Elizabeth Gaskell

With its lively depiction of a close-knit, gossiping community and its richly drawn female characters, Elizabeth Gaskell's last and finest novel is a warm, funny portrayal of human relationships. When seventeen-year-old Molly Gibson's widowed father remarries, her life is thrown off course by her vain, manipulative stepmother and enlivened by a glamorous new stepsister, Cynthia. Molly soon finds herself a go-between in Cynthia's romantic affairs - but in doing so risks losing her reputation and the man she secretly loves.

Wives and Daughters

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

Bethany

** spoiler alert **
           Perhaps my giving of 3 stars will seem discordant with my overwhelmingly positive review of this subtle and complex novel, whose characters were written so finely as to be true art in that they were none of them truly antagonistic nor purely angelic, but a mixture of all in truly creating characters of "all kinds." Even the deplorable Mr. Preston I couldn't hate at the last. Cynthia especially was a work of art in herself; though her faults were many, her good intentions and demonstrative love for Molly could never make me completely cast her off.
For this reason it can be said that my desire for the book to have been cut down a bit by the editor would have done much toward my enjoying it more; many passages were practically repetitive, and I especially could have done with fewer inputs from the tiresome Mrs. Gibson, nearly skipping her countless selfish and self-contradictory monologues in my weariness.
At any rate and on the whole, I enjoyed the book and was aghast to discover when I (finally) reached the end that it had not been completed and was missing the final chapter. I threw the book down in dismay, but luckily picked it up again to read the original editor's note, by which my sense of unjust treatment was somewhat mollified: a more elegant and heart-warming completion/explanation/obituary I don't believe could have been written by anyone besides Gaskell.

Alexia

3.5 stars.
I enjoyed it because it is a different kind of Victorian novel, but it was too damn unnecessarily long... I thought I’d never finish it!

Jade Flynn

4.5/5 Didn’t think I’d enjoy this one more than North and South, but I did. Gaskell is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. Quintessentially English. Absolutely charming.

Jeni Enjaian

I have to admit that very early on when I started reading this book I decided that the only thing I wanted was to get through it and finally finish reading through my collection of classics. Gaskell uses far too many words to reach and unsatisfactory and rather inconclusive conclusion. I also have to admit that there were a couple large gaps of time between when I actually read the book so many of the details obscured amongst the myriad of words were lost to me.

abby donaldson

as if gaskell died before finishing the book!

Wives and daughters

Stephanie Rich

I read this as part of an excellent 19th century British literature course at NU. There were 7 people in the class and we discussed each book quite in depth - I mention this as I'm sure it impacted my very positive view of this book. I highly recommend if you're a fan of books such as Pride & Prejudice and Vanity Fair, however (Spoiler) it is upsetting that Gaskell died before finishing the ending!

letterrausch

Monicap

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Lily

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"Eh, miss, but that be a rare young lady! She do have such pretty coaxing ways ..." Seventeen-year-old Molly Gibson worships her widowed father. But when he decides to remarry, Molly's life is thrown off course by the arrival of her vain, shallow and selfish stepmother. There is some solace in the shape of her new stepsister Cynthia, who is beautiful, sophisticated and irresistible to every man she meets. Soon the girls become close, and Molly finds herself cajoled into becoming a go-between in Cynthia's love affairs. But in doing so, Molly risks ruining her reputation in the gossiping village of Hollingford - and jeopardizing everything with the man she is secretly in love with. The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.

Wives and Daughters

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