#but the unabashed focus on the spinster ladies not just for a chapter or two but THROUGHOUT makes it shine in its own way

[incomingalbatross]

@thatscarletflycatcher @brambleberrycottage I would love to talk more about Cranford, but I've been having trouble coming up with anything more eloquent than "it's Good." Because it IS.

I'm really glad it seemed to be a hit with our book club (mainly composed of my family + one other). Multiple people mentioned specifically that for a while they felt like it wasn't going anywhere in particular (which was fine) but then it DID! I think everyone, rightfully, loved Miss Matty. There were also a lot of laughs about the funny parts of the book, especially the hosting/manners-related humor.

Personally I had a pretty good idea of the book's virtues going in (which may be why I had a hard time coming up with commentary - you guys know all this already! I heard it here first! :P). But I loved the pathos and the humor and... really, the tenderness for little, quiet lives, that can acknowledge their ridiculousness and obscurity and seeming futility but still paint them with love and dignity.

The quiet tragedies are heartbreaking - but so are the kindnesses. These ladies are all absurd sometimes - because they're human. It's just. It's very much about human dignity and goodness and the worth of every human life even at its pettiest.