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sanjastajdohar 's review for:
Wives and Daughters
by Elizabeth Gaskell
I don't know why, but unfinished novels fascinate me. This is also one of those, what it is missing is just maybe two or three more (very important) last chapters. The author died before finishing it and in her editor's text we find out how she planned to end the story. It was very moving to read that part. There is no doubt that Gaskell was one of the most talented Victorian novelists. Was this her crowning work? In my opinion, no. North and South is in my view fairly superior to this novel. That being said, I really love most the characters (especially secondary ones), the setting and social commentary on family, relationships, marriage and the female role in the private and public life of that time. The main character, Molly, is perhaps too "angelic" and good and too passive for my taste, something like Fanny in Mansfield Park. I loved her relationship with her father and Cynthia, but overall, I wanted her to be more complex. She has maybe one instance of not being angelic in the whole book. Regardless of the title, I think that male characters were done the most justice in this story and given more nuance and playfield to develop. We see their merits and faults alike. Also, Cynthia and her mother really carry this story forward and make mischief and keep the plot going and make for interesting characters and have some most amusing sentences and scenes. All in all, I really enjoyed the book but maybe I had too great expectations. Hey, even Austen has Mansfield Park, great writing doesn't always mean a superb novel (though, I like this novel much more than MP). So, I'll put them on the same shelf and let Molly and Fanny fan their wings while drinking tea.