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Book Review
Mar. 11th, 2014 11:37 pmCranford
by Elizabeth Gaskell
Nothing much happens in this 1853 novel, and that's just fine. Cranford is beautifully written and does an amazing job of making the ordinary and quotidian engrossing. The story concerns the lives of a group of older women living in a small English market town. There are social gatherings, weddings, deaths, visits, etc. There's just enough of a plot to keep things moving and create tension and resolution, but the real beauty of Cranford is in the characters. Each of the central group of women is distinctly drawn, and I felt like I would know them all immediately if I met them. I liked Miss Matty very much for her kindness and gentility. I waxed and waned on Miss Pole because of her penchant for being a dramatic busybody. I was often exasperated at Mrs. Jamieson's snobbery, but liked her friend Lady Glenmire's pluck. It was such a cosy and entertaining novel that I am hoping the BBC production is on Netflix so that I can visit Cranford and its ladies again.
by Elizabeth Gaskell
Nothing much happens in this 1853 novel, and that's just fine. Cranford is beautifully written and does an amazing job of making the ordinary and quotidian engrossing. The story concerns the lives of a group of older women living in a small English market town. There are social gatherings, weddings, deaths, visits, etc. There's just enough of a plot to keep things moving and create tension and resolution, but the real beauty of Cranford is in the characters. Each of the central group of women is distinctly drawn, and I felt like I would know them all immediately if I met them. I liked Miss Matty very much for her kindness and gentility. I waxed and waned on Miss Pole because of her penchant for being a dramatic busybody. I was often exasperated at Mrs. Jamieson's snobbery, but liked her friend Lady Glenmire's pluck. It was such a cosy and entertaining novel that I am hoping the BBC production is on Netflix so that I can visit Cranford and its ladies again.
