What do you think?
Rate this book
Cranford / Cousin Phillis
Here are two of Elizabeth Gaskell's classic novels. 'Cranford' depicts the lives and preoccupations of the inhabitants of a small village. 'Cousin Phillis' depicts a fleeting love affair in a rural community at a time when old values are being supplanted by the new.
362 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1864
23 people are currently reading
857 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Gaskell
1,148 books3,780 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)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
June 10, 2021
2021-05: Cousin Phillis: 4 stars.
Though the story concerns itself with the introduction of rail through placid farmland, and the anticipation of faster transportation across England, Gaskell spends much more time on a story of friendship and a first love gone wrong.
Cousin Phillis (of the title) must deal with her first infatuation and subsequent heartbreak.
There’s some sensitive writing in describing Phillis’ reaction, until, to my present day and much more jaded view, Gaskell throws a heavy, moralistic lead ball into the story, in how she has Phillis cope. Her contemporaries and audience probably nodded sagely at the climax, inferring religious and other cultural messages from the situation. I just thought, a nervous collapse?!!? Really?! After showing us how sensible Phillis is?
2021-04: Cranford: 4 stars.
Cranford concerns itself with the female inhabitants of the village, and their histories together, and speculations about their future actions and circumstances. And the value of kindness to others.
It was gently humourous, and sometimes tragic, but not tumultuous. It’s a book about little things, and the strengths of good relationships, and left me comforted.
Though the story concerns itself with the introduction of rail through placid farmland, and the anticipation of faster transportation across England, Gaskell spends much more time on a story of friendship and a first love gone wrong.
Cousin Phillis (of the title) must deal with her first infatuation and subsequent heartbreak.
There’s some sensitive writing in describing Phillis’ reaction, until, to my present day and much more jaded view, Gaskell throws a heavy, moralistic lead ball into the story, in how she has Phillis cope. Her contemporaries and audience probably nodded sagely at the climax, inferring religious and other cultural messages from the situation. I just thought, a nervous collapse?!!? Really?! After showing us how sensible Phillis is?
2021-04: Cranford: 4 stars.
Cranford concerns itself with the female inhabitants of the village, and their histories together, and speculations about their future actions and circumstances. And the value of kindness to others.
It was gently humourous, and sometimes tragic, but not tumultuous. It’s a book about little things, and the strengths of good relationships, and left me comforted.
May 19, 2011
I came to Cranford without having seen the recent television adaptation but somewhat wary because it had been dismissed as "women gossiping." One might as well describe Romeo and Juliet as "families squabbling."
Perhaps no English village in the time of sedan chairs and candlelight was quite as idyllic as Cranford, but never mind. Elizabeth Gaskell creates a community true unto itself. We see it largely through the lives of its womenfolk, many of them spinsters. Cosy it may appear but it is touched by trouble - there is an early death, a loved brother disappears, a bank folds; the real world cannot be held entirely at bay. But in the main it is small events that loom large in this small world; such is the author's skill, the reader is involved.
If the observation is perceptive, it is also consistently amusing. Consider the acerbic Miss Pole on the subject of men: "If you will notice, they have always foreseen events, though they never tell one for one's warning before the events happen; my father was a man, and I know the sex pretty well."
There is more to Cranford than a theme park imagining of how Olde England might have been.
Perhaps no English village in the time of sedan chairs and candlelight was quite as idyllic as Cranford, but never mind. Elizabeth Gaskell creates a community true unto itself. We see it largely through the lives of its womenfolk, many of them spinsters. Cosy it may appear but it is touched by trouble - there is an early death, a loved brother disappears, a bank folds; the real world cannot be held entirely at bay. But in the main it is small events that loom large in this small world; such is the author's skill, the reader is involved.
If the observation is perceptive, it is also consistently amusing. Consider the acerbic Miss Pole on the subject of men: "If you will notice, they have always foreseen events, though they never tell one for one's warning before the events happen; my father was a man, and I know the sex pretty well."
There is more to Cranford than a theme park imagining of how Olde England might have been.
October 31, 2021
Two tonally different but equally marvelous stories. Cranford includes some genuine belly laughs alongside some tragedy and heartbreak. There is almost too much going on but somehow it stays the right side of mawkish and the silliest characters are rightfully beloved and the most pompous of neighbours have the softest of hearts. Designed to be read in episodes, but it never suffers because of it. If anything, the episodic nature suggests that whatever the circumstance, another chapter will be along shortly with fresh coincidences, a new surprise and entirely original circumstances for this too shall pass. I cannot remember a more delightful read.
Cousin Phillis is something else entirely. Narrated by a Victorian Nick Carraway we focus in on one pure soul awakening to the perils of first love. This novella would be a tiny detail in one of Tolstoy's books, but here it is the whole story, simply told, and it is beautiful. All the same psychological density and religious fervor of Tolstoy just without any of the terrifying war bits. Fantastically good.
Cousin Phillis is something else entirely. Narrated by a Victorian Nick Carraway we focus in on one pure soul awakening to the perils of first love. This novella would be a tiny detail in one of Tolstoy's books, but here it is the whole story, simply told, and it is beautiful. All the same psychological density and religious fervor of Tolstoy just without any of the terrifying war bits. Fantastically good.
May 22, 2020
I really enjoyed this collection of Elizabeth Gaskell's novellas. Cranford is without a doubt my favourite and solid four stars, while Cousin Phillis is a bit too usual for my taste. The novellas create a contrast between themselves; while Cranford is absolutely hilarious, Cousin Phillis is a tragic love story (but awfully typical when you look at the other novellas from 19th century England). Both the narrators in the novellas are a fine example how the story is not always about the narrator. They are all but transparent but they are not the focus of the story. As I said, unfortunately Cousin Phillis didn't prove out to be nothing exceptional but as I laughed through Cranford, I'm bumbing the raiting to four stars.
April 14, 2011
Cranford is one of the better-known novels of the 19th century English writer Elizabeth Gaskell. It was first published in 1851 as a serial in the magazine Household Words, which was edited by Charles Dickens. The fictional town of Cranford is closely modelled on Knutsford in Cheshire, which Mrs. Gaskell knew well. The book has little in the way of plot and is more a series of episodes in the lives of Mary Smith and her friends, Miss Matty and Miss Deborah, two spinster sisters.
But what is it about Cranford and its deceptively simple tales of country life that makes the work so appealing? It has been aptly described as ‘a piece of exquisite social painting’ … ‘tender’ and ‘delicate.’ Narrated by Mary Smith, a friend of Miss Matty and frequent visitor to Cranford, the lives, loves, tragedies, and triumphs of the inhabitants of Cranford are woven together seamlessly to create a tapestry portraying timeless emotions and choices.
The petty social bickering, cold shouldering and jockeying for importance in the village’s pecking order are outlined in a humorous yet pointed way—the author loves her characters, with all their faults, and is tolerant of their foibles while holding them up to gentle ridicule. In every community there is an arbiter of good taste, a setter of trends, a leader of public opinion, and all the other social whimsies that make up this colourful collection of characters. It is not easy to keep secrets in this closed environment, and as Mary Smith remarks, “It was impossible to live a month at Cranford, and not know the daily habits of each resident ….” Despite the squabbles and occasional ‘no speaks,’ the ladies of Cranford would rather die than see one of their own fall by the wayside. It is the community spirit that inspires Miss Matty’s friends to decide to donate a portion of their annual income to sustain their beloved friend when an investment goes sour.
As a different kind of history book and one that very possibly the author did not set out to write as such, Cranford is actually an analysis of an early Victorian country town. The inhabitants are shaken and disturbed by inevitable changes such as industrialization, the advent of the railway and other events that force an inescapable transition into an increasingly modern world.
The appeal of Cranford cannot be better described than in the popularity of the BBC drama series. The teleplay by Heidi Thomas was adapted from three novellas by Elizabeth Gaskell published between 1849 and 1858: Cranford, My Lady Ludlow, and Mr. Harrison's Confessions. (The Last Generation in England was also used as a source.)
A gentle, charming read, Cranford has much more to offer the discerning reader than a unassuming look at country life.
But what is it about Cranford and its deceptively simple tales of country life that makes the work so appealing? It has been aptly described as ‘a piece of exquisite social painting’ … ‘tender’ and ‘delicate.’ Narrated by Mary Smith, a friend of Miss Matty and frequent visitor to Cranford, the lives, loves, tragedies, and triumphs of the inhabitants of Cranford are woven together seamlessly to create a tapestry portraying timeless emotions and choices.
The petty social bickering, cold shouldering and jockeying for importance in the village’s pecking order are outlined in a humorous yet pointed way—the author loves her characters, with all their faults, and is tolerant of their foibles while holding them up to gentle ridicule. In every community there is an arbiter of good taste, a setter of trends, a leader of public opinion, and all the other social whimsies that make up this colourful collection of characters. It is not easy to keep secrets in this closed environment, and as Mary Smith remarks, “It was impossible to live a month at Cranford, and not know the daily habits of each resident ….” Despite the squabbles and occasional ‘no speaks,’ the ladies of Cranford would rather die than see one of their own fall by the wayside. It is the community spirit that inspires Miss Matty’s friends to decide to donate a portion of their annual income to sustain their beloved friend when an investment goes sour.
As a different kind of history book and one that very possibly the author did not set out to write as such, Cranford is actually an analysis of an early Victorian country town. The inhabitants are shaken and disturbed by inevitable changes such as industrialization, the advent of the railway and other events that force an inescapable transition into an increasingly modern world.
The appeal of Cranford cannot be better described than in the popularity of the BBC drama series. The teleplay by Heidi Thomas was adapted from three novellas by Elizabeth Gaskell published between 1849 and 1858: Cranford, My Lady Ludlow, and Mr. Harrison's Confessions. (The Last Generation in England was also used as a source.)
A gentle, charming read, Cranford has much more to offer the discerning reader than a unassuming look at country life.
October 27, 2011
Cousin Phillis is as good a short novel you'll ever read.
June 8, 2022
After loving the BBC miniseries, it was a delight to read the source material! Cousin Phillis was an unexpected treasure. I highly recommend this particular edition for that reason. The notes were very useful as well.
April 9, 2022
3,75
Read
September 30, 2020One of my favourite words is saudade and I could not help but think of it here. The two stories that make up this book are different in their subjects but both dwell on change and a longing for the past.
In Cranford, Elizabeth Gaskell, a generation later than Jane Austen writes of the things the latter does not, or could not: of the wars that left behind villages full of women, of poverty and of loss. Miss Matty might have been an Austen heroine who wasn't swept off her feet and carried off into the sunset; Mr. Holbrook her lost love. It is rather gloomy at times to read of a village full of aging women trying to hold onto a decaying elegance. However, the tragedies of every day life can be beautiful as well. The chapter where Miss Matty and Mary Smith read and burn old letters was one of the most moving scenes I have read in a long time.
I found it a little difficult to really like the characters. They are elderly, often narrow-minded women bound by strict guidelines and a somewhat outdated morality. And yet, they are generous in their kindness. They might look with disdain on Frenchmen and "Red Indians", they might kowtow to aristocracy, but they often go out of their way to help their neighbours whether it is Captain Brown who shocks the good ladies by openly discussing his poverty or the mysterious Signor Brunoni, or even the lame postman of Cranford. There are touches of gentle humour here and there: the literary contest between Miss Jenkyns and Captain Brown over Charles Dickens and Samuel Johnson, Mrs. Forrester's lace eating cat, Miss Pole's faltering bravado at facing a phantom.
Cousin Phillis is a short novella that subtly intertwines the changing country landscape with a short-lived romance. There isn't much by way of action here but both the Phillis of the title and her father Mr. Holman are engaging, well-drawn out characters: hard-working and rustic and yet well-read and thirsty for knowledge. One can see a slight similarity to the Goethe quoting Mr. Holbrook in Cranford with his alphabetically labeled cows. Phillis, with her love of Greek and her attempts to read The Divine Comedy in Italian is at the same time a naive, isolated country girl and her painful journey to emotional growth forms the crux of the story. Mrs. Gaskell paints a striking picture of the old way of life slowly giving way to the new with harvests and railways, farmer-priests and engineers.
I liked the down-to-earth, unpretentious tone of both stories and the clarity of Mrs. Gaskell's writing is a delight to read. She manages to convey tragedy without dragging down the tone of the book and her humour never escalates into farce. This is a simple, elegant book, like the times it longs for.
In Cranford, Elizabeth Gaskell, a generation later than Jane Austen writes of the things the latter does not, or could not: of the wars that left behind villages full of women, of poverty and of loss. Miss Matty might have been an Austen heroine who wasn't swept off her feet and carried off into the sunset; Mr. Holbrook her lost love. It is rather gloomy at times to read of a village full of aging women trying to hold onto a decaying elegance. However, the tragedies of every day life can be beautiful as well. The chapter where Miss Matty and Mary Smith read and burn old letters was one of the most moving scenes I have read in a long time.
I found it a little difficult to really like the characters. They are elderly, often narrow-minded women bound by strict guidelines and a somewhat outdated morality. And yet, they are generous in their kindness. They might look with disdain on Frenchmen and "Red Indians", they might kowtow to aristocracy, but they often go out of their way to help their neighbours whether it is Captain Brown who shocks the good ladies by openly discussing his poverty or the mysterious Signor Brunoni, or even the lame postman of Cranford. There are touches of gentle humour here and there: the literary contest between Miss Jenkyns and Captain Brown over Charles Dickens and Samuel Johnson, Mrs. Forrester's lace eating cat, Miss Pole's faltering bravado at facing a phantom.
Cousin Phillis is a short novella that subtly intertwines the changing country landscape with a short-lived romance. There isn't much by way of action here but both the Phillis of the title and her father Mr. Holman are engaging, well-drawn out characters: hard-working and rustic and yet well-read and thirsty for knowledge. One can see a slight similarity to the Goethe quoting Mr. Holbrook in Cranford with his alphabetically labeled cows. Phillis, with her love of Greek and her attempts to read The Divine Comedy in Italian is at the same time a naive, isolated country girl and her painful journey to emotional growth forms the crux of the story. Mrs. Gaskell paints a striking picture of the old way of life slowly giving way to the new with harvests and railways, farmer-priests and engineers.
I liked the down-to-earth, unpretentious tone of both stories and the clarity of Mrs. Gaskell's writing is a delight to read. She manages to convey tragedy without dragging down the tone of the book and her humour never escalates into farce. This is a simple, elegant book, like the times it longs for.
April 11, 2021
Am listening to an audio book of "Cranford". Enjoying the stories all over again.
2009 Review*********************************
I watched the BBC "Cranford" DVD set with Judi Dench as Miss Matty. This got me interested in Elizabeth Gaskell, so I got this book from the library to read.
Elizabeth Gaskell wrote in the same time period as Jane Austen. She, like Austen, focuses on the tiny and small things that make up a community where everything is talked and gossiped about and little escapes the scrutiny of the town members. Cranford is a little English town with a high number of single women and widows residing there. After Napoleon, this condition was unfortunately very common because so many man had been killed in the wars.
The book is a sweet portrait of life with a group of women who have known each other their entire lives and have seen the community grow and develop in ways that they don't entirely approve of but nevertheless live with. Yet the stories are told with a real sweetness and love for the characters who have their strange idiocyncracies. In the hand of another author, the characterizations would have become cruel or demeaning. Elizabeth Gaskell manages to make them kind yet true to life.
There is no underlying depth in this book as I have seen in Jane Austen's books. There is little plot, mostly stories about different happenings in the town that happen over a period of time. Amusements, long lost romances that are examined and then set aside, deaths, marriages, and the return of a long lost and loved brother. These happenings are narrated by Mary Smith, the young friend of the elderly spinster sisters, Miss Matty and Miss Deborah, around whom most of the situations take place.
Amusing situations include the lace eaten by the cat, "the panic" in which Cranford is held in fear of robberies and possible spies from France, and in the many little details here and there of a quiet but full life in a small English town.
I recommend reading it, although I would not qualify it as literature as significant as Austen's books.
2009 Review*********************************
I watched the BBC "Cranford" DVD set with Judi Dench as Miss Matty. This got me interested in Elizabeth Gaskell, so I got this book from the library to read.
Elizabeth Gaskell wrote in the same time period as Jane Austen. She, like Austen, focuses on the tiny and small things that make up a community where everything is talked and gossiped about and little escapes the scrutiny of the town members. Cranford is a little English town with a high number of single women and widows residing there. After Napoleon, this condition was unfortunately very common because so many man had been killed in the wars.
The book is a sweet portrait of life with a group of women who have known each other their entire lives and have seen the community grow and develop in ways that they don't entirely approve of but nevertheless live with. Yet the stories are told with a real sweetness and love for the characters who have their strange idiocyncracies. In the hand of another author, the characterizations would have become cruel or demeaning. Elizabeth Gaskell manages to make them kind yet true to life.
There is no underlying depth in this book as I have seen in Jane Austen's books. There is little plot, mostly stories about different happenings in the town that happen over a period of time. Amusements, long lost romances that are examined and then set aside, deaths, marriages, and the return of a long lost and loved brother. These happenings are narrated by Mary Smith, the young friend of the elderly spinster sisters, Miss Matty and Miss Deborah, around whom most of the situations take place.
Amusing situations include the lace eaten by the cat, "the panic" in which Cranford is held in fear of robberies and possible spies from France, and in the many little details here and there of a quiet but full life in a small English town.
I recommend reading it, although I would not qualify it as literature as significant as Austen's books.
February 13, 2013
I love the way Elizabeth Gaskell captured the quirks of small town life in Cranford. I can just imagine the protagonist, Mary Smith, trying to keep a straight face during one of Miss Poles speeches or Miss Mattys nervous episodes. A really amusing book.
As for Cousin Phillis... I can't say I enjoyed it much at all. It would have gotten maybe 1 star from me on its own. The way this poor girl got sick pining for a guy she barely knew just made me roll my eyes. Perhaps I'm missing the point of the story, but there it is.
As for Cousin Phillis... I can't say I enjoyed it much at all. It would have gotten maybe 1 star from me on its own. The way this poor girl got sick pining for a guy she barely knew just made me roll my eyes. Perhaps I'm missing the point of the story, but there it is.
January 30, 2024
Après avoir liquidé tous les romans des soeurs Brontë de mes étagères, puis d’Edith Wharton, je m’attaque cette fois à Elizabeth Gaskell, autrice que j’avais découverte grâce aux adaptations télé de ses oeuvres mais que j’ai bien trop peu lue. Ce sera donc elle « mon autrice classique » de ces prochains mois.
J’aime bien chaque année, tenter de lire les nombres romans classiques qui peuplent mes étagères de « non lus » et travailler par autrice est un excellent moyen, pour moi, de m’y mettre car j’aime voir l’évolution des plumes et thèmes de celles-ci. J’avais déjà lu, il y a longtemps Les confessions de Mr Harrison de l’autrice, texte court que j’avais beaucoup aimé. La plume et le ton d’Elizabeth Gaskell m’avaient énormément fait penser aux Contes de Maupassant et j’avais ri de la vie de ses provinciaux et de leur réaction face à l’arrivée d’un jeune médecin. C’était grinçant à souhait et c’était ce que je cherchais à retrouver.
Le résumé et les premières pages semblaient me le promettre car dans Cranford, nous suivons des épisodes de la vie de ses habitantes, entre petits ragots, petits coups bas, mais aussi entraides lors des moments plus difficiles. On se retrouve dans un cadre chaleureux fait d’épouses, veuves, femmes célibataires de tout âge qui n’ont pas leur langue dans leur poche. La plume de l’autrice est en plus toujours aussi savoureuse et piquante, on sent tout le mordant avec lequel elle décrit cette vie campagnarde très féminine où les hommes ne sont souvent que de passage, ne restant pas ou n’ayant pas une place prépondérante dans leur vie, ce qui est assez surprenant et amusant.
Le problème, c’est que de cette société de femmes, de ces petites histoires de sororité, l’autrice n’a pas su en faire grand-chose. Elle n’arrive pas à transcender ces différentes histoires que nous allons vivre et les personnages qui animent le village comme elle avait réussi à le faire dans Les confessions de Mr Harrison , ce qui me fait dire, pour le moment, que pour ce genre d’histoire, le format court lui réussit mieux. Ici, elle répète inlassablement le même schéma, et certes, ça ronronne, mais on s’ennuie aussi un peu parfois. J’ai moi-même piqué du nez au milieu du roman, je l’avoue et je ne pense pas que ç’ait été juste à cause de mon rhume ^^!
J’ai aimé suivre les aventures et mésaventures de la vie de tous les jours de Miss Matty et consoeurs, du capitaine Brown ou encore du Dr Johnson, mais passé les premiers chapitres où j’aimais le rythme, les thèmes, le ton, très vite on se lasse, car ça ne décolle pas, que les histoires, toutes gentilles qu’elles sont, n’ont pas le petit truc en plus, contrairement aux Chroniques d’Avonlea de Lucy Maud Montgomery, qui ont une intention un peu similaire. Mais ici, l’autrice est dans un entre-deux, jamais tout à fait anthologie (histoires qui pourraient être des nouvelles indépendantes), jamais tout à fait roman sur la vie d’un village dans son ensemble, et elle le paye.
J’ai apprécié de retrouver la plume piquante d’Elizabeth Gaskell dans un décor très sororal. Je me suis ennuyée au bout d’un moment du peu d’ambition mis dans ces histoires qui découlent de la vie des habitants de Cranford. Sans thématique forte, sans personnage fort, sans émotion forte, la lecture se passe mais ne se vit pas et c’est bien dommage. Elle m’avait montré tout autre chose dans Les confessions de Mr Harrison qui se déroulait aussi dans un petit village et que je conseille bien plus.
Avis complet : https://lesblablasdetachan.wordpress....
J’aime bien chaque année, tenter de lire les nombres romans classiques qui peuplent mes étagères de « non lus » et travailler par autrice est un excellent moyen, pour moi, de m’y mettre car j’aime voir l’évolution des plumes et thèmes de celles-ci. J’avais déjà lu, il y a longtemps Les confessions de Mr Harrison de l’autrice, texte court que j’avais beaucoup aimé. La plume et le ton d’Elizabeth Gaskell m’avaient énormément fait penser aux Contes de Maupassant et j’avais ri de la vie de ses provinciaux et de leur réaction face à l’arrivée d’un jeune médecin. C’était grinçant à souhait et c’était ce que je cherchais à retrouver.
Le résumé et les premières pages semblaient me le promettre car dans Cranford, nous suivons des épisodes de la vie de ses habitantes, entre petits ragots, petits coups bas, mais aussi entraides lors des moments plus difficiles. On se retrouve dans un cadre chaleureux fait d’épouses, veuves, femmes célibataires de tout âge qui n’ont pas leur langue dans leur poche. La plume de l’autrice est en plus toujours aussi savoureuse et piquante, on sent tout le mordant avec lequel elle décrit cette vie campagnarde très féminine où les hommes ne sont souvent que de passage, ne restant pas ou n’ayant pas une place prépondérante dans leur vie, ce qui est assez surprenant et amusant.
Le problème, c’est que de cette société de femmes, de ces petites histoires de sororité, l’autrice n’a pas su en faire grand-chose. Elle n’arrive pas à transcender ces différentes histoires que nous allons vivre et les personnages qui animent le village comme elle avait réussi à le faire dans Les confessions de Mr Harrison , ce qui me fait dire, pour le moment, que pour ce genre d’histoire, le format court lui réussit mieux. Ici, elle répète inlassablement le même schéma, et certes, ça ronronne, mais on s’ennuie aussi un peu parfois. J’ai moi-même piqué du nez au milieu du roman, je l’avoue et je ne pense pas que ç’ait été juste à cause de mon rhume ^^!
J’ai aimé suivre les aventures et mésaventures de la vie de tous les jours de Miss Matty et consoeurs, du capitaine Brown ou encore du Dr Johnson, mais passé les premiers chapitres où j’aimais le rythme, les thèmes, le ton, très vite on se lasse, car ça ne décolle pas, que les histoires, toutes gentilles qu’elles sont, n’ont pas le petit truc en plus, contrairement aux Chroniques d’Avonlea de Lucy Maud Montgomery, qui ont une intention un peu similaire. Mais ici, l’autrice est dans un entre-deux, jamais tout à fait anthologie (histoires qui pourraient être des nouvelles indépendantes), jamais tout à fait roman sur la vie d’un village dans son ensemble, et elle le paye.
J’ai apprécié de retrouver la plume piquante d’Elizabeth Gaskell dans un décor très sororal. Je me suis ennuyée au bout d’un moment du peu d’ambition mis dans ces histoires qui découlent de la vie des habitants de Cranford. Sans thématique forte, sans personnage fort, sans émotion forte, la lecture se passe mais ne se vit pas et c’est bien dommage. Elle m’avait montré tout autre chose dans Les confessions de Mr Harrison qui se déroulait aussi dans un petit village et que je conseille bien plus.
Avis complet : https://lesblablasdetachan.wordpress....
August 16, 2020
Cranford
Beautifully written story set in a Cheshire village during the early 19th century about an aging rector’s daughter (Mattie). Depicts the dilemmas facing unmarried women of the time who have been left with inadequate funds.
Left to their own devices there were few options for such women's self-support (sewing and opening a tea store). The expectation of being provided for by fathers, brothers and other male figures left these women out on a limb when it came to financial savvy.
Shielded from the world - nearby industrial Manchester life of the cotton mills does not really appear in the story - one can’t help feeling that these women would have been better off not playing card games so much.
In comparison with the working-class, who were often equally warm-hearted, their 12 hour days (including many of my own relatives in Stockport) makes the story’s genteel women folk seem very self-indulged, despite their kindness to each other.
Additionally, it does not seem to concern anybody that their young servant girls are not given the opportunity for an education and are destined for a life of domestic servitude. This happened to my great-grandmother Alice E. Ellis (Morris) b. 1874 Wolverhamton.
My great-grandma ended up living in Salford, Manchester which is nearby the fictional Cranford. Although depicted in a fairly friendly fashion in the story, a servant's life was not an easy one. Her daughters, including my grandmother, preferred the factory to it - my grandma worked for 35 years in the cotton mill - Meadow Mill, Portwood - age 12.
Quaint are the babies - families of 10-14 children were not uncommon in the lower classes, yet Mattie is supposed to have no notion of their arrival. Men are often similarly alien and frightening dealing with the ways of the world.
One of the most touching parts of the story is the psychology behind the father (Vicar) and son (Peter) relationship. So hard for sons to parry a heavy-handed father and so often, the consequences can be devastating. Unable to keep up with his Latin studies,😊 Peter's options are not left wide open for alternatives.
Drugs and alcohol are maybe some of the today's outlets for young people, along with the Peter's practical jokes.
Of course, the author (and narrator - Mary Smith) are aware of all the issues and the gentle irony is amusing - Elizabeth Gaskell, like Charles Dickens is bringing to the foreground some of the social issues of the day. Well worth reading for its historical and feminist perspectives.
Beautifully written story set in a Cheshire village during the early 19th century about an aging rector’s daughter (Mattie). Depicts the dilemmas facing unmarried women of the time who have been left with inadequate funds.
Left to their own devices there were few options for such women's self-support (sewing and opening a tea store). The expectation of being provided for by fathers, brothers and other male figures left these women out on a limb when it came to financial savvy.
Shielded from the world - nearby industrial Manchester life of the cotton mills does not really appear in the story - one can’t help feeling that these women would have been better off not playing card games so much.
In comparison with the working-class, who were often equally warm-hearted, their 12 hour days (including many of my own relatives in Stockport) makes the story’s genteel women folk seem very self-indulged, despite their kindness to each other.
Additionally, it does not seem to concern anybody that their young servant girls are not given the opportunity for an education and are destined for a life of domestic servitude. This happened to my great-grandmother Alice E. Ellis (Morris) b. 1874 Wolverhamton.
My great-grandma ended up living in Salford, Manchester which is nearby the fictional Cranford. Although depicted in a fairly friendly fashion in the story, a servant's life was not an easy one. Her daughters, including my grandmother, preferred the factory to it - my grandma worked for 35 years in the cotton mill - Meadow Mill, Portwood - age 12.
Quaint are the babies - families of 10-14 children were not uncommon in the lower classes, yet Mattie is supposed to have no notion of their arrival. Men are often similarly alien and frightening dealing with the ways of the world.
One of the most touching parts of the story is the psychology behind the father (Vicar) and son (Peter) relationship. So hard for sons to parry a heavy-handed father and so often, the consequences can be devastating. Unable to keep up with his Latin studies,😊 Peter's options are not left wide open for alternatives.
Drugs and alcohol are maybe some of the today's outlets for young people, along with the Peter's practical jokes.
Of course, the author (and narrator - Mary Smith) are aware of all the issues and the gentle irony is amusing - Elizabeth Gaskell, like Charles Dickens is bringing to the foreground some of the social issues of the day. Well worth reading for its historical and feminist perspectives.
July 12, 2023
Cranford 3/5
Elizabeth Gaskell creates a community true unto itself. We see it largely through the lives of its womenfolk, many of them old unmarried women. Cosy it may appear but it is touched by trouble - there is an early death, a loved brother disappears, a bank folds; the real world cannot be held entirely at bay. There are touches of gentle humour here and there: the literary contest between Miss Jenkyns and Captain Brown over Charles Dickens and Samuel Johnson, Mrs. Forrester's lace eating cat, Miss Pole's faltering bravado at facing a phantom. I found this book very enjoyable as it really uncovers the strengths of good relationships which has left me very comforted.
2.5/5
As for Cousin Phillis it was a lovely, bittersweet novel, and Gaskell expertly describes life on the Holman farm which sounds absolutely idyllic, though it must have been isolating for a bright girl like Phillis. Gaskell also creates really well-defined characters that felt incredibly real, and several times I found myself yelling out loud at them. But I can't say I enjoyed the plot with Phillis getting sick over a guy she only met a handful of time, which I found really hard to understand but I may be perhaps missing the point. I found the ending also to be rather abrupt. Gaskell went into so much detail with the rest of the story that I was surprised how quickly it ended.
Elizabeth Gaskell creates a community true unto itself. We see it largely through the lives of its womenfolk, many of them old unmarried women. Cosy it may appear but it is touched by trouble - there is an early death, a loved brother disappears, a bank folds; the real world cannot be held entirely at bay. There are touches of gentle humour here and there: the literary contest between Miss Jenkyns and Captain Brown over Charles Dickens and Samuel Johnson, Mrs. Forrester's lace eating cat, Miss Pole's faltering bravado at facing a phantom. I found this book very enjoyable as it really uncovers the strengths of good relationships which has left me very comforted.
2.5/5
As for Cousin Phillis it was a lovely, bittersweet novel, and Gaskell expertly describes life on the Holman farm which sounds absolutely idyllic, though it must have been isolating for a bright girl like Phillis. Gaskell also creates really well-defined characters that felt incredibly real, and several times I found myself yelling out loud at them. But I can't say I enjoyed the plot with Phillis getting sick over a guy she only met a handful of time, which I found really hard to understand but I may be perhaps missing the point. I found the ending also to be rather abrupt. Gaskell went into so much detail with the rest of the story that I was surprised how quickly it ended.
August 17, 2020
#Bookreview
Cranford depicts the story of a small town of Cranford in which the middle and upper classes are dominated by women ( basically old widows and unmarried women). These women are very respectable, genteel and a bit poor but they all pretend to have quite a lot of money although none of them really do.
It is set in a the village of Cranford as we mentioned above, so it's all about the inner society ane and it offers really good observation od the industrial revolution at that time.
Each chapter is an individual story which is set written in the village of Cranford and the same superb characters.
The thing that I loved most about this book is the fact that that it was highly comedic but at the same time there were some heartbreaking moments.
Talking about Cousin Phillis, I didn't love it as much as I did with Cranford. The story is narrated by a male persone, '' Paul " he comes to know some distant family members from his mother and he would live a tragic love story after, it felt long-winded which I don't really know xhy.
All and all, the writing style, the characters, the setting, and everything was just perfect especially in Cranford. Looking forward to reading more works of Ms Gaskell.
Cranford depicts the story of a small town of Cranford in which the middle and upper classes are dominated by women ( basically old widows and unmarried women). These women are very respectable, genteel and a bit poor but they all pretend to have quite a lot of money although none of them really do.
It is set in a the village of Cranford as we mentioned above, so it's all about the inner society ane and it offers really good observation od the industrial revolution at that time.
Each chapter is an individual story which is set written in the village of Cranford and the same superb characters.
The thing that I loved most about this book is the fact that that it was highly comedic but at the same time there were some heartbreaking moments.
Talking about Cousin Phillis, I didn't love it as much as I did with Cranford. The story is narrated by a male persone, '' Paul " he comes to know some distant family members from his mother and he would live a tragic love story after, it felt long-winded which I don't really know xhy.
All and all, the writing style, the characters, the setting, and everything was just perfect especially in Cranford. Looking forward to reading more works of Ms Gaskell.
May 26, 2024
I stumbled upon these narratives on the hunt for « something somewhat similar to Jane Austen but not Jane Austen » and I was pleasantly surprised. Both novels (novellas?) are narrated by visitors who slip in and out of a very local context. As outsiders, they delight in the little quirks of parochial comings and goings. There is a strong focus on humdrum daily life so I can easily understand why one might find both narratives a tad tedious. As far as I was concerned, I found reading past the short spells of boredom quite rewarding. In fact, this is exactly what I enjoyed so much: women’s lives are worth telling even when they entail no high drama romantic involvement. There is in my opinion tremendous feminist potential in exposing how women « can and will » overcome loss. If you cannot yet picture how devoting your time and energy to picking a color for your bonnet can be politically subversive, read these two stories and you might (you will?).
Read
May 16, 2024“Then we talked about the different broods of chickens, and she showed me the hens that were good mothers, and told me the characters of all the poultry with the utmost good faith; and in all good faith I listened, for I believe there was a good deal of truth in all she said.” From Part IV of Cousin Phillis (I didn’t reread Cranford, just now)
December 6, 2018
Finally finished! I loved the movie/series but oh my! The book dragged. I can see why they changed it. Cousin Phillis was rather quiet and borderline boring. Didn't hate either story but didn't love them either.
March 29, 2020
If you want a little glimpse of provincial Victorian life you can't beat Gaskell. Her easy style in these books draws you into this vanished world so you are just as keen to know the news as Miss Pole!
January 31, 2018
Cranford is a solid five star book. My rating is for Cousin Phillis, which is tedious.
March 31, 2018
Cranford- 2 stars
Cousin Phillis - 3 stars
Cousin Phillis - 3 stars
August 22, 2018
Loved these both. I don’t like all of Gaskell’s novels, but these are really good. I would have ended Cousin Phyllis differently
September 26, 2024
Read Cousin Phillis, found it a bit boring to be honest..
November 7, 2019
Cranford: acutely observed, gentle and lovely. A wonderful reference for a historian. Strong Austen influence.
Cousin Phillis: beautifully written, again beautifully observed. I especially appreciate Gaskell's ability to cross class lines with compassion.
Cousin Phillis: beautifully written, again beautifully observed. I especially appreciate Gaskell's ability to cross class lines with compassion.
September 14, 2024
5⭐️• I will always be in love with Cranford •
My Reading Activity:
July-August 24:
Cousin Phillis
August 24:
Introduction
August-September 24:
Cranford
September 24:
Appendix A • The last Generation in England
Appendix B • The Cage at Cranford
My Reading Activity:
July-August 24:
Cousin Phillis
August 24:
Introduction
August-September 24:
Cranford
September 24:
Appendix A • The last Generation in England
Appendix B • The Cage at Cranford
January 1, 2024
2023: reading Cousin Phillis for the first time. Confused by who the main character (male - unusual, I think, except in a couple of Gaskell's shorter pieces) is living with. First the elderly Miss Browns were mentioned as who he would dining with behind the shop which he know lives over. Then the Miss Dawsons are named as the ones running the shop and who have opinions on who he's spending his time with. Is it a confusion of names or two couples of sisters. He is said to be boarding with the sisters of his pastor from home, and the Miss Browns are the first named. Except for one later mention they don’t come into the story.
It’s all to do with once he meets and knows his cousins and how introduction of his coworker/boss/friend affects them all. Quite small in sphere (although interesting to hear about the scope of his father’s and other character’s scope of work, and that Birmingham is where the main character is from and East Anglia is where he’s working on a railroad and visiting these cousins. So the domestic setting seems small but the feelings, though quiet, are big.
This edition also contains The Last Generation in England and The Cage at Cranford which I hadn’t studies closely enough to see that they were in there and I read them elsewhere in audio.
It’s all to do with once he meets and knows his cousins and how introduction of his coworker/boss/friend affects them all. Quite small in sphere (although interesting to hear about the scope of his father’s and other character’s scope of work, and that Birmingham is where the main character is from and East Anglia is where he’s working on a railroad and visiting these cousins. So the domestic setting seems small but the feelings, though quiet, are big.
This edition also contains The Last Generation in England and The Cage at Cranford which I hadn’t studies closely enough to see that they were in there and I read them elsewhere in audio.
June 11, 2008
There was a lot I like about these stories. They were charming, funny, self contained, and the characters were reminiscent of some of the quaint characters inhabiting Jane Austen's books. It also had the same kind of humour. The stories aren't really connected, except for by Cranford, where they take place, and the people running throughout. The action surrounds several widows, spinsters and the various men who wander in and out of action. It tells about times changing and how people in a small town, and very set in their ways, deal with such change. The stories were very charming, but at times I lost the point of what was happening and why I was reading this collection. I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Gaskell, and this is not one of my favorites, though it may be one of her most well written.
February 5, 2016
Cranford:-
Life in a small town or village in nineteenth century England described with Gaskell's skill at human lives and characters' description - human nature may be pretty much the same, hence the recognition and amusement for a reader, while material life has changed and hence the value of a detailed account by a skilled and observant author.
.............................................
Cousin Phillis:-
A more beautiful, lyrical, calm and yet realistic description of a young woman and the travails she goes through - due to a thoughtless male who flits about - is hard to come across. The writing is more natural than Austen and so is the construction, with no forced happy ends or tragedies either.
Life in a small town or village in nineteenth century England described with Gaskell's skill at human lives and characters' description - human nature may be pretty much the same, hence the recognition and amusement for a reader, while material life has changed and hence the value of a detailed account by a skilled and observant author.
.............................................
Cousin Phillis:-
A more beautiful, lyrical, calm and yet realistic description of a young woman and the travails she goes through - due to a thoughtless male who flits about - is hard to come across. The writing is more natural than Austen and so is the construction, with no forced happy ends or tragedies either.
November 3, 2010
Cranford is a sweet, well-paced narration of life in mid-19th century England. The narrator's voice is beautifully developed and warm with irony and love for the old women in the small town of Cranford and their faded glories.
I'm afraid I read most of Cousin Phillis with an expectation for Phillis to meet some gloomy, over-dramatic Victorian end, because of misinterpreting something in the introduction to the book. This may have taken away some of my enjoyment in the book. Perhaps I also found the young, earnest, male narrator and his view-point harder to sympathize with than Mary in Cranford.
Still, I enjoyed both stories and recommend them.
I'm afraid I read most of Cousin Phillis with an expectation for Phillis to meet some gloomy, over-dramatic Victorian end, because of misinterpreting something in the introduction to the book. This may have taken away some of my enjoyment in the book. Perhaps I also found the young, earnest, male narrator and his view-point harder to sympathize with than Mary in Cranford.
Still, I enjoyed both stories and recommend them.
March 25, 2011
Even though Cousin Phillis is slow paced and the plot doesn't involve a lot of action I did the enjoy the societal issues it presents. I was also interested to observe that these feminist issues identified in the novel of the intimidation of female intelligence within a relationship, the disparity of height difference in couples (especially if the female is taller) somehow makes a man less adequate and the idea that female authorship is still looked upon differently compared to male authors. These issues are still (in a smaller degree) present in our contemporary society, regardless of how far we think we have progressed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews