If You Love Jane Austen, Meet Elizabeth Gaskell

With Valentine's this week and a new Jane Austen movie coming out later this month, who is not thinking Austen? Sadly, she only left six finished novels, so if you're hankering for more in the same vein, read on. And check out the trailer for the new Emma below!

If you like Jane Austen, imagine a similar study of manners and romance but with more social consciousness. While I love dear old Jane, she often leaves out the less satisfactory elements of life in her time period. The poor are rarely mentioned, except as an example of what might happen to the protagonist if she makes a few missteps. (Think of the exemplary tale of Colonel Brandon’s niece in Sense and Sensibility or Fanny’s family in Mansfield Park.)

But Elizabeth Gaskell, a contemporary of the Brontës, thinks differently. While she’s still centered on romance and manners, she often shows us people struggling on the outskirts through no fault of their own. She shows us prejudice in a completely different way—not just in the way that Elizabeth misjudges Darcy, but the way we think we know everything about someone’s motives, especially if that person happens to be from a different class or geographical location. She also takes inside mills and courtrooms, somewhere Austen would never go.

Mary Barton—This Gaskell book doesn’t have a film version, although I’ve heard one is in the works. It’s her first book, and in many ways rougher than Wives and Daughters or North and South. But I loved the spunk of Mary. It has a murder mystery, courtroom drama, romance, and a slice of lower class provincial life. This book is also a beautiful meditation on the power of grace, which reminded me of Les Miserables.

Wives and Daughters—If you haven’t seen the movie, this is about two step sisters, Molly and Cynthia, who couldn’t be more different. Think of it as Sense and Sensibility, but Cynthia isn’t in love with love, like Marianne, but instead enjoys playing with men’s hearts. And when Roger, whom Molly loves, falls for Cynthia—it is as heart wrenching as any Victorian novel can be. Another thing I loved about this novel was that Roger was a naturalist. As my son has this bent, I just loved that he collected bugs and specimens.

North and South—This is like Pride and Prejudice, but instead of Mr. Darcy being an independently rich landowner, John Thorton is a man who’s worked his way up from nothing to own a textile factory. What I loved about this is that Margaret teaches Thorton how to have more compassion for his workers, and he teaches her how to have more compassion for men like him. (Not all business owners are monsters). There’s so much incredible depth to this novel (and the film). And Brendan Coyle (of Downton Abbey) is in the miniseries. Not to be missed.

North and South Miniseries (BBC photo)

Have you read any Elizabeth Gaskell? What are your plans  for Valentine's Day?