PatH., No, I have not read Mansfield Park, but I am going to read it now, since I don't think I would be interested in Blue Highway with the club. I also want to begin The Book Thief that has been sitting on my desk for a month now, so I can then watch the movie. I was going to see the movie in the theaters but my granddaughter who read The Book Thief in high school, recommended reading the book first.
I want to thank all the moderators of Wives and Daughters, you ladies once again, did a marvelous job! This was a difficult book, a funny book, a book of stereotyping, prejudice, modernizing, etiquette, manners (good and bad) as Lucy felt, a book of relationships as Jonathon felt, and a book with many prisms as I felt. Gaskell kept our interest, in spite of a few places seeming long and repetitive. I will never forget these characters in this book, because each of them resemble a person I have known in real life. When an author can have her readers relating to her characters, as real life human beings, with flaws and unkind personalities, yet just enough, not too much so that you still see or search, for the goodness in them........she has accomplished a prize winning novel! My only regret is that Gaskell died too soon, and we will not have as many books to read from her. Her death before completing the last chapter, which is what we were told is where she died in this book, did in no way where I am concerned left anything unsaid, or undone.
We could see Molly and Roger would find their way to each other, we could see Mr. Gibson was madly in love with Clare in spite of his teasing, you could see Clare loves Mr. Gibson even though she wishes she could live in this generation, and we could see the Squire would accept Aimee, because he must in order to have the loving relationship with his sweet little grandson. He knew he wasted too much time in life harboring silent feelings, good or bad, where Osborne was concerned, and he was not going to risk his relationship with his grandson, by repeating the same mistakes. As for Lady Harriet and Preston, they were integral characters in the story, but in the end, not necessary to know more about, so to prolong the book that is already a large read, would not have been wise. We got a clear visual from the concluding chapter, of the beauty and success, Molly and Roger would share in their lives together, once he returned from Africa. The nosegay was the symbol of their love, and wilted as it may have been when he returned, their love would hold the lasting beauty of it the day he gave it to her. Jonathon, Yet one more symmetry in the story....the nosegay from Roger Hamley to Molly. I sensed when Roger sent that first nosegay, he was already in love with Molly, and just got mesmerized and sidetracked by Cynthia's beauty, as all the rest of the men did.
I absolutely LOVED Mr. Gibson in this story. He was firm when needed, he was a selfless husband, father, doctor and friend, and without his humor I would not have grown to appreciate, and come to accept Clare or Cynthia. As I said before.....if he could forgive, accept and love them, so can I!
Until our next discussion....Ciao for now~