The Annotated Little Women

The Annotated Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott
W.W. Norton and Company, 2015. 652 pages. Fiction

This annotated edition is curated by renowned Alcott scholar John Matteson and includes full page, color illustrations and stills from the various film versions of the book. The annotations range from explanations of pickled limes to descriptions of objects and authors mentioned in the story. The annotations make the timeless story of the four sisters more accessible and fresh. The volume also contains essays about the literary importance of Little Women and how it has influenced other stories about children and young adults ever since its publication.

This giant book was a pleasure to read. The only reason it is so huge is because of the 200 illustrations and the annotations that go into quite a bit of depth about different aspects of the story. The annotations were so fun to read and really added context to the story. It was delightful to revisit this childhood favorite as an adult to celebrate its 150th anniversary.