Wives and Daughters (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Victorian Domestic Novel of Provincial Family Life, Courtship, Class, and a Young Woman's Moral Coming of AgeBy Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Length25h 9m
About this audiobook
Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters is a richly textured novel of provincial English life, centred on Molly Gibson's moral education amid the households, marriages, ambitions, and quiet betrayals of Hollingford. Written with lucid realism, social comedy, and psychological delicacy, it belongs to the Victorian tradition of the domestic novel while subtly revising it: courtship is less a convention than a test of character. Though left unfinished at Gaskell's death, the narrative's design remains remarkably complete in its humane scrutiny of class, gender, family, and scientific modernity. Gaskell, already celebrated for Mary Barton, Cranford, and North and South, brought to this final work a lifetime of observing social change from the vantage of a Unitarian minister's wife, mother, reform-minded thinker, and acute witness of provincial and industrial England. Her sympathy for women's constrained choices, her interest in ethical conduct, and her familiarity with small-community life deeply inform the novel's subtle tensions. Wives and Daughters is highly recommended to readers of Austen, Eliot, and Trollope, and to anyone interested in Victorian realism at its most graceful and humane. It rewards close attention with wit, emotional intelligence, and an enduring portrait of goodness tested by society.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.1 (51.5K)
Includes Goodreads
GenreLiterary Classics, General Fiction
Length25 hrs 9 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 21, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Wives and Daughters (Annotated)
26THE HALF-SISTERS.
2Introduction
27THE OLD SQUIRE'S TROUBLES.
3Synopsis
28OSBORNE HAMLEY REVIEWS HIS POSITION.
4Historical Context
29MRS. GIBSON'S LITTLE DINNER.
5Author Biography
30HOLLINGFORD IN A BUSTLE.
Show all chaptersShow less
6THE DAWN OF A GALA DAY.
31A CHARITY BALL.
7A NOVICE AMONGST THE GREAT FOLK.
32FATHER AND SONS.
8MOLLY GIBSON'S CHILDHOOD.
33RIVALRY.
9MR. GIBSON'S NEIGHBOURS.
34BUSH-FIGHTING.
10CALF-LOVE.
35OLD WAYS AND NEW WAYS.
11A VISIT TO THE HAMLEYS.
36A PASSIVE COQUETTE.
12FORESHADOWS OF LOVE PERILS.
37COMING EVENTS.
13DRIFTING INTO DANGER.
38BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS.
14THE WIDOWER AND THE WIDOW.
39A LOVER'S MISTAKE.
15A CRISIS.
40THE MOTHER'S MANŒUVRE.
16MAKING FRIENDSHIP.
41DOMESTIC DIPLOMACY.
17PREPARING FOR THE WEDDING.
42A FLUKE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT.
18MOLLY GIBSON'S NEW FRIENDS.
43MR. KIRKPATRICK, Q.C.
19MOLLY FINDS HERSELF PATRONIZED.
44SECRET THOUGHTS OOZE OUT.
20THE NEW MAMMA.
45MOLLY GIBSON BREATHES FREELY.
21THE BRIDE AT HOME.
46GATHERING CLOUDS.
22TROUBLE AT HAMLEY HALL.
47THE STORM BURSTS.
23MR. OSBORNE'S SECRET.
48CYNTHIA'S CONFESSION.
24CYNTHIA'S ARRIVAL.
49MOLLY GIBSON TO THE RESCUE.
25MRS. GIBSON'S VISITORS.
50CONFIDENCES.
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