Wives and Daughters

Loved it, but I love all things British. I was not familiar with Elizabeth Gaskell. Was glad to discover her.

The title is misleading since the focus is on the relationship between Maggie and her rough but caring Scots country-doctor father. More sentimental than Gaskell's very best, the novel is still a wonderful, enveloping read and Maggie is one of Gaskell's most enchanting creations. The amount of suffering and death is surprising for what is ultimately a romantic comedy, as is the...more

The title is misleading since the focus is on the relationship between Maggie and her rough but caring Scots country-doctor father. More sentimental than Gaskell's very best, the novel is still a wonderful, enveloping read and Maggie is one of Gaskell's most enchanting creations. The amount of suffering and death is surprising for what is ultimately a romantic comedy, as is the naturalist/traveler identity of the male hero and makes the more routine romance easier to swallow.   hide

Superb! Fans of Jane Austen would love Gaskell's 'everyday' tale! Although never completed, due to the author's death, it is still a fabulous depiction of the ordinary lives of truly great characters!

Loved it!