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#victorian
review
julieclair
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Pickpick

A well written cozy mystery, based loosely on real events. Set in Victorian England, it feels well-researched. Multiple story lines and secrets kept me guessing until the end. I‘m looking forward to reading more of this series.

#HauntedShelf #BookRecommendation Team #HexesandCrows @Catsandbooks

Prompt: Morally Dubious

Catsandbooks 👏🏼🐦‍⬛🧡 2mo
26 likes1 comment
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julieclair
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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PuddleJumper Good choice! 2mo
dabbe Boy, I\'ll say! 🖤🧡🖤 2mo
Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻🧡 2mo
20 likes3 comments
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Eggs
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On my Kindle TBR…

Pianist Nell sets out to earn the money to attend the Royal Academy by playing piano in a popular Soho music hall. But she must #disguise herself as a man to do so. She steps into a night-time world of secrets and dangers…

#WickedWhispers

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sounds good! 2mo
Eggs Yes🙌🏻 2mo
38 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
CoffeeK8
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Pickpick

Since this book wasn‘t listed, I chose the prequel as my review spot. Alice Coldbreath does it again! A wonderfully thoughtful look at a second chance romance. 💕

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Ruthiella
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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#WondrousWednesday

Thank you for the tag @Eggs and @Deblovestoread 😊

💛 Tagged!
💛💛 Paper!
💛💛💛 Mystery!

Eggs Thx for playing 💛🧡💛 3mo
42 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
currentlyreadinginCO
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Pickpick

Got behind but finally finished this after the #hashtagbrigade and I must say, I loved this book. It's from 1863 & is the first mainstream novel w a "fallen woman" heroine so you know this thing is devastating, BUT I got the point and always think it's cool when someone from the mid-nineteenth century writes a female character that goes against the grain.

BarkingMadRead I‘m so glad you liked it!! 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO Getting caught up on The Hotel shortly! 🧐 @BarkingMadRead 3mo
BarkingMadRead The Hotel is a much easier read! 3mo
53 likes3 comments
review
dabbe
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Pickpick

RUTH? pub. 1853
MADAME BOVARY? pub. 1856
ANNA KARENINA? pub. 1873
TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES? pub. 1891
All four are about women adulterers (referred to as “whores/harlots/wicked women“ in some of these novels, thanks to the societies they lived in). Gaskell paved the way for the other (perhaps) more famous novels. Her writing? Exquisite. Ruth's story? Tragic. Do I want to read more Gaskell? Absolutely.

mjtwo I read North and South last year and loved it. It had a lot more depth than many more renowned 19th century novels. (edited) 3mo
dabbe @mjtwo Good to know! I've only read CRANFORD and this one, so I'm adding it to the TBR list. Thanks! 🤩🤗😀 3mo
Texreader Well, another excellent review. Stacked 3mo
dabbe @Texreader I read it with the lovely #hashtagbrigade ... I can't wait to read what you think about it! 🤩🤗😘 3mo
62 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
Clare-Dragonfly
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Pickpick

Mrs. Gaskell broke my heart with this one! I was wondering why I liked this so much when Tess of the D‘Urbervilles just pissed me off. Both are trying to show the humanity in a “fallen” woman. I think Tess just gets really bleak while Ruth‘s life has good things in it (like Leonard), and the only characters who really condemn Ruth are generally unsympathetic.

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Librarybelle
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Pickpick

I‘m in the minority of the #HashtagBrigade to say I liked the novel. Gaskell, whose husband was a Unitarian minister and lived near the factories and mills of England, sets as her MC a “fallen” woman and her path to redemption. This was a bit controversial at its initial publication, and it certainly is darker and more rooted in faith and redemption than her other novels. But, I get the sense that she is shaming her Victorian audience ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Librarybelle ⬆️⬆️⬆️ for their judgement of character on someone who has lived through a perceived sinful time. Ruth, a truly good person whose naivety (and the Victorians of certain classes did shelter their daughters from the world, so think of this another moment of Gaskell pointing out the inconsistencies of morality) brought her down to a “bad sinner” level, shows the true Christian values, along with the Bensons. I think Gaskell is showing how quickly ⬇️ 3mo
Librarybelle ⬆️ the populace tends to cast the first stone without knowing all the details or are quick to judge a good person for one bad action. There are the layers too of sympathy tugging at the reader, and I can almost see a Victorian reader wondering at how this sympathy changes their thoughts about a person they know in a similar situation. I do prefer Gaskell‘s more sweeping novels—North and South and her studies of Cranford—but kudos to her for this! 3mo
Librarybelle Thanks for leading us through this, @BarkingMadRead #PemberLittens 3mo
See All 10 Comments
Cuilin Wonderful review!!!! I agree I do think she is trying to shame Victorian readers into rethinking some of their belief systems. I also think that in order not to alienate her readers, she had to add penance. Our modern sensibilities struggle with this. 3mo
Librarybelle Thanks, @Cuilin ! And yes…our modern sensibilities definitely struggle with this! 3mo
dabbe A wowza review! 🤩🤩🤩 3mo
julieclair Excellent review! I liked this novel, too, for a lot of the same reasons. 3mo
quietjenn I completely agree! 3mo
69 likes1 stack add10 comments