The Afterlife of Little Women by Beverly Lyon Clark (review)

Extremely well researched, Beverly Lyon Clark’s book explores the reception, both critical and popular, of this well-known novel through a myriad of primary sources. In addition to Alcott scholars, this book will be of interest to those studying material culture, the intersection between high and popular culture, illustration and adaptations. The chapters are divided into roughly 30-year periods: 1868-1900, 1900-1930, 1930-1960, and 1960 to the present day. Clark approaches Little Women (LW) as “a mutable text” (2) and analyzes both indirect and direct sources to understand how social context has influenced the reception of the novel. In the process, Clark employs a variety of theoretical lenses and connects the reception of the novel to major social and literary movements and concerns.

Chapter one traces Alcott’s rise in popularity with the publication of LW through library circulation lists that show LW had a wide readership. However, Clark uses contemporary reviews in journals such as the Atlantic to show how LW polarized critics in the midst of the segregation of high from popular culture, works written for adults from those for children, and works for females from works for males. An exploration of early biographies, both article and book length, shows how Alcott was crafted into a 19^th century virtuous role model, and the discussion of Ednah D. Cheney’s biography is particularly well thought out. Clark introduces illustration theory and adaptation theory as she sifts through the material. One of the most interesting sections in this chapter is Clark’s discussion of personal responses to LW—particularly fan letters—and Alcott’s responses to them.

Publisher’s records, reprints, student polls, and various contest entries are analyzed in chapter two to determine the attitudes toward LW from 1900 to 1930. Clark also deeply researches library circulation records, newspaper polls, and Bureau of Education records to show how the novel continued to be popular with adults and children, girls, and boys. She discusses “manifestations of public interest” (101) such as Little Women department store displays, and Alcott Days in schools. Another section of the chapter focuses on the cultural meanings of the many adaptations that were published during this time. Clark shows that the novel was in its height of reading popularity at a time when literary critics were interested in individuality not domesticity, and thus, LW was not treated kindly by the literary world and relegated to the realm of sentimental.

From 1930-1960, as critics were focusing on determining what was “American” literature, the Academy dismissed Alcott. Their verdict was that “A story about a boy and a man rafting down the Mississippi could be quintessentially American, but not one about a family of women guarding the home front during the Civil War” (105). In chapter three, Clark discusses not only the academic, but also the popular decline of LW during this time period. Although noting the beginning of Madeleine Stern’s work on Alcott, she shows the almost total dismissal of Alcott by such seminal scholars as R. W. B. Lewis, Richard Chase, and Robert E. Spiller. In terms of popular reception, Clark provides evidence from library records and celebrity interviews to give proof of LW’s continued readership but mixed reception. She also explores the many adaptations that appeared, and she focuses on how George Cukor’s 1933 film and the 1949 MGM film both led to commercialization of the characters and story through merchandizing: Madame Alexander dolls, paper dolls, and even women’s clothing. The chapter ends with a discussion of the eight book-length biographies that were published during this time, the misinformation they contained, and why a domesticated view of Alcott was important.

The final chapter tracks LW’s reversal of fortune. Clark’s research shows how just when LW reached an all time low in popularity, the novel began to rise in esteem in the academic world especially with early feminist critics. This chapter picks up the literary debate of whether LW is about female romance...