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Cranford & Selected Short Stories
With an Introduction and Notes by Professor Emeritus John Chapple, University of Hull.
The sheer variety and accomplishment of Elizabeth Gaskell's shorter fiction is amazing. This new volume contains six of her finest stories that have been selected specifically to demonstrate this, and to trace the development of her art. As diverse in setting as in subject matter, these tales move from the gentle comedy of life in a small English country town in Dr Harrison's Confessions, to atmospheric horror in far north-west Wales with The Doom of the Griffiths.
The story of Cousin Phillis, her masterly tale of love and loss, is a subtle, complex and perceptive analysis of changes in English national life during an industrial age, while the gripping Lois the Witch recreates the terrors of the Salem witchcraft trials in seventeenth-century New England, as Gaskell shrewdly shows the numerous roots of this furious outbreak of delusion. Whimsically modified fairy tales are set in a French chateau, while an engaging love story poetically evokes peasant life in wine-growing Germany.
The sheer variety and accomplishment of Elizabeth Gaskell's shorter fiction is amazing. This new volume contains six of her finest stories that have been selected specifically to demonstrate this, and to trace the development of her art. As diverse in setting as in subject matter, these tales move from the gentle comedy of life in a small English country town in Dr Harrison's Confessions, to atmospheric horror in far north-west Wales with The Doom of the Griffiths.
The story of Cousin Phillis, her masterly tale of love and loss, is a subtle, complex and perceptive analysis of changes in English national life during an industrial age, while the gripping Lois the Witch recreates the terrors of the Salem witchcraft trials in seventeenth-century New England, as Gaskell shrewdly shows the numerous roots of this furious outbreak of delusion. Whimsically modified fairy tales are set in a French chateau, while an engaging love story poetically evokes peasant life in wine-growing Germany.
543 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1853
About the author
Elizabeth Gaskell
873 books3,407 followersElizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, née Stevenson (29 September 1810 – 12 November 1865), often referred to simply as Mrs. Gaskell, was an English novelist and short story writer during the Victorian era. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of society, including the very poor, and as such are of interest to social historians as well as lovers of literature.
AKA:
Елізабет Гаскелл (Ukrainian)
AKA:
Елізабет Гаскелл (Ukrainian)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
April 13, 2020
In the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons; all the holders of houses, above a certain rent, are women. If a married couple come to settle in town, somehow the gentleman disappears; he is either fairly frightened to death by being the only man in the Cranford evening parties, or he is accounted for by being with his regiment, his ship, or closely engaged in business all the week in the great neighbouring commercial town of Drumble, distant only twenty miles on the railroad. In short, whatever does become of the gentlemen, they are not at Cranford.Thus begins Cranford, the first novel in this omnibus edition of Elizabeth Gaskell's works, which contains this novel, a short story set in the same location ('The Cage at Cranford') and a novella ('The Moorland Cottage'). The opening itself creates the mood of the book - mock-serious, self-deprecatory, and quite obviously tongue-in-cheek - in fact, quintessentially English. And the follow-up does not disappoint.
The tale is narrated by Mary Smith, a young girl who is visiting with the Jenkyns family, which comprises the two spinster daughters of a clergyman; the authoritarian and straitlaced Deborah and the meek and goodhearted Matilda (Matty). The other prominent inhabitants are Miss Pole, gossipy and opinionated; Mrs Forrester, superstitious and withdrawing; the snobbish Mrs Jamieson and her easy-going sister-in-law, Lady Glenmire; Captain Frank Brown and his daughters; and poor Mrs Fitz-Adam who is shunned by genteel company because she is not aristocratic enough. There are also Betty Barker, the retired seamstress who aspires to higher society, the town doctor Mr Hoggins who is simply not bothered what people think of him, and Matty's dedicated maid Martha and her young man Jem. The novel is episodic in nature, with each episode continuously lampooning the straitlaced Victorian society for its stuck-up attitudes, while at the same time revealing its all-too-human face of empathy and kindness. The prim Deborah falls out with the Captain for his low taste in literature (The Pickwick Papers: can you imagine?) yet becomes a pillar of strength for his daughter in a crisis. Matty, firmly against all types love and romance, relents and allows her maid to see young men after a sad reminder that she too, once, "lived in Arcady". The conjuror Signor Brunoni, suspected of employing the dark arts, is supported by the prim matrons of Cranford once he falls on hard times.
Towards the end, the novel concentrates on Matty and becomes serious and maudlin, and thus loses its pithy power - the ending is predictable and fairy tale -ish, but I guess one has provide some allowance for the day and age in which the book was written.
The short story is okay, but nothing to write home about. But the novella was too dated for my taste. The tale of a poor family and a rich family, with the rich-boy-falling-in-love-with-poor-girl theme has been done to death in a thousand movies; and the characters, like the sweet-as-saccharine heroine, her douche-bag of a brother, her 'parfit-gentil-knight' lover, her partisan mother who continuously favours her rapscallion of a brother over her... all are pasteboard and strictly two-dimensional. And the deus ex machina in the last chapter had me practically beating my head in frustration.
All in all, an okay read.
September 25, 2017
So far I'm not a huge fan of Gaskell's shorter fiction. In my collection I liked Lois the Witch best, as frightening as that story was. I didn't like Mr Harrison's Confessions or Cousin Phillis. I liked Cranford, but generally don't get on well with episodic chapters that make up a novel. I missed an overarching plot in that one. I'll have to pay attention to Katie of books and things for future short fiction recommendations.
September 5, 2012
It seems to have taken me almost as long to get around to writing this review as it took me to actually read the book. 'Cranford: and other stories' is really, as the title would suggest, more a collection of short to longer stories revolving more or less around the small town of Cranford and it’s slightly curious inhabitants.
Gaskell writes the stories well at times giving the impression of slightly mocking her quirky characters at the same time as taking them ever so seriously and presenting the stories as real life truth. And as such she gives her readers permission to enjoy doing the same as well as making her characters a truly endearing bunch.
Despite this I still found myself getting a little bit bored and needing to take a pause to read other ‘more exciting’ books part way through. I’m not sure though if that was more a reflection on my state of mind at the time or on the sometimes rambling and long-winded style and nature of the stories.
I did enjoy the stories and the book overall and I am glad that I finally managed to read them all. And having now been spotted reading it at work I also have a loaned DVD of it to try out.
Gaskell writes the stories well at times giving the impression of slightly mocking her quirky characters at the same time as taking them ever so seriously and presenting the stories as real life truth. And as such she gives her readers permission to enjoy doing the same as well as making her characters a truly endearing bunch.
Despite this I still found myself getting a little bit bored and needing to take a pause to read other ‘more exciting’ books part way through. I’m not sure though if that was more a reflection on my state of mind at the time or on the sometimes rambling and long-winded style and nature of the stories.
I did enjoy the stories and the book overall and I am glad that I finally managed to read them all. And having now been spotted reading it at work I also have a loaned DVD of it to try out.
May 16, 2021
This particular collection contains Cranford, Mr Harrison’s Confessions, and My Lady Ludlow. I’m a genuine fan of Gaskell, but she can be infuriating. These stories run the gamut from dull (Cranford), pointless but fine (Mr Harrison’s Confessions), and abjectly awful (My Lady Ludlow).
On a sentence level, Gaskell is always passable, with some hints of humour and brilliance. She suffers from the fashion of needing a third-party interlocutor to describe events rather than just having them happen, but that must have been a law or something in the nineteenth century, it happens so often. I could let this go in the case of the first two stories, which are respectively about boring old women in a town comprised entirely of boring old women (cf: Mapp and Lucia), and the male doctor effect in a small town. But then there's 'My Lady Ludlow'.
The whole plot and point of ‘My Lady Ludlow’ hinges on how terrible it is to educate the poors, because it leads directly to a) murder and b) the French Revolution. Even leaving aside that Ludlow (and presumably Gaskell?) and I have far differing opinions on the French Revolution and its outcomes, WHAT THE FUCK? I think what makes it so insufferable is that Ludlow keeps being referred to as a gentle, kind person, who gets her ‘feelings hurt’ by people deciding she’s a tyrannical bitch for thinking peasants should be kept in their ‘places’. The woman refuses to engage a servant who can write! WHO CAN WRITE! She pretends people born out of wedlock literally do not exist! She is a MONSTER!
“Her ladyship […] saying that a girl who did not warm up when any interest or curiosity was expressed about her mother, or ‘the baby’ (if there was one), was not likely to make a good servant.”
ARGHHHH!
“A young man like him […] ought not to set up his opinion against mine; he ought not to require reasons from me, nor to need such explanation of my arguments (if I condescend to argue), as going into relation of the circumstances on which my arguments are based in my own mind would be.”
Hello, Lady Ludlow, it’s George Orwell calling. He wants to thank you for your services to Fascism.
I fucking hate this character so much, and neither the story or anyone in it seem to realise how heinous she is. Given that Gaskell was a social reformer, was this supposed to be a subtle take-down of this type of person via her interactions with people like Mr Grey? If so, all I can say is it failed miserably.
On a sentence level, Gaskell is always passable, with some hints of humour and brilliance. She suffers from the fashion of needing a third-party interlocutor to describe events rather than just having them happen, but that must have been a law or something in the nineteenth century, it happens so often. I could let this go in the case of the first two stories, which are respectively about boring old women in a town comprised entirely of boring old women (cf: Mapp and Lucia), and the male doctor effect in a small town. But then there's 'My Lady Ludlow'.
The whole plot and point of ‘My Lady Ludlow’ hinges on how terrible it is to educate the poors, because it leads directly to a) murder and b) the French Revolution. Even leaving aside that Ludlow (and presumably Gaskell?) and I have far differing opinions on the French Revolution and its outcomes, WHAT THE FUCK? I think what makes it so insufferable is that Ludlow keeps being referred to as a gentle, kind person, who gets her ‘feelings hurt’ by people deciding she’s a tyrannical bitch for thinking peasants should be kept in their ‘places’. The woman refuses to engage a servant who can write! WHO CAN WRITE! She pretends people born out of wedlock literally do not exist! She is a MONSTER!
“Her ladyship […] saying that a girl who did not warm up when any interest or curiosity was expressed about her mother, or ‘the baby’ (if there was one), was not likely to make a good servant.”
ARGHHHH!
“A young man like him […] ought not to set up his opinion against mine; he ought not to require reasons from me, nor to need such explanation of my arguments (if I condescend to argue), as going into relation of the circumstances on which my arguments are based in my own mind would be.”
Hello, Lady Ludlow, it’s George Orwell calling. He wants to thank you for your services to Fascism.
I fucking hate this character so much, and neither the story or anyone in it seem to realise how heinous she is. Given that Gaskell was a social reformer, was this supposed to be a subtle take-down of this type of person via her interactions with people like Mr Grey? If so, all I can say is it failed miserably.
April 20, 2010
The back of the book promised variety among the stories that the book had, I have already read 2 novels for Gaskell and I thought I knew what to expect, but it turned out I though wrong.The promise was fulfilled with each new story. and I have to note her amazing ability in making a narrator tell a story he went through but was not the hero.
So here's a short review of each story:
Cranford: It captures the English society in an accurate way and not just the society but English people as well, that being said; the story has no real plot, it's just about the daily events of a quiet English life.
Dr Harrison s Confessions: a great light read, after the quiet still Cranford, came the comedy story of a young doctor and the love webs he got into.
The Doom of the Griffiths: In this story the variety that was talked about showed, I heard of Gaskell's Gothic stories but I didn't really imagine that she could write Gothic stories, but she did, and it was a nice change.
Lois the Witch : A promising start, yet a confusing middle, and a heart-breaking ending. This story showed how Elizabeth Gaskell is not just a great writer, but a very talented one who could write about whatever theme she chose to write about.
Six Weeks at Heppenheim: A good read.
Cousin Phillis: the last story of the book, it was very inviting from the beginning with a great narrator, and even though I could see where the story was going, yet it did not make me lose interest in it.
So here's a short review of each story:
Cranford: It captures the English society in an accurate way and not just the society but English people as well, that being said; the story has no real plot, it's just about the daily events of a quiet English life.
Dr Harrison s Confessions: a great light read, after the quiet still Cranford, came the comedy story of a young doctor and the love webs he got into.
The Doom of the Griffiths: In this story the variety that was talked about showed, I heard of Gaskell's Gothic stories but I didn't really imagine that she could write Gothic stories, but she did, and it was a nice change.
Lois the Witch : A promising start, yet a confusing middle, and a heart-breaking ending. This story showed how Elizabeth Gaskell is not just a great writer, but a very talented one who could write about whatever theme she chose to write about.
Six Weeks at Heppenheim: A good read.
Cousin Phillis: the last story of the book, it was very inviting from the beginning with a great narrator, and even though I could see where the story was going, yet it did not make me lose interest in it.
April 12, 2021
A delightful collection of short stories, going from a small-town satire to Salem/witch-hunting and many other social issues, including falling in love.
I read North & South years ago, and I remember really liking it, but now I think I need to read it again because there's a really big chance that I didn't fully understand the depth of her writing.
I read North & South years ago, and I remember really liking it, but now I think I need to read it again because there's a really big chance that I didn't fully understand the depth of her writing.
October 29, 2010
This Wordsworth Classics edition contains the short novel – Cranford – which I first read many years ago - and six (fairly long) short stories making it quite a nice chunky book. I had been itching to read it for ages so thought the start of half term (I actually started it the day before we broke up) was the perfect opportunity.
Cranford is utterly charming of course, warm, and funny peopled with fabulous memorable characters and amusing incident. It is very easy to see why it was adapted for TV. A series I loved I must say – although it isn’t a hundred percent faithful to the book. The sort of novel you don’t want to end, Cranford’s main fault is that it is just too short.
Having finished Cranford my appetite was ripe to continue with the rest of the shorter fiction in this volume. The story of “Mr Harrison’s confessions” – again set in a small country town – will be recognisable to anyone who watched the series of Cranford – as the doctor’s story at the beginning of the first series which in fact was taken from this story of Elizabeth Gaskell. “Lois the witch” set in the 1690’s in Salem – the story of young orphaned English girl who has gone to live with her uncle’s family –was unputdownable and kept me reading till very late one evening. While “Cousin Phillis” is a brilliant story of love and loss.
Loved this book – it felt like a treat somehow – to read such lovely prose – excellent stories that make you sit up way too late.
Cranford is utterly charming of course, warm, and funny peopled with fabulous memorable characters and amusing incident. It is very easy to see why it was adapted for TV. A series I loved I must say – although it isn’t a hundred percent faithful to the book. The sort of novel you don’t want to end, Cranford’s main fault is that it is just too short.
Having finished Cranford my appetite was ripe to continue with the rest of the shorter fiction in this volume. The story of “Mr Harrison’s confessions” – again set in a small country town – will be recognisable to anyone who watched the series of Cranford – as the doctor’s story at the beginning of the first series which in fact was taken from this story of Elizabeth Gaskell. “Lois the witch” set in the 1690’s in Salem – the story of young orphaned English girl who has gone to live with her uncle’s family –was unputdownable and kept me reading till very late one evening. While “Cousin Phillis” is a brilliant story of love and loss.
Loved this book – it felt like a treat somehow – to read such lovely prose – excellent stories that make you sit up way too late.
September 14, 2023
I haven’t watched the adaptation yet as I wanted to read the book first so I may chance my mind on how I feel after I have watched that. For me this was an ok but not outstanding read. ‘Cranford: and other stories” is, as you would have probably already have gleaned from the title, just a collection of a long and then several short stories that follow the lives of the rather quaint but odd inhabitants of a small town named, you’ve guessed it, Cranford. Gaskell writes well and is certainly making a point about the lives of women and their traditional roles in the way she mockingly portrays some of her quirky old women but at the same time she does them justice and is presenting their stories as real-life possibilities. As such, we get a fondness for them and find we see them in the same way and come to see them almost as real people. With that being said, I found after the first longer story I found that it had become a bit dull and I wasn’t that bothered about picking the book back up again to finish the rest of it off, but I did do so. It was endearing but long-winded and the very nature of the stories was designed to be quite rambling and time consuming. I am glad I finally read it all but I don’t think it is something I would recommend or re-visit again.
September 6, 2016
My review is about Cranford itself and not the other six stories included in this very fine edition. So. Cranford. I first watched the BBC television adaptation aired in 2007 and starring the great Judi Dench. The series is better than the book, mainly because the set of characters are brought to life rather beautifully by an excellent cast. I could add something like "in my opinion" but this seems to be widely accepted. Anyway, this may say something about the book but it actually says more about British television and its tremendous run of impeccable period dramas like Cranford, Little Dorrit, Jane Eyre, and more recently, the otherworldy Downton Abbey. Exceptional television. The book is not bad, a feel-good story, with assorted semi-eccentric characters, and well-written. And that's about it really. In his introduction Professor John Chapple insists that 'Cranford should not (...) be dismissed as a largely escapist text' but I could not see it as anything more. Incidentally, as I was reading this (and Nicholas Nickleby on the side) it suddenly dawned on me that maybe I should take a break from Victorian literature. Hm.
December 10, 2017
I read this book a few years ago but I had two editions since I was fooled by the title and cover. The only difference are the short-stories.
The first time around I gave it two stars because the short-stories were okay, but I didn't really care for Cranford. It may have been the wrong time and place to read it because this time around, I liked it a whole lot better.
It was...quaint to be in Cranford I guess you can say. Althought it also was quite gloomy.
What I liked most was the short-story "The Moorland Cottage". It was even better that Cranford. Maggie was just the sweetest character and it was so good to see the Buxton's taking her in. And I just loved the name Erminia.
The first time around I gave it two stars because the short-stories were okay, but I didn't really care for Cranford. It may have been the wrong time and place to read it because this time around, I liked it a whole lot better.
It was...quaint to be in Cranford I guess you can say. Althought it also was quite gloomy.
What I liked most was the short-story "The Moorland Cottage". It was even better that Cranford. Maggie was just the sweetest character and it was so good to see the Buxton's taking her in. And I just loved the name Erminia.
July 13, 2018
The sheer variety of Gaskell’s work is mind-blowing. I wouldn’t be able to choose a favorite from these selected short stories even if I wanted to. Each story took me back to a different time period, setting, culture, and feeling. The stories ranged from being satirically funny as in "Mr. Harrison’s confessions", to dark and oppressive as in "The doom of the Griffiths", to outright horrific as in "Lois the witch", to a really out of the blue fantasy story, "Curious, if true", ending with a tragic love story, "Cousin Phillis", which I feel was her masterpiece.
December 28, 2007
I missed the television adaptation but enjoyed this. It was short, sweet and amusing.
March 4, 2022
17 February 2022: I'm going to journal this book in blocks as it has Cranford and other stories (not short stories in themselves) which all make it up to a lengthy volume.
Today I finished reading Cranford and I just loved it. I know it's a silly thing to say, as if no one ever had this thought before, but it is so much better than the tv series. I have seen the series with Judi Dench as Miss Matty, which was all right although I haven't been able to get all the way through Return to Cranford - just too twee. But the book, the book! It is more understated, subtle and charming in a non-twee way. It almost feels like long and detailed letters from Mary Smith, written to me about her stays in Cranford and the on going lives of the dramas and people she knows there. As she stays with Miss Matty, this lady is the focus, although her friends take part as well. Miss Pole is a little less hysterical and a little more likeable in the book. From what I understand, this little country town of Amazons (for most of the properties rented by by the middle class are single women), was inspired by Elizabeth Gaskell's own childhood when she was brought up by her own dear Aunt in the town of Knutsford.
19/02/2022 - Mr Harrison's Confessions
This little novella is set in a village called Duncombe, about a new doctor who moves in as a partner to the current doctor, Dr Morgan, with the long term aim I suppose of taking over the practice. He tries to take the older doctor's advice and be pleasant to the residents of the little town. But between the hysteria of randy love-sick women and the poison of gossip, he finds that he is scorned by society on the assumption of being engaged to three women, none of whom he has romantic inclinations towards. Unfortunately the woman he does like is hurried out of town by her father. Folk who have seen the Judi Dench Cranford will know the story as it was amalgamated into the tv series.
21/02/2022 - The Doom of the Griffiths
An historical/almost folkloric-fairytale of Wales set sometime in the past about a landed family, the Griffiths, who were cursed that generations in the future, the son would kill the father. All a bit Oedipus, although the son isn't after the mother - in this case the mother dies and the step mother is a classic fairytale step mother in being a bit evil and manipulative and pushing the first and original son out of the family circle. The problems of step mothers is something Gaskell returns to. As is the estrangement of father and son, and the son's secret marriage and child, which he never dares tell his father about (Think the Hamleys in Wives and Daughters).
26/02/2022 Lois the Witch
This was traumatic. Just heartbreaking and infuriating. Possibly one of the most effective accounts of witchhunts and witchtrials that gets to the heart of the awfulness of it all, and what it was to be accused. And just to witness the idiocy of mass hysteria and people blindly doing and believing what they are told and never stopping to think things out for themselves.
Lois Barclay is 18 and recently orphaned. This is the 1600s in a village in England, and with no one to take her in, she decides to travel to live with her mother's brother, in accordance with her mother's dying wish. Her brother had emmigrated to the New World, and lives in Salem. History tells us that moving there was a really, really bad idea.
Gaskell creates this world brilliantly, reminding us that in those times people took their bibles literally and truely believed in all the witchcraft nonsense. So much so that Lois actually wonders at one point if the accusations must be true, and later is terrified when the city goal is full and she's told she'll have to share her cell - with a witch! I was also impressed by the comments and sympathy towards the native Americans portrayed in the story, and the note that they had had their lands taken from them.
28/02/2022 Curious If True
No, did absolutely nothing for me. This is a proper short story in its length, and the shortest in this collection by far. About some English guy off in France researching his ancestors and on some night, a bit lost, ends up invited into this big house as if he is expected, and there's some kind of party and everyone's talking a bit strange, dressed a bit oddly... Just couldn't get into it. Well, there's always one in a collection that doesn't hit the mark.
01/03/2022 Six Weeks at Heppenheim
Another one that is a little bit meh. An English guy goes travelling in Europe before he plans to knuckle down to his law degree. Whilst in Germany he gets sick and has to spend six weeks at this village inn recovering. Whilst he's an invalid he gets interesting in the romantic life of the maid, rather like watching a soap opera. And... yeah, that's about it!
04/03/2022 - Cousin Phillis
I rather enjoyed this story. Bit longer than some of the others. Our narrator is a young (and short - this seems to be an issue for him) man, Paul Manning, I think it was, who gets a job as a railway clerk. The industrial age. Anyhow, it turns out close to where he's working, his mother's second cousin or something, is living, and she tells him to go and say hello. Cousin Holman, as she is referred to, married a farmer-minster, and the couple have once child, cousin Phillis, who is a couple of years younger than Paul. She is a total daddy's girl and always learning and studying when she's not working hard on the farm. Paul's manager, Mr Holdsworth, gets sick with a fever, and ends up going to stay with the Holmans to recuporate. One thing leads to another, and Holdsworth and Phillis develop feelings for one another, although they never speak together of how they feel. Holdsworth is then sent to Canada to work on a railway there and proves to be an inconstant lover. Phillis suffers from a broken heart and falls into ill health, on the brink of death. I love the ending though. A bit of down to earth talking from the maid and there is hope. Not to belittle love, but that life goes on, and one should not die over an inconstant lover.
Today I finished reading Cranford and I just loved it. I know it's a silly thing to say, as if no one ever had this thought before, but it is so much better than the tv series. I have seen the series with Judi Dench as Miss Matty, which was all right although I haven't been able to get all the way through Return to Cranford - just too twee. But the book, the book! It is more understated, subtle and charming in a non-twee way. It almost feels like long and detailed letters from Mary Smith, written to me about her stays in Cranford and the on going lives of the dramas and people she knows there. As she stays with Miss Matty, this lady is the focus, although her friends take part as well. Miss Pole is a little less hysterical and a little more likeable in the book. From what I understand, this little country town of Amazons (for most of the properties rented by by the middle class are single women), was inspired by Elizabeth Gaskell's own childhood when she was brought up by her own dear Aunt in the town of Knutsford.
19/02/2022 - Mr Harrison's Confessions
This little novella is set in a village called Duncombe, about a new doctor who moves in as a partner to the current doctor, Dr Morgan, with the long term aim I suppose of taking over the practice. He tries to take the older doctor's advice and be pleasant to the residents of the little town. But between the hysteria of randy love-sick women and the poison of gossip, he finds that he is scorned by society on the assumption of being engaged to three women, none of whom he has romantic inclinations towards. Unfortunately the woman he does like is hurried out of town by her father. Folk who have seen the Judi Dench Cranford will know the story as it was amalgamated into the tv series.
21/02/2022 - The Doom of the Griffiths
An historical/almost folkloric-fairytale of Wales set sometime in the past about a landed family, the Griffiths, who were cursed that generations in the future, the son would kill the father. All a bit Oedipus, although the son isn't after the mother - in this case the mother dies and the step mother is a classic fairytale step mother in being a bit evil and manipulative and pushing the first and original son out of the family circle. The problems of step mothers is something Gaskell returns to. As is the estrangement of father and son, and the son's secret marriage and child, which he never dares tell his father about (Think the Hamleys in Wives and Daughters).
26/02/2022 Lois the Witch
This was traumatic. Just heartbreaking and infuriating. Possibly one of the most effective accounts of witchhunts and witchtrials that gets to the heart of the awfulness of it all, and what it was to be accused. And just to witness the idiocy of mass hysteria and people blindly doing and believing what they are told and never stopping to think things out for themselves.
Lois Barclay is 18 and recently orphaned. This is the 1600s in a village in England, and with no one to take her in, she decides to travel to live with her mother's brother, in accordance with her mother's dying wish. Her brother had emmigrated to the New World, and lives in Salem. History tells us that moving there was a really, really bad idea.
Gaskell creates this world brilliantly, reminding us that in those times people took their bibles literally and truely believed in all the witchcraft nonsense. So much so that Lois actually wonders at one point if the accusations must be true, and later is terrified when the city goal is full and she's told she'll have to share her cell - with a witch! I was also impressed by the comments and sympathy towards the native Americans portrayed in the story, and the note that they had had their lands taken from them.
28/02/2022 Curious If True
No, did absolutely nothing for me. This is a proper short story in its length, and the shortest in this collection by far. About some English guy off in France researching his ancestors and on some night, a bit lost, ends up invited into this big house as if he is expected, and there's some kind of party and everyone's talking a bit strange, dressed a bit oddly... Just couldn't get into it. Well, there's always one in a collection that doesn't hit the mark.
01/03/2022 Six Weeks at Heppenheim
Another one that is a little bit meh. An English guy goes travelling in Europe before he plans to knuckle down to his law degree. Whilst in Germany he gets sick and has to spend six weeks at this village inn recovering. Whilst he's an invalid he gets interesting in the romantic life of the maid, rather like watching a soap opera. And... yeah, that's about it!
04/03/2022 - Cousin Phillis
I rather enjoyed this story. Bit longer than some of the others. Our narrator is a young (and short - this seems to be an issue for him) man, Paul Manning, I think it was, who gets a job as a railway clerk. The industrial age. Anyhow, it turns out close to where he's working, his mother's second cousin or something, is living, and she tells him to go and say hello. Cousin Holman, as she is referred to, married a farmer-minster, and the couple have once child, cousin Phillis, who is a couple of years younger than Paul. She is a total daddy's girl and always learning and studying when she's not working hard on the farm. Paul's manager, Mr Holdsworth, gets sick with a fever, and ends up going to stay with the Holmans to recuporate. One thing leads to another, and Holdsworth and Phillis develop feelings for one another, although they never speak together of how they feel. Holdsworth is then sent to Canada to work on a railway there and proves to be an inconstant lover. Phillis suffers from a broken heart and falls into ill health, on the brink of death. I love the ending though. A bit of down to earth talking from the maid and there is hope. Not to belittle love, but that life goes on, and one should not die over an inconstant lover.
December 29, 2022
Ever since I read Wives and Daughters, I've been saying I want to read more Elizabeth Gaskell, so when I spotted this copy of Cranford and Other Stories at my local free bookshelf, I couldn't resist. The 'and other stories' wasn't obvious from the cover, so the inclusion of Mr Harrison's Confessions and My Lady Ludlow came as a pleasant surprise — more Elizabeth Gaskell for me to try! Nickie promised Cranford would be "a proper stocking full of heartwarming tidbits", perfect for cozy reading on long winter’s nights.
Jenny Uglow's brief introduction to Cranford and Other Stories whets the appetite without spoiling the story. Female main characters in classic literature are usually either married or dead by the end of the novel, so a whole narrative about middle-aged spinsters is quite an unusual prospect. The village of Cranford is a community, a group of friends who help each other out to the best of their ability and it really is heartwarming to read about.
Miss Matty is reminiscent of Little Women ’s Beth March, in that the narrator often points out her goodness, her sweetness of temper and her positive affect on others. These moments are more telling than showing, but fortunately, Miss Matty also gets the opportunity to show her personality in the way she treats others. Her lasting respect for her overbearing sister's traditions and rules may have seemed worthy to a contemporary reader, but falls slightly flat in an age that values individuality.
This difference of attitude presents even more of a problem in My Lady Ludlow. Even given the background of the French Revolution, it's hard to sympathise with the title character’s disdain for educating ‘the lower classes’ and her fears around servants becoming unsatisfied with their position. This was the least enjoyable of the four chapters, meandering very slowly with little actual plot.
Overall, Cranford delivered on its promise of a cozy community, Mr Harrison's Confessions were amusing, but My Lady Ludlow rather let the collection down at the final moment.
Jenny Uglow's brief introduction to Cranford and Other Stories whets the appetite without spoiling the story. Female main characters in classic literature are usually either married or dead by the end of the novel, so a whole narrative about middle-aged spinsters is quite an unusual prospect. The village of Cranford is a community, a group of friends who help each other out to the best of their ability and it really is heartwarming to read about.
Miss Matty is reminiscent of Little Women ’s Beth March, in that the narrator often points out her goodness, her sweetness of temper and her positive affect on others. These moments are more telling than showing, but fortunately, Miss Matty also gets the opportunity to show her personality in the way she treats others. Her lasting respect for her overbearing sister's traditions and rules may have seemed worthy to a contemporary reader, but falls slightly flat in an age that values individuality.
This difference of attitude presents even more of a problem in My Lady Ludlow. Even given the background of the French Revolution, it's hard to sympathise with the title character’s disdain for educating ‘the lower classes’ and her fears around servants becoming unsatisfied with their position. This was the least enjoyable of the four chapters, meandering very slowly with little actual plot.
Overall, Cranford delivered on its promise of a cozy community, Mr Harrison's Confessions were amusing, but My Lady Ludlow rather let the collection down at the final moment.
September 1, 2017
Cranford represents a little world, very comfortable, but still with small calamities related to love, money and relations between its members. It is comfortable because it is small and mostly female some of whom are shown to be very sympathetic to each other being real friends. On the other hand, rank plays a big role in the general attitude within this small society and eventually is a key to some miseries including the love line of the story.
Apart from Cranford, being overall a reading leaving warm and positive emotions, there are quite good and more dramatic short stories, including Lois the Witch and Cousin Phillis. Those two I liked because of the intensity of feelings of the main characters having to undergo deep miseries, pain and death either physical or subtle death of love.
Apart from Cranford, being overall a reading leaving warm and positive emotions, there are quite good and more dramatic short stories, including Lois the Witch and Cousin Phillis. Those two I liked because of the intensity of feelings of the main characters having to undergo deep miseries, pain and death either physical or subtle death of love.
October 18, 2018
Cranford: I really enjoyed the episodic writing of this novel, and grew to love the characters as I progressed through reading. It was a really interesting presentation of age and growing older, and what the ladies might consider appropriate behaviour. You sympathised with the characters, and the struggles they go through, particularly Miss Matty.
Set against a backdrop of context for common perceptions and presentations of women and age, and particularly ageing women, where they would be dismissed and considered of lesser importance, Cranford is a refreshing change where the women stand in financial independence, rejecting marriage and supporting each other.
Set against a backdrop of context for common perceptions and presentations of women and age, and particularly ageing women, where they would be dismissed and considered of lesser importance, Cranford is a refreshing change where the women stand in financial independence, rejecting marriage and supporting each other.
May 20, 2020
I so wanted to like this... but I didn't.
After taking more than a year to cover 140ish pages I decided to give up on Cranford. It's just so boring!! Nothing happens, and the story lacks the engaging characters and wit that makes Jane Austen such a firm favourite of mine. I actually kept this book on my night stand to read whenever I would wake up in the middle of the night and couldn't get to sleep - Cranford usually put me to sleep. But even in the dead of night I found myself reaching for the book I was actually interested in reading.
I hear the series is better, I would give that a go if I could.
After taking more than a year to cover 140ish pages I decided to give up on Cranford. It's just so boring!! Nothing happens, and the story lacks the engaging characters and wit that makes Jane Austen such a firm favourite of mine. I actually kept this book on my night stand to read whenever I would wake up in the middle of the night and couldn't get to sleep - Cranford usually put me to sleep. But even in the dead of night I found myself reaching for the book I was actually interested in reading.
I hear the series is better, I would give that a go if I could.
April 28, 2021
During this reading, I had intended to read the other stories in the book but alas, I ended up reading Cranford twice in a row and not feeling like reading the other stories just yet. I will read them at some point but not now.
I have now read Cranford 3 or 4 times and it is one of my top favorite books. I have never seen any movie version and though I bought the latest version with Judi Dench, I don't know that I want to watch it because I love the book so much....
Everything that I have read by Mrs. Gaskell is beautiful. I want to eventually read as much as I can by her, if not everything that she ever wrote.
I have now read Cranford 3 or 4 times and it is one of my top favorite books. I have never seen any movie version and though I bought the latest version with Judi Dench, I don't know that I want to watch it because I love the book so much....
Everything that I have read by Mrs. Gaskell is beautiful. I want to eventually read as much as I can by her, if not everything that she ever wrote.
January 21, 2018
I bought this book without realising it's actually a compilation of 4 short stories. Did I like this book? Yes and No. The 1st story is Cranford and I found myself getting irritated and hating the story because there's no explanation who's the narrator and her background story at all. In fact, the narrator's identity is revealed only in Chapter 14, a mere 2 chapters before the end of the story. By then, I've quite lost interest in the 1st story. The other 3 stories are much better as the narrator's identity is clearly made known early on. Other than that, I quite like the dry humour.
February 10, 2024
This took me a while to get into, all I could see was simpering, silly ladies just like with Jane Austen whom I hate and find dull.
But over time I kind of got into the characters, the town of Cranford and the upmarket, genteel ladies, their petty, day to day dramas and so forth.
I quite liked the final story in this volume "The moorland cottage" it was more my kind of tale, drama, intrigue, a good old boat fire, sorrow heartbreak, a more meaty story.
Overall an OK read but not a favourite.
But over time I kind of got into the characters, the town of Cranford and the upmarket, genteel ladies, their petty, day to day dramas and so forth.
I quite liked the final story in this volume "The moorland cottage" it was more my kind of tale, drama, intrigue, a good old boat fire, sorrow heartbreak, a more meaty story.
Overall an OK read but not a favourite.
December 21, 2017
I really enjoyed Cranford and a few of the stories, but some were just tedious. Cranford itself was wonderful, a gentle look at a gentler time. Reminded me a bit of Jane Austen combined with Charles Dickens. Gaskell's writing is strong, and I just bought a few more of her books. Recommended if you enjoy Victorian literature.
June 2, 2018
I dithered deciding how many stars to give this book. Cranford itself is simply a work of genius. The other three stories in this edition were also good (Mr Harrison’s Confessions being far superior to My Lady Ludlow) do not profit from good will following Cranford. It is unfortunate as all three are great stories; it is just that Cranford is extraordinary and deserving of far more than 5 stars.
April 25, 2020
Cranford
I listened to this on audio and I think that was a mistake.
It was hard to follow at times considering that this is more episodic and doesn't really have a straight forward storyline.
The characters overall were likeable and the ending was heart warming.
I think I will give this another shoot in the future and read it rather than listen to it.
I listened to this on audio and I think that was a mistake.
It was hard to follow at times considering that this is more episodic and doesn't really have a straight forward storyline.
The characters overall were likeable and the ending was heart warming.
I think I will give this another shoot in the future and read it rather than listen to it.
February 25, 2021
Χαρακτηριστικό δείγμα της βικτωριανής λογοτεχνίας, ίσως και το πιο γνωστό βιβλίο της Ελίζαμπεθ Γκάσκελ. Πρωτοδημοσιεύτηκε σε συνέχειες σε ένα περιοδικό, όπως ήταν τότε της μόδας, με τη βοήθεια του φίλου της Καρόλου Ντίκενς. Μέσα από αυτοτελή επειόδια περιγράφεται η ζωή ενός φανταστικού χωριού που ονομάζεται Κράνφορντ. Αρκετά ενδιαφέροντα και τα άλλα διηγήματα που το συνοδεύουν.
April 8, 2020
Adore. My favourites were Cranford & Harrison's confessions, particularly since I've seen the show Cranford and have been wanting to read Harrison to see how they've spliced him and Cranford together.
Other than that, Lois the Witch and Cousin Phillis would be my next favourites.
Other than that, Lois the Witch and Cousin Phillis would be my next favourites.
August 13, 2023
If you want to know more about Elizabeth Gaskell, I recently visited her house in Manchester and wrote this blog https://open.substack.com/pub/harknes...
May 17, 2020
I enjoyed 'Mr Harrison's Confessions' and 'My Lady Ludlow' more than the Cranford stories.
July 19, 2021
Although there is more than one story in this book I stuck to the ones that take place in Cranford. They are gentle and amusing vignettes of life in that small English town. They very much reminded me of 19th century versions of Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon stories. I hope I can watch the BBC production based on this book.
December 1, 2022
Overall I give these stories 3 stars. Interestingly enough, Cranford was my least enjoyed story. My favorite story in this book was Lois the Witch. I also liked Mr Harrison’s Confessions!
July 15, 2023
Cranford is sweet and witty. Smartly written. Gaskell displays her keen insight into persons, relationships and community.
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