Lizzie Leigh

by Elizabeth Gaskell

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Victorian, Short Stories, British Literature, 19th Century, Literature

36 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1850

About the author

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, née Stevenson (29 September 1810 – 12 November 1865), often referred to simply as Mrs. Gaskell, was an English novelist and short story writer during the Victorian era. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of society, including the very poor, and as such are of interest to social historians as well as lovers of literature.

AKA:
Елізабет Гаскелл (Ukrainian)

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughts soon.

[Dafne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quando venne pubblicato per la prima volta Mary Barton, Charles Dickens rimase molto colpito dallo stile di Elizabeth Gaskell tanto da chiederle di collaborare alla sua nuova rivista letteraria, “Household Words”. Era il 1850 e da allora tra i due iniziò una prolifica collaborazione. Il primo racconto nato da questa collaborazione fu Lizzie Leigh, il primo dei due racconti presenti in questo piccolo libricino.
In questo volume oltre all'opera già citata troviamo un altro dei racconti della Gaskell apparso sempre quell'anno nella rivista di Dickens, dal titolo Il pozzo di Pen-Mortha.
Il primo, Lizzie Leigh, traslazione della parabola del figliol prodigo al femminile, è un racconto drammatico che però non ha come protagonista il personaggio che da' il titolo al racconto, ma la madre Anne.
Lizzie è una ragazza che all'età di 17 anni lascia la casa paterna in campagna, la fattoria di Upclose, per andare in servizio nella città di Manchester. Poco dopo, la ragazza rimane incinta e viene allontanata dalla casa dove presta servizio. Per la sua famiglia questo fatto è un disonore e una vergogna; il padre, James, un uomo integro, duro, severo e inflessibile, non la considera più sua figlia e la allontana da casa lasciandola da sola in una città sconosciuta e abbandonata ad un destino crudele.
Sul letto di morte il padre perdona la figlia così la madre, Anne, decide di lasciare la fattoria e insieme ai due figli si trasferisce in città per cercare la figlia persa e ripudiata. Ogni notte Anne esce e girovaga senza meta fra le vie della città con l'unico intento di trovare Lizzie e ricondurla a casa per ricostruire la famiglia andata distrutta.
Il secondo, Il pozzo di Pen-Mortha è un racconto breve ambientato nelle campagne del Galles; è narrato come una sorta di fiaba e racconta la vicenda della giovane Nest Gwinn. Il pozzo del titolo è il centro della vicenda, il luogo dell'inizio e la fine di tutto il racconto; prima simbolo di felicità e speranza di un futuro migliore per la bella e gioiosa Nest, poi simbolo di distruzione dei sogni della giovane.

Lizzie Leigh è un racconto che finora non era mai stato tradotto in italiano, mentre Il pozzo di Pen-Mortha era già stato tradotto anni fa, ma in questo volume è proposto in una nuova traduzione.
In tutti e due i racconti troviamo molti temi cara alla scrittrice inglese: il rapporto genitori-figli, la religione, il perdono, l'espiazione, il sacrificio, la morte, l'amore materno, la fallen-woman e la discriminazione della donna.
Questi due racconti hanno molti elementi in comune, ma soprattutto uno: l'amore di una madre per propri figli che, come disse la stessa Gaskell in una lettera, “è l'amore che supera ogni altro amore terreno”. In entrambe le storie le madri sono figure molto forti, che fanno di tutto per la felicità delle loro figlie: si sacrificano, si arrabbiano, si umiliano, lottano contro le convenzioni della società.
La Gaskell, anche in un racconto (quindi con tutta la brevità tipica di questo tipo di narrazione), riesce a coinvolgere il lettore con grande trasporto nelle vicende che narra; il tutto grazie ad uno stile scorrevole e ad una rosa di personaggi ben delineati, cui la penna inglese da' voce, facendo emergere intensamente le loro passioni e il loro travaglio interiore, riuscendo in questo modo a rendere partecipe il lettore delle loro vicende e a farlo commuovere.
Questi due racconti sono due perle della bibliografia della scrittrice inglese, in cui l'autrice rivela ancora una volta le sue qualità letterarie e umane; la Gaskell è una scrittrice coraggiosa perché nelle sue opere riesce a mettere in luce temi (come gli operai, le fallen women, la condizione femminile) di cui nell'epoca vittoriana si parlava poco.
Amo Elizabeth Gaskell e questi due racconti sono stati una bella scoperta; due piccole perle delle bibliografia dell'autrice che gli amanti della Gaskell non dovrebbero lasciarsi sfuggire.

Una donna non può nascondere i suoi segreti a un'altra donna.

Non è vera bontà se non c'è anche misericordia e tenerezza.

[Diana Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartwarming short story about the unconditional love of a mother for her child. It's clear to me now that Mrs. Gaskill was deeply passionate about what she wrote and also that she not only was a devote Christian but she also felt compassion towards those society would instinctively cast out. In this work a mother goes in search of such a cast out child but her strong faith cannot detour her mission to save her child. Really enjoyed this read although not my favorite there is much to be learned from it and rightly deserves merit.

[Iza Brekilien · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short heartwarming Victorian story about sin and redemption. What I like with Elizabeth Gaskell is that unlike the righteous people who lived in that era, she prioritizes love and forgiveness over moral rectitude. The part where she writes about the little girl is poignant considering what happened in her personal life.

“Oh!” she said, with a sudden burst, “Will Leigh! I have thought so well of you; don’t go and make me think you cruel and hard. Goodness is not goodness unless there is mercy and tenderness with it."

[Amanda May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Mary Barton, "Lizzie Leigh" is the story of a fallen woman. Although the title character is marginalized for most of the narrative, appearing only by way of other characters mentioning her and by the allusions to her as "the mother/the shadow," her reappearance by name that occurs in the last section, as well as her mother's ability to nurture her in sorrow, permits Lizzie to return to society in a sense. She arrives at the family farm and lives in a secluded cottage, exiting only when another family experiences sorrow, so in a sense, she seems to me as some sort of patron saint who carries with her always the intense emotional agony that results from trauma and hardship.

Although there are some parallels between this and Mary Barton (which I also reviewed), I find this ending much more fulfilling. Although it is not ideal, the fallen woman is permitted to live, a rare instance, and to perform a task (although menial) within society, that is, to make an appearance whenever a shadow appears. The conclusion was poignant to me and utterly heart-lifting despite the continuation of her sorrow. Through it all, Lizzie manages to reestablish a moral way of life as well as strengthen her faith in God, as demonstrated by her ceaseless praying at the end. For a satisfying conclusion and a quick read, I heartily recommend this short story.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

a bit more palatable for gaskell, but- why need the heroine be so... perfect? but feel such- remorse? it's intolerably selfish of her. the guilt all those victorian girls must have felt

[Melia · Rating 1 out of 5]

overly sentimental short story

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume contains two short stories by Gaskell, Lizzie Leigh and The Well of Pen-Morfa. The main theme of both stories is a mother's unconditional, everlasting love for her daughter, and I loved how in both cases there was a real mother-daughter bond by blood but also another mother and daughter figures who weren't actually related.

Both stories were extremely tragic; in Lizzie Leigh, especially, I was shocked by the death of Lizzie's daughter. While I sort of understood why it happened, I still found it a little too much and unnecessary.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this story, published without attribution in Harper's Vol 1, no 1. It was well written and I sensed the voice of an author I had read before. So I looked it up. Mrs Gaskell-- but of course!

It's a sweet sad story, a classic Victorian morality tale, but with a difference which may be hard to detect given the ravages of time. At the time this story was written, it was quite novel and liberal- minded to mention the reality of a child born out of wedlock, and hold up the example of a mother's love for a daughter whose virtue was compromised, and also to show how that daughter did her best to help her baby.

As a 21st century reader, I can't help feeling troubled that the cause of Lizzie Leigh's fall is not discussed. Who was the man who got her pregnant? Was she raped? And what of her own father who sent her to work out in the world because of his jealousy of the bond between Lizzie and her mother? -- The author does point to Lizzie's father's hardness of heart as the prime mover here, but really the peccadilloes of the men are just despaired of with no expectations that they will change. Gaskell-- does look to a future where tolerance and compassion are the norm. Lizzie's brother who had rejected her is brought round to tolerance thanks to the caring moral presence of his mother and his sweetheart. A new generation arises at the end of the story, and we sense that the sins of the past have been expiated.

One senses that Mrs. Gaskell-- knew a lot more about the vicissitudes of life than Victorian sensibility could let be expressed. While not as great a story as some of her other work, Lizzie Leigh is a worthwhile read, and the mother love is heart warming. The story also serves as an excellent relic of the good and bad aspects of early 19th century English life.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gaskell's compassionate and merciful treatment of unwed mothers already feels typical of her (after Mary Barton and another short story) and yet radical for her time; maybe more of the Victorians were the same but that's not the vision that's carried down from history. Often the impression is pure woman shouldn't know anything of such things, but here it's the women who are compassionate and a man still thinking his pure angel of a love would despise him for his sister's sin. Nothing said of the father of the illegitimate child, and at first I thought the prodigal daughter must have gone into prostitution (working in Manchester, sounding similar to a thread of Mary Barton), but it sounds like she'd gone into service which she'd been made to leave when she got in her "condition".
The mother, Mrs. Leigh, uses parables and promotes reading the New Testament for others to get a more merciful view on her daughter's situation.

Librivox audio read by Phil Benson, lovely accent and dialect reading

[Lese lust · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diese Erzählung beginnt am Sterbebett des Familienoberhaupts. Ich vergebe ihr - damit verabschiedet er sich. Es war der größte Wunsch seiner Frau, dies noch von ihm zu hören. Nun, da die sich mit noch den Kindern verpflichtet fühlt, kann die Mutter endlich tun, was ihr schon lange am Herzen liegt: nach ihrer Tochter Lizzie suchen, eben jener, der nun endlich vergeben wurde. Man ahnt es schon, was es ist, was die so sehr in Ungnade hat fallen lassen: sie hat ein Kind bekommen.

Wie nun dieses Kind ins Spiel kommt, eine weitere Liebesgeschichte sich entwickelt, großer Kummer über die Familie kommt und am Ende doch so etwas wie Friede und Glück auf die Beteiligten wartet, liest sich auf gewohnt etwas umständlich, im schönsten Sonne altmodische Weise.

[Carolina Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this (tale? short novel? not sure about the gender) plot, about a countrygirl sent to work alone in Manchester due to the worried father think her mother was caring 'too much' about her, so she would be spoiled. Obviously, the worst happens, she gets pregnant and is expelled from the house. In the meantime, her father dies, forgiving her at last in his deathbed, so Lizzie's mother, Mrs Leight, decides to move to Manchester in attempt to persue her daughter, along with male siblings Will and Tom.

[Inga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh dear! Very unfortunate male characters here. They all just fail so miserably! They can only hope for a stern talking to by the women in their lives to be set right. Too bad the world is still left for them to run and the melodrama stays with the women. I hear you! I´d have had hope for Tom, especially since he becomes a teacher, but alas, he stays invisible.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

No acostumbro leer muchos cuentos, pero estos en particular me encantaron. El estilo de Elizabeth Gaskell es perfecto y puede retratar las situaciones más críticas de forma precisa.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Gaskell, but not awful either.

[Aurélie de Parseval · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet short story. Oh how I love Gaskell!!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only complaint is that it's too short! (I read this in about an hour, and I'm a slow reader.) What can I say? It's another charming story from my favorite Victorian novelist.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐

Lizzie Leigh was published in Charles Dickens’ Household Words from March 30 to April 13, 1850.


This tale gives an excellent portrayal of the Victorian attitude towards the "fallen women" (prostitutes) of that era. Gaskell highlights and contrasts the female characters sympathetic attitudes toward fallen woman who actively seek to rectify the problems that brought about Lizzie's fall against the defeatist and conformist attitudes of the male characters. Although sympathetic to the plight of the fallen woman, Gaskell cannot completely escape the overall judgment of her times in her writing by seeing that Lizzie is punished for her sexual transgressions by the loss and death of her illegitimate daughter. Gaskell has Lizzie vindicating herself by practicing to others the same type of sympathy that was shown to her by the other women in the story.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

História triste... Mas a narrativa da Gaskell é magnífica

[Gwynplaine26th · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tendenzialmente associo la Gaskell al periodo natalizio, specialmente testi brevi come questo, sarà per il fatto di essere inglese, o vittoriana, ma in realtà con lo spirito positivo e candido del Natale c'entra ben poco. Anche qui una fallen woman, e tutti i temi cari alla Gaskell, la discriminazione, l’amore materno, il sacrificio, l’espiazione, il perdono, la morte.

Brevi perle per arricchire il nostro Victorian christmas da cui, quasi mai, aspettarsi però un "vissero felici e contenti".

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh il tormento che i personaggi della Gaskell devono passare pur di arrivare alla fine dei loro libri, se ci arrivano, anche perché in alcuni casi sarebbe meglio morissero prima.
A parte gli scherzi, questi due racconti mi mancavano e li ho anche letti in italiano, quindi non posso dire niente, a parte che sembrano ben tradotti, purtroppo il melodramma é veramente troppo e senza speranza, una specie di Verga vittoriano in questo caso, e per quanto mi sforzi, non vedevo l'ora di finire queste poche pagine di sofferenza....Inoltre nella mia copia c'era anche un altro racconto, persino piú angosciante di questo, insomma...preferisco i suoi romanzi piú lunghi.

[Phil Syphe · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Lizzie Leigh” is one of Elizabeth Gaskell’s short stories. I found this a little depressing and at times somewhat melodramatic.

The title character is not the heroine of the piece. She is a fallen woman, as such females were known in the 1800s. Her reason for “falling” is because she had a child out of wedlock.

She’s also a missing person, which forms the basic plot of this tale, as her mother and reluctant brother leave their farm to search for Lizzie in Manchester.

[McKenna R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started off a bit slow, but by the end I found myself feeling quite touched at the story of Lizzie Leigh. It is what would have been then a modern-day version of the parable of the prodigal son in the Bible. It’s about the unconditional love of mother for daughter and it talks a lot about sin and forgiveness. There’s even a tiny bit of romantic love woven in. Overall, I enjoyed this short story.

[Ferraris Massimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prima traduzione assoluta in italiano di “Lizzie Leigh”, che si accompagna nel libro a una nuova traduzione de “Il Pozzo di Pen-Mortha”. Elizabeth Gaskell in entrambi i racconti regala emozioni e fa vivere atmosfere uniche. La sua sensibilità da’ voce alle sofferenze delle protagoniste con compostezza e delicata attenzione ai particolari, ma le passioni e il travaglio interiore emergono intensamente e ti conquistano.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tender, loving story, full of the compassion that is so evident in Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels. And her trademark descriptions of both landscape and character also feature strongly. Although this be a short story, all Elizabeth Gaskell’s skills as an author shine through brightly, and it is a delight to read.

[Margret Melissa (ladybug) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good, quick read. The language was hard for me to follow along with. It was basically the Prodigal Son just change son to daughter. I really didn't like the ending, though. :(

[Water · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, but almost anything by Gaskell's good. It reminded me a bit of "The Scarlet Letter" (not in ambition, just in morality). Overall, you'll enjoy it once.

[Isabela Wana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sappy churchly ludicrous drama. Lol'd all the way through.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Elizabeth Gaskell. I enjoyed this short story on my phone on a long flight (thank you, Gutenberg.org!): https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2521/...