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evieintheshire's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Racism
audreycaroline03's review
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really enjoyed this book and how it was written. I read this book on ebook and liked how it was very episodic in the chapters. I felt like I could read a chapter and it was like a little episode of a drama on TV which was fun for me. It was a very nice and relaxing read. i am honestly confused by the ending. I know the book kind of ends after Roger goes to Africa the second time and then it was finished by Fredrick Greenwood. I did not read this ending by Greenwood and heard disappointing things about it. I am not going to read it and just continue believing that if Gaskell finished the book she would have wanted to write the lovely ending that they deserved.
I felt very moved throughout the book and affected by what was happening to the character's. When the mystery was reveled about Cynthia and Mr. Preston I was really affected by this and thought that it was really well done. I believe Gaskell really affectively built tension throughout the book and I was very invested in the story.
I also enjoyed how Molly came around to liking the Towers at the end of the book. Also I felt a lot of unresolved conflict around Mr. & Mrs. Gibsons marriage. There was so much tension there without hope of resolution and I think it plays into how a bad marriage could really be a life sentence in those days.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and found it relaxing and nice despite it taking me forever to read.
UMMMM THE RACISM WAS insane to read. It is truly wild the things that they felt it was okay to say or even commonly understood things at that time that we look at now and are truly shocked.
I felt very moved throughout the book and affected by what was happening to the character's. When the mystery was reveled about Cynthia and Mr. Preston I was really affected by this and thought that it was really well done. I believe Gaskell really affectively built tension throughout the book and I was very invested in the story.
I also enjoyed how Molly came around to liking the Towers at the end of the book. Also I felt a lot of unresolved conflict around Mr. & Mrs. Gibsons marriage. There was so much tension there without hope of resolution and I think it plays into how a bad marriage could really be a life sentence in those days.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and found it relaxing and nice despite it taking me forever to read.
UMMMM THE RACISM WAS insane to read. It is truly wild the things that they felt it was okay to say or even commonly understood things at that time that we look at now and are truly shocked.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
dealingwithdragons's review against another edition
Honestly, I just got tired of this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
potatowitch's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Antisemitism, Classism, Racism, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Colonisation
Minor: Medical content
nannahnannah's review
4.0
Firstly, I can't believe I didn't know Elizabeth Gaskell died before finishing this book?
Secondly, I can't believe I didn't know Elizabeth Gaskell died before finishing this book??
So to prevent anyone else from feeling the same pain I felt after reading one of the cutest chapters I've ever read and then seeing . . . nothing but tragic news I'm putting this right up at the top of my review.
This has always been one of my favorite English "period dramas" that one of my friends introduced me to. Of course I've never actually read the original book until now (thanks to a reading challenge, mostly). But I'm surprised how much I liked Elizabeth Gaskell's writing and characterization. People and places have so much life to them. I would've rated this much higher if not for the racism. "But think of when it was written!" Yeah, okay, but it's still gross--and it makes me uncomfortable enough to make me like the book/author less.
I never know what to say about these Classics because I'm not what you'd call an ""intellectual"", and I'm not the best at the academic language that seem to fill their review pages. But I see a disturbing amount of people talking about how Cynthia manipulated and took advantage of "simple" and good-natured Molly, and while she may have taken advantage her, people are ignoring Mr. Preston in this entire equation (or are even saying Mr. Preston is the victim in his affair with Cynthia as well?).
It may have been an awful scandal on Cynthia's part back in the 1800s, but dang, if Cynthia's situation had taken place today, she might have been better understood. Her childhood shaped her entire character (and I'm about 200% sure she's aromantic from her own words, shaped by trauma or otherwise--she even gets a happy ending with someone who understands her, which is fantastic for someone who'd like to read a novel with great aro rep). Cynthia tries to explain to Molly that her mother's negligence has hurt her so much so that it's pretty much traumatic. No, it's not an excuse for some of her . . . not-so-great actions to Molly, but she might have been better understood where Mr. Preston is concerned because he pretty much took advantage of her when she was penniless and in a very low point in her life. He gave her money, as a gift from a friend, and then later persuaded him to marry him because of his gift.
"But she liked him then!" Yeah, okay, but she was a child, as she said. That he should later blackmail her and hold her letters over her is basically proof that he's one hell of a skeevy character. I can't believe I see reviews that basically state "poor Mr. Preston," or something like that. Or "that flirt Cynthia used Mr. Preston and Roger and Molly!" without ever taking Cynthia's perspective into question, and it just makes me seethe.
So . . . that aside, it's just one example of how the characters in this book are so fully fleshed and individual without being caricatures. They're so different from each other (like Cynthia from Molly), but still love and accent each other enough so that they work well together. It's also probably my favorite thing about this book (besides how it handles grief).
Secondly, I can't believe I didn't know Elizabeth Gaskell died before finishing this book??
So to prevent anyone else from feeling the same pain I felt after reading one of the cutest chapters I've ever read and then seeing . . . nothing but tragic news I'm putting this right up at the top of my review.
This has always been one of my favorite English "period dramas" that one of my friends introduced me to. Of course I've never actually read the original book until now (thanks to a reading challenge, mostly). But I'm surprised how much I liked Elizabeth Gaskell's writing and characterization. People and places have so much life to them. I would've rated this much higher if not for the racism. "But think of when it was written!" Yeah, okay, but it's still gross--and it makes me uncomfortable enough to make me like the book/author less.
I never know what to say about these Classics because I'm not what you'd call an ""intellectual"", and I'm not the best at the academic language that seem to fill their review pages. But I see a disturbing amount of people talking about how Cynthia manipulated and took advantage of "simple" and good-natured Molly, and while she may have taken advantage her, people are ignoring Mr. Preston in this entire equation (or are even saying Mr. Preston is the victim in his affair with Cynthia as well?).
It may have been an awful scandal on Cynthia's part back in the 1800s, but dang, if Cynthia's situation had taken place today, she might have been better understood. Her childhood shaped her entire character (and I'm about 200% sure she's aromantic from her own words, shaped by trauma or otherwise--she even gets a happy ending with someone who understands her, which is fantastic for someone who'd like to read a novel with great aro rep). Cynthia tries to explain to Molly that her mother's negligence has hurt her so much so that it's pretty much traumatic. No, it's not an excuse for some of her . . . not-so-great actions to Molly, but she might have been better understood where Mr. Preston is concerned because he pretty much took advantage of her when she was penniless and in a very low point in her life. He gave her money, as a gift from a friend, and then later persuaded him to marry him because of his gift.
"But she liked him then!" Yeah, okay, but she was a child, as she said. That he should later blackmail her and hold her letters over her is basically proof that he's one hell of a skeevy character. I can't believe I see reviews that basically state "poor Mr. Preston," or something like that. Or "that flirt Cynthia used Mr. Preston and Roger and Molly!" without ever taking Cynthia's perspective into question, and it just makes me seethe.
So . . . that aside, it's just one example of how the characters in this book are so fully fleshed and individual without being caricatures. They're so different from each other (like Cynthia from Molly), but still love and accent each other enough so that they work well together. It's also probably my favorite thing about this book (besides how it handles grief).
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Antisemitism, and Emotional abuse
latveria's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
sianface's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Stalking
Minor: Racism, Classism, and Xenophobia
madamenovelist's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Xenophobia and Racism
As with many classic English novels written in the 1800s, brief racist references to black people in Africa. (Usually calling the people/the land “savage” or “uncouth”, etc.)
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