OK so how many of us watched this last night? I certainly did and loved every minute of it. Aficionados of BBC Classic dramas will immediately have recognised 'Cranford' as being identical to 'Meryton' in Pride and Prejudice some ten years ago. I should imagine the people living in Laycock are getting quite blase about all this filming now.
Cranford is one of my favourite Mrs Gaskell books and the first one I read. I am re-reading it at the moment and have a delightful little World Classics version which pops into my bag nicely. I am being enchanted all over again with Miss Matty who is being played in this production by the peerless dame Judi Dench who I love. Her elder sister is played by Eileen Atkins and I also spotted Imelda Staunton and Julia Mackenzie in the cast list and the new young doctor played by the same actor who played Bingley in the latest film version of Pride and Prejudice and then next week we seem to have Sir Michael Gambon making an appearance....and I could go on and on. We appear to have the Who's Who of the theatrical world and his dog in this production with three cast members of Gosford Park appearing as well. I felt as if I was sitting watching the preparation of a gourmet meal containing only the finest ingredients accompanied by the finest choices of wine.
I have the Cambridge Companion to Mrs Gaskell on its way to me at the moment (thanks to DoveGreyReader for reminding me of these wonderful books in her recent post) and I also have some background reading of Mrs Gaskell at home so I intend, over the next five weeks while the series is on, to become reacquainted with Mrs G. I note that the story of Lady Ludlow is linked into this series and I know little of this particular Mrs Gaskell so shall have to track it down (I did but this meant I had to buy the paperback with a picture of some of the actors on the cover and the famous words 'Now a major television series' also adorning it. I usually avoid these editions like the plague but had no choice this time).
I agree with DoveGreyReader that Ruth and Mary Barton can seem somewhat overwrought, much though I love them, but think Mrs Gaskell is a fine writer and the more I read about her personality the more she strikes me as being a thoroughly nice woman and one with whom I feel great empathy. I feel if we could meet, a comfortable chat and cup of tea by the fireside would not be difficult to imagine. After all, surely we must all feel that a woman who wrote dozens of successful books, was a mentor and friend to Charlotte Bronte, and brought up five children as well as being a vicar's wife, will understand our frenetic work/life style world I, and an awful lot of us, inhabit?
However, funny and delightful though Cranford is, we must not make the mistake of thinking it is just ladies taking tea and being all fluttery. We see Cranford, unchanging and unchanged, and yet the railway is coming threatening their world. How do they cope with it all?
We shall found out in the coming weeks and I, for one, am looking forward to it.
