Getting Cozy with a Classic

“A classic, Henry James once said, is nhot something a work is but something it becomes, through an ‘interesting process.’” ¹ Alcott’s Little Women has remained a steady bestseller since its publication in 1868, with a special place on many publishers’ lists of classics for young readers. ² The success of Little Women may be attributed to Alcott’s skill, to the powerful, continuing appeal of her subject matter, and perhaps to something a bit chancier: “the play of the various agencies that organize and administer the literary sphere, that establish its shape and its place in general culture.” ³