Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life (English Library) (original: 1848; edição: 1975)

A bit to dense and slow for me.
Despite that probably something that I'll reread someday and would advice others to read. ( )

Elizabeth Gaskell’s first novel is based on a true story: the murder of a mill owner in 1831. Her story is set a few years later and covers not only this true story but also conditions for the working class in general. It sets the stage for the themes she would explore in later books, such as North and South.

I personally found this a slog. Each chapter begins with a song or poem, and the way my copy was formatted made it hard to tell sometimes when the quote ended and the story began. I also found it hard to become invested in the story; I still haven’t reached the murder, even though I started this a month and a half ago (started in late August 2020, and it’s nearly mid-October now). Part of this could be chalked up to pandemic brain and ebook fatigue, so I wouldn’t rule out returning to this someday. But right now it is too much, and certainly not as interesting as Wives and Daughters, which is my favourite Gaskell novel and which I recommend. ( )

Death and poverty and socialism, oh my!

I think Elizabeth Gaskell just made it onto my favorite authors list. This is another amazing novel where she seamlessly weaves a romantic subplot among the more serious issues of the day: workers rights, strikes, and union busting. ( )

I enjoyed this depiction of the life of a factory girl in Manchester in the mid 19th century. It portrayed all classes of society, and clearly depicted the travails of the working class, and the privileges of the factory owner. Mary was a lovely character, developing from a naive young girl to a self-sufficient woman. I can't put my finger on why, but I didn't enjoy this quite as much as I generally enjoy books by George Eliot or Charles Dickens. This is only the second work by Elizabeth Gaskell I have read, and it is her first novel, so I hope to read more by her, as I have a few more of her books on my Kindle. Still, a worthwhile read.

3 1/2 stars ( )

Set in mid-1800s industrial Manchester, the story is both a romance and a political commentary on the working classes vs. the wealthy owners of industry. Where the two parts of the tale meet, the potential for tragedy lives.
So much bleaker than Cranford, and therefore not quite as enjoyable for me, but still an interesting and groundbreaking novel. ( )