A literary landmark—the original, suppressed draft of the classic novel!

Brought to you by OBS Staff Member Erin

Little Women is a timeless classic. But Louisa May Alcott’s first draft—before her editor sunk his teeth into it—was even better. Now the original text has at last been exhumed. In this uncensored version, the March girls learn some biting lessons, transforming from wild girls into little women—just as their friends and neighbors transform into vicious, bloodthirsty werewolves!

Here are tomboy Jo, quiet Beth, ladylike Amy, and good-hearted Meg, plus lovable neighbor Laurie Laurence, now doomed to prowl the night on all fours, maiming and devouring the locals. As the Civil War rages, the girls learn the value of being kind, the merits of patience and grace, and the benefits of knowing a werewolf who can disembowel your teacher. (via Amazon)

I haven’t read the original, so I don’t know how different this version really is (other than the werewolves and death). Regardless, I really enjoyed it. The werewolf storylines flowed seamlessly into the ones about growing up during war, or worrying about the other girls at school. It had incredibly funny moments, with splashes of gore (without being too much—I’m not really a fan of gore). The illustrations don’t always seem to be in the right place, but they’re not really necessary so it doesn’t matter.

This version made me want to read the original; I want to know which details were added and completely new and which were modified to fit. The werewolf mythology was fitted into the culture of the Civil War in an interesting way. A few of the characters become werewolves themselves—some that come as a shock near the end. It’s actually hard to tell without going to the original (unlike say, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). And I love the “explanation” that this version is the real version, but Louisa May Alcott was forced to change it.

This is a nice, light read that satisfied my literary werewolf cravings. One of the better Classic/Horror mashups.