I thought the book would be right up my alley, but try as I might, I could not become engaged in it. Instead of Austen or one of the Brontes, I was more reminded of Miss Laetitia Prism from The Importance of Being Earnest, whose motto ("The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.") summed up these 600+ pages for me.

Scholars tell us that Gaskell's observations of the middle class of the period were spot on; they also praise her for taking on social issues such as the role of women. All true. I also agree that Gaskell developed the relationships between the characters in a nuanced and realistic way. Still, I couldn't help feeling a little as if I were reading a 19th century Judy Blume. Or maybe I am just allergic to mean step-mother stories. ( )

I can't remember the last time I read a more perfect book. The book itself has but one flaw, though, it is INCOMPLETE. I knew this when I started, but I was still not prepared for it to end.

Elizabeth Gaskell is a genius at making a town and its inhabitants come to life. From the vain, intolerable Mrs. Gibson to the flaky Cynthia to the mischievous and witty lady Harriet to the kindhearted Molly, the characterization is impeccable.

I can't see how I went so long into my life without the wit of Elizabeth Gaskell. Thank goodness there is much more of her work to read. ( )

Just a note to mention the British video miniseries with Keeley Hawes as the French trained daughter, and Francesca Annis as Clare, the stepmother. It is quite true to the book, and very well done, IMO ( )

Elizabeth Gaskell's last novel is a classic story of English life in the mid-1800s. Heroine Molly Gibson is the daughter of a widowed doctor in the town of Hollingford. As a teenager she is sent on an extended visit with the Hamleys, one of two wealthy families in the area. Mrs. Hamley takes an instant liking to Molly, making her a companion of sorts. Molly also befriends the younger son Roger, and later meets his brother Osborne. Roger helps Molly work through feelings regarding her father's marriage to Clare, a local widow. Clare also has a teenage daughter, Cynthia, who has been schooled in France for many years. Cynthia and Molly become close friends, even though the two young women couldn't be more different. The story unfolds at a very slow and easy pace. Not much happens, and yet everything happens. People become sick, and some die. People visit London, and some travel further afield. Most people are inherently good, but there are one or two bad apples in Hollingford who, of course, get their comeuppance.

Gaskell is well-known for exposing and exploring the social issues of her day (an earlier novel, North and South, centered on working conditions and class differences). On the surface Wives and Daughters is less daring, and more like Jane Austen's work in its depiction of romance and social strata. However, Gaskell directly challenges the traditional role of women in 19th-century English society. All of the male characters treat women as fragile children, incapable of managing their own affairs. In contrast, Molly is a strong female protagonist. She is respectful and kind, and yet uses a subtle strong will to steer events in the right direction. She comes to the aid of several characters, and proves herself indispensable during a crisis towards the end of the novel.

The novel ends abruptly, because Gaskell died before it could be finished. This could have been a very bad thing indeed, but it appeared the story was close to wrapping up (and after 650 pages, shouldn't it?!). While some of the details are unknown, eventual outcomes are certain. While reading Wives and Daughters requires a significant time commitment, Gaskell writes beautifully and often with great wit, and this story held my interest to the very end. ( )

I love to read the classics and this book was no exception. Wives and Daughters is a book full of romance and descriptive narrative, countryside life and social class. However as much as I enjoy reading a novel for the happy ending, the main love story, the heroine being acknowledged by the charming man, with this book I found myself captivated by the portrayal of the characters. Elizabeth Gaskell has an amazing skill at inventing and describing each character so that you feel as if you know them in real life. You feel as if you know what they are thinking before you have read their thoughts and you know how they will act on them. I enjoyed the element of comedy that she incorporated within some of her characters and the honesty in others. It is so unfortunate that Gaskell died before she finished Wives and Daughters as only a couple more chapters would have made it complete. All is not lost however as she did divulge her plans for the novel to friends and editions now include Gaskell's intended ending. This book for me is a study on human life of the 1820's and it is exciting, emotionally absorbing and thoroughly compelling. ( )