Curious, if True - Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn

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Résumé :
CONTENTS The Old Nurse's Story The Poor Clare Lois the Witch The Grey Woman Curious, if True Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (n?e Stevenson; 29 September 1810 - 12 November 1865), often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer and short story writer. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of Victorian society, including the very poor. Her work is of interest to social historians as well as readers of literature. Her first novel, Mary Barton, was published in 1848. Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Bront?, published in 1857, was the first biography of Charlotte Bront?. In this biography, she wrote only of the moral, sophisticated things in Bront?'s life; the rest she left out, deciding that certain, more salacious aspects were better kept hidden. Among Gaskell's best known novels are Cranford (1851-53), North and South (1854-55), and Wives and Daughters (1865), each having been adapted for television by the BBC. Gaskell's first novel, Mary Barton, was published anonymously in 1848. The best-known of her remaining novels are Cranford (1853), North and South (1854), and Wives and Daughters (1865). She became popular for her writing, especially her ghost stories, aided by Charles Dickens, who published her work in his magazine Household Words. Her ghost stories are in the Gothic vein, making them quite distinct from her industrial fiction. Even though her writing conforms to Victorian conventions, including the use of the name Mrs. Gaskell, she usually framed her stories as critiques of contemporary attitudes. Her early works focused on factory work in the Midlands. She usually emphasized the role of women, with complex narratives and realistic female characters. Gaskell said she was influenced by the writings of Jane Austen. She then felt qualified to write a book on one of the greatest authors of all time, smoothing over patches in her life that were too rough for the sophisticated society woman. Her treatment of class continues to interest social historians as well as fiction lovers. (wikipedia.org)

Biographie:
the rest she left out, concluding that some, more lurid aspects were better kept buried. Gaskell's best-known novels include Cranford (1851-1853), North and South (1854-1855), and Wives and Daughters (1864-1866), all of which were adapted for television by the BBC. Gaskell was born Elizabeth Cleghorn Stevenson on September 29, 1810, in Lindsey Row, Chelsea, London (now 93 Cheyne Walk). Her father, William Stevenson, a Unitarian from Berwick-upon-Tweed, was preacher at Failsworth, Lancashire, but resigned on ethical reasons. He traveled to London in 1806 with the aim of heading to India after being appointed private secretary to the Earl of Lauderdale, who would later become Governor General of India....

Sommaire:
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, also known as Mrs Gaskell, was an English author, biographer, and short story writer. Her stories provide a vivid image of many levels of Victorian society, including the very impoverished. Her debut work, Mary Barton, was published in 1848. The first biography of Charlotte Bronte was The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth Gaskell, published in 1857. In her biography, she wrote solely about the moral and sophisticated portions of Bronte's life...