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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
relaxing
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
I once read a review of Pride and Prejudice that said it was “just a bunch of people going to each other’s houses.” If that was true of P&P, it’s even more true of Wives and Daughters. But, that is where this book finds it’s charm- in the characters and their dialogue. If you’re a fan of classic literature or Jane Austen’s style you’d enjoy this book. This book just feels like home. Real life with a touch of fairytale.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Le sigh... this book just makes me want to read some Austen. I trudged through it for my book club, otherwise I would've abandoned it so much earlier.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think this has to up there as one of the best period fiction works I've read. I was sucked in by the brilliant story telling and characters and found it a beautiful telling of ordinary lives. The many different points of view and plot points kept me raptly interested. Whilst it was slightly unfinished, we all know who ends up together in the end.
Enjoyed, but not as much as I did when I was in my 20s
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such an astutely observed novel, and such a pity she was not quite able to finish it. But there's something almost poetic about it ending with mundane conversation from Mrs. Gibson about fashion.
When I started this book, I was worried I was in for a dry, dull Classic. Wives and Daughters starts out slow. There was a moment when I thought there wasn't going to be a plot; just bland characters living in the country. But, Gaskell builds the plot and dramatic tension, piece by piece. As you are introduced to the characters and the world in which they inhabit, you become an observer of their lives, gradually becoming invested in their story.
Elizabeth Gaskell excels in creating nuanced characters. While she may rely on well-worn tropes, such as the innocent ingenue and the flighty mother-figure, to establish her characters, Gaskell writes with such sympathy and understanding for her characters. They are ultimately people, with their failings and small triumphs. Her memorable characters are the strength of this work.
The only negative is that due to Elizabeth Gaskell's sudden death, Wives and Daughters ends on an unresolved, ambiguous note (a moment of silence to the readers in 1865 who were reading this story by installments in a literary magazine because I would have been PISSED). But overall, this is a wonderful work and truly shows Elizabeth Gaskell's skill as a writer.
Elizabeth Gaskell excels in creating nuanced characters. While she may rely on well-worn tropes, such as the innocent ingenue and the flighty mother-figure, to establish her characters, Gaskell writes with such sympathy and understanding for her characters. They are ultimately people, with their failings and small triumphs. Her memorable characters are the strength of this work.
The only negative is that due to Elizabeth Gaskell's sudden death, Wives and Daughters ends on an unresolved, ambiguous note (a moment of silence to the readers in 1865 who were reading this story by installments in a literary magazine because I would have been PISSED). But overall, this is a wonderful work and truly shows Elizabeth Gaskell's skill as a writer.