Wives and Daughters
Wives and Daughters
Book Brief
720
Novel • Fiction
England • 1830s-1840s
1865
Adult
16+ years
Super Short Summary
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, originally published in serial form in 1864 and later as a novel in 1866, follows young Molly Gibson as she navigates life under the care of her widowed father, falls in love with a son of the landed gentry, and uncovers the secrets of her friends and family. The book includes themes of secret marriages, financial debt, and complex family dynamics.
Contemplative
Nostalgic
Emotional
Bittersweet
Heartwarming
Reviews & Readership
52,171 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters garners praise for its complex characters and detailed depiction of 19th-century rural English life. Its themes of social class and family dynamics resonate with readers. However, some find its length challenging and the unfinished ending unsatisfying. Overall, it's appreciated for its rich storytelling and nuanced social critique.
Who Should Read Wives and Daughters?
Fans of Victorian-era literature will appreciate Elizabeth Gaskell’s Wives and Daughters, with its rich character development and social commentary. Ideal for readers who enjoy the intricate social dynamics and moral questions in works like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice or George Eliot’s Middlemarch.
52,171 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Wives and Daughters was Elizabeth Gaskell's last novel and was left unfinished due to her sudden death in 1865; the final chapter was completed by journalist Frederick Greenwood for its serialization in Cornhill Magazine.
The novel is set in the English countryside during the 1830s and 1840s, a time of significant social change, reflecting Gaskell's detailed observations of class and gender dynamics.
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The BBC adapted Wives and Daughters into a well-received television miniseries in 1999, which was praised for its faithful representation of Gaskell's narrative style and character development.
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720
Novel • Fiction
England • 1830s-1840s
1865
Adult
16+ years
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