Reading Cranford is like stepping into a different world—an old-fashioned world of bonnets and candles, of tea-trays and sedan chairs. It’s a world where ladies spread newspapers over their new rugs to keep them from fading, and try to whiten their old lace by soaking it in milk. But for all that, the town of Cranford isn’t so different from the real world; there are always faults to overcome and offenses to forgive.
The book Cranford, by the way, is not to be mistaken for the TV series of the same name, which took inspiration from the book certainly, but combined it (to good effect) with a plot from one of Gaskell’s other short novels and additional inspiration from her book My Lady Ludlow.
Cranford is a fairly short book, along the length of Northanger Abbey or The Scarlet Pimpernel. It’s not a thrilling story—in fact, it has very little plot—and isn’t likely to interest children; I think it would be interesting to readers 15+, more or less.
As usual, you can skip straight to the bottom for a brief conclusion and link to an ebook version, or read on through for full details!
The Plot
If you’ve read many of my book reviews you may have noticed that there was something missing just now—the spoiler alert. In fact, Cranford doesn’t have a plot to spoil. It relies on the writing style and the fact that the town itself is intrinsically interesting. I believe it’s largely true to real-life, though fictionalized.
Cranford is written in first person by a frequent visitor to the eponymous town of Cranford, an English village inhabited largely (at least in the fashionable strata) by single women. She brings the perspective of the outside world to bear on the old-fashioned place, but in a sympathetic way. The characters of Cranford are full of quirks and unintentional humor, making them thoroughly enjoyable to read about.
A plot certainly isn’t needed in order to keep interest; possibly it would have damaged the book by preventing the reader from really paying close attention to the minor details, the quirks of the town. On the other hand, the TV series integrated a plot so well, that I think weaving a plot into the book could have worked to make it feel more substantial.
But, there is no plot, so I’ll give it a grade based on interestingness instead: 8/10
The Point
There’s hardly any particular moral to Cranford, though judicious reflections, usually with a touch of humor, occur frequently enough. Perhaps the point of the book is to capture the spirit of a vanished society. This kind of a book has a tendency to widen the reader’s bubble a little—to remind us that people have lived in vastly different circumstances from us, with outwardly vastly different problems, but with the same underlying human nature. It’s an encouraging reminder that the sometimes hectic world we live in is not the way it always has been, not the way it always will be, —and not the way it has to be.
7/10
The Style
Gaskell’s first person narrative style is restful, slightly humorous, a little rambling, and pleasant. It’s a good deal less intense than her third person style (as in for instance North and South), and I think more enjoyable as a style. It’s a big part of what makes Cranford such a likeable book.
9/10
Conclusion
8/10
Although it has no plot to speak of, Cranford is a pleasant read, with characters full of the humorous quirks that can only come from real life. The book takes you to a very different town, in a very different time period—but it reminds you that the basic problems of life, after all, have always been more or less the same. The writing style is enjoyable and readable. Cranford is not on my list of absolute must reads, but I certainly recommend it if you have the time.
You can download Cranford for free as an ebook on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/394
You might also enjoy reading these other book reviews I’ve written:
Geneva D 
What do you think?