Charming
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Cranford wasn't originally a novel but a series of occasional articles appearing in 'Household Words'. Due to this the book as a whole does not really hold up to being a complete novel, however it does make a good read. The village of Cranford is run more or less by women, with only a few male characters making an appearance. Gaskell seems to be sticking two fingers up at those men who thought that women weren't really able to take control of their own lives. The women seem to get on alright at what they do.
Although there are deaths in the community this book is very up-beat and not depressing. Indeed amongst the pages there is quite a lot of comedy, with a cow in flannels, a cat given an emetic so it will excrete some lace it's ingested, and a magic show. On the whole I found this book a nice relaxing read about a world that no longer exists (if it ever did). People help each other and life moves at a steady and sedate pace.
If you enjoy Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy there is no reason why you shouldn't enjoy this book.
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Synopsis
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The provincial town of Cranford is a community of delightful simplicity and innocence. Yet its values were already old-fashioned and under threat from the inevitable forces of change when the mid-Victorian Mrs Gaskell described them with ironic affection and a sharp eye for the ridiculous. 'Cranford' explores the dying way of life of the 'Amazons' - unwarlike maiden ladies and widows of a certain age. They practise elegant economics; their days are passed in visits, cards and genteel gossip. But alongside the comedy is the pathos of restricted lives borne with courage.
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Not one of the best books from this author - it was boring.
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And not what you could expect from the author of Wives and Daughters. The book is written like a diary and an outsiders visit to a rather dull town - making the book a collection of little episodes - but frankly the book is overly sentimental and tragic in a most unteresting way. Go for one of Gaskels other books, or go for George Elliot who has both superior language and keen psykologically interesting observations to share.
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A classic domestic novel that delightful in it's simplicity.
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This novel contains one of my favourite lines; "it is high time that Miss Jessie lay off her dimples". This is a classic book that focuses on domesticity in the 18th century. It highlights the basically mundane life that faced women (particularly spinsters) of this era. If you want exitement and adventure this is not the book for you. If, however you are interested in the history of domesticity and how small things meant so much, then this book is delightful. I love it, and will reread it many more times.
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