Wives and Daughters


Lu par LibriVox Volunteers

(4.6 stars; 47 reviews)

If you like Jane Austen, you will probably like this book!

Mrs. Gaskell, as she was often referred to, is considered one of the greatest British novelists of the Victorian era. She was one of the earliest novelists ever to use dialect in her works, finding often that no word but the vernacular would suffice to convey the meaning she wanted to achieve. She was the author of The Life of Charlotte Brontë, a much-acclaimed and sometimes-reviled biography of her friend and peer.

Wives and Daughters revolves around Molly Gibson, only daughter of a widowed doctor living in a provincial English town in the 1830s. The novel was first published in the Cornhill Magazine as a serial from August 1864 to January 1866. When Mrs Gaskell died suddenly in 1865, it was not quite complete, and the last section was written by Frederick Greenwood. (Summary from Wikipedia) (27 hr 15 min)

Chapitres

THE DAWN OF A GALA DAY 22:02 Lu par Mary Anderson
A NOVICE AMONGST THE GREAT FOLK 34:06 Lu par Ophelia Darcy
MOLLY GIBSON'S CHILDHOOD 19:55 Lu par Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023)
MR GIBSON'S NEIGHBOURS 31:46 Lu par Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023)
CALF-LOVE 27:04 Lu par Sibella Denton
A VISIT TO THE HAMLEYS 39:00 Lu par Caitlin Kelly
FORESHADOWS OF LOVE PERILS 20:37 Lu par Caitlin Kelly
DRIFTING INTO DANGER 35:45 Lu par Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023)
THE WIDOWER AND THE WIDOW 26:27 Lu par Brenda Dayne
A CRISIS 55:50 Lu par Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014)
MAKING FRIENDSHIP 36:07 Lu par rachelellen
PREPARING FOR THE WEDDING 19:32 Lu par rachelellen
MOLLY GIBSON'S NEW FRIENDS 28:01 Lu par rachelellen
MOLLY FINDS HERSELF PATRONIZED 33:50 Lu par rachelellen
THE NEW MAMMA 20:37 Lu par Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023)
THE BRIDE AT HOME 24:49 Lu par Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023)
TROUBLE AT HAMLEY HALL 24:38 Lu par Lizzie Driver
MR OSBORNE'S SECRET 30:35 Lu par Mary Anderson
CYNTHIA'S ARRIVAL 25:21 Lu par Tora
MRS GIBSON'S VISITORS 19:23 Lu par Tora
THE HALF-SISTERS 30:41 Lu par Tora
THE OLD SQUIRE'S TROUBLES 31:49 Lu par Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014)
OSBORNE HAMLEY REVIEWS HIS POSITION 23:51 Lu par Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014)
MRS GIBSON'S LITTLE DINNER 16:31 Lu par Brenda Dayne
HOLLINGFORD IN A BUSTLE 24:00 Lu par Mary Anderson
A CHARITY BALL 49:39 Lu par Caitlin Kelly
FATHER AND SONS 19:54 Lu par Lizzie Driver
RIVALRY 32:40 Lu par Lizzie Driver
BUSH-FIGHTING 37:15 Lu par Mary Anderson
OLD WAYS AND NEW WAYS 21:23 Lu par Caitlin Kelly
A PASSIVE COQUETTE 22:32 Lu par Caitlin Kelly
COMING EVENTS 31:02 Lu par thomasina
BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS 17:01 Lu par Michelle Crandall
A LOVER'S MISTAKE 20:05 Lu par Lee Ann Howlett
THE MOTHER'S MANOEUVRE 36:13 Lu par Scott Mather
DOMESTIC DIPLOMACY 15:38 Lu par Scott Mather
A FLUKE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT 37:50 Lu par Scott Mather
MR KIRKPATRICK, Q.C. 26:14 Lu par Scott Mather
SECRET THOUGHTS OOZE OUT 30:00 Lu par Scott Mather
MOLLY GIBSON BREATHES FREELY 20:56 Lu par Scott Mather
GATHERING CLOUDS 29:37 Lu par Scott Mather
THE STORM BURSTS 22:55 Lu par Scott Mather
CYNTHIA'S CONFESSION 25:24 Lu par Scott Mather
MOLLY GIBSON TO THE RESCUE 25:43 Lu par Mary Anderson
CONFIDENCES 20:35 Lu par Tora
HOLLINGFORD GOSSIPS 20:54 Lu par Tora
SCANDAL AND ITS VICTIMS 25:20 Lu par Tora
AN INNOCENT CULPRIT 20:24 Lu par Tora
MOLLY GIBSON FINDS A CHAMPION 20:22 Lu par Tora
CYNTHIA AT BAY 27:56 Lu par Tora
'TROUBLES NEVER COME ALONE' 20:18 Lu par Tora
SQUIRE HAMLEY'S SORROW 27:19 Lu par Tora
UNLOOKED-FOR ARRIVALS 22:56 Lu par Jenilee
MOLLY GIBSON'S WORTH IS DISCOVERED 29:52 Lu par Mary Anderson
AN ABSENT LOVER RETURNS 26:02 Lu par Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014)
'OFF WITH THE OLD LOVE, AND ON WITH THE NEW.' 23:07 Lu par Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014)
BRIDAL VISITS AND ADIEUX 27:40 Lu par Mary Anderson
REVIVING HOPES AND BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS 27:24 Lu par Mary Anderson
MOLLY GIBSON AT HAMLEY HALL 25:54 Lu par Mary Anderson
ROGER HAMLEY'S CONFESSION 31:49 Lu par Mary Anderson
Conclusion 13:45 Lu par Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023)

Critiques

Good book


(4.5 stars)

The "real" ending that the author passed away before finishing the last chapter is very sad. I enjoyed the book very much.


(5 stars)

Absolutely outstanding. She carries your with you in every resentment of ‘that woman’. Cynthia, selfish as she is, is insightful and draws your love of Molly, in her grace and kindness. I’m afraid, if I met Mrs Gibson in the street, I’d be hard put not knock her down!! It’s interesting that we readers can be so upset with Mrs Gaskell, for not finishing her story, even though the ending is so clearly about to happen. I’m so CROSS with that wretched woman squeezing Molly out of that window frame, as they waved to Roger!!!

Enjoyed It


(4 stars)

Took me a while to finish this but Elizabeth Gaskell was one of a kind for sure. I liked the characters, felt bad for Mr Gibson and know Elizabeth would've given this the perfect romantic ending. So sad she died before finishing this work. Most of the readers were quite okay. One has a very strange voice, cadence and pronunciation but thankfully doesn't read so many chapters.

Well worth a read


(5 stars)

5 stars because she couldn't help not finish it. Beautiful prose, but not so careful that it didn't clearly present the challenges and differences of personalities, rank and interest in status or other people. Loved it


(5 stars)

Such a great detailed story. It's sad she passed before finishing it. Even though, because it was so well written, you can easily know where she was going with the story and how it would have finished. I loved it!


(4 stars)

this was an enjoyable book by a talented author. this collection of readers is one of the best ones that I have listened to - most chapters were thoroughly enjoyable.

excellent read


(5 stars)

I loved the deep character development and wonderful descriptions of this book. It drew me into their world and I loved it!


(5 stars)

Such nuanced characters and intertwining plot lines. The social commentaries make it so much more interesting!