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dunnettreader's review against another edition
4.0
I have never watched the BBC version of Cranford, but I had a general sense that it was about a small village which is dominated by the women who live there. Since I love, love, love Mrs. Gaskell's book North and South, this seemed a good companion for it.
First of all, the tone is completely different from N&S. Where North and South is filled with the drama of two strong-minded characters separated by class, Cranford is an episodic tale of a backwater village that is classbound and extremely conscious of manners. Told from the point of view of Mary Smith, a young woman who visits Cranford, we are shown the lives of a small group of spinsters and widows who are scraping by financially. They visit, they play cards, they gossip. Miss Matty is the heart of this group. She is sweetly naive, and open-hearted to her neighbors. Her older sister Deborah dominates her with strong opinions. What gives the book a gently comic sense of the absurd are Mary's observations of the women of the village.
Cranford falls between Dickens' social comic novels and Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire novels. It is a close observation of the lives of mid-19th century women, from their financial situations to their concern about fashion and status.
First of all, the tone is completely different from N&S. Where North and South is filled with the drama of two strong-minded characters separated by class, Cranford is an episodic tale of a backwater village that is classbound and extremely conscious of manners. Told from the point of view of Mary Smith, a young woman who visits Cranford, we are shown the lives of a small group of spinsters and widows who are scraping by financially. They visit, they play cards, they gossip. Miss Matty is the heart of this group. She is sweetly naive, and open-hearted to her neighbors. Her older sister Deborah dominates her with strong opinions. What gives the book a gently comic sense of the absurd are Mary's observations of the women of the village.
Cranford falls between Dickens' social comic novels and Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire novels. It is a close observation of the lives of mid-19th century women, from their financial situations to their concern about fashion and status.
jadesara15's review against another edition
2.0
Read for class.
Probably a 2.5
Gaskell's writing is very witty and I think, in another book, I would've enjoyed it. However, this book is just a bunch of women having tea, discussing town gossip, etc. I know that's kind of the point but I had to force myself to read every page and it's only 158 pages.
Probably a 2.5
Gaskell's writing is very witty and I think, in another book, I would've enjoyed it. However, this book is just a bunch of women having tea, discussing town gossip, etc. I know that's kind of the point but I had to force myself to read every page and it's only 158 pages.
idomin's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
stevequinn's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
llorenza's review against another edition
3.0
Een dorp hoofdzakelijk bewoond door oude vrouwen en een aaneenschakeling van gebeurtenissen zonder een echte plot: het spreekt niet meteen tot de verbeelding. Maar de personages worden met zoveel liefde en zachtheid beschreven, de relaties en beslommeringen met zo een fijne humor geschetst en het hele boek straalt zo een naïef optimistisch sfeertje uit, dat het gewoon onmogelijk is om dit boek te lezen zonder een glimlach op je gezicht. Feel-good-literatuur uit de 19e eeuw: Elizabeth Gaskell doet het meesterlijk.
(3.5 sterren)
(3.5 sterren)
rhonda66's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Such a lovely story of some very particular women.
heidipolkissa82's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
evehiggins's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Slightly disappointed. I loved the way it was written but there isn’t really much of a plot at all. It’s like a series of shorter stories/events that link together somehow, usually just by the fact that the people are the same the events are chronological.
mhsquier's review against another edition
5.0
Reminiscent of Jane Austen, this book reads more like a series of related vignettes than a novel. Miss Mary Smith narrates the events of Cranford, a small town in England with a disproportionately female population. Set in the mid-19th century, this delightfully narrated comedy of manners was a pleasure to listen to.