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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “A delightful reading... A wonderfully clever and romantic tale... on par with the best of 19th century classics... that's what comes to mind when I try to describe how I feel about Elizabeth Gaskell's final novel, Wives and Daughters. The hardest part of this story is that at the very end... one...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“I love this one. I had to read it for class and fell in love with her writing and the story. We only had time to discuss and read the 1st part of the novel but I just had to read the whole thing. so I quickly read it. & I've read it again since. Movie put out by BBC is great too...see Cranford as well...or read it & North and South.”
walkbyfaith wrote this review Tuesday, September 15 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I am a big fan of Elizabeth Gaskell, and this is one of my favorite novels of hers! I love the romance in this novel! I couldn't put it down as I got into it. I loved this read - very fun and girly, but it also has its serious moments.”
Katherine S wrote this review Tuesday, September 8 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I read this as part of an excellent 19th century British literature course at NU. There were 7 people in the class and we discussed each book quite in depth - I mention this as I'm sure it impacted my very positive view of this book. I highly recommend if you're a fan of books such as Pride & Prejudice and Vanity Fair, however (Spoiler) it is upsetting that Gaskell died before finishing the ending!”
Stephanie R wrote this review Tuesday, August 25 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Good book! I had to listen to it but loved it!!”
RaieGene R wrote this review Thursday, August 20 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“An excellent study of relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book. ”
Laurel H wrote this review Thursday, August 20 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Wonderful, heartwarming story!”
Charae S wrote this review Thursday, July 30 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I just finished reading Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, and what a wonderful experience it was. Although I've heard of the author beforehand - I'm a huge fan of the BBC mini series North & South, I had never read her. I also have N&S on my nightstand waiting for its turn. But Wives and Daughters was a library book, I decided to read it first.
Wandeca wrote this review Sunday, June 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Wives and Daughters was the last novel that Elizabeth Gaskell wrote, actually she never finished the book. She dies while writing it. But by no means is the book unfinished, a lot of the issues were finalized, and the editor/publisher wrote a brief epilogue.
Wives and Daughters is the story of Molly Gibson. She a sweet, sincere, and at times boring character, but she's so lovable. Her father, a widowed doctor, is concerned about his daughters upbringing he sends Molly to the Hamley's for a visit.Molly is warmly received at the home of Squire Hamley and his disabled wife. The Hamley's have two sons, Osborne and Roger. Molly befriends them both, although Osborne is considered the favorite, it is Roger that Molly eventually falls in love with. While she's there, Mr. Gibson, marries Hyacinth Clair Kirkpatrick, a charming but petty, manipulative widow and former governess in the household of Lord Cumnor.
Although Molly does not like her stepmother, she adores her stepsister Cynthia. They are both very different people but they get along together beautifully. There were times that I felt that Mrs. Gibson resented the relationship between Cynthia and Molly. Cynthia has her own issues, she has a distant relationship with her mother, and she openly says that she doesnt love her because she never had a chance to know her. She is also secretly engaged to Mr. Preston, whom she avoids at all costs.
Although I didn't care much for either Cynthia and Osborne, I felt they they were both selfish, and cowards. They had one redeeming quality, they were truly sorry for the wrongs they did.
I absolutely loved the book! I thought it was beautifully written and it was believable. I think I've found an author that I love as much as Jane Austen. I highly recommend this book.”“This is a great book with amazing twists. This author reminds me a lot of Dickens in the way the book plays out. I would recommend this book.”
Heather D wrote this review Friday, June 19 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“As trite as it sounds, if you like Jane Austen, you'll love this book! A terrific plot and fascinating characters. Gaskell really does a wonderful job of portraying life and love among the country folk in provincial England. There's a touch of mystery and villainy, and a good bit of humor too; and one can't but fall head-over-heels in love with little Molly Gibson, the novel's main protagonist. I strongly recommend this book, and Gaskell as an author. She also wrote a biography of her friend, Charlotte Bronte, after Bronte's death. Elizabeth Gaskell is perhaps even more well known for her other novels, "Cranford", "Mary Barton", and "North and South." I plan to read all of her works, and know that I will be back to visit Molly Gibson again in "Wives and Daughters." Finally, I have heard that the Andrew Davies screenplay for the BBC film adaptation is marvelous and I intend to watch it soon.”
Christopher H wrote this review Tuesday, May 26 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Love this book! Although I am sad it was never finished because of the untimely death of Elizabeth, but still one of the best reads for me. Molly is one of my favorite fictional characters, she is sweet and caring, who has her heart broken by her new sister. ”
Aimee aka Tickle Cloud wrote this review Sunday, April 5 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
