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Wives & Daughters, by Elizabeth Gaskell
Feb. 15th, 2015 08:11 pmThis is an excellent book - Elizabeth Gaskell is very good at writing people. It lacks its last chapter as Gaskell died before quite managing to finish the book, but there is a note indicating how Gaskell intended to finish the novel - and it doesn't feel too incomplete.
A lot of my reading of the novel was taken up with stress over secrets and misunderstandings between various characters, as well as burning dislike of Molly's stepmother, so that made it a bit hard to get through, but it's a good enough book that it's worth it.
And also I just love love love the main character, Molly, and her stepsister Cynthia.
Though I mean as much as I love Molly a lot more of my emotions are caught up with Cynthia because of how she's treated by the narrative - I clutched Cynthia fiercely to my bosom, all "CYNTHIA IS AMAZING, HOW DARE YOU."
The thing is that the narrative sometimes can't quite seem to decide whether to blame what happens with Cynthia on the very real extenuating circumstances or on flaws in Cynthia's character.
And, like, Cynthia's not perfect? But nobody's perfect, and she's a genuinely good person, and her flaws make a great deal of sense given her history.
( Read more... )
A lot of my reading of the novel was taken up with stress over secrets and misunderstandings between various characters, as well as burning dislike of Molly's stepmother, so that made it a bit hard to get through, but it's a good enough book that it's worth it.
And also I just love love love the main character, Molly, and her stepsister Cynthia.
Though I mean as much as I love Molly a lot more of my emotions are caught up with Cynthia because of how she's treated by the narrative - I clutched Cynthia fiercely to my bosom, all "CYNTHIA IS AMAZING, HOW DARE YOU."
The thing is that the narrative sometimes can't quite seem to decide whether to blame what happens with Cynthia on the very real extenuating circumstances or on flaws in Cynthia's character.
And, like, Cynthia's not perfect? But nobody's perfect, and she's a genuinely good person, and her flaws make a great deal of sense given her history.
( Read more... )
