Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

Cranford

by Elizabeth Gaskell

Elizabeth Gaskell’s episodic second novel, sometimes dismissed as nostalgically “charming,” is now considered by many critics to be her most sophisticated work. The country town of Cranford is home to a group of women, affectionately called “Amazons” by the narrator, whose seemingly uneventful lives are full of conflicts, failures, and unexpected connections. A rich commentary on Victorian culture by one of its most astute observers, Cranford owes its enduring popularity to the complex pleasures it offers the reader.

This Broadview Edition provides an assortment of historical materials to put the novel in context, including Gaskell’s letters from the period of the novel’s writing, excerpts from texts read by the characters, illustrations from the novel and from contemporary periodicals, and other Victorian writings on industrialization, etiquette, and domestic life.

Reviewed by Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews on

4 of 5 stars

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Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell is a collection of short stories surrounding the small town of Cranford and the eccentric women who live there.

As I said, Cranford is a small town which is high in the population of female. In the first section of the book, every male who enters the town drops like flies making it feel jinxed or like an old fashioned sorority.

Elizabeth Gaskell's novel is a sequence of short stories that all intertwine. I'm typically not a short story reader so it took me a while to get into it and go with the flow. Although, once there Cranford is enchanting! All the characters are so lively that one can not help but fall in love, which is odd because most of the females are against that.

You cannot write a review without speaking of Miss Matty. She is a kind old soul who while should seem a woman with much wisdom, she is in fact a nieve child-like girl who everyone coddles and adores because of her sweet nature. I won't say much in fear that I could give too much away, but an example of this is when Matty's companion is engaged to be married but worries about mentioning it in case it were to upset her and devises a plan so everything benefits the surrounding persons.

My favorite and what I felt to be the most entertaining stories is of Lady Glenmire's appearance. Believed to be the highest of society with the residence in town all in a tizzy over the preparations only to find that she is no different from themselves.

The running around reminded me of a Faulty Towers episode particularly the one where "The Germans" visit the hotel. Really, when I think about it the majority of these stories could have been a highly sophisticated Faulty Towers.

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  • 5 May, 2011: Reviewed