Penguin Classics presents Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters, adapted for audio and available as a digital download as part of the Penguin English Library series. Read by Penelope Wilton.
Eh, miss, but that is a rare young lady! She does have such pretty coaxing ways....
Seventeen-year-old Molly Gibson worships her widowed father. But when he decides to remarry, Molly's life is thrown off course by the arrival of her vain, shallow, and selfish stepmother. There is some solace in the shape of her new stepsister, Cynthia, who is beautiful, sophisticated and irresistible to every man she meets. Soon the girls become close, and Molly finds herself cajoled into becoming a go-between in Cynthia's love affairs. But in doing so, Molly risks ruining her reputation in the gossiping village of Hollingford - and jeopardizing everything with the man she is secretly in love with.
Part of a series of vintage recordings taken from the Penguin Archives. Affordable, collectable, quality productions - perfect for on-the-go listening.
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"My first foray into the writings of 19th century author Elizabeth Gaskell, recommended by a friend as similar to Jane Austen but "with a social conscience." I would have to agree with that assessment. Gaskell tackles many of the same themes as Austen--women's roles, the politics of romance and marriage proposals, staying true to your moral compass, but Gaskell touches a little bit more on the world outside the drawing room--certainly that's not to say she's better than Austen, just different! Wives and Daughters focuses on the Gibsons, a widowed country doctor and his innocent daughter, and the main plot examines the influence on Molly of her father's new wife and Molly's new step-sister, Cynthia. Cynthia is much more wordly than Molly, and as the story develops we see Molly's gradual realization that not everyone is as good as she is and that the people she loves are deeply flawed (Cynthia and her mother). Luckily Molly is written so that she is sympathetic and not holier-than-thou, so you cheer her on as she stays true to her moral compass. Her step-mother is a fascinating character who turns out to be incredibly selfish and narcissistic, which explains much of Cynthia's "bad" behavior. All of the characters are complex and well-written, and Gaskell's parodies of small-town gossips are fun to read. My only complaint was with the ending--it comes on much too suddenly! A happy ending is implied, but unlike an Austen novel there is no wedding to finish up the book."
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Caroline (4 out of 5 stars)