presented as they are in the book and that makes the reader part of the audience frown at the screen. It's the little things that made the book enjoyable. However, the movie doesn't stray from the plot, but what I found annoying was that everything was so rushed. In the book things happen gradually, naturally whereas in the movie everything is mashed together, everyone is in a hurry when moving, when talking and as a result it doesn't have an actual impact.
—Characters—
The book allows you to get to know the characters, and the movie tries to do that as well. In the book I really liked Jo, who I later found out was inspired by Louisa May Alcott, the author of the series, but I liked the others too. It was fun seeing them interact and grow up. When it comes to the movie, none of them left any impression on me, some annoyed me a little. The cast was great and I think they would have offered an exceptional performance given the chance, but seeing how everything was so rushed, there were only bits and pieces about them, not enough to make them memorable.
—Book—
Like I mentioned, I have no interest in reading the rest of the series, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. It was a nice read, perfect for a lazy afternoon in the garden while the sun gently caresses you (I read it at night in my bed); it's a growing up story, daily life of four young girls with all their little struggles and the things that later shape their character. It's nice. But it's not exciting, it doesn't keep you glued to it, doesn't make you clutch the book in your hands and read page after page, you don't just have to know what happens next. It's just nice.
—Movie—
A lot is happening in there and it is so fast! If you look away from the screen for half a second you are going to miss something. The time skips can be a little confusing at times, and every question gets an answer pretty fast, you don't really wonder about anything. Despite that you will be left with not understanding all of it. There are some things I would google if I could be bothered, but I'm strangely fine with it. The movie didn't make me curious.
—Overall—
If you are a fan of the genre by all means go for it. Read the books, watch the movie(s and series that were made after the book), but for me this was more than enough. It wasn't bad, it was just not entertaining enough. I'm a bit dissatisfied because I was expecting some great performances in the movie (Meryl Streep was a pleasant surprise, but she wasn't on the screen much unfortunately and I watched Florence Pugh for the first time and while I though she was great, I don't think the movie did her justice), but it ended up looking like nothing more than a summary of the book to me.
What I found more interesting than the book and movie was Louisa May Alcott. She was a fascinating woman, she was a feminist and abolitionist who wrote numerous other books that sound way more interesting to me. Among these are novels and shot stories for adults and children as well as three novels under the pen name A. M. Barnard which piqued my interest and that I think will be more entertaining to me.
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