Faithful Realism: Elizabeth Gaskell and Leo Tolstoy: A Comparative Study

Countering the modern ranking of Gaskell (1810-65) as a second tier author for her Victorian English social problem novels, Billington (English, Chester College of Higher Education, UK) reads Gaskell as Tolstoy's equal in 19th century realism. The author contrasts Gaskell's re-write in Wives and Daughters with Maria Edgeworth's 18th century-style Helen, and her Cranford with Tolstoy's The Kruetzer Sonata. She also compares the visions of George Eliot and Thomas Hardy with Tolstoy's. Appends facsimiles and transcriptions of passages analyzed from Gaskell's Wives and Daughters and Sylvia's Lovers. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR