Wives and Daughters
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
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)
Chapters
THE DAWN OF A GALA DAY | 22:02 | Read by Mary Anderson |
A NOVICE AMONGST THE GREAT FOLK | 34:06 | Read by Ophelia Darcy |
MOLLY GIBSON'S CHILDHOOD | 19:55 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
MR GIBSON'S NEIGHBOURS | 31:46 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
CALF-LOVE | 27:04 | Read by Sibella Denton |
A VISIT TO THE HAMLEYS | 39:00 | Read by Caitlin Kelly |
FORESHADOWS OF LOVE PERILS | 20:37 | Read by Caitlin Kelly |
DRIFTING INTO DANGER | 35:45 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
THE WIDOWER AND THE WIDOW | 26:27 | Read by Brenda Dayne |
A CRISIS | 55:50 | Read by Lucy Burgoyne (1950 - 2014) |
MAKING FRIENDSHIP | 36:07 | Read by rachelellen |
PREPARING FOR THE WEDDING | 19:32 | Read by rachelellen |
MOLLY GIBSON'S NEW FRIENDS | 28:01 | Read by rachelellen |
MOLLY FINDS HERSELF PATRONIZED | 33:50 | Read by rachelellen |
THE NEW MAMMA | 20:37 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
THE BRIDE AT HOME | 24:49 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
TROUBLE AT HAMLEY HALL | 24:38 | Read by Lizzie Driver |
MR OSBORNE'S SECRET | 30:35 | Read by Mary Anderson |
CYNTHIA'S ARRIVAL | 25:21 | Read by Tora |
MRS GIBSON'S VISITORS | 19:23 | Read by Tora |
THE HALF-SISTERS | 30:41 | Read by Tora |
THE OLD SQUIRE'S TROUBLES | 31:49 | Read by Lucy Burgoyne (1950 - 2014) |
OSBORNE HAMLEY REVIEWS HIS POSITION | 23:51 | Read by Lucy Burgoyne (1950 - 2014) |
MRS GIBSON'S LITTLE DINNER | 16:31 | Read by Brenda Dayne |
HOLLINGFORD IN A BUSTLE | 24:00 | Read by Mary Anderson |
A CHARITY BALL | 49:39 | Read by Caitlin Kelly |
FATHER AND SONS | 19:54 | Read by Lizzie Driver |
RIVALRY | 32:40 | Read by Lizzie Driver |
BUSH-FIGHTING | 37:15 | Read by Mary Anderson |
OLD WAYS AND NEW WAYS | 21:23 | Read by Caitlin Kelly |
A PASSIVE COQUETTE | 22:32 | Read by Caitlin Kelly |
COMING EVENTS | 31:02 | Read by thomasina |
BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS | 17:01 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
A LOVER'S MISTAKE | 20:05 | Read by Lee Ann Howlett |
THE MOTHER'S MANOEUVRE | 36:13 | Read by Scott Mather |
DOMESTIC DIPLOMACY | 15:38 | Read by Scott Mather |
A FLUKE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT | 37:50 | Read by Scott Mather |
MR KIRKPATRICK, Q.C. | 26:14 | Read by Scott Mather |
SECRET THOUGHTS OOZE OUT | 30:00 | Read by Scott Mather |
MOLLY GIBSON BREATHES FREELY | 20:56 | Read by Scott Mather |
GATHERING CLOUDS | 29:37 | Read by Scott Mather |
THE STORM BURSTS | 22:55 | Read by Scott Mather |
CYNTHIA'S CONFESSION | 25:24 | Read by Scott Mather |
MOLLY GIBSON TO THE RESCUE | 25:43 | Read by Mary Anderson |
CONFIDENCES | 20:35 | Read by Tora |
HOLLINGFORD GOSSIPS | 20:54 | Read by Tora |
SCANDAL AND ITS VICTIMS | 25:20 | Read by Tora |
AN INNOCENT CULPRIT | 20:24 | Read by Tora |
MOLLY GIBSON FINDS A CHAMPION | 20:22 | Read by Tora |
CYNTHIA AT BAY | 27:56 | Read by Tora |
'TROUBLES NEVER COME ALONE' | 20:18 | Read by Tora |
SQUIRE HAMLEY'S SORROW | 27:19 | Read by Tora |
UNLOOKED-FOR ARRIVALS | 22:56 | Read by Jenilee |
MOLLY GIBSON'S WORTH IS DISCOVERED | 29:52 | Read by Mary Anderson |
AN ABSENT LOVER RETURNS | 26:02 | Read by Lucy Burgoyne (1950 - 2014) |
'OFF WITH THE OLD LOVE, AND ON WITH THE NEW.' | 23:07 | Read by Lucy Burgoyne (1950 - 2014) |
BRIDAL VISITS AND ADIEUX | 27:40 | Read by Mary Anderson |
REVIVING HOPES AND BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS | 27:24 | Read by Mary Anderson |
MOLLY GIBSON AT HAMLEY HALL | 25:54 | Read by Mary Anderson |
ROGER HAMLEY'S CONFESSION | 31:49 | Read by Mary Anderson |
Conclusion | 13:45 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
Reviews
Good book
Katie Did
The "real" ending that the author passed away before finishing the last chapter is very sad. I enjoyed the book very much.
Rosemary F
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
Barbie Chyqa
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
HealthyBiz
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
Mindyloutoo
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!
A LibriVox Listener
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
Rebecca VanDyk
I loved the deep character development and wonderful descriptions of this book. It drew me into their world and I loved it!
HL
Such nuanced characters and intertwining plot lines. The social commentaries make it so much more interesting!