Cranford Audiobook By Elizabeth Gaskell cover art

Cranford

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Cranford

By: Elizabeth Gaskell
Narrated by: Clare Wille
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This charming piece of social observation throws a gentle spotlight on life in a small village in northern England of the 1850s. The middle-aged ladies, existing in rather impoverished circumstances, nevertheless maintain the rules of politeness which they feel they should live by. Read with great sensitivity by Clare Wille.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2007 Naxos Rights International Classics

Editorial reviews

Clare Wille's performance of this gently satirical look at a genteel English village in the first half of the nineteenth century is excellent. Like a kinder version of E.F. Benson's Mapp v. Lucia novels, Gaskell's ladies of Cranford have their jealousies and their vanities. They also have moments of quiet tragedy (a lost brother, a suitor rejected to please the family but never forgotten) and of high drama. Wille made me laugh aloud at the pompous trumpeting of the late Reverend Jenkins. When Miss Poe comes in out of breath, you could swear Wille was running up stairs while delivering her lines. Her performance is always fully engaged, at one with the story, which is itself a small gem.

Critic reviews

Clare Wille's performance of Mrs. Gaskell's Cranford...may be the wittiest I've ever heard." ( AudioFile Magazine)

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Would you consider the audio edition of Cranford to be better than the print version?

I like to read and listen at the same time on some of these English novels because the hear pronunciations in a tongue more like they were used at the time of the writing.

What did you like best about this story?

Over the years I have read this story many times and I have also seen the PBS version with Judy Dench. It reminds me a little of the very small town I grew up in......everyone knew everyone.

Have you listened to any of Clare Wille’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have just added this narrator (Clare Wille) to my list of personal favorites.

Great Naration

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Would you consider the audio edition of Cranford to be better than the print version?

Listening to the story made it easier to follow along. I switched back and forth and both reading and listening had their merits, but this audio edition is at the very least equal to the print.

What other book might you compare Cranford to and why?

It is a bit like Winesburg, Ohio in that it's a series of interconnected stories that describe one town, but the tone is lighter, though the stories do cover some dark topics. It is also a bit like Lark Rise to Candleford.

What about Clare Wille’s performance did you like?

Her tone matches the somewhat ironic, sometime sad but often funny voice of the narrator perfectly. Sometimes when reader perform Victorian novels they can drone, but Clare Wile kept the story interesting.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I had the time, I could have easily listened to it all in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

This isn't a listen for someone looking for lots of drama or plot, but it is sweet, and evokes a time and place quite vividly.

Charming novella, well read

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This book was good ! I think Pride and Prejudice is better! If you want try it I recommend it!

Cranford

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What a beautiful reading this was. The inflections, pacing, voicing and intelligent understanding were impeccable! It was a delight. Thank you!

Cranford, a novel of depth and wit

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I saw the BBC adaptation and loved it and wanted to read the book. The audible adaptation was charming. The narrator was smooth and entertaining, the writing witty and humorous, and I loved the changes in narrator's voice To suit the speaker and the period music added in. recommending to friends!

Wonderful Period Novel

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This is a wonderful recording of a delightful book. Clare Wille has a gentle and sympathetic voice, and reads the text very expressively. Life in an English village populated by quirky but warm-hearted spinsters in the mid 19th century is lovingly brought to life. Lovely piano interludes between chapters help to create an atmosphere of quiet, cosy gentility - just what the Cranford ladies themselves would have liked!

Charming episodes, beautifully told

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Put me right into the little town has me caring for the ladies of Cranford. The narration is wonderful. I recommend reading/listening to this before seeing the PBS version. The pbs show is wonderful but I like to be able to use my imagination to see the characters without any input other than what the author gives. But you’ll want to watch it after just to get more from this lovely town.

Cranford-a lovely town.

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I couldn't finish this one. I had technical difficulties and it finally got to the point that it wasn't worth the effort.

Awful

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