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Cranford

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Cranford

By: Elizabeth Gaskell
Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
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Cranford is Elizabeth Gaskell’s gently comic picture of life and manners in an English country village during the 1830s. It describes the small adventures in the lives of two middle-aged sisters in reduced circumstances, Matilda and Deborah Jenkyns, who do their best to maintain their standards of propriety, decency, and kindness. At the center of the novel is Miss Matty, whose warm heart and tender ways compel affection and regard from everyone around her. Also revealed are the foibles and attributes of the pompous Mrs. Jamieson and her awesome butler, the genial Captain Brown, the loyal housemaid Martha, and others.

Using an intimate, gossipy voice that never turns sentimental, Gaskell skillfully conveys the old-fashioned habits, subtle class distinctions, and genteel poverty of the townspeople. Cranford is one of the author’s best-loved works.

(P)2001 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Classics Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction Witty
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Critic reviews

“Bathed in a poignant, dreamlike mood found nowhere else in fiction.”

(Guardian)

“The most perfect of Mrs. Gaskell’s creations.”

(Saturday Review)

“Reader Nadia May lends an authentic air to the women’s complaints about bonnets and servants, adding a somber note when the villagers experience death and robbery.”

(AudioFile)
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Possibly the best version of Cranford I have read, heard or seen. I did not want it to end.

A Perfect Classic

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Published in 1853, Cranford is Elizabeth Gaskell's most amusing and touching novel. It's a wonderful book. In this version the narration is fine but feels stilted and a little "cold". It doesn't bring out the full humour of the story. That is odd because I have enjoyed Nadia May's narration in other audiobooks - her "Adam Bede" is excellent.

Overall, for me, this presentation didn't work and Prunella Scales' reading is much better.

Lovely story. Not so sure about the narration

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A lovely book, describing the lives of the ladies of Cranford. Admittedly not a great deal happens to them for much of the book - but that doesn't matter; in fact I think it's part of the point. Cranford is full of wit, and this audio version is read very well by Nadia May, who brings out the humour in her narration. I very much enjoyed listening and it made me laugh a lot.

Excellent

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