Disappearances

by Elizabeth Gaskell

Disappearances Elizabeth Gaskell Gothic and Supernatural Stories Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, (nee Stevenson, 29 September 1810 – 12 November 1865), often referred to 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 are of interest to social historians as well as lovers of literature. Her first novel, Mary Barton, was published in 1848. Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Bronte, published in 1857, was the first biography about Bronte. Some of Gaskell's best known novels are Cranford (1851–53), North and South (1854-55), and Wives and Daughters (1865).

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Fiction

17 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1851

About the author

Elizabeth 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)

Reviews

[julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0 Stars.

This short story, if that’s what it should really be called, is nothing but a simple retelling of a handful of more or less interesting disappearances and their resolutions. There’s nothing special either about the writing or the structure of the text. It reads like a mediocre newspaper clipping.

[big reader ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

It did feel disjointed and unorganized... but look I thought all the stories individually were quite enjoyable. Also the audiobook version was very soothing so-

[Elizabeth Choi · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a short story it was quite strange, but if you read it as a prologue, setting up for stories to come, it's great. As others have said, it is just sitting with someone telling us about isolated cases of disappearances from the past. At the end of each account there's the refrain: if they'd have had police things would have ended better. She says, now "we have no fears, no hopes, only certainty" - it's expressing a total confidence in the justice system by comparing the narrator's present with what was available in the past. So from now on the collection is most likely going onto the actual short stories that will break down that belief. I'll come back and edit this if I get through all the collection and find this isn't the case, but I wanted to add a defense of this little story.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The classic stories of people who disappear and are never heard of again – but that's it. There is really not much else to the story, but I liked the traditional Gothic elements in it. Nevertheless, this tale is not among my absolute favorites.

[Gem ✿Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ✿ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story did nothing for me, it wasn't really a story per say but rather a retelling of multiple instances of men disappearing. I saw no common thread or anything relating them. Strange.

[Kathy Nealen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bizarre descriptions of people who went missing some later found - dead or alive, some never found. Not sure what the point of the story was or was it non-fiction?

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a story but more a reflection on unsolved stories and the rise of detectives solving what would have been unsolved stories.
Librivox audio by Phil Benson.