History Literature / EightCousins

* WidowsWeeds: Althtllough it's been the better part of a year since her father's death, Rose is still in formal mourning at the start of the first book. Justified, as the story takes place during the Victorian era and there really were rules governing how long the various stages of mourning lasted; however, once Uncle Alec arrives, he gives permission for her to stop dressing in dark colors.

''Eight Cousins'' and its sequel, ''Rose in Bloom'', by Creator/LouisaMayAlcott, are the Victorian novel equivalent of a ReverseHarem manga. Rose Campbell, the recently orphaned heroine, comes to live with her Uncle Alec, six opinionated aunts, and seven handsome male cousins who flock around her "like bees to their queen."

The first book deals with Rose's first year among the family, as Alec puts her through a trial period to test his views on women's health and education (which were quite ahead of their time, by the way). In the sequel, 20-year-old Rose returns from a trip to Europe and must settle the questions of what she will do with her inherited fortune, how to hold on to the good habits Alec has taught her in the shallow world of fashion, and most importantly -- for some readers, at least -- which cousin she will marry.

--->'''Rose:''' Why, Mac! I never knew you could look so like a gentleman.
--->'''Mac:''' Or feel so like a fool.

* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Of the titular eight cousins, only Rose is a girl. There ''was'' another female cousin (Caroline, the "sainted" daughter of Aunt Myra), but the narration heavily implies that she died well before the events of the first book.

* WrongGenreSavvy: Charlie is described as acting like a melodramatic theatre character. His mother is of similar temperament.

* FunnyForeigner: Fun See, a Chinese immigrant.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Jamie's "dolly" Pokey disappears late in the first book, and in the final chapter he mentions that "Pokey's gone away." We have no clue as to where she's gone or why; she is never even mentioned in the sequel.

* WidowedAtTheWedding: Aunt Peace's backstory, as noted elsewhere. She was actually widowed just ''before'' the wedding, but it was on the same day.
* WidowsWeeds: Although it's been the better part of a year since her father's death, Rose is still in formal mourning at the start of the first book. Justified, as the story takes place during the Victorian era and there really were rules governing how long the various stages of mourning lasted; however, once Uncle Alec arrives, he gives permission for her to stop dressing in dark colors.

* ShoutOut: To Emerson, Thoreau, Dickens, Cervantes, and the myth of Psyche and Cupid.

* TheCaretaker: Plenty to Peace and Myra; Rose to Mac (see {{Eye Scream}}); [[spoiler:Phebe to Uncle Alec, helping him through a potentially deadly fever, which wins her Archie's hand in marriage as soon as the family finds out]].

* FiveManBand:
** TheHero: Archie ("The Chief")
** TheLancer: "Prince" Charlie
** TheBigGuy: "Cadets" Will and Geordie
** TheSmartGuy: Mac ("Bookworm" or "Worm")
** TheChick: Steve ("The Dandy")
** TagalongKid: Jamie ("The Baby")

** Rose, of course, is frequently subject to botanical metaphors.

* NerdsAreSexy: Mac.

* IllGirl: Rose, when she's stricken with a terrible case of what is either pleurisy or pneumonia. Aunt Peace was this when she was younger and never entirely recovered; Aunt Myra also sort of counts, though it's heavily implied that much of her condition is psychosomatic. The sequel observes that she's the ideal patient for Aunt Plenty to nurse, "as she never died and she never got well."

* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]: While all of Rose's uncles (or at least, the ones shown) appear to be fairly down-to-earth, of the four aunts-by-marriage, Aunt Jessie seems to be this.

* ParentalSubstitute: Alec and the aunts for Rose and Phebe; later Rose for Dulcie. Alec specifically notes that he and Aunt Jessie (who is Rose's favorite aunt, due to her Only Sane Woman status) will need to do their best to make sure she "isn't quite fatherless and motherless."

* HollywoodHomely[=/=]HollywoodNerd: Mac is the bookworm of the band, and the only cousin who wears glasses; in the second book, even his father refers to him as "my ugly duckling." Despite this, there's nothing to suggest that he's much less attractive than the other six boys.

* SpotOfTea: If Mac is to be believed in the second book, Rose's "panacea" for everything is a cup of tea. He declines her offer of a cup and requests a glass of milk instead, stating that it has more nutritional value.

* NobodyCallsMeChicken: It's established that Rose doesn't ''really'' want earrings; she's only entertaining Ariadne when laid up with a broken ankle. For one, they're a symbol of vanity and for another Uncle Alec would kill her. The reason why she agrees is that Ariadne asks if she's scared. When the boys hear the full story, they tease Rose about being vain, Alec included, but acknowledge that Ariadne dared her.

* {{Malaproper}}: A variant. One chapter in the first book has Uncle Alec mangling Annabel Bliss's name as "Ariadne Blish."

* NobodyCallsMeChicken: It's established that Rose doesn't ''really'' want earrings; she's only entertaining Annabel when laid up with a broken ankle. For one, they're a symbol of vanity and for another Uncle Alec would kill her. The reason why she agrees is that Annabel asks if she's scared. When the boys hear the full story, they tease Rose about being vain, Alec included, but acknowledge that Annabel dared her.

* ItsAllMyFault: Mac's reaction to Rose becoming deathly ill roughly halfway through the book. She develops a chill, which worsens into illness, because she was waiting for him by the frozen lake to go ice skating and he completely forgot about it. He's so eaten up with guilt when he finds out what happened, he actually sneaks into her bedroom in the middle of the night to make sure she's still alive.
* KissingCousins: The only guys that Rose would even ''consider'' marrying are all her cousins. The biggest options are Archie, Charlie, and Mac. [[spoiler: Archie is in a StarCrossedLovers deal with Phebe but they get better, Charlie dies in an accident, and she ends up with Mac.]]
* LastMinuteHookup: [[spoiler: Rose and Mac.]]

* LoveAtFirstNote: Archie and Phebe.

** Genderflipped when Steve gives Mac a makeover before a ball.

* ThemedHarem: All of Rose's love interests are her KissingCousins.

* UnwantedHarem: Rose isn't interested in romance when she first returns to America, wanting instead to focus on her philanthropy; but her family quickly puts her cousins forward as the only acceptable possibilities for husbands. Rose is mortified when Jamie, the baby, spills the beans the day that she comes home and she spends most of the book trying to avoid the advances of her various suitors (including many other young men beside her cousins who want the pretty heiress).