Quick Classics Collection: 19th-Century Writers: Cranford, Ivanhoe, Silas Marner

Written by Elizabeth Gaskell, Walter Scott and George Eliot

Narrated by Prunella Scales, Tim Pigott-Smith and Dame Judi Dench

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first time.

Three of the finest novels of the 19th Century are brought together in this wide-ranging collection.

From the rumblings of provincial England in Silas Marner and Cranford to a wild and dangerous journey across the Holy Lands in Ivanhoe, these classic novels of the Georgian and Victorian period are as relevant and important today as they ever have been.

These classic stories are read by Fawlty Towers’ Prunella Scales; The Jewel in the Crown’s Tim Pigott-Smith; and Dame Judi Dench.

This collection includes:
• Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, read by Prunella Scales
• Ivanhoe by Walter Scott, read by Tim Pigott-Smith
• Silas Marner by George Eliot, read by Dame Judi Dench

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: Oct 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9780008441203

Elizabeth Gaskell

Elizabeth Cleghorn Stevenson (Gaskell de casada) nació en Londres en 1810. En 1832 contrajo matrimonio con William Gaskell, ministro unitario, y la pareja se estableció en Manchester, una ciudad sometida a las secuelas de la revolución Industrial. El choque que supuso el contacto con esta sociedad quedaría reflejado en varias de sus novelas: Mary Barton (1848; ALBA CLÁSICA MAIOR NÚM. LIV) o Norte y Sur (1855; ALBA CLÁSICA MAIOR núm. XXIV). En 1857 publicó la Vida de Charlotte Brontë (ALBA CLÁSICA BIOGRAFÍAS, núm. IV), una de las biografías más destacadas del siglo XIX. Otras obras suyas son La casa del páramo (1850; ALBA CLÁSICA, núm. CIV), Cranford (1851-1853; ALBA CLÁSICA, núm. XLII), Cuentos góticos (ALBA CLÁSICA, núm. XCIV), Los amores de Sylvia (1863), La prima Phyllis (1863-1864; ALBA CLÁSICA, núm. CIII), e Hijas y esposas (1864-1866; ALBA CLÁSICA MAIOR núm. XLII), cuyos últimos capítulos dejaría sin concluir a su muerte, acaecida en 1865 en Alton, Hampshire.

Reviews for Quick Classics Collection

[mickyfine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This anecdotal novel follows the events in Cranford, a small town whose society is largely dominated by women. At the centre of the book is Miss Matty Jenkyns, a kind-hearted but mildly impoverished woman who is eager for her world to provide the best comforts for those she loves.A gentle, classic novel full of comedic moments. While there's not a lot of plot, there is plenty of funny social commentary, the exploration of the importance of female friendships, and spending time in Cranford is largely a cozy delight. However, be aware that the novel shows its age with a few moments of casual racism. In general, it's a brilliant piece of Victorian-era writing and I had a great time with it. Recommended.

[nordie_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic book by Gaskill of a small town - almost a village - in rural England, dominated by women of a certain age. Whilst not rich, they are not necessarily poor and they have developed their own ways of presenting themselves to the local community.

The book is narrated by Mary Smith, not a native of Cranford, who makes occasional visits to Miss Mattie (and her older sister Miss Deborah, whilst she is alive), a spinster in her 50s. There is no plot, per se, rather each chapter describing an occurrence in the village and the resident's reaction to it, which can often be wildly out of proportion to what actually happened.

This is a light and amusing book, which disappointed me slightly when I realised I'd been daft enough to think this was a (Lark Rise to) Candleford book (whoops!), even though I could see a similarity in some of the characters. Looking at some other reviews of this book, it seems I am not mistaken for confusing the two (Cranford/Candleford; both set in the middle of the 19th Century; etc).

[drfuriosa · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A charming, tender, yet sad account of provincial life, with colorful characters. Time to watch the series now!

[john257hopper · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the third of Gaskell's novels I have read, but I didn't like this nearly as much as North and South and Mary Barton, which were rich novels with deep themes and interesting characters. This was a rambling and largely plotless (albeit short) novel about the lives of various ladies in the eponymous fictional town, which is based on Knutsford in Cheshire. The characters didn't really distinguish themselves from each other in my mind, and despite some humorous passages, didn't elicit my interest. A bit disappointing.

[electrascaife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Life in a 19th-Century English town, one which is run almost solely according to the rules of the women who live there. I loved this book. Sweet and funny, with characters you grow to adore. Nothing much happens in this small town, but Gaskell has a knack for describing everyday events in terms of the momentous drama in which her characters perceive them and it makes for storytelling gold.

[jbd1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yet another of those books that, now I've read it, I wonder why on earth I didn't pick it up before. A deeply amusing and poignant look at a certain domestic milieu in mid-nineteenth-century England, told through a series of short vignettes.

[arubabookwoman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book consists of a series of linked vignettes about life in a quiet country village. Its characters are primarily women living lives of gentile poverty. Episodes include a hero saving a child from being hit by a train, reappearances by long-lost lovers and long-lost relatives, gypsies, a crime wave, and how to act around the aristocracy. This is a quiet, gentle book. It has the feel of a book by Jane Austen or Barbara Pym.

[lord_boris-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Giving it four stars as it exceeded expectations and was genuinely funny in parts. Funniest book I've read all year in fact - although looking back, not a difficult achievement. Each chapter was really a vignette but the book was none the worse for this and there was a kind of plot that came together at the end. Poignant in places. Good to know that people's obsession with status and appearance was being satirised 150 years ago.

[streamsong_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

”In the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons; all the holders of houses above a certain rent are women. If a married couple come to settle in the town, somehow the gentleman disappears; he is either fairly frightened to death by being the only man in the Cranford evening parties, or he is accounted for by being with his regiment, his ship, or closely engaged in business all the week in the great neighbouring commercial town of Drumble, distant only twenty miles on a railroad. In short, whatever does become of the gentlemen, they are not at Cranford.”Sweet, gentle satire of the ladies in a fictional Victorian village. We see their fight to stay “genteel” in the face of poverty, their alarms over possible theft and crime, regrets over lost loves, and through al,l their loyalty and kindness to each other. I listened to the audiobook read by Clare Wille, who did an excellent job.

[amerynth · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Elizabeth Gaskell continues to be a disappointment for me... her topics and the Victorian style of her novels should garner high marks from me because this is my favorite genre. However, I found "Cranford" like the other Gaskell novels I've read to be be kind of boring."Cranford" is a loose collection of stories about the older ladies of the community, especially Miss Matty Jenkyns, who goes through a number of tribulations. The stories were pretty slow moving and this felt like a much longer book than it actually was.

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very enjoyable series of stories about the people of Cranford written as Victorian style comedy of manners.

[seriousgrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a weird little book. Picture a society made up mostly of women. In the fictional town of Cranford women run the show. If a new couple arrives in Cranford to settle down sooner or later the man of the house vanishes. This society simply doesn't need a man...until Captain Brown and his two daughters arrive on the scene. There is no central plot as this was originally published as a satirical serial. However, the entire story is told first person through the eyes of a visitor and most of the story centers on one particular character, Miss Matty (Matilda).

[fyrefly98 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Summary: Cranford is a small provincial town that is almost entirely populated by women. (At least among the middle/upper classes.) Some of these women are single, some are widowed, and all of them do their best to maintain a lifestyle appropriate to their station, even though money is tight for almost all of them. But discussing these things is simply not done, of course, if one is to maintain a polite and proper society.Review: My Jane Austen book club is branching out a little bit, so we picked Cranford as a period-appropriate detour. And, while this book was largely inoffensive, and had some truly memorably funny bits, on the whole, it didn't really stand out for me. I think my largest issue was with the lack of a narrative through-line - there were lots of episodic little vignettes, but no real plot. (I recently learned that this was originally published serially as various interconnected sketches of life in this small town, which makes perfect sense in retrospect.) If I had to point to "the main plot", it didn't show up until about two-thirds of the way through the book, and was basically "Miss Mattie loses her money but because she's been nice to everyone they're all willing to give her stuff for free and then her brother comes back from India rich and they all live happily ever after." Sort of weak sauce, there, plot-wise. I also had a difficult time telling some of the secondary characters apart, and I'm still not sure that I know who the narrator was and why she was important or how she fit into the neighborhood. So, while it wasn't exactly a chore to listen to, it wasn't something that made me want to keep coming back, either. I did watch the mini-series (years ago, now) and liked it well enough; I may have to revisit that to see if it helps at all. 3 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Fans of British literature and British humor of this time period will likely enjoy it, but I found it a little underweight for a supposed classic.

[missizicks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cranford is a warm, gently wry look at provincial life in the mid 19th century. On the surface, whimsical and twee, but underneath are knowing winks and nods to the foolish vanity of polite society. Elizabeth Gaskell loves her characters generously, and her ribbing is never other than gentle. Some characters are innocent of the hardness of life, others choose not to acknowledge it.The book has a big heart. Miss Matty is the focus of everyone's concern and is the gentlest soul who brings out the good in others.The structure of society, particularly the hierarchies of social standing, are simultaneously important to Cranford's residents and rules to be broken, with the genteel mixing with their servants quite happily. Intrigues and squabbles between the ladies who think themselves grander than they are, are described with a warm humour. Elizabeth Gaskell seems to be winking at us through the pages.The book is set in the period I deal with at work, and gives a different view to that of commerce and innovation found in the records I look after. This is a society predominantly made up of women, and retired women at that. The narrator is a young woman who divides her time between Cranford and Drumble, the nearest large town. Drumble is based on the city where I work. As an almost outsider, the narrator is able to view the oddness of Cranford society with a twinkle in her eye, and others who appear in the village having experienced life elsewhere do the same.Nostalgia can be a strange thing. The book made me nostalgic for something I have never known - the quiet life in a village at a period of great economic and social change, where life continues quietly, and residents are often unaware of the kind of events taking place in cities that would eventually bring in the modern era. It isn't a sentimental nostalgia, either. There are no rose tinted spectacles. It is a snapshot of a particular way of life at a particular time in history.

[prairieblossom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I only started reading Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell as it was the book of the month in my bookgroup and I had a copy sitting on my bookshelf. It had been there for more years than I care to think about and I needed this prompt to start me reading otherwise it would have remained unread and unloved forever which would have been a great pity.Cranford showcases the lives of a group of women living in a small country town in Northern England during the mid C1800s. The women are all single, either unmarried or widowed. They belong to a social class that disapproves of women who work for a living, however these women do not have enough income to take life easy and must consider carefully how every penny is spent while keeping up the appearance of not having a care in the world regarding money.The story centres around Miss Matty and is told in a series of brief episodes that confirm that all life can be observed in a small country town. It is told with obvious affection for Miss Matty and at times it is extremely amusing with a great deal of subtle humour. At other moments it is serious such as when the bank Miss Matty has entrusted with her lifesavings becomes bankrupt. The effect this has on Miss Matty and the way her friends come to her aid is incredibly moving but serves to emphasise the strict rules that governed the behaviour of women of that time.I very much recommend that you get hold of this book and read it as soon as you can. If all the five star reviews on various book blogs haven’t persuaded you to part with your money this book is available as a free download from most major online book retailers and it is worth the effort to get hold of.

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A heart tugging book about a group of ladies in the early nineteenth century. A fascinating look into this era.

[gracez-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hmmmmm.... not sure what I thought of this book. It was enjoyable, and the narrative style is interesting - a little strange, actually. But it made more sense when I learned that she wrote the first chapter/story/vignette intending it as a standalone piece and later decided to continue it.

There were things to recommend it, of course. For example, I thoroughly loved the phrase "with an oppressive dignity that found vent in endless apologies" (p.85)

[mreed61 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fair read and easy for the start of the new year. Now I know, though, why I didn't give Elizabeth Gaskell much of a toss at university. It speaks to the importance of hierarchy in those days, and I daresay it still occurred in small towns for decades to come. Many writers spoke of these same things in those days. Some wrote better. I actually grew up in a small town in the U.S. Midwest with these same ideals, though, and in what was considered the "upper crust" in society. I think, in some ways, it just never changes.

[crashmyparty · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Gaskell tried but unfortunately could not live up to the standards of Jane Austen, it picked up somewhat towards the end but still as a whole I found this book to be quite boring. 

[emanate28 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely delightful! There's no sweeping plot, but little happenings and the comings and goings of the little village ladies were so humorously and lovingly depicted, that I couldn't put the book down. The characters are so lovable, despite of (or thanks to?) their foibles because at the bottom, they care about each other. Funny that a book about elderly spinsters and widows would be so entertaining and engaging! I'm amazed that I'd never heard of Elizabeth Gaskell a long time ago.

[lyndatrue · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What an astonishing gift this book is! I'd not heard of Elizabeth Gaskell before seeing this book in an estate auction, and she is a remarkably capable author. I may seek out more books by her. This one is especially interesting, since it contains a preface written by William Makepeace Thackeray's daughter, Anne.Mrs. Gaskell excelled in portraits of the people of her time, and it's wonderful to have this insightful little volume.I bought it for the celluloid cover, which is in almost perfect condition (I have another book with this same after market cover, and have seen others). It still retains some of the original detail work, and even faint traces of the gilding.I am very happy to discover that the inside is just as lovely as the cover.

[lit_chick_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

2009, Blackstone Audiobooks, Read by Nadia MayThe charming Victorian town of Cranford is populated by a host of venerable female lovelies. Among them: Mary Smith, the narrator, who stays frequently with Miss Matty Jenkyns, the amiable and good-natured, if rather timid, old spinster – and my favourite character; Miss Deborah Jenkyns, Miss Matty’s imperious older sister, who dies early on in the novel; Miss Pole, allegedly the most enlightened (though I beg to differ) of the Cranford ladies; Mrs Jamieson, a mostly lethargic widow with aristocratic connections and the owner of the beloved dog, Carlo. Male characters, few but nonetheless entertaining, include the poor Captain Brown, who moves to Cranford with his two daughters; a creepy butler; a surgeon; and a travelling magician.And what the ladies do get up to over tea! Miss Deoborah and Captain Brown engage in a positively pretentious literary disagreement over the merits of Dickens and Dr Johnson. Miss Deborah, who considers “it vulgar, and below the dignity of literature to publish in numbers” (Ch 1), is appalled at the Captain’s regard for the contemporary The Pickwick Papers. And when the ladies have themselves convinced that Cranford’s homes are being “attacked” by robbers, they work themselves up to confessions of greatest fear: ghosts; criminals; and Miss Matty’s hilarious account of the proverbial monster-under-the-bed. But at its heart, Cranford is most importantly a novel about love and friendship. When Miss Matty’s livelihood is erased by the bad investments of her late father, her friends, and indeed all Cranford, rally to ensure she will be able to remain in her home. A plan is mutually agreed upon where she will sell tea from her parlour (very discreetly, of course, lest anyone should think that Miss Matilda Jenkyns stoop to engaging in the baseness of trade). Now, if only Miss Matty would refrain from attempting to promote her own failure:“I left Miss Matty with a good heart. Her sales of tea during the first two days had surpassed my most sanguine expectations. The whole country round seemed to be all out of tea at once. The only alteration I could have desired in Miss Matty’s way of doing business was, that she should not have so plaintively entreated some of her customers not to buy green tea – running it down as a slow poison, sure to destroy the nerves, and produce all manner of evil. Their pertinacity in taking it, in spite of all her warnings, distressed her so much that I really thought she would relinquish the sale of it, and so lose half her custom; and I was driven to my wits’ end for instances of longevity entirely attributable to a persevering use of green tea.” (Ch 15)While North and South remains my absolute favourite of Gaskell’s work, I thoroughly enjoyed Cranford. It is positively charming. Highly recommended.

[slamkin-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Funny and just plane woderful. This is a classic in its own right. Elizabeth Gaskell was able to capture small town life from her time in a way that transcends time.

[thatotter-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I get the impression that Cranford is Gaskell's most beloved novel, but it's not my favorite. It's very charming and sweet, but I can't get over the sense of sadness and thwartedness that pervades.

[dylkit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In need of a bit of a comfort read after the sometimes-harrowing Bridge on the Drina

[jessicariddoch · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I did not get into this book, The people were shallow, not the writing but the people and I never did manage to find the story line.However the characters were well wirtten and believable. I ended up with a real feeling for the life that they were leading. Just not my seen man.

[leslie398 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4½ stars. I like the light humor & pathos in this novel, very similar in style to Jane Austen, Angela Thirkell or Miss Read. Much more of a fun read compared to Gaskell's North and South…

Nadia May does a good narration in this audiobook edition.

[schmerguls · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel was first published in 1853. But it isn't too bad. It moved, and it was indeed a "perfect idyll." Its humor was so innocent, its time so Victorian. I didn't mind it at all, and it read fast.

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cranford is a series of short stories about a charming country town in Victorian England that seems to be dominated by a close knit group of nosy spinsters. The stories revolve around the life of elderly Miss Maddie. Although the stories don't have detailed earth shattering plots, they ooze charm. I initially found the book to be a lighthearted and easy listen, but by the end of the book I had really become attached to the kind and generous Miss Maddie and the odd and whimsical residents of Cranford. Excellently narrated by Prunella Scales!

[narshkite · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Charming, funny, lovely. It is hard to imagine anyone not enoying this book of snippets filled with women whom time is quickly passing by. This book is filled with spinsters and widows living in shabby gentility in the village of Cranford. Readers who enjoy Jane Austen are sure to enjoy this sly and funny book. No romance, but lots of great writing and well-camoflauged statements on class and gender politics in mid-19th century England. Good fun!