It's time for part two of the Cranford read-a-hosted by Allie at A Literary Odyssey. I loved this book! I think this is a great book to start with if you're not sure if you like reading classics in general or the Victorians specifically. It really was easy to read and entertaining.
I found it interesting to blog about this in two posts. In doing so, I realized the first half of the book was mostly funny, with lots of events to make you like the characters and laugh out loud. The second half focused on Miss Matty losing most of her money from a bad investment in a bank that goes under. It focuses on how the people of Cranford band together to help Miss Matty, even though many of them don't have much either. It was very sweet and touching. I also thought the solutions to her money problems were interesting, since most Victorian books that handle that issue focus on the young woman, and how she must marry or become a governess. That's about it. I like how she becomes a little entrepreneur for a while, even though it's not very genteel.
Overall, I felt that Cranford was really about community. All of these different people come together. I wonder if Gaskell was worried about losing that feeling of community as people began flocking to cities during the Industrial Revolution. It also made me thankful for the community my Grandma has in her neighborhood, which I compared to Cranford in my first post. They all keep an eye on each other and help each other out, and I know if something happened to her they would take care of her until my family got there. It's interesting though that at the same time, I have zero desire to get to know my neighbors and if it wasn't for the expense and yard work, I'd prefer to live where I don't have neighbors too close. I still enjoy reading about tight-knit communities though, and I am grateful to live in a city where I know we band together when it counts, such as after the Murrah Building bombing and the May 3, 1999 tornado. Just as the women in Cranford are happy to live there, I'm happy to be an Okie!
I found myself connecting to the second half much more than the first, so it was interesting to go back and read my first post. It has reinforced my belief that you should always try to finish a book if you can. Sometimes it just takes awhile to really connect with it.
ReplyDeleteI love Cranford. Sigh. The book was good but I have to admit I prefer the BBC adaptation. Judi Dench and Imelda Staunton just make everything better. My girls love it too and they're only 9 and 13! (They love the cow and the doctor's story best).
ReplyDeleteI think the second half of the book is what really brings you into the whole story. You're right the first half is funny, but disjointed. The second half is mainly about Miss Matty and how everyone around her pulls together to help her. That is also how I remember it being growing up in my old neighborhood. Not at all like that today-everyone seems to stay to themselves. Maybe that's why I love the old movies and books where the old time neighborhoods with front porches and walkbys get my attention. Allies Mom
ReplyDeleteThe first time I read Cranford, I felt it was pretty ho-hum, the second time I really enjoyed it--maybe it was because I was able to appreciate it for being vignettes of village life rather than plot driven.
ReplyDelete>I have zero desire to get to know my neighbors and if it wasn't for the expense and yard work, I'd prefer to live where I don't have neighbors too close. I still enjoy reading about tight-knit communities though, and I am grateful to live in a city where I know we band together when it counts...
Interesting perspective--you're probably more honest than most when it comes to thinking about what it would really to be like to live in such a small, close-knit, oppressive community.
I'm glad you all enjoy Cranford too! I hope I enjoy Gaskell's other books as much as this one.
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