Our first night in England was spent in
Manchester and before I left the next day, I was determined to see the
house where
Elizabeth Gaskell had lived while she wrote many of her greatest works. My husband and I got in a taxi and on the way to the train station, we took a little side trip to get some photographs of the exterior. I knew that the house wasn't open for tours (what a disappointment), but I had to at least see the outside, after coming all the way from Canada!
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| 84 Plymouth Grove, Manchester, UK |
2010 marks the bicentennial of the birth of this great author and as I stood outside her home I got quite choked up about it. I'm sure the taxi-driver was wondering why an old house was bringing tears to my eyes, and my husband probably thought I was just disappointed I couldn't go in for a tour, but really, just the thought that I was actually standing outside the house of
Elizabeth Gaskell, one of my most favourite authors -- the more I learn about her and the more I read her works -- this was what was making me so overcome with emotion! (Okay, possibly the jet lag might also have had something to do with it!)
The sign on the fence says:
Manchester's neglected treasure is being restored. Well, it's about time, I say! Why is every other English author more revered than this one? Gaskell was an immensely talented author, so much so that
Charles Dickens (who called
his “dear Scheherazade”) persuaded her to contribute stories to his literary magazine, "
Household Words". Her works are as lively and entertaining today as they were when they were written in the middle of the 19th century.
Referred to as Mrs. Gaskell, and the wife of a
Unitarian minister, some may have dismissed her writings as preachy Victorian chic lit. But those people were so wrong!
Elizabeth Gaskell is difficult to categorize (especially so to Victorian society) because she had so many differing interests. She was highly educated, she travelled, she was very social, with a wide group of friends, aquaintances and correspondents, she was a minister's wife (with all the duties both real and expected that that entails) as well as a mother of several children (some who died in childhood). Most famously she was an author -- a very successful one! It is a wonder that she found time to write the novels and short stories that told about the working class people and their terrible living conditions in northern industrial cities, or the idyllic village life before the coming of the industrial revolution, and all with an eye to a colourful realism, in that no one is all good or all bad and there is always a bit of amusement to be found in the simplest things.
Other Sources of information about Elizabeth Gaskell:
- A paper written by Kay Saucier discusses Elizabeth Gaskell's religious beliefs and how they influenced her writing. Entitled Elizabeth Gaskell, British Unitarianism and Darwinism, it sheds light on how Gaskell's writings fit in with the time and the society within which she lived.
- An article entitled Elizabeth Gaskell's Manchester by Alan Shelston for the Elizabeth Gaskell Society Journal, (Vol. 3, 1989)
- A great review of her novel North and South is on Gathering Books blog
- My blogger buddy Maria Grazia from FLY HIGH! has a fascinating post about Mrs. Gaskell's very romantic visit to Rome.
- An article from The Daily Mail The Amazing Secret Life of Cranford creator Elizabeth Gaskell. by Tony Rennell.
- A post at Lizr128's Blog compares the work of Elizabeth Gaskell to Jane Austen.
- Here is a Youtube video interview by Penguin Classics on Air with screenwriter Sue Birtwistle who makes a comparison between Elizabeth Gaskell and Jane Austen
Books by Elizabeth Gaskell include:
These are the Penguin Classics versions, which I enjoy because of the extensive introductions and background notes. -- The covers are nice too!
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Mary Barton (1848)
On my wishlist |
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Ruth (1853)
Also on my wishlist |
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North and South (1855)
My favourite!
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| BBC (2004) |
Well, what can I say about this adaptation? It is simply the best period drama miniseries I have ever seen! Seeing the miniseries inspired me to read the book, which did not disappoint. Although there were a couple of scenes changed from the book to the television production, on the whole it was a remarkably faithful reimagining of the story.
To me, the story of North and South seems to be the closest to Mrs. Gaskell's real life experience with romance. She seems to have had a happy married life. One can only hope that Mr. Gaskell was as dreamy as is the character of John Thornton as played by Richard Armitage!
Here is a trailer for the miniseries North and South starring Richard Armitage
and Danielle Denby-Ashe. HeathDances has kindly given me permission to show it here.
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Sylvia's Lovers (1863)
On my wishlist |
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Wives and Daughters (1866)
Enjoyed it very much.
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Sadly,
Wives and Daughters was Elizabeth's last book, as she died at the age of 55 just before its completion. Many critics consider this her finest work, and I
know one blogger who likes this adaptation even better than
North and South! Too bad
Richard Armitage isn't in it!
Wives and Daughters 1999
Save the Best for Last (Roger & Molly) / by KDRainstorm
If you are lucky enough to live in Great Britain or will be travelling there soon, and you are a Gaskell fan, here is a website with information about touring the area and a schedule of events for Gaskell's bi-centenary.
