Wives and Daughters

[Carmilla]

Hello everyone!

I finished reading 'Wives and Daughters' 2 days ago. I found it very interesting. The character that I liked best was Molly. And the characters I didn't like were Cynthia and her mother. They both seemed shallow to me, and lacking honesty and sincerity. What do you think of them and of the book in general?

[kev67]

I have not read it. How does it compare to Mrs Gaskell's other books?

[Jackson Richardson]

It is a very long time ago I read it. Not as melodramatic as Mary Barton, not as twee as Cranford.

And as the title suggests, very much centred on women characters. (The plot I remember is to do with a daughter coming to terms with a new stepmother who has a daughter by a previous marriage.)

[Carmilla]

Hello kev67!

The other book I read by Mrs. Gaskell is 'Mary Barton.' 'Wives and Daughters' is a lot less tragic and very much more concerned with everyday topics as its subtitle: 'An Everyday Story,' announces.

[Carmilla]

Hello JonathanB!

You remember correctly!! Other important characters are Roger Hamley and Mr. Gibson.

[Jackson Richardson]

Thanks, carmilla! I might re-read it this year.

[Jackson Richardson]

The interesting contrast would be with North and South.

[bounty]

ive got north and south---worth the read you think jonathan?

[Carmilla]

Hello JonathanB!

It would be wonderful if you re-read it so that we could talk about it here! :)

[Jackson Richardson]

ive got north and south---worth the read you think jonathan?


Certainly is.

[Catriona L]

Cynthia is one of the most interesting Victorian novel characters, I think, because she is so elusive. She's quite difficult to understand. When I first read it I didn't like her either, but I thought that Keeley Hawes in the BBC adaptation of Wives and Daughters really brought her alive and while her character was absolutely true to the book, after 'seeing Cynthia' one understood and liked her better.

[kev67]

I have finished reading it. I gather it is many people's favourite book of Gaskell's. I did not like it as much. I hope Roger married Molly. I suppose there is no guarantee. He might have died of Yellow Fever off the Ivory Coast. Then Molly would have died an old maid because no other man would have matched up. Mrs Gaskell had just bought a new house and had no idea her health was failing. She was having a cup of tea and suddenly died. She thought she was going to finish the book in the next chapter or so. It just goes to show. I was left feeling how extremely boring it must have been to be a middle class woman back then. Reading books, arranging flowers, needlework, receiving calls. Crikey, fancy 50 years of that. I'd rather be a doctor working 80 hour weeks like Mr Gibson.