This is the second and final part for the Cranford read-along hosted over at A literary odyssey.
The second part took a slightly more dramatic turn and saw Miss Matty lose her entire income after the collapse of her bank. The chapters were also more linked in the second part of the book and this saw Miss Matty's friends try to help where they could before Miss Matty was forced to make some radical changes to her lifestyle.
There was certainly more in the way of events and plot during the last eight chapters, but the book still didn't lose any of its charm or nostalgia for the ladies of Cranford. I found however the ending rather abrupt, it was like the author had to suddenly wrap everything up quickly in the last paragraph and didn't really fit in keeping with the rest of the book.
This has been a wonderful book to dip in and out of over the last few weeks and for a more gentle and charming read I recommend it.
Elizabeth Gaskell herself said of Cranford “It is the only one I can read again. Whenever I am ailing or ill, I take it down and laugh over it afresh.”
Next month I am participating in the One Hundred Years of Solitude also hosted on A Literary Odyssey and the full details of that one can be found here. I have only read a couple of chapters so far but its certainly quite far removed from the experience of Cranford!
Posted by Jess
I agree, gentle is the perfect way to describe this read. I'm so used to books with more action and drama, it was nice to pick this up in between other things.
ReplyDeleteI agree also that this was a gentle read. The second half of the book really pulled it all together. You're right the ending did come to an abrupt end, but I was so glad to see Peter there with her in the end. Allie's Mom
ReplyDeleteThanks Avid reader and Allis mom for your comments, its a funny old book really and not my usual type of reading. I want to read her book North and South which looks completely different and deals with the treatment of mill workers at that time.
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