19th Century Nerd
Louisa May Alcott, among other things, wrote a little book called Eight Cousins. Then she wrote the sequel and called it Rose in Bloom. This is an artist’s impression (mine) of one of those cousins – Mac. He’s the bookworm, the ugly duckling, the geeky guy with his nose stuck in a book, blowing up science laboratories and bumbling across dance floors treading on the toes of giggling young debutantes. And then he grows up.
The second book was published in 1876. It’s slightly racist and it subscribes to the conventions of that era… but it’s an easier read than most books written that long ago, since it was written for children, and it’s not …overly… preachy. It’s (yet another) of my favourite books, and you can read it online here. The first story, Eight Cousins, is here.
July 14th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
It’s so hard to imagine the characters cos I haven’t really read any of these stories. I’d like to know what I’d see them as in my own mind. This one is a really cool one, It’s strong all over, and the clothing is fantastic.
July 25th, 2010 at 12:33 am
This is kind of a rare moment for mac… he’d almost never have his top hat on at all, let alone straight, and his cravat tied properly, with an overcoat that wasn’t patchy or dishevelled!
Researching the glasses was fun, too. curly wire nose-piece!
Thanks you very much for your immodest praise!