You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
Oh how sad I am the Elizabeth Gaskell did not get to finish this book! Loved the audiobook read by Nadia May, and appreciated the “note from Cornhill Publishers” at the end that described Gaskell’s intentions for the end of the book. A new favorite.
I love this book because it is written with such a level of complexity, depth and sensitivity that you begin to really feel for the characters. There are some very touching scenes in this book that were just amazingly written. By and large, this book has to do with older teenage girls and the same basic conflicts that they have today with their parents around opening their big mouths in public, behaving appropriately and dating. The book also addresses the class system in England - trades, landed gentry, titled gentry - and, of course - the "help" or laborers who have virtually no voice in the world of the other three classes. There's also a real sense of the striving to belong and concern with perceptions and image/appearance. And of course - there's a whole level of being "real" and being "good" being more the same thing than in the world of striving. I really quite enjoyed the BBC production of the book and I like the way the edited the story to fit it to format, really keeping very close to the most important parts of the story.
I'm laughing at my first review because I had it backwards this time. I watched the BBC miniseries and wasn't pleased with the ending so I decided to reread the book. Here is the info I found from Wikipedia, so I remember when I reread this in a few years:
"At this point, Gaskell's novel stops, unfinished at her death. She related to a friend that she had intended Roger to return and present Molly with a dried flower (a gift Molly gave him before his departure), as proof of his enduring love. This scene was never realised and the novel remains unfinished."
Gaskell's idea was better than the BBC version, although I can see why they changed it. It's too bad Gaskell never finished!
First read (September 2012): I enjoyed this, but a very important scene was left off the ending! I will have to watch the movie because I'm sure they couldn't have left it off.
"At this point, Gaskell's novel stops, unfinished at her death. She related to a friend that she had intended Roger to return and present Molly with a dried flower (a gift Molly gave him before his departure), as proof of his enduring love. This scene was never realised and the novel remains unfinished."
Gaskell's idea was better than the BBC version, although I can see why they changed it. It's too bad Gaskell never finished!
First read (September 2012): I enjoyed this, but a very important scene was left off the ending! I will have to watch the movie because I'm sure they couldn't have left it off.
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
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
slow-paced
I loved this book. I loved everything about it. The writing was superb, the characters fascinating and the story wholly enjoyable.
I found a few of the characters in this novel to be enjoyable. As usual, in Austin style books, the story is based on relationships between people. It was entirely too long, but that is likely due to the depth of the character development, which is exhaustive in the central characters and less so relative to the varying centrality of each character. Duh. I don't know how I would shorten the story, but it was shorter than the author intended, because she died before finishing it - a big disappointment if you are interested in the story. To me, it was a relief and should have come sooner.
emotional
hopeful
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 first watched the movie series by BBC, so the book was different than expected. However, the depth of the story is much deeper. I'm a Jane Austen fan, and also read North and South, written by this author so I enjoyed this read. Different in many ways from expected, but still enjoyable.
inspiring
reflective
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
awks moment when she dies before finishing the book
lovely character study
lovely character study