I just finished my first ever Elizabeth Gaskell book, and I loved it. So thank you to the random post I found recommending her works. I just needed to share some random thoughts I had reading the book because no one I know IRL cares.
- I stayed up till 1 am to get to the ending and almost threw my phone against the wall at that rushed ending – and kept silently screaming – Excuse Me! Excuse Me! Excuse Me! Where is the rest of it? Why did we get random whole chapters of her going back to Helston and interacting with NPCs just to get the most rushed conclusion to a book I’ve ever seen.
- I loved the discussions and arguments surrounding the strikes, the unions, social justice rights etc. It’s crazy that we’re still having these arguments 150 years later. I got into this book expecting some Austen light-heartedness, but I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this aspect of the book,
- Was there a death quota to fill in this book? Seriously. I felt though that Gaskell could justify Mrs. Hale’s, Mr. Hale’s, Bessy’s and maybe Boucher’s, but Mr. Bell’s felt a bit too plot convenient and I rolled my eyes a bit at that one
- Mr. Hale leaving the church was such a central point to the plot. I wish we had gotten some discourse on it and why he chose to do it
- I kept thinking, ‘Damn, sorry to any Irishmen reading this.’
- I also just recently read Wuthering Heights and my head hurts after having to read the sections with the crazy heavy accents. It felt like reading a second language (At least it wasn’t as bad as miss Charlotte Brönte flexing her French skills on us.)
- I gave up by chapter 20 on trying to understand those poems at the beginning of every chapter. My brain refuses to process poetry.
Overall, I loved this book so much though I refuse to give it a full 5 stars because of the way it ended. I really want to open another book of hers, but I’m scared of another abrupt ending (no one tell me either way). Next based on my recommendations is to sample Edith Wharton or E.M. Forster.
by Witty_Door_6891