Cranford

More about the book

Set in the fictional town of Cranford, inspired by Elizabeth Gaskell's own childhood in Knutsford, this episodic novel explores life in a rural community marked by old-fashioned class snobbery. Originally serialized in Household Words, it captures the essence of social dynamics and the quaintness of country living. Gaskell's reflections on her upbringing and previous writings inform the narrative, which gained popularity and led to various adaptations by the early twentieth century.