Six years before she wrote Little Women, and in financial straits, Louisa May Alcott entered "Pauline's Passion and Punishment, " a novelette, in a newspaper contest. Not only did it win the $100 prize, but, published anonymously, it marked the first of the series of "blood & thunder tales" that would provide her livelihood for years. For as she said, "They are easy to 'compoze' & are better paid than moral...works." The gruesome, passionate stories reveal a darker side of Alcott. Published anonymously or under the pseudonym of A. M. Barnard, they appeared in weeklies over a century ago. In their mastery of suspense and psychological drama, and in their embodiment of a startlingly intense - if oblique - feminism, they attest to the multifaceted genius of their creator. "Pauline's Passion and Punishment" features a woman who is scorned by her lover and left with her fury and her desire for revenge. The male hero of "The Mysterious Key" must unearth secrets hidden away in a family tomb if he is to realize true love. Mysterious pasts and all-too-present jealousies conflict for some surprising effects on the holiday mood in "The Abbot's Ghost." And "Behind a Mask" tells the chilling story of a woman thwarted by love, whose main motivation becomes her desire to dominate an entire family.
Rose In Bloom
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Louisa May Alcott was both an abolitionist and a feminist. She is best known for Little Women (1868), a semiautobiographical account of her childhood years with her sisters in Concord, Massachusetts. Alcott, unlike Jo, never married: '. . . because I have fallen in love with so many pretty girls and never once the least bit with any man. ' She was an advocate of women's suffrage and was the first woman to register to vote in Concord, Massachusetts.
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"Oh, he is Jamie, the youngest brother of Archibald, and the pet of the whole family. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
"Oh, he is Jamie, the youngest brother of Archibald, and the pet of the whole family. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
The story of Rose and how she comes of age is certainly idealized, but don't we need more ideals these days? She is rich and rather sheltered, but she faces the same peer pressure, the same temptations with boys, the same problems with friends and romance. Even Charlie's struggle with drinking is as fresh and relevant today as it was then. She also promotes an independent, even feminist, attitude, but without losing sight of the importance of feminine talents and virtues. I didn't discover this book until I was in my 20s, even though I had been a Little Women fan since childhood, but since then I've read "Eight Cousins" and other Alcott classics, and I wouldn't be without them. My daughter is learning to read now, and I can't wait to introduce her to Rose!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
"Rose In Bloom" is definitely my favourite Alcott. Contrary to some opinions, I think it's better than its predecessor, "Eight Cousins". Rose is 18, having just returned from a round-the-world tour with Dr. Alec and Phebe. To her cousins, she declares her intention of going into philanthropy after three months in society.
She finds that "Prince" Charlie has a drinking problem, and has also fallen in love with her. Meanwhile, pressured to respond to his advances, she tries desperately to cure him of his habit.
On the other hand, Archie has fallen deeply in love with Phebe, and she with him. The majority of the Campbell family do not approve. (Rose, of course, supports them staunchly, as does Mac.)
Then, of course, Rose finds another of her cousins is in love with her, and she is not, to her distress, completely immune to him...
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I love Louisa May Alcott, and I love this book. I have read every published piece of Alcott that I can find, and I am always awed by her literacy, fluency in storytelling, and purity of the characters portrayed in her writing. I love following Rose as she begins to grow up, and watching her struggle to maintain the high standards and principles that her wholesome upbringing has given her. While the grown-up world of Alcott is still pretty pure by today's standards, the essential elements are there: avarice, insincerity, and superficiality. This is a book I read and enjoyed when I was 10, and still love at 25. There are lessons to be learned about being true to oneself, and an illustration that life's ephemeral pleasures need not become lifetime distractions. If you don't give this to your child to read for all the reasons above, give it to him or her knowing that it may make them curious about some wonderful authors of the Enlightenment period - such as Emerson and Thoreau. When I was ten, I wanted to read Emerson's essays, like Heroism and Love, because Alcott introduced me to the literature in a way that piqued my curiousity. That in itself, is a wonderful reason to read this worthy book.
Format:Paperback
I read "Eight Cousins" and "Rose In Bloom" back to back and can honestly say that though "Eight Cousins" is 4 stars, "Rose in Bloom" is a 5 star book within its genre. Well worth the read but must be read after the cousins or else will make no sense. I'm exploring more of Louisa May Alcott's books as they are a refreshing change from more modern books, lightweight but not meaningless!
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Yes no where near as good as the previous book but you have to read it to see what becomes of Rose, Charlie, Archie and Mac etc. Worth Reading!
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I don't mean to sound negative, but to me this book is a disappointment when compared to other Loisa M. Alcott books ( I should know, because I've read and own many of them.) It actually isn't as bad as I make it sound, when you stop and think it has a good moral: Wealth attracts suitors and friends who care only for your $. An altogether satisfactory book.
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Not as good as her others, in my opnion(and I guess thats what I'm supposed to be giving) but a worthwhile read if you have the time. If you are looking for a pure romance, this is not the book though.
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
The satisfying sequel to Eight Cousins -- read and enjoy!
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Not as good as Eight Cousins
I was disappointed after reading 'Rose in Bloom.' Eight Cousins, I think, was a whole lot better and satisfying. Characters in this book seemed to be all bad or all good. Read more
Published on 23 July 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply fascinating
This story is about a rich young woman who comes back to America with her servant and uncle after two years of traveling around the world. Suddenly she is surrounded by suitors. Read more
Published on 25 Feb 1997
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