Faithful Realism

This book argues that the established view of Elizabeth Gaskell as a sociopolitical and/or provincial writer is a serious distortion of her achievements. It seeks to resituate Gaskell's work within the wider tradition of nine-teenth century realism, arguing that Gaskell's 'Wives and Daughters' is the nearest equivalent we have in English to Leo Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina'.