Search
    Search FictionDB
      Tap cover to enlarge

      Work: A Story of Experience

      by Louisa May Alcott
      Published
      Jan 1873
      Main Genre
      General Fiction General Fiction
      Rating
      Pages
      384
      Buy on Amazon Book

      About This Book

      Published in 1873, this autobiographical novel has been called the adult Little Women. It follows the semi-autobiographical story of an orphan named Christie Devon, who, having turned twenty-one, announces "a new Declaration of Independence" and leaves her uncle's house in order to pursue economic self-sufficiency and to find fulfillment in her profession. Against the backdrop of the Civil War years, Christie works as a servant, actress, governess, companion, seamstress, and army nurse—all jobs that Alcott knew from personal experience—exposing the often insidious ways in which the employments conventionally available to women constrain their self-determination. Alcott's most overtly feminist novel, Work breaks new ground in the literary representation of women, as its heroine pushes at the boundaries of nineteenth-century expectations and assumptions. The novel is supplemented here with all the usual Library of America features, plus a conversation with editor Susan Cheever, and a reading group guide.

      Genres & Themes

      Genres

      General Fiction

      Buy This Book

      Amazon Physical Book | Kindle
      Barnes & Noble Physical Book | Nook
      Bookshop.org Physical Book Apple Books eBook Google Play eBook Kobo eBook eBooks.com eBook Audible Audiobook

      Formats & Editions

      Browse the different covers, formats, and publication history for this title.

      Paperback

      Paperback edition cover
      Trade Paperback
      First Edition Jun 1994 Penguin ISBN13 9780140390919 ISBN10 014039091X
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Trade Paperback
      Jan 2003 IndyPublish.com ISBN13 9781404340534 ISBN10 140434053X
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Paperback
      Dec 2005 Echo Library ISBN13 9781846370601 ISBN10 1846370604
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Paperback
      May 2006 Dodo Press ISBN13 9781406505962 ISBN10 140650596X
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Paperback
      Oct 2006 University of Michigan Library ISBN13 9781425550189 ISBN10 1425550185
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Trade Paperback
      Mar 2007 1st World Library ISBN13 9781421833866 ISBN10 1421833867
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Trade Paperback
      Jan 2009 Digireads.com ISBN13 9781420933284 ISBN10 1420933280
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Trade Paperback
      Feb 2010 HardPress Publishing ISBN13 9781407628370 ISBN10 1407628372
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Trade Paperback
      Mar 2010 Book Jungle ISBN13 9781438574486 ISBN10 1438574487
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Paperback
      Nov 2011 Smk Books ISBN13 9781617204074 ISBN10 1617204072
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Paperback
      May 2013 Createspace ISBN13 9781484962404 ISBN10 1484962400
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Paperback
      Sep 2014 Createspace ISBN13 9781502362315 ISBN10 1502362317
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Paperback
      Jan 2015 Createspace ISBN13 9781505886283 ISBN10 1505886287
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Trade Paperback
      Mar 2015 Createspace ISBN13 9781508978428 ISBN10 1508978425
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Trade Paperback
      May 2015 Echo Library ISBN13 9781406859072 ISBN10 1406859079
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Trade Paperback
      May 2015 Createspace ISBN13 9781502963949 ISBN10 1502963949
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Paperback
      May 2015 Echo Library ISBN13 9781406859072 ISBN10 1406859079
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Trade Paperback
      Jun 2015 Forgotten Books ISBN13 9781330871294 ISBN10 1330871294
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Paperback
      Jun 2015 Createspace ISBN13 9781514295540 ISBN10 1514295547
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Trade Paperback
      Dec 2015 Createspace ISBN13 9781519799753 ISBN10 1519799756
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Paperback
      Jun 2016 Createspace ISBN13 9781534664708 ISBN10 153466470X
      Buy
      Paperback edition cover
      Trade Paperback
      Sep 2016 Createspace ISBN13 9781537321875 ISBN10 1537321870
      Buy

      Hardcover

      Hardcover edition cover
      Hardcover
      Dec 1976 Scholarly Press ISBN13 9780403058730 ISBN10 0403058732
      Buy
      Hardcover edition cover
      Hardcover
      Jan 1977 Pendulum Press ISBN13 9780805236569 ISBN10 0805236562
      Buy
      Hardcover edition cover
      Hardcover
      Jan 1977 Arno Press ISBN13 9780405100420 ISBN10 0405100426
      Buy
      Hardcover edition cover
      Hardcover
      Sep 1989 Reprint Services Corporation ISBN13 9780781216326 ISBN10 078121632X
      Buy
      Hardcover edition cover
      Hardcover
      Jan 2003 IndyPublish.com ISBN13 9781404340527 ISBN10 1404340521
      Buy
      Hardcover edition cover
      Hardcover
      Apr 2007 1st World Library ISBN13 9781421832869 ISBN10 1421832860
      Buy

      eBook

      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Jun 1994 Penguin ISBN13 9781440674518 ISBN10 1440674515
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Jun 1994 Penguin Classics ISBN10 B001QWDRW4
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      May 2009 Yurita Press ISBN13 9781518362101 ISBN10 1518362109
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      May 2009 Raleigh St. Clair Books ISBN10 B0029NY8L8
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Jul 2009 ReadHowYouWant ISBN13 9781442944039 ISBN10 144294403X
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Jan 2011 Neeland Media ISBN13 9781596741508 ISBN10 1596741503
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Feb 2011 Barnes & Noble ISBN13 9781411443808 ISBN10 1411443802
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Feb 2012 OGB ISBN13 2940013917552
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      May 2012 ISBN10 B0082WUJMC
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Jun 2012 The Floating Press ISBN13 9781775458371 ISBN10 1775458377
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Nov 2012 BDP ISBN13 2940015849448
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Nov 2012 Start Publishing LLC ISBN10 B00AIR8I0Y
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Dec 2012 Start Publishing LLC ISBN13 9781625581020 ISBN10 1625581025
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Mar 2013 Lulu.com ISBN13 9781300200260 ISBN10 130020026X
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Oct 2014 Library of America ISBN13 9781598534221 ISBN10 159853422X
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Jun 2015 Wilder Publications, Inc. ISBN13 9781627553230 ISBN10 1627553231
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Oct 2015 ISBN10 B0175CAJR4
      Buy
      eBook edition cover
      eBook
      Feb 2019 HardPress ISBN10 B07NNMLNWK
      Buy

      Audio

      Audio edition cover
      Audible
      Aug 2022 Rebecca H. Lee ISBN10 B0B9VMSGCH
      Buy

      Large Print

      Large Print edition cover
      Hardcover
      May 2001 Thorndike Press ISBN13 9780783894430 ISBN10 0783894430
      Buy