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k8dkc's review against another edition
4.0
What a delightful novel of short, interwoven episodes. In the little town of Cranford, England in the 1840s, the middle-class ladies are unchanging and unchanged. With a colorful cast of characters and humorous scenarios, Cranford is an enjoyable read for anyone who enjoys reading about daily life in 19th c. England. I challenge you not to admire these ladies- particularly Miss Matty, who is an embodiment of goodness and sincerity.
xennicole's review against another edition
4.0
The version had three stories: Mr. Harrison's Confessions, Cranford and My Lady Ludlow. The first two were outstanding but I was bored with MLL.
fletcherflute's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars-
I’m sad that I didn’t fall in love with this one! This was my first Elizabeth Gaskell, but in reading some reviews, it looks like this may not be typical of her work so I’ll definitely give her another try.
There are some really sweet and poignant chapters towards the end that almost saved this for me, but I found the middle to really be a slog and the humor only worked for me some of the time. I think it’s well written overall, and I think that Miss Matty in particular is really well drawn and inspired most of my interest in this story.
I think that class and respectability are really interesting themes that Gaskell is investigating here, and I love that there is a protofeminist aura in this town of almost all women. I think this novel really paved the way for Gissing’s The Odd Women, which takes some of this thematic material and truly runs with it.
It’s a decent read, but I may not recommend it as a first venture into Gaskell’s novels.
I’m sad that I didn’t fall in love with this one! This was my first Elizabeth Gaskell, but in reading some reviews, it looks like this may not be typical of her work so I’ll definitely give her another try.
There are some really sweet and poignant chapters towards the end that almost saved this for me, but I found the middle to really be a slog and the humor only worked for me some of the time. I think it’s well written overall, and I think that Miss Matty in particular is really well drawn and inspired most of my interest in this story.
I think that class and respectability are really interesting themes that Gaskell is investigating here, and I love that there is a protofeminist aura in this town of almost all women. I think this novel really paved the way for Gissing’s The Odd Women, which takes some of this thematic material and truly runs with it.
It’s a decent read, but I may not recommend it as a first venture into Gaskell’s novels.
mlinton's review against another edition
3.0
The ending was very satisfying but I had such a hard time getting into this. All the elderly ladies felt the same for a long time.
calrsam's review against another edition
3.0
mi piace più la premessa che l'esecuzione - molto episodico e low stakes, alcuni dei capitoli mi sono piaciuti, altri erano più noiosi e senza sostanza
galaheadh's review against another edition
I would describe this as a medium book.
isaexcel's review against another edition
hopeful
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? No
3.0
eb8333's review against another edition
4.0
This book gives a good feel for what life was like for women in the 1800s in England. It's nice to read a book in which women who are unmarried still live full lives. Gaskell writes with humor about some of the more ridiculous aspects of life in the town as well as the charity and love the women showed to each other. I did feel the book was a bit disjointed and didn't have a well-thought-out plot.