Review: Cranford (novel)

Cranford the series is perfection. Cranford the book is... not quite so perfect.

First things first. Cranford is a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, first published in 1853. Unlike Mrs. Gaskell's other novels -- North and South and Wives and Daughters in particular -- Cranford does not have an overarching plot. Instead it describes a few events in the village of Cranford over several years.

The narrator is Mary Smith, who frequently visits Cranford and observes its resident's amusing oddities. Several characters from the series -- Dr. Harrison, Lady Ludlow and the Huttons in particular -- don't appear in the book at all.

Attempting to explain all the incidents the book covers would take ages. Instead I'll just say what I thought of it.

I watched the series before reading the book, and so I kept comparing the book unfavourably to the series. (Yes, this is one of those rare cases where the adaptation is better than the source!) Captain Brown's astonishingly early death was a real shock. So was how little Jessie and Major Gordon appeared in the book. I was amused to discover that Lady Glenmire from Return to Cranford is a relatively important character in the book, complete with the drama about her marriage (though obviously she doesn't marry Captain Brown in the book).

There are no dramatic plot twists or adorable weddings in this book, unlike in the series. And it won't make readers roar with laughter or burst into tears the way the series does. But if you want to read something that's fairly short and certainly enjoyable, then Cranford is the book for you.

Is it available online? Yes, on Gutenberg.

Rating: 7/10.