Saturday, July 2, 2011

In Short, Whatever Does Become of the Gentleman, They Are Not at Cranford

If any of you readers out there have taken the time to look through my earlier posts, you'll know my profound love of Jane Austen. Along a similar vein is Elizabeth Gaskell's novel, Cranford. Differences abound, however, but not without its advantages. As such, it was very interesting to read about an entirely different aspect of the same culture. Rather than the high class attitudes and aspirations of the majority of Austen's characters, Cranford centers around a small, close-knit, and poor town. Even more striking is that the town is entirely comprised of women, all of whom are entirely opposed to the very idea of men. Quite a difference from Austen's husband-seeking protagonists!

If you're a fan of Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility, these differences alone make it worth the read. I give it an A-.

69 down, 932 to go!

"Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly better than wise people for their wisdom." (Elizabeth Gaskell)

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