I don’t know what year it was that I first read the book Little Women. I know that for many years as an adult I reread it at Christmas. At some point in the distant past I purchased the full set of Louisa May Alcott books, along with these figurines from the Franklin Mint.

As I watched the movie I kept thinking I liked the 1994 version better. I came home from the movie and watched the previous version on Netflix. There are things I like better about this newer version, and things I liked better about the older version.

I loved Winona Ryder as Jo in the older version, but Saoirse Ronan was equally as good. I preferred Emma Watson as the new Meg, although that may be because she is more familiar. I didn’t particularly like Amy or Beth in either version; maybe the next one will be more to my liking.

I liked Laurie better in the newer version but Mr. Brooke and Mr. Laurence were equal in my mind in both versions. Although Marmee was good in both versions I preferred Susan Sarandon in the older version. I liked Friedrich Bhaer much better in the older version.

One other thing I noticed between the two versions – in the older version Aunt March was Mr. March’s Aunt while in the newer version Aunt March (played very well by Meryl Streep) was Mr. March’s sister. That would account for the age differences in the two actresses.