Today I welcome Elizabeth Gaskell on her Classics Circuit blog tour. The idea behind the Classics Circuit is to celebrate and encourage the reading of classic works. The Classics Circuit intends to do for dead authors what blog tours do for living authors. Anyone is welcome to join in, so if you feel inspired, don’t be shy, sign up! Sign up for the February Harlem Renaissance tour will start in a few weeks. Currently the Wilkie Collins tour is winding down and Gaskell will be out and about through the end of December. In January Edith Wharton will be making the rounds. You can find everything you need to know on the Classics Circuit blog.
I’ve always wanted to read Gaskell but the works of hers that I knew about were so huge I put them off and put them off. I never thought of looking up whether she had written anything short. It turns out, she has. Lois the Witch comes in at a slim 100 pages. Published in 1859 or 1861 depending on the source, it is the only one among Gaskell’s writings set entirely in America.
Gaskell was fascinated by Americans and America. She had several American friends and correspondents. She thought of America as being a wild and mysterious place even though many of her friends lived in very civilized Boston. In spite of her interest in America she never did set foot there. This fact did not mattr when it came to writing Lois the Witch, however. Gaskell did her research.
The novella is the story of Lois Barclay, eighteen and recently orphaned. She has no family left in England. On her deathbed, Lois’s mother entreats her to go to her uncle in America. A letter is written and after her mother’s death, Lois sets sail to strange shores. But, it is Lois’s misfortune to arrive in Salem, Massachusetts a few months before the Salem witch craze strikes.
She presents herself at her uncle’s house only to find that he is on his deathbed. He leaves behind a wife, Grace Hickson, and three children. The eldest, a son named Manasseh, a girl, Faith, the same age as Lois, and a another girl, Prudence age twelve. They are a righteously Puritan family who don’t look kindly on Lois’s “Popish ways.” Lois is taken in by the Hicksons but never exactly welcome.
In spite of the lack of hospitality and family feeling, Lois does her best to fit in. She is a good, kind girl who does what she is told and contributes to the running of the household. No one can say a bad word against her until accusations of witchcraft break out.
I don’t know what Gaskell’s sources on the Salem witch trials were, but her accounting of the 1692 trials is accurate. Except for Cotton Mather she changes the names of those involved and takes some liberty with the story but adheres closely to the events.
The only thing I didn’t like about the story is the narrator breaking into it from time to time. She does so as a way to move the story forward through narrative summary instead of through writing out the events. The narrator also breaks in to remind and explain to the reader that these events happened long ago and that even England accused and killed people for being witches at one time. It seemed when she did this that she was also defending America from being labeled superstitious and backwards. Aside from these narrative interruptions, the story is enjoyable and, I think, a good, and short, introduction to Gaskell.
Information on Gaskell and America comes from an article entitled “Alligators infesting the stream: Elizabeth Gaskell and the USA” by Alan Shelston
It’s sounds really good! (Minus the narrator intrusions.) I have always been rather fascinated by the Salem Witch trials. Sounds like this is an interesting approach.
I’ve only read Gaskell novels that take place on very English cities, so I’d be quite interested to see how she treats America and the historical perspective.
Thanks for joining the Circuit!
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Wow – it sounds strangely reminiscent of The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare — I wonder if Ms. Speare was inspired by Gaskell?
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I agree with Susan, my first thought was that it sounded similar to The Witch of Blackbird Pond, one of my childhood favorites. I didn’t know anything about this book except the title, but it sounds interesting. I’m glad you included the background behind the story. I’ll add it to my to-read list.
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I have this in a volume of Gothic tales and really must read it at some point; like Rebecca I am fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials and also curious how Gaskell will translate to an American setting.
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I like Gaskell, but I’ve never heard of this book. How interesting that she wrote about Salem and the witch trials! I hope to read more Gaskell, and perhaps I can get to this novella one day.
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This was the one I was going to read, if I’d had time to read it! Interesting review. A while back I read Maryse Conde’s novel about the Salem witch trials, and it was intriguing as her main protagonist was a French Caribbean woman who did have supernatural powers and a lot of knowledge of medicinal herbs and so on. The books would make for an interesting comparison.
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For a painless “taste” of Gaskell, try to get one of the mini-series which BBC has done based on her novels. In particular, “Cranford” or “Wives and Daughters”. Both are excellent and were available at my library.
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How is it that Gaskill is yet another writer about whom I know nothing. I’m beginning to doubt that (expensive) education my parents gave me. Maybe they didn’t get their money’s worth. I will, however, now seek her out. Thanks Stefanie.
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But first, I’ll have to get the spelling of her name correct.
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I’ve been wanting to read Gaskill, too, and this sounds just perfect. Do I sound too much like a high-schooler if I note that the length is one of the things that helps make it sound perfect?
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Sry for writing Off-Topic … which WP theme are you using? It’s looking cool!
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I have been ‘collecting’ Elizabeth Gaskell’s books but this is one I hadn’t come across. I like the idea that she was so interested in America–so much so to do research and set a book here. It would be interesting to compare that to the one I’m reading now–Wives and Daughters set firmly in the Victorian period. And I recently joined the Classics Circuit so hope I can read along later!
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Rebecca, I have always been fascinated by the witch trials too both the Salem and European ones. Thanks for starting up the Circuit!
Susan, you know, I love Witch of Blackbird Pond when I was a kid but I don’t recall the story any longer. Your comment makes me want to find a copy for a re-read!
Karenlibrarian, it is an interesting book. I’m glad you liked the background information.
Paperback Reader, now I’m curious about Gaskell’s English settings! This was an interesting place to start given I have never read her before.
Dorothy, oh yes, don’t miss this one. I was really surprised at Gaskell’s psychological grasp of the events. She was spot on with many of the things modern historians have said about the trials.
Litlove, thanks for just adding a new book to my TBR list! 😉 The two books would make an interesting comparison.
JoAnn, thanks for the mini-series recommendations!
Grad, I have to stop and think how her name is spelled every time so don’t feel bad. I’m sure your parents got their money’s worth with your education. I think I only ever heard about Gaskell in a women’s lit course and then she was only ever mentioned, we never read her.
Emily, not high school at all. The short length along with the topic is what attracted me. Gaskell also wrote some gothic short stories you may find interesting.
CripseChoothe, I’m using Mistylook. Thanks!
Danielle, I think it gets included along with her Gothic Tales short stories so you might want to look for it there. I was surprised to learn how interested she was in America. I’m glad you joined the Circuit!
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This is actually one of my least favorite Gaskells, and you nailed some of the issues I had–the narration is pretty clumsy, and makes it not a particularly pleasant read. The family that poor Lois lives with is pretty creepy (Manasseh is the stuff nightmares are made of), and I just remember it as a dark, sad story.
As pure FYI, early in her writing career, Gaskell published a few stories under the psuedonym Cotton Mather Mills, and Cotton Mather was someone with whose sermons and life she was very familiar with.
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Jane, if it is among your least favorite and I enjoyed it in spite of the flaws, then I have some good Gaskell reading to look forward to! Manasseh was delightfully creepy I thought. And thanks for the info about Gaskell’s early pen name. What a very interesting choice on her part.
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I am half way through Lois the Witch and am enjoying it enormously It is definately one that I shall be lending out at work I agreewith you Stefanie Manasseh is creepy and determined to have his way. Gaskell has always been on the side of the down trodden. I feel inspired to visitthe Gaskell House in Manchester now where I live. It is being lovingly restored by a bunch of volunteers whom I may join when I retire laterthis year
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