Gothic Tales
(Author) Elizabeth GaskellElizabeth Gaskell's chilling Gothic tales blend the real and the supernatural to eerie, compelling effect. 'Disappearances', inspired by local legends of mysterious vanishings, mixes gossip and fact; 'Lois the Witch', a novella based on an account of the Salem witch hunts, shows how sexual desire and jealousy lead to hysteria; while in 'The Old Nurse's Story' a mysterious child roams the freezing Northumberland moors. Whether darkly surreal, such as 'The Poor Clare', where an evil doppelgänger is formed by a woman's bitter curse, or mischievous like 'Curious, if True', a playful reworking of fairy tales, all the stories in this volume form a stark contrast to the social realism of Gaskell's novels, revealing a darker and more unsettling style of writing.
Elizabeth Gaskell
Elizabeth Gaskell was a prominent Victorian novelist known for her insightful portrayals of social issues and complex characters. Some of her notable works include "Cranford," "North and South," and "Wives and Daughters." Gaskell's writing style is characterized by its realism and attention to detail, as well as its exploration of class and gender dynamics. She made significant contributions to the development of the Victorian novel, particularly in her exploration of social realism and the lives of working-class individuals. Gaskell's most famous work is "North and South," which is considered a classic of Victorian literature and continues to be widely studied and admired for its social commentary and compelling characters.