Wives and Daughters (Wordsworth Classics)

"Wives and Daughters" is a very good Victorian Novel authored by Elizabeth Gaskell. It was almost but not quite complete as Miss Gaskell died unexpectedly as the novel was n its final stage of completion. An editor finishes the story, but not in the form of ongoing fiction. I am glad that he did not do so. He merely explains how the story is to end and explains why it is incomplete.This is the fourth Elizabeth Gaskell novel that I have read. The Four are "Mary Barton", "North and South", "Cranford" and "Wives and Daughters". "Cranford" remains my favorite and is the shortest of the four. "Wives and Daughters" is a solid second.As is the case with other Victorian novels, this novel was published in serial form over a long time frame. This allows for these novels to be fairly lengthy by today's standards and reminds me of a Victorian version of a television miniseries. Hence when I sit down and just read one of these novels cover to cover, I often find parts somewhat uninteresting and even tiresome. Therefore I read them in segments in a manner similar to the way in which thy were published. It may take me a month or months to finish such a novel. This is the case here.As another reviewer mentioned, there are times that the beginning of the novel moves slowly. However Miss Gaskell carefully develops a Interesting if sometimes complicated tale. There is some romantic intrique and a good deal of subtle humor. Sometimes I had a little trouble keeping track of some of the secondary characters.I downloaded two copies of this story on Kindle at no charge. I was lent a copy published by Barnes and Noble that has numerous footnotes, and I listened to an audiobook. The audiobook, narrated by Nadia May was of excellent quality. The Barnes and Noble hard copy was my favorite actual reading copy.In summary, I really enjoyed this novel. It is lengthy and unavoidably incomplete as explained. My favorite Elizabeth Gaskell novel that I have read thus far remains "Cranford". My personal least favorite is "Mary Barton". Thank You....

This was an interesting tale about a young girl named Molly, her Dad who is a Doctor, her stepmother Hyacinth and her step sister Cynthia who is close to her own age and eventually becomes very dear to her.Overall, I found this book to be interesting though my heart ached for Molly who was always trying so hard to be agreeable and helpful while also obviously in love with one of her neighbors who she had grown up with but whose affections seem to have been caught by Cynthia who she loves as a sister and just wants both of them to be happy.My favorite characters are Molly, Roger, Mr. Gibson and Mrs. Hamley who are all very dear! I really didn't care for the criticisms that Mrs. Gibson (Molly's step mom) would heap on poor Molly and Cynthia would have been better off admitting what happened before making Molly feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.Full of small town life, young love, mystery and the bonds of family, I'm glad to have finally read this book.Trigger warnings: death of Mothers, racial slurs, gossip, forced engagement, illness, death of a son,

"Wives and Daughters" was Elizabeth Gaskell's last, longest, and perhaps best novel. Set in an 1830's rural English village, it deftly mixes domestic drama and comedy with some rather subversive social commentary.At the center of the story is Molly Gibson, the daughter of the village doctor, who has been motherless from a young age and raised by her father. She is modest, considerate, and honest, if a little unworldly. When one of the doctor's trainees takes in a romantic interest in the seventeen year-old Molly, the panicked Mr. Gibson packs her off to Hambley Hall, where Squire Hambley, his invalid wife, and their sons Osborne and Roger treat her as a member of the family. Mr. Gibson rather precipitously proposes to a widowed school teacher, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, who has her own daughter, Cynthia, about Molly's age.Her new family will be a challenge for Molly. The new Mrs. Gibson is vain, shallow, and manipulative, while Cynthia is a pretty and talented flirt who attracts the attention of many young men, including a marriage proposal from Molly's favored friend Roger Hambley. Molly becomes a keeper of confidences and painful secrets; her loyalty to her new sister will involuntarily involve her in Cynthia's indiscretions, which threaten to ruin both their reputations.The novel was written for magazine serialization, with episodic chapters. The characters are well-developed and very human; even the ostensible villains are fully rounded and often sympathetic. The social behavior of men and women is repeatedly constrasted, often for humor but also to highlight contradictions. Mrs. Gaskell takes her time telling the story, but readers won't notice the length. The author died just before finishing the novel; a final note sketches the ending toward which she was plainly heading."Wives and Daughters" is very highly recommended to fans of Elizabeth Gaskell and her excellent novels.

Marked it down because as great as the writing is, it drags on and on. Didn't realise when I started that the writer died before finishing it. (I'm not so crass as to make a joke about it) Also the story is also a bit lame... with over sensitive people, whose faces flash between white and red and the mere mention of a name.Fans will hate me for saying that, still it's only my opinion. I wouldn't recommend it for entertainment value but would for prose, her skills as a great author are evident.

Her new step mom Hyacinth shreds her with well-chosen, cutting words, rubbing salt in her wounds. Her hero, Roger Hamley falls in love with her step sister Cynthia Kirkpatrick who uses her little arts and wiles. She takes advantage of Molly but Molly is too nice to get back at Cynthia any other way. Meanwhile, her busy doctor father wonders why can't a man who works hard all day have a little rest when he comes home?

A lovely read

quello che stupisce in questo romanzo è la sua modernità, sia a livello di indagine psicologica che a livello linguistico. Le figure femminili sono descritte con una profondità ed un'attenzione ai dettagli mai superflua, non c'è una parola in più nè in meno, nulla che si possa togliere o aggiungere, il tutto condito da quel sottile humour inglese che è sempre un valore aggiunto. Consigliato a tutti quelli che amano il nuovo nel vecchio

Dear SirsWhat I have found on this purchase is that the book is not complete! It only goes to Chapter XXIII. However since I had bought earlier the collection book "Works of Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South, Wives and Daughters, Ruth, The Moorland Cottage, etc...", I am able to finish its reading through the previous purchase, however I am puzzled wondering how the book purchased may be just a part of the actual work.The second purchase of this work was obviously my mistake, and do not intend to blame anyone for it, however I must say that this is the first time I have found that a book purchased through your web's page is incomplete.Regarding the book itself I have to say that the style of this English novelist is clean and lovely. The plot is interesting and developed nicely by digging into the character of persons depicted throughout the novel. For a reader like me, who is interested in keeping and not forgetting what I learned while at work, it is a relaxing book, and, indeed, empty of vulgarities so abundant presently.Best regards