Review: Cranford

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can’t help it – I am a fan of the Victorian era literature and of UK in general. Cranford is a beautiful example of that age’s writing and subjects.

Unlike many famous writers of that age, describing the twists and turns of the English upper class, Elizabeth Gaskell was focusing more on the lower class and the middle class, which started to emerge. It’s like an encyclopedia of the everyday life of those days’ regular people.

Basically, Cranford is the collection of stories with characters who travel from one story to another. It’s a kind Gossip Girl. Victorian Edition, if you take away the evil side of it. The events unroll in a village called Cranford, where, obviously, everybody knows everybody and where the circle of the Cranford Ladies meets from time to time to discuss latest news and developments. They seem to be quite nice and a bit funny, trying to imitate the upper class, not actually being the one.

The novels are well-written and really transport you to mid-19th century. However, I read it in English and not being the native speaker and, even less, knowing the peculiarities of culture, could throw you off a bit. Why is one called Lady and that one is a simple Mrs? Who’s Your Ladyship and why isn’t she a Lady? By lucky coincidence, at the very same time I was watching the Downton Abbey, so I was a bit prepared by it to answer these questions.

I enjoyed reading Cranford and would definitely recommend it to those, who are fond of Victorian Era and want to have some easy and entertaining reading.

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