Jane Austen discussion

Welcome to the final thread for our Wives and Daughters discussion! This is the final section of the book, so all the questions about what will happen to Molly and the other characters will be answered. Enjoy!

Well, I wish more people had joined into read or post their thoughts on this novel, but I think I will comment a little here now that I've finished the novel.

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I very much enjoyed the novel as a whole, and I also think that it wrapped up fairly well for a novel that is in fact unfinished. The revelation of Cynthia's past with Mr. Preston and then her break up with Roger and engagement to Mr. Henderson neatly plotted the way for Roger's realization of his love for Molly. I think we know they will be married when he returns without having to be shown it, and the compromise between Squire Hamley and his daughter-in-law bodes well for the happiness of all involved.

A wonderful read--more Gaskell is in my reading future!

I too hoped more would join this but now I've finished reading, here it is. I will not tell what will happen just in case others will join in later, now that they have enjoyed the movie.

Something tells me that this was not the final draft of Wives and Daughters. When I read Gaskell's "North and South" I found it impressive but I didn't find it in here, unfortunately. One reason is it was too long. So I kind a have a thought may be this was not meant to be the final draft since she died before revealing anything, I guess we'll never know.

One of the most interesting characters for me was Cynthia, who I felt is a more important piece of work even than Molly. Any way, I'm not so impressed but I liked it and I don't mind giving a try to another one of Gaskell's novels.

Wives and Daughters was being published in installments in Cornhill Magazine. Gaskell died before she wrote the final installment. Sometimes authors did make changes when their novels were published in book form.

I liked it about as much the second time as I did the first time. I still felt the characters were a little over done sometimes. I particularly had a problem with Molly whenever she got all fainty and weak; that may just be hitting a personal annoyance button against flimsy damsels in distress. Having said that, it was a fairly minor issue and I still enjoyed reading it over all. I will eventually get to her other works...

Manda wrote: " I particularly had a problem with Molly whenever she got all fainty and weak ..."

You do have a point there, I also found it slightly annoying sometimes with Molly's behaviour. I can't seem to understand why Gaskell had chosen such a delicate and fragile personality, but then again with her, there is a breakaway from the female personas we usually see in Victorian Lit.

I don't think we can consider this as a Classic, can we? For me it's just another novel of Victorian literature. Still, I would like to read more Gaskell as I said eariler but I'm not a fan yet.

Rachel wrote: "Well, I wish more people had joined into read or post their thoughts on this novel, but I think I will comment a little here now that I've finished the novel.

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I very mu..."

I didn't know that it was an unfinished novel until I got to the end, and there isn't one! That should definitely be at the beginning of the book so that poor peope who work so diligently to get to the end of this book (not that it was really work) that there is no end! Just a little frustrating!

Well, it would've been nice, but since she died before she finished the book, I don't see how she could or anyone else for that matter could have put that in the beginning. The ending was not a disppointment it leaves us all to come to our own conclusions on what could have happened.