Aug. 30, 2007
Summer Reading Review ~ Wives and Daughters
Posted in Book Reviews
I didn’t quite know what to expect from Elizabeth Gaskell’s Wives and Daughters. I was imagining something reminiscent of Jane Austen or perhaps Louisa May Alcott. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised that Elizabeth Gaskell had a style completely of her own.
Wives and Daughters follows the life of Molly Gibson as she grows up in the small town of Hollingford. Her quiet life with her father, a widower, is turned upside down when her father remarries and she gains a new mother and sister. She loves her new sister Cynthia—and tries to love the new Mrs. Gibson—but she has no idea of the complexity that they will bring to her life. Especially as the two girls become of marriageable age.
Something I don’t think I’ve mentioned about books and me is that I thoroughly dislike certain kinds of romance books. It’s just my personal taste. Thankfully, this book is not the type of romance book that I don’t like. Because you see, the main romance in Wives and Daughters is not a selfish one, to oversimplify the matter. That makes all the difference to me, so I very much enjoyed that aspect of the book.
I think the biggest indication of Mrs. Gaskell’s skill was how much I loathed her character Mrs. Gibson. And the author quite meant it to be that way. She very carefully formed Mrs. Gibson so that she would be thoroughly annoying. It’s a quite a feat to get me to dislike anyone in a book—I always end up feeling sorry for the villain. But there was something so vexatious about Mrs. Gibson that I wanted to walk right up and shake some sense into her. It was definitely a testament to Mrs. Gaskell’s prowess as a writer.
I would say the major drawback to this book is that the author died before she could finish writing it. Even though it’s kind of obvious how it will end, I still would have been satisfying to read all the details of the ending. However,
Eyebright mentioned in her recommendation that BBC had made a movie out of it that wraps everything up rather nicely.
Even though I wouldn’t try to lump Mrs. Gaskell’s writing style in with Austen or Alcott, I think fans of those authors would like this book. It’s kind of in the same genre, I guess you could say. And don’t let the fact that the author died before completing the book stop you. You can read the book and then see the movie—double fun! It was definitely an entertaining read.
Comments
Aug. 30, 2007 - I just requested this from my library
Posted by jennybell68
You have a great writing style. I love the fact that you love books and want to be a librarian. Working in the library was my very first job at age 16, and I also worked in the reference library in college. I'm still a library junkie, but alas, not a librarian.
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Aug. 30, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by totustuus
RYC: Yes, Lawhead is a more recent author. I've been kind of intruiged by his books, so I put him on the list. I'd recommend him. If you haven't read the Pendragon Cycle - go for it. It's good fiction, not too fluffy, but still contemporary. The first book in the series is called Taliesin.
I enjoyed reading your review. I've never heard of the book before. The author died before finishing it? How interesting.
I'm the same way; I dislike the romance genre, but in certain context it can be very good. Jane Austen is an example, even though I am not her biggest fan, she still wrote a couple of good (and appropriate) romances that I enjoyed reading.
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Aug. 30, 2007 - Hello there!
Posted by Anonymous
That is a great review! I am so glad that you enjoyed Wives and Daughters.
Do you knit? Or do you just crochet? From your comment, I couldn't tell.
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Aug. 30, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by alizona
I see you have been getting a few comments on this post! Good thing you turned the comments back on for the book reviews! :o)
I like having a really annoying person in a book -- I LIKE the bad person! I never really feel sorry for them, I just like the "bad guy" element in the book and I like the bad guy. My mom is reading a book to us that has an annoying woman in it, but I like her. Well, no, I don't like her, but it makes the story more interesting that way. Do you want to be a writer as well as a reader?
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Sep. 3, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Free2bme
Okay, if she died before completing it then just the book just stop......Or what??*blinks like an owl*
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Sep. 7, 2007 - Hey
Posted by Eyebright
Very good book review for the Backyard. It really made me want to go out and get it to read! (The Someone named Eva, one). All of them are very good, but WWI and II have almost always interested me.
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Sep. 11, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by totustuus
RYC: Yeah, 7 1/2 hours of sleep works fine for me. Sometimes I'll take a nap in the morning if I finish school early. I haven't started my college classes yet, so I have a lot more free time right now. I "slept in" till 7:15 this morning...lol. But, I need to discipline myself to get up at 6 every morning so that I'll be ablet to keep it up when college classes start.
Right now I'm reading Sir Gibbie by George MacDonald...it is EXCELLENT!! I really like it so far and I'm only a couple chapters into it.
Anyways...I'll talk to you later. :-)
Regards,
Sylvia
Edited by totustuus on Sep. 11, 2007 at 12:34 PM
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Sep. 11, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by musicallyspeaking
Someone just recommended this book to me, and I remembered seeing it here. I'll have to check it out!
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Sep. 12, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by ChristineDaae
Hello!
I have seen the movie Wives and Daughters, but I have not yet read the book. Your blog is great! Excellent book reviews, that is great idea! Can I add you to my friend's list?
-Christine Daae
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Sep. 13, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Eyebright
Ooh, you caught me! I haven't been listening The Count at all. I know, I know, I'm really bad, but now you have inspired me, you have planted the seed of imagination, you have planted in me the...
Okay, sorry. Seriously though, I will listen to it like crazy, and maybe get some crochet projects done.
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Sep. 15, 2007 - Congratulations
Posted by Bluejane
You have a new award!
See what it is at my blog!
Bluejane
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