Wives and Daughters

A couple years ago I read Elizabeth Gaskell's novel Wives and Daughters, and just recently watched the BBC video film adaptation. At about five hours long, it's a hefty movie, (but the book is rather large itself), but is divided into four episodes. I am a huge fan of Victorian British literature, and really enjoyed the story in both formats. The novel itself is actually unfinished, with the BBC version showing an alternate and rather satisfying ending. Nonetheless, I think it's very Jane Austen-like, (though is a few decades younger), and is a detailed look into the lives and societies of women in Britain in the 1830s, particularly their relationships with their families. There is of course the obligatory romance involved as well and I admit to being a sucker for it. : ) The film is very pretty, with good music, and follows the novel well. Fans of Jane Austen's stories will appreciate and enjoy Gaskell's, particularly Wives and Daughters.