May and June 2023 - Classic Group Read - Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell (spoilers thread)

[Alannah]

Please discuss our winner here.

If you haven't read the book and do not want to see any spoilers. Please feel free to discuss the book here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Nidhi]

Chapter 3. Ruth spends her sundays alone without dinner or fire facilities. This episode strongly reminded me of Lucy Snowe's solitude in residential school for young ladies in Villete by Charlotte Bronte. Bronte describes the loneliness with very powerful imagery.

[Greg]

Nidhi wrote: "Chapter 3. Ruth spends her sundays alone without dinner or fire facilities. This episode strongly reminded me of Lucy Snowe's solitude in residential school for young ladies in Villete by Charlotte..."

Vilette is one of those books I have always meant to read but haven't gotten around to yet.

[Nidhi]

Villete inspired me to read the biography of Charlotte Bronte by Gaskell, of course it covers the life of all three sisters. I can't choose my favourite among these four ladies. I hope you would enjoy Villete when you would plan to read it, it has many literary merits.

[Greg]

Nidhi wrote: "Villete inspired me to read the biography of Charlotte Bronte by Gaskell, of course it covers the life of all three sisters. I can't choose my favourite among these four ladies. I hope you would en..."

I've read Agnes Grey, and I liked that one; so Villette is for sure on my to-read list. It's really extraordinary that all three sisters should be so talented that they're still read and studied a century later! What a family!

[Greg]

In chapter 7 now:

It's starting to remind me of Tess of the D'Urbervilles in that Ruth is harmed by her own innocence and by the set of social conventions that should protect her.

I like the book so far, but it's a bit melodramatic in a way that's typical for many books of the period, and it lacks humor. I wonder if this is typical of Gaskell . . . a question for those who have read her most famous works?

I'm curious about the kindly "deformed" dwarf that she meets on her hike - he's an interesting character. I suspect he'll be central to the story at some point.

[Nidhi]

It definitely reminded me of Tess, too and of Hardy's pessimistic way of treating his characters but book gets better.....at least its not gloomy all around.....I am on chapter 16.

[Greg]

Nidhi wrote: "It definitely reminded me of Tess, too and of Hardy's pessimistic way of treating his characters but book gets better.....at least its not gloomy all around.....I am on chapter 16."

Glad you're enjoying it Nidhi!

[LauraT]

Nidhi wrote: "It definitely reminded me of Tess, too and of Hardy's pessimistic way of treating his characters but book gets better.....at least its not gloomy all around.....I am on chapter 16."

Definitly!!! Even if Ruth has been more fortunate in finding her friends

[Greg]

I'm in chapter 13 now, and I love the dissident minister and his sister. He really tries to do good, and his heart is in the right place; it's very endearing.

I can definitely see this book persuading some of her Victorian contemporaries to be a little less judgemental, and it seems to be written for that purpose. It feels like Gaskell is trying to persuade her readers to be a bit kinder to people who have made mistakes and who can learn to do better . . . especially women who have fallen afoul of strict Victorian standards.

And nothing in the book so far is presented in a way to shock or offend; anything challenging is couched in very mild terms. I could hardy tell that Ruth had intimate relations until it revealed her pregnancy! That makes the book feel a bit quaint, but I'm enjoying it nevertheless . . . despite the subject matter, the treatment is quite cozy.

[Leslie]

Greg wrote: "I like the book so far, but it's a bit melodramatic in a way that's typical for many books of the period, and it lacks humor. I wonder if this is typical of Gaskell . . . a question for those who have read her most famous works? ..."

I would say that this book had the least amount of humor in it of all the Gaskell books I've read. But in general Gaskell is more serious than some of her contemporaries such as Dickens or Thackeray.

[Greg]

Leslie wrote: "I would say that this book had the least amount of humor in it of all the Gaskell books I've read. But in general Gaskell is more serious than some of her contemporaries such as Dickens or Thackeray"

Thanks Leslie, I was curious. I will definitely read one of her more famous works at some point.

[Nidhi]

I find Dickens' works to be most humourous. He is my all time favourite author because his works have most humanitarian content. Recently I read No Name by Collins and felt that it was totally devoid of humour or comic relief, as compared to Dickens'works Gaskell' , George Eliot's , even Bronte sisters' works have less humour, but their works address contemporary social issues very affectively and are excellent works.


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[Greg]

I do agree with that Nidhi - all of those writers you mention provide astute social commentary; they're a wonderful window into the Victorian social world.

[LauraT]

Greg wrote: "I'm in chapter 13 now, and I love the dissident minister and his sister. He really tries to do good, and his heart is in the right place; it's very endearing..."

He really believes in what he preaces

[LauraT]

Greg wrote: "I do agree with that Nidhi - all of those writers you mention provide astute social commentary; they're a wonderful window into the Victorian social world."

Indeed they are!

[LauraT]

Leslie wrote: "I would say that this book had the least amount of humor in it of all the Gaskell books I've read. But in general Gaskell is more serious than some of her contemporaries such as Dickens or Thackeray."

Absolutely so

[Nidhi]

There is absence of omnipresent narrator,we are informed of just Ruth's small world but not of the world she left behind, Mrs Mason, her guardian, her lover. May be in proceeding chapters we will get to know something which will complete the circle of the story.
.

[Greg]

Nidhi wrote: "There is absence of omnipresent narrator,we are informed of just Ruth's small world but not of the world she left behind, Mrs Mason, her guardian, her lover. May be in proceeding chapters we will g..."

That's a great point Nidhi - the perspective is limited to what the characters know.

It'll be interesting to see where it goes!