Cranford

Par Elizabeth Gaskell

Dans ces salons fleuris, il est question d’amour, de pouvoir, d’échecs et de réussites, mais c’est avant tout un tableau des mœurs et des coutumes de son époque, un héritage. à travers des chapitres au suspens haletant (le roman est publié à l’origine en feuilleton), Gaskell trace une chronique acérée de la vie de province aussi
universelle qu’intemporelle. Ses miss et ses ladies peuvent sans lever le petit doigt en remontrer en matière de machiavélisme à toutes les diablesses de la Chick lit anglosaxonne, «Desperate Housewive» en tête.
S’inspirant du nom de son village natal Knutsford et de sa jeunesse là-bas, ses personnages se dotent d’un énorme relief et Gaskell nous invite à goûter véritablement la saveur du thé doux-amer servi par les dames qu’elle dépeint.

• Langue: Français
• Éditeur: Editions de L'Herne
• Date de sortie: 22 mars 2011
• ISBN: 9782851975591

Elizabeth Gaskell

Elizabeth Gaskell (1810–1865) was a British novelist and short-story writer. Her works were Victorian social histories across many strata of society. Her most famous works include Mary Barton, Cranford, North and South, and Wives and Daughters.

Avis sur Cranford

[jbd1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Yet another of those books that, now I've read it, I wonder why on earth I didn't pick it up before. A deeply amusing and poignant look at a certain domestic milieu in mid-nineteenth-century England, told through a series of short vignettes.

[brakketh-1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Very enjoyable series of stories about the people of Cranford written as Victorian style comedy of manners.

[fyrefly98 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

Summary: Cranford is a small provincial town that is almost entirely populated by women. (At least among the middle/upper classes.) Some of these women are single, some are widowed, and all of them do their best to maintain a lifestyle appropriate to their station, even though money is tight for almost all of them. But discussing these things is simply not done, of course, if one is to maintain a polite and proper society.Review: My Jane Austen book club is branching out a little bit, so we picked Cranford as a period-appropriate detour. And, while this book was largely inoffensive, and had some truly memorably funny bits, on the whole, it didn't really stand out for me. I think my largest issue was with the lack of a narrative through-line - there were lots of episodic little vignettes, but no real plot. (I recently learned that this was originally published serially as various interconnected sketches of life in this small town, which makes perfect sense in retrospect.) If I had to point to "the main plot", it didn't show up until about two-thirds of the way through the book, and was basically "Miss Mattie loses her money but because she's been nice to everyone they're all willing to give her stuff for free and then her brother comes back from India rich and they all live happily ever after." Sort of weak sauce, there, plot-wise. I also had a difficult time telling some of the secondary characters apart, and I'm still not sure that I know who the narrator was and why she was important or how she fit into the neighborhood. So, while it wasn't exactly a chore to listen to, it wasn't something that made me want to keep coming back, either. I did watch the mini-series (years ago, now) and liked it well enough; I may have to revisit that to see if it helps at all. 3 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Fans of British literature and British humor of this time period will likely enjoy it, but I found it a little underweight for a supposed classic.

[arubabookwoman · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

This book consists of a series of linked vignettes about life in a quiet country village. Its characters are primarily women living lives of gentile poverty. Episodes include a hero saving a child from being hit by a train, reappearances by long-lost lovers and long-lost relatives, gypsies, a crime wave, and how to act around the aristocracy. This is a quiet, gentle book. It has the feel of a book by Jane Austen or Barbara Pym.

[lord_boris-1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Giving it four stars as it exceeded expectations and was genuinely funny in parts. Funniest book I've read all year in fact - although looking back, not a difficult achievement. Each chapter was really a vignette but the book was none the worse for this and there was a kind of plot that came together at the end. Poignant in places. Good to know that people's obsession with status and appearance was being satirised 150 years ago.

[amerynth · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

Elizabeth Gaskell continues to be a disappointment for me... her topics and the Victorian style of her novels should garner high marks from me because this is my favorite genre. However, I found "Cranford" like the other Gaskell novels I've read to be be kind of boring."Cranford" is a loose collection of stories about the older ladies of the community, especially Miss Matty Jenkyns, who goes through a number of tribulations. The stories were pretty slow moving and this felt like a much longer book than it actually was.

[tess_schoolmarm · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

A delightful book of 193 pages taking place during the industrial revolution in England. It is the story of manners and local customs as mostly seen through the eyes of females. The life of a woman was hard and oft times unhappy; this book was no exception. A great read!

[kale.dyer · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Very enjoyable series of stories about the people of Cranford written as Victorian style comedy of manners.

[juva_3 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

This is a charming story about a close-knit community of women living in a small rural village. Told in small vignettes by a frequent visitor, the reader becomes acquainted with the circumscribed but genuine lives of Cranford's inhabitants. A lovely and comfy read.

[drfuriosa · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

A charming, tender, yet sad account of provincial life, with colorful characters. Time to watch the series now!

[john257hopper · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

This is the third of Gaskell's novels I have read, but I didn't like this nearly as much as North and South and Mary Barton, which were rich novels with deep themes and interesting characters. This was a rambling and largely plotless (albeit short) novel about the lives of various ladies in the eponymous fictional town, which is based on Knutsford in Cheshire. The characters didn't really distinguish themselves from each other in my mind, and despite some humorous passages, didn't elicit my interest. A bit disappointing.

[electrascaife · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Life in a 19th-Century English town, one which is run almost solely according to the rules of the women who live there. I loved this book. Sweet and funny, with characters you grow to adore. Nothing much happens in this small town, but Gaskell has a knack for describing everyday events in terms of the momentous drama in which her characters perceive them and it makes for storytelling gold.

[tess_w · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

A delightful book of 193 pages taking place during the industrial revolution in England. It is the story of manners and local customs as mostly seen through the eyes of females. The life of a woman was hard and oft times unhappy; this book was no exception. A great read!

[slmr4242 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

A lovely cozy book of a tiny quaint town and a sweetly happy ending...highly necessary for my poor frayed nerves these days.

[charlie68_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

A heart tugging book about a group of ladies in the early nineteenth century. A fascinating look into this era.

[gracez-1 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

Hmmmmm.... not sure what I thought of this book. It was enjoyable, and the narrative style is interesting - a little strange, actually. But it made more sense when I learned that she wrote the first chapter/story/vignette intending it as a standalone piece and later decided to continue it.

There were things to recommend it, of course. For example, I thoroughly loved the phrase "with an oppressive dignity that found vent in endless apologies" (p.85)

[mreed61 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

This was a fair read and easy for the start of the new year. Now I know, though, why I didn't give Elizabeth Gaskell much of a toss at university. It speaks to the importance of hierarchy in those days, and I daresay it still occurred in small towns for decades to come. Many writers spoke of these same things in those days. Some wrote better. I actually grew up in a small town in the U.S. Midwest with these same ideals, though, and in what was considered the "upper crust" in society. I think, in some ways, it just never changes.

[schmerguls · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

This novel was first published in 1853. But it isn't too bad. It moved, and it was indeed a "perfect idyll." Its humor was so innocent, its time so Victorian. I didn't mind it at all, and it read fast.

[jmoncton_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Cranford is a series of short stories about a charming country town in Victorian England that seems to be dominated by a close knit group of nosy spinsters. The stories revolve around the life of elderly Miss Maddie. Although the stories don't have detailed earth shattering plots, they ooze charm. I initially found the book to be a lighthearted and easy listen, but by the end of the book I had really become attached to the kind and generous Miss Maddie and the odd and whimsical residents of Cranford. Excellently narrated by Prunella Scales!

[narshkite · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Charming, funny, lovely. It is hard to imagine anyone not enoying this book of snippets filled with women whom time is quickly passing by. This book is filled with spinsters and widows living in shabby gentility in the village of Cranford. Readers who enjoy Jane Austen are sure to enjoy this sly and funny book. No romance, but lots of great writing and well-camoflauged statements on class and gender politics in mid-19th century England. Good fun!

[emanate28 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Absolutely delightful! There's no sweeping plot, but little happenings and the comings and goings of the little village ladies were so humorously and lovingly depicted, that I couldn't put the book down. The characters are so lovable, despite of (or thanks to?) their foibles because at the bottom, they care about each other. Funny that a book about elderly spinsters and widows would be so entertaining and engaging! I'm amazed that I'd never heard of Elizabeth Gaskell a long time ago.

[slamkin-1 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

Funny and just plane woderful. This is a classic in its own right. Elizabeth Gaskell was able to capture small town life from her time in a way that transcends time.

[dylkit · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

In need of a bit of a comfort read after the sometimes-harrowing Bridge on the Drina

[thatotter-1 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

I get the impression that Cranford is Gaskell's most beloved novel, but it's not my favorite. It's very charming and sweet, but I can't get over the sense of sadness and thwartedness that pervades.

[jessicariddoch · Évaluation : 2 sur 5 étoiles]

I did not get into this book, The people were shallow, not the writing but the people and I never did manage to find the story line.However the characters were well wirtten and believable. I ended up with a real feeling for the life that they were leading. Just not my seen man.

[lyndatrue · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

What an astonishing gift this book is! I'd not heard of Elizabeth Gaskell before seeing this book in an estate auction, and she is a remarkably capable author. I may seek out more books by her. This one is especially interesting, since it contains a preface written by William Makepeace Thackeray's daughter, Anne.Mrs. Gaskell excelled in portraits of the people of her time, and it's wonderful to have this insightful little volume.I bought it for the celluloid cover, which is in almost perfect condition (I have another book with this same after market cover, and have seen others). It still retains some of the original detail work, and even faint traces of the gilding.I am very happy to discover that the inside is just as lovely as the cover.

[seriousgrace · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

This is a weird little book. Picture a society made up mostly of women. In the fictional town of Cranford women run the show. If a new couple arrives in Cranford to settle down sooner or later the man of the house vanishes. This society simply doesn't need a man...until Captain Brown and his two daughters arrive on the scene. There is no central plot as this was originally published as a satirical serial. However, the entire story is told first person through the eyes of a visitor and most of the story centers on one particular character, Miss Matty (Matilda).

[fhudnell-1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Pleasant, charming and amusing depiction of life in a small town. Its episodic nature resulted in its being not terribly involving. I had already watched the tv series based on the book, so none of this was new to me. The audio narration by Prunella Scales was delightful.

[missizicks · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Cranford is a warm, gently wry look at provincial life in the mid 19th century. On the surface, whimsical and twee, but underneath are knowing winks and nods to the foolish vanity of polite society. Elizabeth Gaskell loves her characters generously, and her ribbing is never other than gentle. Some characters are innocent of the hardness of life, others choose not to acknowledge it.The book has a big heart. Miss Matty is the focus of everyone's concern and is the gentlest soul who brings out the good in others.The structure of society, particularly the hierarchies of social standing, are simultaneously important to Cranford's residents and rules to be broken, with the genteel mixing with their servants quite happily. Intrigues and squabbles between the ladies who think themselves grander than they are, are described with a warm humour. Elizabeth Gaskell seems to be winking at us through the pages.The book is set in the period I deal with at work, and gives a different view to that of commerce and innovation found in the records I look after. This is a society predominantly made up of women, and retired women at that. The narrator is a young woman who divides her time between Cranford and Drumble, the nearest large town. Drumble is based on the city where I work. As an almost outsider, the narrator is able to view the oddness of Cranford society with a twinkle in her eye, and others who appear in the village having experienced life elsewhere do the same.Nostalgia can be a strange thing. The book made me nostalgic for something I have never known - the quiet life in a village at a period of great economic and social change, where life continues quietly, and residents are often unaware of the kind of events taking place in cities that would eventually bring in the modern era. It isn't a sentimental nostalgia, either. There are no rose tinted spectacles. It is a snapshot of a particular way of life at a particular time in history.

[wealhtheowwylfing · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

This is a sweet tale of the little old ladies living in a small town in England. It's told from the perspective of a young visitor, including her affectionate yet sly remarks about the quirks of life in Cranford. The story mostly follows Miss Matty, a elderly, dimwitted but incredibly kind spinster. This book is a wonderful slice of life, but there's not great deal to it.