About the editions
Classic novels, kept whole and made easy to read
Contemporary Reader Editions publishes complete Victorian novels in clear modern English, with notes that help you enjoy the story instead of stopping you in your tracks.
What an edition is
Each book is the full novel: every chapter, every character and every turn of the plot. Nothing is cut or summarized away. The long, winding Victorian sentences are retold in the English we speak today, so the people and the drama come through as sharply as they did for the first readers.
Gaskell’s original, Ruth (1853)
“There is an assize-town in one of the eastern counties which was much distinguished by the Tudor sovereigns, and, in consequence of their favour and protection, attained a degree of importance that surprises the modern traveller.”
This edition
“In one of the eastern counties stands an assize-town once much favored by the Tudor sovereigns. Under their favor and protection it rose to an importance that still surprises the traveler who comes across it today.”
What is inside every book
- The complete story, chapter by chapter, in readable modern English.
- A short summary at the end of each chapter, to refresh your memory or pick up where you left off.
- Word notes on Victorian words and phrases, explained in plain terms.
- History notes on the money, manners, work and faith behind the story.
- A note on the source: the public-domain text each edition is based on, and what is new.
Who they are for
Book clubs, students, curious readers, and anyone who has started a Victorian classic and set it down halfway. If you have always meant to read Elizabeth Gaskell, these editions are a welcoming way in.
The illustrations
The pictures on this site come from early illustrated editions of the novels: George du Maurier’s 1867 engravings for North and South, Hugh Thomson’s 1891 drawings for Cranford, and the plates from the 1887 and 1906 editions of Ruth. All are in the public domain and have been carefully cleaned from old scans.
The editor
The modern English text, summaries and notes are by James M. Davidson. The novels themselves are by Elizabeth Gaskell (1810–1865), one of the finest storytellers of the Victorian age.