Book reviews

Wives and Daughters
Elizabeth Gaskell Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Elizabeth Gaskell Books
New book search
Elizabeth Gaskell Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Wives and Daughters
"Molly Gibson is the much loved daughter of a widowed town doctor. The doctor wishing companionship and a mother figure for his daughter married Hyacinth. Molly resents her step mother but becomes fast friends with the supercilious daughter Cynthia. Cynthia is secretly engaged to Mr. Preston a rogue who worked for the house of Lord Cumnor, where Hyacinth had been previously employed as a governess.

Close friends of the doctors are Squire Hamley and his disabled wife. Molly spends a lot of time at their house as both a friend and helper with the wife. Eventually she also meets Roger who has returned from travels for the Geographic Society. She is instantly enchanted and falls in love with Roger. Unfortunately Roger is drawn to Cynthia's beauty and becomes engaged to her.

The remainder of the story is how the lives of these characters interact. When Cynthia runs off and marries a London Barrister will Molly finally get her chance with Roger? How does Squire Hamley and others deal with the death of Rogers's brother and Mrs. Hamley?
"

Tanya, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Wives and Daughters
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 19th century
Romance/Romance Problems Yes
Kind of romance: - love triangle/polygon
Family, struggle with Yes
Struggle with: - Step Parent(s)
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - unemployed
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality - British
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - society
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 6 ()
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
Unusual Style: - a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Wives and Daughters
Lady Anna by Anthony Trollope
The Lady From the Sea by Henrik Ibsen
The Touch by Colleen McCullough
A Tapestry of Hope by Tracie Peterson & Judith Miller
The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy


Click here for more information about this book


Elizabeth Gaskell Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Tanya  

SCHOLARS:


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Literature books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal story

Crime & Police story

Ethnic/regional/gender life

Exploring into the wild

Family, caring for ill

Family, loving relations

Family, struggle with

Internal struggle/realization?

Job/Profession/Status story

Kids growing up/acting up?

Political/social activism

Poverty, surviving

Pregnancy/Child rearing

Religion theme?

Romance/Romance Problems

Sports Story?

War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Suzanne Weyn 4:47:34 PM
Wilma Counts 1:23:32 PM
Norah Lofts 6:49:46 PM
George W. Bush 5:33:46 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Anonymous 12:47:34 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
Jane Rubino 10:04:38 PM
LaVyrle Spencer 10:04:00 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield 10:02:30 PM
Jeanette Walls 10:00:19 PM
Darryl Ponicsan 9:59:27 PM
Ann Rinaldi 9:58:30 PM
R.L. Stine 9:57:34 PM
Geoffrey Huntington 9:57:14 PM
Betty Mahmoody 9:56:38 PM
Deric Longden 9:56:11 PM
Mary Downing Hahn 9:55:48 PM

More message boards