Product Description

Ruth Hilton is an orphaned young seamstress who catches the eye of a gentleman, Henry Bellingham, who is captivated by her simplicity and beauty. When she loses her job and home, he offers her comfort and shelter, only to cruelly desert her soon after. Nearly dead with grief and shame, Ruth is offered the chance of a new life among people who give her love and respect, even though they are at first unaware of her secret - an illegitimate child. When Henry enters her life again, however, Ruth must make the impossible choice between social acceptance and personal pride. In writing Ruth, Elizabeth Gaskell daringly confronted prevailing views about sin and illegitimacy with her compassionate and honest portrait of a ‘fallen woman’.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12286 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

About the Author
Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-65) wrote her first novel, MARY BARTON, in 1848 as a distraction from her sorrow at the death of her only son in infancy. It won the attention of Dickens and was followed by 5 other full-length novels as well as numerous short stories and novellas. Angus Easson is Professor of English at Salford University. He has written widely on Elizabeth Gaskell.

Customer Reviews

Much more than a tragic story of a deceived girl
It's a shame that my review is the first one. Ruth is a classic, a must-read. Mrs. Gaskell deals in her novel with very serious problem of unmarried motherhood and double standards of judging men and women behavior. Why a wealthy young man who seduced and deserted a poor motherless girl is not to be blamed and not to pay for his guilt? And why a girl who has been too young, too innocent and too ignorant in sexual affairs is to suffer and to be an outcast in society? The heroine leads a virtuous life and does a lot of good after her so-called fall. Nevertheless the end of the book is tragic... Some critics find inconsistencies and exaggerations in the story. May be they are right. The author couldn't always choose the best way of presenting the heroine and circumstances. (Well, Hardy's more famous story of Tess of the DÚrbervilles is not also without faults.) Just imagine difficulties of writing of such book in Victorian society. Innocent as it is, Ruth was a scandal and was considered to be an improper reading for young people. Nowadays I would recommend the novel to any reader. It is interesting, intriguing, full of poetical nature descriptions and typical rural characters, the problem is sharp and up-to-day. Modern girls are neither naive nor ignorant. However... are they really wise in love affaires? Aren't they in danger of becoming voluntary victims of charming but spoiled young men? Read the book and judge for yourself.

An Underrated Classic
I came to this novel having just read North and South. As with North and South it takes time for Elizabeth Gaskell to set the scene and develop the central characters. But it is worth sticking with. The last 100 pages will take you on an emotional roller coaster. The central character's inherent goodness and selflessness only serves to highlight the hypocracy of those who claim to be the moral guardians of society. The central character feels so real and you cannot fail to be deeply affected by reading this novel.

superb moving book
i have read this a couple of times now and it's beautiful. Combines the nasty realities of life with touching sentiment and beautifully crafted characters. Story follows a familiar theme with the lovely kind poor girl and rich cad....i don't want to spoil it...but it follows her through, the christian motif through it v strong and poignant with a heart breaking ending. Excellent