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
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)
36A PASSIVE COQUETTE.
2Introduction
37COMING EVENTS.
3Synopsis
38BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS.
4Historical Context
39A LOVER'S MISTAKE.
5Author Biography
40THE MOTHER'S MANŒUVRE.
Show all chaptersShow less
6THE DAWN OF A GALA DAY.
41DOMESTIC DIPLOMACY.
7A NOVICE AMONGST THE GREAT FOLK.
42A FLUKE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT.
8MOLLY GIBSON'S CHILDHOOD.
43MR. KIRKPATRICK, Q.C.
9MR. GIBSON'S NEIGHBOURS.
44SECRET THOUGHTS OOZE OUT.
10CALF-LOVE.
45MOLLY GIBSON BREATHES FREELY.
11A VISIT TO THE HAMLEYS.
46GATHERING CLOUDS.
12FORESHADOWS OF LOVE PERILS.
47THE STORM BURSTS.
13DRIFTING INTO DANGER.
48CYNTHIA'S CONFESSION.
14THE WIDOWER AND THE WIDOW.
49MOLLY GIBSON TO THE RESCUE.
15A CRISIS.
50CONFIDENCES.
16MAKING FRIENDSHIP.
51HOLLINGFORD GOSSIPS.
17PREPARING FOR THE WEDDING.
52SCANDAL AND ITS VICTIMS.
18MOLLY GIBSON'S NEW FRIENDS.
53AN INNOCENT CULPRIT.
19MOLLY FINDS HERSELF PATRONIZED.
54MOLLY GIBSON FINDS A CHAMPION.
20THE NEW MAMMA.
55CYNTHIA AT BAY.
21THE BRIDE AT HOME.
56"TROUBLES NEVER COME ALONE."
22TROUBLE AT HAMLEY HALL.
57SQUIRE HAMLEY'S SORROW.
23MR. OSBORNE'S SECRET.
58UNLOOKED-FOR ARRIVALS.
24CYNTHIA'S ARRIVAL.
59MOLLY GIBSON'S WORTH IS DISCOVERED.
25MRS. GIBSON'S VISITORS.
60AN ABSENT LOVER RETURNS.
26THE HALF-SISTERS.
61"OFF WITH THE OLD LOVE, AND ON WITH THE NEW."
27THE OLD SQUIRE'S TROUBLES.
62BRIDAL VISITS AND ADIEUX.
28OSBORNE HAMLEY REVIEWS HIS POSITION.
63REVIVING HOPES AND BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS.
29MRS. GIBSON'S LITTLE DINNER.
64MOLLY GIBSON AT HAMLEY HALL.
30HOLLINGFORD IN A BUSTLE.
65ROGER HAMLEY'S CONFESSION.
31A CHARITY BALL.
66CONCLUDING REMARKS
32FATHER AND SONS.
67Analysis
33RIVALRY.
68Reflection
34BUSH-FIGHTING.
69Memorable Quotes
35OLD WAYS AND NEW WAYS.
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