A review by bel017
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

slow-paced
This reminded me of my Nanna. Holding one's head up despite poverty, meeting social norms, and being excited over a new bonnet. I know it's a satire, but it's a kind and gentle satire. At first I was worried it was going to be miserable, as there were several deaths, but they petered out and were replaced with the quiet village life that I'd been expecting. I really enjoyed the second half of the book.

I'm glad I bought the Penguin 'clothbound classic' as it comes with a lot of extra information that added context and helped me better understand the setting and content of the stories. These extras include a long intro, a final story, a glossary, extensive endnotes, letters written by Gaskell, and an essay on clothing mentioned in the stories. 

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