I love Wives and Daughters! I first read it after doing an Austen kick in high school (or maybe just after? Can't remember anymore...) and I actually found I liked Gaskell more. I felt like she had more depth. But then, I think I missed a lot in the sparsity of Austen's style, which I now find so incredibly genius. She says an incredible amount with just not as many words! I still love both and don't think I could pick a favorite between them. W&D is my favorite of Gaskell's novels by far!
Also--I had no idea about Hobart's Book Village, thank you for posting about that. We lived in England for 2 years and Hay-on-Wye is just about one of our favorite places on this earth, so this is going to go on my list of places to visit. We don't live remotely close to NY so I'll have to do some serious planning to make it happen. 😅
I wish I had found her sooner. Gaskell does a lot more in the sort of “social justice” department/confronts more obviously the darker side of life than Austen does, so I can understand feeling that way about Gaskell. Austen is a surgical writer of morality plays disguised as romances; there is so much there but it takes many readings to mine the depths (really brought home to me when I did reading guides for Northanger Abbey last year). She really digs down into the right and wrong of every day/ordinary life-and hints at the “edges” of her stories how the daily practice of virtue (or vice) is what prepares for the more dramatic scenarios Gaskell describes. I can’t pick between them either I don’t think.
It was a fun trip-I will say the advertising makes it look like the shops are bigger and more numerous than they are (2 that are marked as open online are closed in actuality) but it was great for an afternoon of shopping, and there is so much you could do with hiking in the area. And I long to go to Hay-on-Wye/so neat you got to live in England! My husband and I frequently discuss how if it wasn’t for family, a move to the UK would be extremely tempting
That's a great description of Austen--I agree. There are a lot of layers to her writing and I think that her more ordinary scenarios can make it harder for readers to see the moral questions she is posing. I love Mansfield Park for that reason--there is so much going on! But you are right, Gaskell brings those questions to light in more dramatic/face-to-face encounters. And she is much more descriptive--she really paints the scenes in detail for you while Austen is a master of the sketch.
That's good to know about Hobart's! How are the prices/selections at the bookstores that are still open? I think one of the amazing things about Hay-on-Wye was just how good the prices were. We could buy some Folio editions for 8-10 pounds, which is just crazy cheap compared to here. Needless to say we brought a ton of books back when we moved back. It was really fun to live there for a short time, but the bureaucracy and the state of the church would make it so hard to live there long term! It's a great place to visit. We dream a lot about taking a trip with our kids one day, especially since our eldest was born there!
I also have that illustrated Lark Rise to Candleford, but I haven't read it because it's abridged! But I'm re-watching the whole series right now (re-upped my britbox subscription when I got sick a few weeks ago and it's been my downfall haha), and I've fallen in love with it all over again. I know the actual books are supposed to be very different, but I do want to get to them eventually. I love any writing about turn of the century rural English life.
Will be praying for all your requests. I also need more patience and cheerfulness in my daily life!
Yes! And will check out. I listened to the piano piece and it was gorgeous. I didn’t realize it’s abridged 😭 thanks for letting me know! We’re working through All Creatures Great and Small right now, but will queue up Lark Rise next. And thank you very much for the prayers!
I love Wives and Daughters! I first read it after doing an Austen kick in high school (or maybe just after? Can't remember anymore...) and I actually found I liked Gaskell more. I felt like she had more depth. But then, I think I missed a lot in the sparsity of Austen's style, which I now find so incredibly genius. She says an incredible amount with just not as many words! I still love both and don't think I could pick a favorite between them. W&D is my favorite of Gaskell's novels by far!
Also--I had no idea about Hobart's Book Village, thank you for posting about that. We lived in England for 2 years and Hay-on-Wye is just about one of our favorite places on this earth, so this is going to go on my list of places to visit. We don't live remotely close to NY so I'll have to do some serious planning to make it happen. 😅
I wish I had found her sooner. Gaskell does a lot more in the sort of “social justice” department/confronts more obviously the darker side of life than Austen does, so I can understand feeling that way about Gaskell. Austen is a surgical writer of morality plays disguised as romances; there is so much there but it takes many readings to mine the depths (really brought home to me when I did reading guides for Northanger Abbey last year). She really digs down into the right and wrong of every day/ordinary life-and hints at the “edges” of her stories how the daily practice of virtue (or vice) is what prepares for the more dramatic scenarios Gaskell describes. I can’t pick between them either I don’t think.
It was a fun trip-I will say the advertising makes it look like the shops are bigger and more numerous than they are (2 that are marked as open online are closed in actuality) but it was great for an afternoon of shopping, and there is so much you could do with hiking in the area. And I long to go to Hay-on-Wye/so neat you got to live in England! My husband and I frequently discuss how if it wasn’t for family, a move to the UK would be extremely tempting
That's a great description of Austen--I agree. There are a lot of layers to her writing and I think that her more ordinary scenarios can make it harder for readers to see the moral questions she is posing. I love Mansfield Park for that reason--there is so much going on! But you are right, Gaskell brings those questions to light in more dramatic/face-to-face encounters. And she is much more descriptive--she really paints the scenes in detail for you while Austen is a master of the sketch.
That's good to know about Hobart's! How are the prices/selections at the bookstores that are still open? I think one of the amazing things about Hay-on-Wye was just how good the prices were. We could buy some Folio editions for 8-10 pounds, which is just crazy cheap compared to here. Needless to say we brought a ton of books back when we moved back. It was really fun to live there for a short time, but the bureaucracy and the state of the church would make it so hard to live there long term! It's a great place to visit. We dream a lot about taking a trip with our kids one day, especially since our eldest was born there!
Wives and Daughters--such a comfort read! If you don't already, you should subscribe to Kate Howe's substack. She just wrote a great essay on W&D including a link to an amazing rendition of a piano piece Molly plays in the novel: https://balmupontheheart.substack.com/p/the-virtues-and-vices-seen-in-gaskells
I also have that illustrated Lark Rise to Candleford, but I haven't read it because it's abridged! But I'm re-watching the whole series right now (re-upped my britbox subscription when I got sick a few weeks ago and it's been my downfall haha), and I've fallen in love with it all over again. I know the actual books are supposed to be very different, but I do want to get to them eventually. I love any writing about turn of the century rural English life.
Will be praying for all your requests. I also need more patience and cheerfulness in my daily life!
Yes! And will check out. I listened to the piano piece and it was gorgeous. I didn’t realize it’s abridged 😭 thanks for letting me know! We’re working through All Creatures Great and Small right now, but will queue up Lark Rise next. And thank you very much for the prayers!
Have you seen Lark Rise before? If not you're in for a treat! Such binge-able coziness :)