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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Listened to this on Audible narrated by Prunella Scales and it was lovely. A beautiful look into Victorian women's lives and at times very humorous
I am definitely getting closer and closer to saying that Elizabeth Gaskell is my favourite classic author. I have previously read Wives and Daughters (my favourite) and North and South, and yet once again this was an another amazing book. To my mind, Gaskell has the same wit and comedic writing that Austen does, and the same complex characterisation as Dickens (although he will always create the best literary villains). And also within her pages she also looks at the different societies from the poor to the rich, and everything in between, something you rarely see in an Austen novel.
Regarding Cranford, at first glance this is an incredibly lighthearted comedy about this little town populated almost entirely by women. The opening paragraph of this book shall forever remain one of the best in my experience, and some of the later scenes (the peas and the burglar particularly spring to mind) had me giggling. The book is actually compiled from a magazine series that Gaskell wrote, so reads more like a compilation of vignettes than a plot driven novel. So instead you can read each one individually, and return to the various proceedings of Cranford society with all its varied activities.
However there are many undertones to the novel - ones of grief and loss, about missed opportunities, financial ruin, sickness and death, and the precarious position for a woman during this time without money or protection. The scene where Miss Matty talks about her dream of the little girl, about wearing a widow cap for the man she wished she could have married, the grief of losing her entire family and then what money she had and forced to take up a trade. Beyond what a modern reader would see as the trivialities of their lives, Miss Matty in particular experienced far more hardship that any person should have to bear even in the 21st century. But the ultimate theme of kindness and friendship was so powerful; when her friends gave up what they could to support her, and for the kindness that she shows to the people around her, makes this book a truly heartwarming read.
Regarding Cranford, at first glance this is an incredibly lighthearted comedy about this little town populated almost entirely by women. The opening paragraph of this book shall forever remain one of the best in my experience, and some of the later scenes (the peas and the burglar particularly spring to mind) had me giggling. The book is actually compiled from a magazine series that Gaskell wrote, so reads more like a compilation of vignettes than a plot driven novel. So instead you can read each one individually, and return to the various proceedings of Cranford society with all its varied activities.
However there are many undertones to the novel - ones of grief and loss, about missed opportunities, financial ruin, sickness and death, and the precarious position for a woman during this time without money or protection. The scene where Miss Matty talks about her dream of the little girl, about wearing a widow cap for the man she wished she could have married, the grief of losing her entire family and then what money she had and forced to take up a trade. Beyond what a modern reader would see as the trivialities of their lives, Miss Matty in particular experienced far more hardship that any person should have to bear even in the 21st century. But the ultimate theme of kindness and friendship was so powerful; when her friends gave up what they could to support her, and for the kindness that she shows to the people around her, makes this book a truly heartwarming read.
"Cranford is in the possession of the Amazon's : all the holders of houses above a certain rent were women". SO SWEET SO CHARMING. amazing vibes all the way through, I love when women are women. had a little cry at the end, happy endings make me so full.
Contrarily to Ruth, that wasn't as good as I expected, I really enjoyed Cranford and its inhabitants.
Don't expect a page turner and a plot that will keep you gasping, it simply relates the daily chronicles of a small English town (village ?).
The author clearly has a tenderness for the Cranford ladies and their ways, their gossips, the small events of their lives. It's not laugh out loud funny, but I kept reading with a smile on my face and the occasional laugh.
I wanted to include several quotes here, but unfortunately, I deleted them without wanting to. Too bad, because they were really catchy ! Oh well, you'll have to read the book to know :)
Don't expect a page turner and a plot that will keep you gasping, it simply relates the daily chronicles of a small English town (village ?).
The author clearly has a tenderness for the Cranford ladies and their ways, their gossips, the small events of their lives. It's not laugh out loud funny, but I kept reading with a smile on my face and the occasional laugh.
I wanted to include several quotes here, but unfortunately, I deleted them without wanting to. Too bad, because they were really catchy ! Oh well, you'll have to read the book to know :)
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
I wish I would have started this book on audio and not only finished it. I found it hard to keep track of all the different characters and I mixed their names badly. I loved this little village and it's calm life. This book had a lot of important topics and I'll 100% re-read it in the future to understand it better.
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
miss matty jenkyns, you are one of my favourite female characters ever
challenging
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
relaxing
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry
Minor: Racism, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War