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Ruth
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
Ruth is a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, first published in three volumes in 1853. The book is a social novel, dealing with Victorian views about sin and illegitimacy. It is a surprisingly compassionate portrayal of a 'fallen woman', a type of person normally outcast from respectable society. It examines the social stigma of illegitimacy. Ruth goes on to gain a respectable position in society as a governess, and the novel looks at whether the sinful can be reintegrated into society.
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julieclair
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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PuddleJumper Good choice! 2mo
dabbe Boy, I\'ll say! 🖤🧡🖤 2mo
Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻🧡 2mo
20 likes3 comments
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Ruthiella
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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#WondrousWednesday

Thank you for the tag @Eggs and @Deblovestoread 😊

💛 Tagged!
💛💛 Paper!
💛💛💛 Mystery!

Eggs Thx for playing 💛🧡💛 2mo
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review
currentlyreadinginCO
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Pickpick

Got behind but finally finished this after the #hashtagbrigade and I must say, I loved this book. It's from 1863 & is the first mainstream novel w a "fallen woman" heroine so you know this thing is devastating, BUT I got the point and always think it's cool when someone from the mid-nineteenth century writes a female character that goes against the grain.

BarkingMadRead I‘m so glad you liked it!! 2mo
currentlyreadinginCO Getting caught up on The Hotel shortly! 🧐 @BarkingMadRead 2mo
BarkingMadRead The Hotel is a much easier read! 2mo
53 likes3 comments
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dabbe
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Pickpick

RUTH? pub. 1853
MADAME BOVARY? pub. 1856
ANNA KARENINA? pub. 1873
TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES? pub. 1891
All four are about women adulterers (referred to as “whores/harlots/wicked women“ in some of these novels, thanks to the societies they lived in). Gaskell paved the way for the other (perhaps) more famous novels. Her writing? Exquisite. Ruth's story? Tragic. Do I want to read more Gaskell? Absolutely.

mjtwo I read North and South last year and loved it. It had a lot more depth than many more renowned 19th century novels. (edited) 2mo
dabbe @mjtwo Good to know! I've only read CRANFORD and this one, so I'm adding it to the TBR list. Thanks! 🤩🤗😀 2mo
Texreader Well, another excellent review. Stacked 2mo
dabbe @Texreader I read it with the lovely #hashtagbrigade ... I can't wait to read what you think about it! 🤩🤗😘 2mo
62 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Pickpick

Mrs. Gaskell broke my heart with this one! I was wondering why I liked this so much when Tess of the D‘Urbervilles just pissed me off. Both are trying to show the humanity in a “fallen” woman. I think Tess just gets really bleak while Ruth‘s life has good things in it (like Leonard), and the only characters who really condemn Ruth are generally unsympathetic.

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Librarybelle
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Pickpick

I‘m in the minority of the #HashtagBrigade to say I liked the novel. Gaskell, whose husband was a Unitarian minister and lived near the factories and mills of England, sets as her MC a “fallen” woman and her path to redemption. This was a bit controversial at its initial publication, and it certainly is darker and more rooted in faith and redemption than her other novels. But, I get the sense that she is shaming her Victorian audience ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Librarybelle ⬆️⬆️⬆️ for their judgement of character on someone who has lived through a perceived sinful time. Ruth, a truly good person whose naivety (and the Victorians of certain classes did shelter their daughters from the world, so think of this another moment of Gaskell pointing out the inconsistencies of morality) brought her down to a “bad sinner” level, shows the true Christian values, along with the Bensons. I think Gaskell is showing how quickly ⬇️ 3mo
Librarybelle ⬆️ the populace tends to cast the first stone without knowing all the details or are quick to judge a good person for one bad action. There are the layers too of sympathy tugging at the reader, and I can almost see a Victorian reader wondering at how this sympathy changes their thoughts about a person they know in a similar situation. I do prefer Gaskell‘s more sweeping novels—North and South and her studies of Cranford—but kudos to her for this! 3mo
Librarybelle Thanks for leading us through this, @BarkingMadRead #PemberLittens 3mo
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Cuilin Wonderful review!!!! I agree I do think she is trying to shame Victorian readers into rethinking some of their belief systems. I also think that in order not to alienate her readers, she had to add penance. Our modern sensibilities struggle with this. 3mo
Librarybelle Thanks, @Cuilin ! And yes…our modern sensibilities definitely struggle with this! 3mo
dabbe A wowza review! 🤩🤩🤩 3mo
julieclair Excellent review! I liked this novel, too, for a lot of the same reasons. 3mo
quietjenn I completely agree! 3mo
69 likes1 stack add10 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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mcctrish Victorian justice is a sham! #donneisadouche 3mo
IndoorDame Somewhat surprised to learn he has no legal rights to the kid at this time. Still such a creep!!!!! 🤬🤬🤬🤬 3mo
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Ruthiella But kudos to Mr. Benson for dressing Donne/Bellingham down and shutting the door in his face. I think Gaskell wrote the whole novel so she could get away with that condemnation of the penis that started it all. 3mo
BarkingMadRead @Ruthiella 🤣🤣🤣 3mo
Cuilin @Ruthiella Yes!!!! I loved the dress down!! 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly @Ruthiella Hahaha, yes! Benson is perfection in this chapter. Still so sad though 😭😭😭 Definitely makes me want to read the rest of Gaskell‘s books—I‘ve only read two others. 3mo
Bookwormjillk @Clare-Dragonfly me too. I think next year will be a Gaskell binge year for me. 3mo
BarkingMadRead @Clare-Dragonfly @Bookwormjillk we will have to add some to next year‘s schedule 3mo
dabbe I'm going to try to look at this positively. The hero of a story usually saves or changes the community for the better. Look what Ruth did and how her village changed because of her--even Bradshaw! Unfortunately, she was a sacrificial hero, but Leonard will be okay and turn out well. I hope. 🤞 3mo
julieclair @dabbe I love your positivity! 😊 3mo
dabbe @julieclair 🤩😂😘 3mo
KAO Thanks to all for helping me to get through this one! The tragedy was almost too much to bear. @dabbe I like your take though! 3mo
dabbe @KAO I tried, but I‘m still all 😭! 2mo
currentlyreadinginCO I just finished because I was vacationing and got behind and you have to be kidding me! Definitely agree w @dabbe though 2mo
34 likes1 stack add18 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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willaful Soooooo depressing! Damn Victorians! 3mo
rubyslippersreads I knew it was coming. There was no other way Ruth could atone for her “sins” in a book written during this era. 😠 3mo
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Bookwormjillk So the man recovers and the woman dies after committing the same sin. Got it. (edited) 3mo
mcctrish But #bellingshit gets to live #motherfucker Victorian morals are ridiculous #ffs 3mo
rubyslippersreads @Bookwormjillk @mcctrish Boys will be boys. 🤬 3mo
mcctrish @rubyslippersreads argh that saying infuriates me 3mo
AllDebooks Not the ending we hoped for, but all saw coming. 🙄 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 3mo
rubyslippersreads Someone needs to write fan fiction where Donne dies a horrible death, but not before being publicly shamed. 😏 3mo
dabbe See? Just like Puritan philosophy. You died, so you must not be a witch. I mean whore. Whatever. I wish she had done to Donne what Tess did to the D'urberville dude. 😭 3mo
Aimeesue @rubyslippersreads Yep. Still made me very sad though. 3mo
julieclair Yup. Gaskell went there. As we all suspected she would but hoped she wouldn‘t. 😭 3mo
IndoorDame I was so mad about the sermon at her funeral! She can be absolved and go to heaven, but only after she‘s died to pay for her crimes!? (and spent a dozen years living a ridiculously saint like life). WTF is that!? 3mo
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review
Cuilin
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Pickpick

There‘s no doubt that Elizabeth Gaskill is a beautiful writer. Ruth appears to be a cautionary tale for young women. Women are the guardians of virtue because boys will be boys. And I think that is to malign men and women. Though it fits with Victorian values, the redress of “the fallen woman” to make it palatable in 1853, is excessive. It‘s definitely a pick, but I will not one I‘d easily recommend.
#HashtagBrigade @BarkingMadRead

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IndoorDame
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Mehso-so

Gaskell is a great writer, but it was impossible for me to enjoy this the way I enjoyed her other books because it was way over my quota of infuriating Victorian morality.

TheBookHippie WORD. 🥴 3mo
dabbe 🎯. 3mo
53 likes2 comments
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willaful
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Mehso-so

Some of the many fascinating covers for Ruth. (What on earth is up with the eyes?! The eyes of society always judging you?) I think the bottom one (from Italy), is the most true to the spirit of the book.

An interesting read from the perspective of “plus ça change, plus c‘est la même chose,“ and to understand the Victorian point of view, but I don't think it has much otherwise to offer.

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Bookwormjillk
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Mehso-so

I couldn‘t take it anymore #hashtagbrigade . I had to finish.

This one started strong for me, but by the end I was just annoyed. I know. Different times.

Cuilin I couldn‘t have put it better myself!!!! 3mo
BarkingMadRead I rated it the same 🙄 3mo
Bookwormjillk @BarkingMadRead @Cuilin I loved it at first and almost bought a fancy hard copy for my shelf, but then it just turned into how can we make Ruth suffer today. 3mo
69 likes3 comments
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mcctrish
Ruth: a novel | Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
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Pickpick

I was reading my chapter for tomorrow & realized there was only one more so I went ahead and finished. What. An. Ending. So thankful to @BarkingMadRead for leading the #hashtagbrigade and pointing me in the direction of books I probably wouldn‘t pick up on my own & creating a community to share them with. There was so much yelling, swearing, absolute fury from me for some of these characters #bellingshit will not be forgotten #dontthrowthekindle

Cuilin Perfect review!!! 3mo
willaful 😂 I couldn't make it through the Brothers, so I'm glad to have shared in this. 3mo
mcctrish @willaful oh them bros, I can‘t believe I made it through!!! This is the second EG I‘ve read with #hashtagbrigade and I have to say I really do like her ( even if she makes me gnash my teeth ) 3mo
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mcctrish Thank you @Cuilin that ending #nospoilers 3mo
Cuilin @mcctrish I couldn‘t sleep last night so I finished it too 😑 this is my #nospoilers emoji 3mo
mcctrish @Cuilin perfect 3mo
Bookwormjillk @Cuilin that sums it up 🤣 3mo
BarkingMadRead I read the last 5 chapters all at once! 3mo
TheBookHippie My book sailed across living room daily it seems. 3mo
TheBookHippie @willaful the bros was 😵‍💫😵‍💫 I can‘t believe I did it🤣 3mo
mcctrish @BarkingMadRead like ripping a bandaid off 😆😆 3mo
mcctrish @dabbe 😆😆😆 3mo
37 likes13 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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mcctrish What could go wrong? Doc says no to her nursing but then yes but he‘s pulling her out before #bellingshit notices her ( we know how that will go) and finally a brief mention of the name change explained ( property acquired and probably a scam) 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly “Never to meet in this world again?” MRS GASKELL DON‘T DO THIS TO ME. 😱 3mo
See All 21 Comments
Clare-Dragonfly Also, Mr. Davis is such an ass! He says he wants Leonard to be his apprentice (does he have to adopt him for that to happen?) in the worst possible way, and refuses to take no for an answer. Does it not occur to anyone to ask Leonard what he thinks? I‘m sure Ruth would, but now that she has to be all self-sacrificing again, she won‘t have a chance. 3mo
AllDebooks NOOOO! Ruth has just escaped the plague at the hospital, now she's going to look after #Bellingshit 🫣 That's very irresponsible considering she has Leonard to care for. It's also a very Ruth thing to do. 3mo
IndoorDame @AllDebooks I know! She could at least make her mind up about school/apprenticeship/tutoring and and leave explicit instructions about who should take care of Leonard if something happens to her so he doesn‘t end up with #bellingshit especially now that she‘s let the cat out of the bag 3mo
Cuilin I can‘t with this drama!!! I think there‘s a fine line between selflessness and abnegating your own responsibilities. Leonard should come first. 3mo
Ruthiella Ruth is just too much of a martyr to be believed. The sacrifice is not worth it. 3mo
dabbe @Clare-Dragonfly Oh, yea, mini-heart stop at these words. 😱 3mo
dabbe @AllDebooks I love that you just turned the word RUTH into an allusion. 🧡🩶🧡 3mo
dabbe @Ruthiella 🎯! 3mo
Bookwormjillk I almost threw my kindle 3mo
dabbe @Bookwormjillk If only Ruth could have done more of that (using objects other than Kindles, of course!) 😂 3mo
willaful @Clare-Dragonfly I KNOW!

I admit, I was kind of expecting an infuriating happy ending where #bellingshit has a sickbed conversion and they get married but THIS IS WORSE! (I'm assuming from that phrase. 😭)
3mo
julieclair This is off the rails. Ruth is too good for her own good (and Leonard‘s). 3mo
rubyslippersreads @dabbe @AllDebooks I don‘t think Gaskell chose Ruth‘s name arbitrarily. 🙁 3mo
dabbe @rubyslippersreads I keep hearing in my head, “Whither thou goest, I will go ...“ The name Ruth is a common female name of Hebrew origin that means “friend,“ “friendship,“ or “compassionate friend.“ 😢 3mo
rubyslippersreads @dabbe Plus the word “ruth” means compassion or pity for another, sorrow misery about one's own misdeeds or flaws, sorrow for the misery of another; pity; tenderness. 3mo
dabbe @rubyslippersreads 🎯. That was our Ruth to a tee. 😭 3mo
33 likes21 comments
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mcctrish
Ruth: a novel | Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
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What could go wrong ?! #bellingshit #hashtagbrigade

TheBookHippie Word. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 3mo
dabbe WTF? 😱 3mo
willaful I love how he has his own insult hashtag. 🤣 3mo
mcctrish @dabbe for every one step forward in Ruth‘s small life, this douche bag causes multiple steps backwards 3mo
dabbe @mcctrish I just finished it. #douchebagdonne #bellingshit AUGHHHH!!!!! 3mo
39 likes5 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Bookwormjillk Sweet chapter. I‘m very surprised Ruth and Leonard survived. 3mo
BarkingMadRead @Bookwormjillk I was shocked! I for sure that Leonard would catch it and die 3mo
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IndoorDame I was thinking Ruth might die allowing for a full circle kind of Victorian “justice” and a convenient plot opportunity to reveal Leonard‘s bio father. 3mo
Cuilin @IndoorDame it‘s not over. I‘m still worried about that Victorian justice. 🤦‍♀️ 3mo
IndoorDame @Cuilin I know…🤞🏼Gaskell takes pity on us 3mo
mcctrish @IndoorDame I was surprised too, now I‘m afraid 3mo
TheBookHippie @Bookwormjillk RIGHT?! I was prepared!! 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly I‘m still worried! Ruth is pale! But I‘m glad Leonard got to hear a bunch of good stuff about his mom. 3mo
AllDebooks @Clare-Dragonfly that was really heartwarming 💕 3mo
rubyslippersreads @IndoorDame I thought that too. 3mo
rubyslippersreads I was worried that Ruth might have to nurse Donne, since he was mentioned. That would have been a terrible penance. 3mo
dabbe @Cuilin 🎯! 3mo
dabbe @rubyslippersreads Did anyone read the title of the next chapter?!!! 😤😱😳 3mo
BarkingMadRead @dabbe @rubyslippersreads I finished it. I‘m over here like 🤐 3mo
Cuilin @dabbe I couldn‘t help it!! It was right there. 3mo
Cuilin @BarkingMadRead I think we know going into these Victorian novels, we‘re not going to get a happily ever after. 😢 But there‘s always hope. 🤞 3mo
dabbe @BarkingMadRead #ruhroh! I have a bad feeling ... 😂 3mo
dabbe @Cuilin IKR? 😂 3mo
dabbe @Cuilin Hopefully somebody has a happy ending! 🙏 3mo
Cuilin @dabbe if I have to pick one, let it be Leonard!! 3mo
dabbe @Cuilin 🙌 3mo
willaful Anyone else have a feeling of recognition reading this chapter? Truly, the more people change, the more they remain the same.

3mo
julieclair This whole discussion has me feeling very uneasy… 😬 🫣 3mo
37 likes24 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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BarkingMadRead Yall, i mistakenly deleted my planned post and I finished days ago! What did i forget? 3mo
mcctrish I thought the idea of F being greedy, #hesherehesthereheseveryfuckingwhere while he sorts out the business mess, keeps his wife‘s family from falling apart and finds a job for Dick when he should go to jail ludicrous, but maybe we are coming full circle back to judgement without knowledge 3mo
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Bookwormjillk I don‘t think you missed anything other than the Bradshaws went back to church. Who knows if that means anything. @mcctrish good point on judgement without knowledge. 3mo
BarkingMadRead @Bookwormjillk yessssss thank you! 3mo
Ruthiella @mcctrish Agree, this is Faith jumping to conclusions. At first I thought surely her brother put her in the know, but of course he didn‘t. He‘s too principled to betray confidences, even if it would exonerate Farquhar. 3mo
mcctrish @Ruthiella @Bookwormjillk Faith just shooting her mouth off ☹️ 3mo
rubyslippersreads Ruth is just too good to be true. The only thing I thought made sense was Benson‘s comment about her living mainly in the present, and that‘s what caused her ”predicament” in the first place. 3mo
julieclair I‘m hoping that the Bradshaws being back at church is a sign that Mr. Bradshaw is coming down off his high horse and turning into a much less judgmental snob. 3mo
willaful @mcctrish seriously! Faith is just impulsive.

Anyone else a trifle irked at how tenderly Dick has been treated? When I still haven't heard a word about Benson being paid back? Always gotta think of the future of the poor rich white man!
3mo
mcctrish @willaful F seems to feel Dick‘s descent into crime is his father‘s fault ( never allowing him friends, ruling too harshly) so his new job comes with community and restrictions and his shares from the 3 way partnership ( Bradshaw, Dick and F) go to Benson to replace the missing shares 3mo
mcctrish @rubyslippersreads I think her predicament was caused by her having no one ( friend or family) and no one ever telling women about the facts of life 3mo
willaful @mcctrish Huh, I read it as he was saving them for Dick after he'd proved himself. I'll have to check that.

I think F is probably right, but still, it's always the Dicks who get the benefit of the doubt.
3mo
rubyslippersreads @mcctrish That‘s all very true too. 3mo
rubyslippersreads @willaful @mcctrish I also understood it as F putting aside Dick‘s shares for him until he cleaned up his act enough to deserve them. 3mo
27 likes16 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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AllDebooks Great image. Dick doing what he wants regardless of consequences, particularly to others. Maybe this accident will be the wake-up call he needs to make amends. 🤔 3mo
Bookwormjillk Only a few chapters left. I‘m interested to see how this all comes together. 3mo
See All 17 Comments
rubyslippersreads Does anyone else think Donne is mixed up in this as well? 3mo
mcctrish @rubyslippersreads it seems weird that he‘s just gone into the woodwork, that‘s for sure. Dick and Bellingshit seem to be quite similar people ( we still don‘t know why he changed his name) and while I appreciate Bradshaw finally having a heart he‘s still full crap 3mo
mcctrish @Bookwormjillk me too. I hope it‘s not all tidy bows. I was thinking that despite Ruth‘s rocky start/fall from grace she‘s had more of a life than a lot of women in her time and that‘s something 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly @rubyslippersreads I hope so! I‘d hate to have him just disappear from the narrative after all he‘s done. 3mo
Cuilin Defraud neighbors is a forgivable offense, have a baby out of wedlock is a sin and must be excluded. At least Bradshaw and Benson though opposite in opinion are consistent. 3mo
Cuilin I also hope Bradshaws softening opinion of his son leads him to change his mind on Ruth too. 3mo
dabbe @rubyslippersreads I've been wondering myself what the good ol' “Donne“ has been up to! 😂 3mo
dabbe @Clare-Dragonfly I also want him to pay and pay BIGLY! 😀 3mo
rubyslippersreads I‘d like to find out that someone has “Donne him in.” 🤣 3mo
dabbe @rubyslippersreads 😂👏😂 3mo
julieclair @Cuilin Yes to everything you said! 🎯 3mo
26 likes1 stack add17 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Clare-Dragonfly Did Ruth say no to F paying for Leonard to go to school? I missed that. And yes, obviously as soon as Benson said he hadn‘t gotten his bonus I suspected Dick! I‘m sure he finished Bradshaw‘s bottle of wine, too. 3mo
BarkingMadRead @Clare-Dragonfly I know she said she wasn‘t liking the idea, not sure if it was a hard no 3mo
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AllDebooks Dick is completely leaning into his name there 🙄 3mo
mcctrish Of course it‘s Dick! But Bradshaw‘s parting words about the world being better off with more people like him instead of Benson sum it up perfectly, his kind made Dick! Following rules out of fear = shitheads and following rules B/c of empathy and community = where I want to live aka Benson ❤️ 3mo
Ruthiella The Chekov‘s gun that was Richard just went off! 😆 🔫 3mo
Cuilin Dick is a dumb ass, first rule of crime, you don‘t 💩 on your own doorstep. Bradshaw is about to see the evidence of his parental failings. (I realize I sound criminally inclined, nope I‘m just married to a prosecutor lol). (edited) 3mo
willaful @Ruthiella yes, phew! I'm glad it wasn't something worse happening to Ruth! 3mo
willaful @Cuilin I sure hope he will! He doesn't seem inclined to as yet. 3mo
Bookwormjillk Finally something bad happened that didn‘t involve Ruth🤣 3mo
willaful @Bookwormjillk Yeah, just to another sympathetic character who didn't deserve it! I hope he gets paid back!

I admit to feeling a touch softer towards Bradshaw for what he said about never planning for Benson to refuse his pew money. His liking to be generous isn't completely without merit.
3mo
Bookwormjillk @willaful I was assuming Bradshaw will pay Benson back. At least I hope he will. Unless he decides it was his own fault for being too nice which is very probable now that I think about it. 3mo
dabbe @Cuilin 🤩😂🤩 3mo
33 likes1 stack add15 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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julieclair It‘s nice to have some good things happening…. at last! I‘m so glad Jemima is now out from under her father‘s crushing thumb, and is allowed to visit Ruth. And a job for Ruth is great news, even if Jemima thinks the job is beneath her. How can Jemima not understand that no one will hire Ruth for the kind of job that requires Latin? 3mo
mcctrish @julieclair I think Jemima is just feeling thwarted, she‘s waited 2-3 years to be able to have her friend Ruth back and now Ruth will be locked up caring for sick people. But maybe if Ruth can spend some time at the F house it will turn the tide back in her favour #lethewithoutsincastthefirststone #iwillwait 3mo
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Ruthiella I hope Jemima‘s acceptance and Ruth‘s good actions will help the village come round to accepting her and also understanding as Christians that sin can be forgiven by both god and man. 3mo
Cuilin @Ruthiella yes and there‘s no need for “the sins of the mother visit upon the child” bull 💩 3mo
julieclair @mcctrish and @Ruthiella Fingers crossed you‘re both right and Ruth will be accepted by the town again. She deserves a break! 3mo
mcctrish @Cuilin absolutely no need for that bull💩 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly I‘m so happy to see Jemima and Ruth being friends again! I am annoyed that people keep talking about certain jobs as being below Ruth, though. She needs a job! It‘s also strange from my modern perspective that Jemima thinks nursing is a lowly occupation that doesn‘t require education. 3mo
Bookwormjillk I'm so glad Ruth got a job, but am worried she'll bring something home to Leonard. 3mo
willaful
I feel like there are too many threads that go nowhere here. What ever happened to Donne winning the seat? Why does Dick keep coming up and then disappearing again? Stop spending so much time on stuff if it doesn't matter! She screams at the long dead 19th century author writing 19th century books.
3mo
BarkingMadRead @willaful when it comes to Dick #staytuned but I would really love to know what happened to Donne! 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO Also that bit about Ruth and Jemima musing that it would be nice for Ruth to take care of sick Jemima was odd to me 😂 3mo
dabbe @Bookwormjillk Diseases were rampant then. I'm also worried that she might contract something that will harm her. I feel Jemima's thinking the job is beneath her could also serve as foreshadowing doom. 3mo
Bookwormjillk @dabbe Yes, because we know there's no way it will go right for her. They keep saying how weak Leonard is. 3mo
willaful @currentlyreadinginCO I think it was considered romantic back then? Devoting yourself to someone. 3mo
rubyslippersreads @dabbe @Bookwormjillk I hope the moral of this story isn‘t going to be that the only way for Ruth to atone for her sin is to die in the service of nursing the sick. 😕 3mo
Bookwormjillk @rubyslippersreads and they still wouldn‘t forgive her! 3mo
dabbe @rubyslippersreads @Bookwormjillk 🎯. It's like, “Hey, it's 1692 in Salem. We think you're a witch and are going to throw you in the river. If you drown, guess what? You're not a witch! If you swim, well, we'll kill you anyway for being a witch!“ 😀 3mo
28 likes19 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Cuilin Leonard‘s fear of being outside 💔😢 3mo
AllDebooks @Cuilin 💔 I hate how the whole household is shunned 3mo
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Clare-Dragonfly Hahaha! I‘m glad things worked out for Jemima and F, even if I am rolling my eyes soooo hard at him conveniently forgetting he was ever into Ruth. 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO How can this end well is right 😬 3mo
Bookwormjillk I can't think of a way it will end well, but at least this chapter was a little less grim. F seems like a sort of nice guy for the times. 3mo
dabbe I may be the other opinion here, but F pissed me off! He's oh-so-glad to have avoided any scandal now that Ruth has been ousted in the community as a whore. What a total sap. Oh, and now Jemima looks whole and pure and oh-so-worthy. #flipflopper #wuss The only man I like in this story is Mr. B and Leonard (though he's a boy). ARGH!!! 3mo
willaful I am happy for Jemima -- and was that an Emma and Knightly allusion I spotted? Poor Jemima, she can not pull off being Emma... but at least she figured it out.

I don't think Dick being home bodes well at all.... 😬🫣
3mo
Bookwormjillk @dabbe He was a jerk to Ruth for sure but I thought he was kind of nice to Jemima. Granted my standards for the men in this book are very low. I'm even a little peeved at Leonard to be honest. 3mo
dabbe @Bookwormjillk You're right. He's the less of a lot of evil men in this book, right? 🤩 3mo
Bookwormjillk @dabbe It's a low bar 3mo
mcctrish @Bookwormjillk the bar is so low 🙄 I think Ruth has scared Leonard to death about what the neighbours will think. F just needed to wait for Jemima to grow up and his ‘dodging the bullet‘ relief is a joke since no one but him knew of his crush on Ruth except Jemima and it‘s partly why and how she grew up #ibetdickisadick 3mo
34 likes12 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Ruthiella It‘s so hard not to read ahead to see how this will be resolved ! 😬 3mo
Cuilin IT TAKES TWO!! SHE WAS A CHILD!! Sorry for screaming but nobody even mentioned the fully grown adult male!! 😡 3mo
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Cuilin @Ruthiella why do I think we will not get a happy ending? 3mo
BarkingMadRead @Cuilin @Ruthiella I‘m wondering the same 😢 3mo
AllDebooks @Cuilin yep, it's not looking great for Ruth, is it? 3mo
willaful Ugh. I feel very sorry for Ruth and I know she's a product of her times, but as a mom, her conversation with Leonard made me want to scream. The worst way she could possibly have broken the news! Crying all over your kid and wishing you could die, so traumatic for him.

And the hypocrisy of Bradshaw! “Means to an end“ is fine when *he* does it! 🤬
3mo
dabbe Patriarchy is MALARKEY!!! #bradshawsuckspondwater 😤 3mo
mcctrish @Cuilin YES! Can we throw Bellingshit under the bus ?! He groomed a child to be his lover 3mo
mcctrish @dabbe 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO @willaful cringed at Ruth's telling to her son, too ? - sad that she's this traumatized from the "sin" and now exposure. Certain people will definitely still ostracize a young pregnant girl with no means of support but at least we've progressed slightly from the Victorian era with the darkness of this shame.... 3mo
Bookwormjillk Ugh these long frustrating chapters 3mo
willaful @Bookwormjillk yeah, with no doubt more misery to come. 😣 3mo
Aimeesue @willaful Right? So sad. And traumatic! 3mo
31 likes14 comments
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IndoorDame
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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It doesn‘t quite feel like this type of late August where I am yet, but I‘m so ready for it to. And I feel it in the air, any day now it will, and then… autumn!

dabbe 🎯🎯🎯. 😍 3mo
40 likes1 comment
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Cuilin I‘ve so many questions? How did he find out? The seamstress or Donne? Is Donne wanting to marry Ruth? I can‘t understand hating/blaming a child because of their parents, it makes no sense to me. 3mo
mcctrish @Cuilin these are my thoughts too! Bradshaw wouldn‘t be going to the seamstress so who did she tell that it has made it to his ears ? The Donne marriage scenario, is that the backstory for marrying Ruth? And he told her tale so she‘d be in a pickle and have to marry him? But some people have seen her with the Bradshaw family so ?? (edited) 3mo
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mcctrish Also why are all the men so stupid 3mo
Cuilin @mcctrish I think you‘re right about Donne, he is going to try force Ruth‘s hand. I‘m hoping F is going to swoop in and rescue her and put them all to shame but I get the feeling this is not a happy ever after novel. 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly If Donne did tell Bradshaw, I‘m even more pissed off because he‘s fully blaming Ruth and not saying Donne is a bad person at all. I know it was the way of things, but it still makes me mad! I hope he gets some comeuppance for his bribery hypocrisy. 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly @mcctrish Right? 😂😂😂😂 3mo
IndoorDame He said the whole town was talking, but my bet is still on Donne starting the rumor mill going not the seamstress. Men like that don‘t like being told no and rarely think through the consequences. Unless he doesn‘t care at all about the kid, and is fine ruining them both and betting she‘ll agree to be his mistress if he makes her life miserable enough. 3mo
mcctrish @IndoorDame there is no way Bellingshit isn‘t pissed off Ruth turned down his proposal and maybe if he‘d led with marriage instead of initially proposing to just pick up where they left off ( like WTF dude) 3mo
IndoorDame @mcctrish 💯😡 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO @Cuilin would be the best possibility but alas we will see 3mo
willaful We knew it was coming but it's not a relief it finally happened. :-( 3mo
dabbe Bradshaw‘s holier-than-thou sanctimonious crap after the bribery scene to get Donne elected is just 💩 without the smiley face. I am beyond enraged. 3mo
Bookwormjillk I am thinking it had to have been Donne. It was just too close to his marriage announcement. I‘m wondering if he‘s trying to ruin Ruth so he and new wife can take Leonard. 3mo
AllDebooks With the glee the seamstress showed in telling Jemima, I think it was her passing gossip onto her customers, and it spread like wildfire. Donne didn't need to tell her as she recognised Ruth from earlier. He's still an ass tho. 3mo
rubyslippersreads @AllDebooks I agree. I think the gossip has spread through the town. Maybe Mrs. B heard it and told Mr. B. (Or Mr. BS, as I like to call him.) 3mo
29 likes17 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Bookwormjillk Ugh. I don‘t like this at all. I feel like there‘s no hope for Ruth. 3mo
mcctrish This can‘t end well 3mo
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willaful I'm glad that Jemima wasn't immediately vindictive and isn't letting jealousy blind her to Ruth's blamelessness re F, but, ugh, what a mess. 3mo
Cuilin Poor Ruth. I hope Jemima keeps quiet but something tells me she won‘t. 3mo
KAO Poor Ruth. It will all come out in the open soon, I fear! I‘m surprised that Jemima didn‘t blab right away, but it feels like a ticking time bomb now. 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly Jemima doesn‘t exactly know the truth. Because of course the dressmaker blames Ruth for being a seductress, and not Bellingshit 🙄 3mo
AllDebooks Crikey, it's all coming to the boil now. I just wish Ruth would stop being so good and passive and just tell all the judgemental buggers to feck off for once 🤬 3mo
dabbe I am so exceedingly grateful that I was born in the 20th century. How unbelievably frustrating it must have been to have been born a Victorian woman. I think I'm still reading because I'm hoping that Ruth will (like @AllDebooks so aptly said) tell all of them to f*ck off and live her life on her terms. AUGH!!! 3mo
jewright @dabbe I think about this often. 3mo
julieclair @Clare-Dragonfly 🎯 3mo
dabbe @jewright 🎯! 3mo
AllDebooks @dabbe 😊 I was annoyed! 3mo
35 likes14 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Ch 24: y‘all I just can‘t. So here are some damson plums that they were making into jelly 🤷🏻‍♀️ #thisfreakingguy #idonttrusthimatall #thisisntover #soproudofruththough #shestooduptohimandbrokedownafter #neverletthemseeyousweat #staytuned #hashtagbrigade

CatLass007 I love damson plums💖💖 3mo
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Librarybelle He‘s such a jerk and has triggered all of my emotions about controlling men and stalkers. Ugh. 3mo
Ruthiella @TheBookHippie That‘s how I felt about Tess of the D‘Urbervilles too! WHOOSH! 😡 3mo
mcctrish @TheBookHippie @Librarybelle @Ruthiella when he threatened Ruth to meet with him because Leonard‘s well being depended on it and then he got Bradshaw to take him round to see Leonard OMG 😱 (edited) 3mo
Librarybelle @mcctrish I know! He‘s the worst! 3mo
IndoorDame Who knew it was possible for Bellingshit to continue to drop in my estimation 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 3mo
TheBookHippie @mcctrish RIGHT?!?! OMG 3mo
TheBookHippie @IndoorDame 🤬🤬🤬 3mo
tpixie Pretty 💜💜💜 3mo
mcctrish @IndoorDame RIGHT?! What has happened that he‘s gone from being self centred, spoiled, and thoughtless to cruel and vindictive 3mo
Cuilin @Librarybelle yes!! I feel triggered. He is despicable. 3mo
Aimeesue Sleeze. Bag. Capital SLEEZE. 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly I love—in an angry way—how Bellingshit tried to bribe Leonard into liking him and Benson took it as an attempt to buy his vote. It probably never even occurred to Bellingshit that you could buy a man‘s vote by giving a gift to someone he cared about! 3mo
Bookwormjillk I just caught up. Oh wow. So much to say about that man. Clueless and threatening all at once. 3mo
James263 Hi 3mo
jewright Damsons do make the best jelly ever!!! We had a tree when I was a kid. I was hoping he would have grown up a little, but he‘s still terrible. It‘s almost like he knew she would be pregnant, but he thought she might have died. He‘s almost surprised to see her alive and thriving. 3mo
dabbe @mcctrish Well, he now has a SON. Nevermind that he's so far illegitimate ... now he'll want HIS son and might take him away from Ruth. I. Can't. Even. #steamsnortingmad 😤😤😤 3mo
mcctrish @dabbe it‘s like @IndoorDame said, my mind is blown that Bellingshit is even worse than before 🤯 but I am curious why the name change ? 3mo
mcctrish @jewright right? He left her, after he ruined her, how could she have not perished or become a whore on the street ? 3mo
julieclair @mcctrish Ditto about the name change. What‘s up with that? 3mo
julieclair I so admire Ruth‘s strength and self control. 3mo
mcctrish @julieclair probably did some shady shit and needed a new identity 3mo
julieclair @mcctrish That makes total, slimy sense. 3mo
51 likes26 comments
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dabbe
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

Thanks for the tag, @Yuki_Onna! 🤗

Hoping to get caught up with these two! 🤩🤩🤩

Share your reads? @AmyG @wanderinglynn @barkingmadread

wanderinglynn Thanks for the tag! 3mo
AmyG Sure. Thank you 😘 3mo
TheBookHippie Ruth 😬😵‍💫 3mo
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dabbe @wanderinglynn 🤩😀🤗 3mo
dabbe @AmyG 🤩🤗😘 3mo
dabbe @TheBookHippie Holy crap, I don't know what to think! 😱 3mo
60 likes6 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Librarybelle It was almost hard to read—such a jerk! 3mo
Cuilin The audacity of this man!! WTF? He really thinks he can explain why he abandoned her. 3mo
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Bookwormjillk When the thing we all knew would happen actually happens. Ugh. Why did he change his name though. Such a shady guy. 3mo
mcctrish I‘m so angry and upset! This chapter 🤯 and the restraint I had to show to not throw my kindle! ‘He‘ can‘t believe she is an esteemed governess after he doomed her to a life in the gutter, he keeps trying to talk to her knowing it will put Ruth into further trouble with Bradshaw and then his final outburst! The only good thing about Bellingshit is he makes Bradshaw look good 3mo
julieclair Donne/Bellingham is too awful to believe! What a selfish, supercilious cad. 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly I was NOT expecting that! I‘m impressed with Ruth‘s strength and ability to stay cool in public. I am NOT impressed with any of the awful things Donne-Bellingham is up to 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡 He doesn‘t want to apologize. He doesn‘t even want anything to change. He just wants to force her to listen to him and he‘s going to take advantage of Leonard to do it. UGH!!!!! 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO Hard to read, I just wanted him to leave her alone !! 3mo
Ruthiella Oh, the double standard reflected in this chapter is particularly infuriating. 😡 3mo
TheBookHippie @mcctrish Bellingshit is a whole word. 3mo
TheBookHippie @Cuilin the akin to I assaulted you but you asked for it gaslighting troupe was a throw the book moment. 3mo
mcctrish @Ruthiella absolutely infuriating (edited) 3mo
mcctrish @TheBookHippie I hated him before and now I‘m apoplectic 3mo
mcctrish @currentlyreadinginCO the whole time I‘m reading I‘m muttering “stop fucking talking to her” 3mo
TheBookHippie @mcctrish Seriously😡 3mo
mcctrish @Clare-Dragonfly he is so awful 3mo
IndoorDame @mcctrish apoplectic is THE word! 3mo
Cuilin @mcctrish @Clare-Dragonfly @TheBookHippie @indoordame @currentlyreadinginCO it does beg the question Why did he change his name? 3mo
TheBookHippie @Cuilin Indeed. WHY?! 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO I'm so curious! Did he give her a false name initially bc he had malintent w her?? Did mommy make him change his name so that Ruth couldn't find him?? @Cuilin 3mo
mcctrish @currentlyreadinginCO the innkeeper knew the family as Bellingshit, has he changed it to Donne to run for office ? Or does he have two names ? Family name and lordship entitled twat name ? 3mo
willaful It was murder waiting for this post, because all i wanted to do is reach into my book and yeet him into the sun! The only way he could redeem himself is to marry Ruth and then instantly die, leaving her a good reputation and lots of money. 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly @Cuilin Yes!!! I‘m waiting for that reveal. Maybe he was adopted by a rich relative like one of Jane Austen‘s brothers? 3mo
dabbe @willaful I hope for the same outcome! 3mo
33 likes25 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Cuilin Why does Leonard look like Donne? Related to Bellingham? This is not good. 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO Oof waiting for the other shoe to drop 3mo
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Clare-Dragonfly Who are they even bribing??? 3mo
mcctrish @Cuilin I missed this, who thinks Leonard resembles Donne? Leonard isn‘t even there. I‘m still queasy over Bradshaw asking Ruth to go with his girls to the sea but not let Leonard come 3mo
Cuilin @mcctrish Mrs Bradshaw said it to Jemima. And then Jemima said he looked like a horse. 3mo
mcctrish @Clare-Dragonfly Bradshaw is to give Donne money ? But it‘s not to touch either of their hands ? They both think it‘s wrong but has to be done ? Is this just more of EG ‘s social commentary ? 3mo
Cuilin @Clare-Dragonfly sounds like they are paying for votes. 3mo
mcctrish @Cuilin I remember the resembles a race horse part, I thought she meant that positively ; power, grace etc 3mo
Cuilin @mcctrish it‘s Mrs Bradshaw saying Leonard looks like Donne that stood out to me. Why include that? 3mo
mcctrish @Cuilin I went back and read and I see it now, is it cuz he‘s excitable ? They both seem to be talking about mannerisms or are they ?! 3mo
TheBookHippie @mcctrish trying to work this out as well …. @Clare-Dragonfly 3mo
Bookwormjillk I‘m hoping tomorrow will clear up some things because I‘m a bit confused 3mo
julieclair @Cuilin @Clare-Dragonfly I, too, think they‘re paying for votes, but I‘m confused as to how they‘re doing it. (edited) 3mo
julieclair The Donne-Leonard similarities are making me nervous. 3mo
dabbe @mcctrish @Cuilin ... Or what if Donne and Bellingham are related? I mean, Donne “gives“ $4000 to Bradshaw (if I read that right ... the politics part makes me go 💤), so if he's an a-1 a**hole, he'd fit right in with the Bellinghams. He is coming from somewhere else, and we have no idea where. Yet. #duhduhduhduhdah 3mo
rubyslippersreads @Cuilin @mcctrish Maybe she should have specified which end of the horse. 😂 3mo
AllDebooks @dabbe the 'politics' frustrates me so much. There is no mention of what either candidate stands for. However, Gaskell's strength is her social commentary. She uses her plot to highlight the inconsistencies and corruption of UK politics. You could 'buy' a constituency through bribes, and this was often the case. So few people had the right to vote it was easily done. 🤬 3mo
julieclair @AllDebooks That‘s interesting info. And was it okay for the person “buying” the constituency to live outside its borders? 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly @AllDebooks I get the impression it doesn‘t matter what each side stands for. There are two sides and that‘s what is important to Bradshaw! 3mo
rubyslippersreads @AllDebooks @dabbe @julieclair @Clare-Dragonfly The political stuff reminds me of Trollope. (edited) 3mo
AllDebooks @julieclair I think so. If you had the money, you could 'buy' any constituency 3mo
dabbe @rubyslippersreads Which is why I've tried him but have never been able to get through a book! 🤩😂🤗 3mo
42 likes28 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Librarybelle Off to the sea we go! 3mo
Bookwormjillk Politics blah when did this turn into Middlemarch? 3mo
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dabbe And now we have a new guy coming to town. Who's this Mr. Donne person going to be? #newmanintown 😱
3mo
dabbe @Bookwormjillk 😂😂😂 I tried reading that last part in bed last night and just 💤 my way through it! 3mo
mcctrish In my usual #worstcasescenario vein I assume Donne knows Bellingshit and Ruth will be exposed. I feel bad for Jemima, one can only take so much control. Half of her troubles would be solved by just talking to people but these are the times we are in so no talking allowed. Bradshaw is such a pompous asshole - he‘d rather someone went to debtors prison than offer credit for a month so they could avoid it 3mo
TheBookHippie @Bookwormjillk MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY 😵‍💫🫣 3mo
TheBookHippie @mcctrish 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 3mo
mcctrish @TheBookHippie not to conflate modern politics with these olden days, but I feel like Bradshaw‘s descendants are trying to have a go right now 🤬 3mo
TheBookHippie @dabbe one paragraph and zzzzz finished just now 🫣 3mo
TheBookHippie @mcctrish WORD. 🎯 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly @Bookwormjillk I keep thinking of the hypocritical banker guy from Middlemarch. Bradshaw doesn‘t seem to be that much of a hypocrite but I‘m reserving judgment… 3mo
Aimeesue All that stuff in the chapter and I‘m just sad that Leonard didn‘t get to pick strawberries. 🍓 3mo
dabbe @mcctrish Oh, Mr. Bradshaw's allowed to talk. A. Lot. 🙄 He fits the category of someone with logorrhea, my #weirdwordwednesday word. 😂 3mo
mcctrish @dabbe Bradshaw has got entitled white male-itus but I love your #weirdwordwednesday word ( steam literally comes out my ears whenever I read him speaking, no wonder Jemima is losing her shit ) 3mo
dabbe @mcctrish Agree 💯. 3mo
willaful What a depressing chapter! Jemima is so young and stupid. On the other hand, maybe she could never be happy married to someone so closely associated with her father. 3mo
rubyslippersreads @mcctrish I bet you‘re right. Ruth‘s past has to be revealed somehow, so Mr. Bradshaw can shame her. 3mo
mcctrish @rubyslippersreads that‘s what he lives for 3mo
julieclair @dabbe Logorrhea! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 That might be my new favorite word! 3mo
julieclair @mcctrish Oh my... Your prediction about Mr. Donne is probably right. 😢 Poor poor Ruth. 3mo
dabbe @julieclair I've had it in my head all day! 🤩😂🤗 3mo
45 likes22 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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rubyslippersreads Wouldn‘t Bradshaw giving Ruth something as personal as a dress be considered extremely improper? Maybe if Mrs. Bradshaw had given it to her, or Mr. & Mrs., or even as a gift from the two little girls (not Jemima, though!) 😏 (edited) 3mo
mcctrish Bradshaw is absolutely the most pompous self interested patronizing ass in the history of literature 🤯 he wants to buy a dress for Ruth because her best realty isn‘t and it would be totally okay if she told everybody that he treated her @rubyslippersreads no, because he‘s a righteous prick so no one could think that 🙄 3mo
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AllDebooks Not a fan of Bradshaw and his manipulations 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO Not a fan of any of this!! 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly I don‘t like Bradshaw, but he‘s not that awful—he just wants the whole world to see him as rich and generous! @rubyslippersreads He already gave her fabric and the Bensons persuaded her to accept it—I‘m pretty sure that‘s what the gift would be this time as well, silk fabric, and she can make it into a dress herself. 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly Also, I‘m now worried that F is going to propose to Ruth and either she‘ll accept and go down Tess‘s road, or tell him why she can‘t accept him and be thrown out of her job. There‘s no winning for poor Ruth! 3mo
willaful Getting a Mr. Knightly/Emma vibe here, though neither of them is nearly as interesting. And inviting Ruth definitely backfired. 🙄

I wonder what a “red-hot Valentine“ consisted of in Gaskell's time. 😂
3mo
Bookwormjillk Whelp 3mo
rubyslippersreads @Clare-Dragonfly @mcctrish You‘re right; he‘s set himself up as being completely righteous and beyond contempt. 😠 3mo
Ruthiella Honestly I find Jemima a breath of fresh air in her temper Ruth is just too GOOD. I know Gaskell had her reasons, but for this modern reader, she‘s a little too perfect. 3mo
julieclair The deeper we get into this book, the sadder I‘m becoming. Ruth is so good, and she just seems trapped by her past (most of which was beyond her control). I hope @willaful is right and we get a Knightly/Emma ending. 3mo
rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella I agree with you about Jemima. Ruth is sweet, but such a goody-two-shoes, she seems almost one-dimensional. 3mo
36 likes14 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Bookwormjillk It was kind of boring. And long. Hoping the next chapter picks up a bit. 3mo
TheBookHippie @Bookwormjillk I agree… looong.. 3mo
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dabbe 😴 ... excuse me, what? Bring on the next chapter, please! 🤩 3mo
mcctrish So where will we go from here ? 3mo
willaful I think we got some interesting set up. Ruth's employer will definitely throw her to the wolves if he ever discovers the truth, and his son is even worse, because he's a hypocrite. 3mo
AllDebooks With the last few paragraphs, I think someone is about to croak 🥀 #dontletitbeSally 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO Ohhh no is that why we got her will @AllDebooks 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly I didn‘t realize the Bensons were so old. Earlier on I was thinking maybe Thurstan would be a good match for Ruth. I guess not 😅 3mo
Cuilin The whole opening of the chapter with the switch, 😞 that needed a trigger warning. 3mo
AllDebooks @Cuilin it was awful. I can't quite believe that Thurston was actually going to do it. I thought it seemed out if character. Sally to the rescue, thankfully. 3mo
rubyslippersreads @Clare-Dragonfly I also thought that‘s where the story was going. 3mo
rubyslippersreads @Cuilin @AllDebooks I was shocked by that. I‘m glad Thurstan didn‘t go through with it, but the fact that it was even considered by anyone … 😳 (edited) 3mo
44 likes15 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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TheBookHippie #whatcouldgowrong anyone else talking to their book?!? 🫣 3mo
BarkingMadRead @TheBookHippie yelling at my book…. 3mo
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Aimeesue @TheBookHippie So much!! 3mo
Bookwormjillk @TheBookHippie yes I have a lot to say to this book 3mo
mcctrish 1. Sally is like a whole other story going on 2. Once again, nobody talks to Ruth 3. I‘m disappointed in Mr Benson 4. Brother and sister will sink this ship 5. If Mr Bradshaw doesn‘t want a #bwithb ( I‘m still not sure) is his moral radar piqued and he‘s trying to out Ruth? 6. Basically I don‘t trust Bradshaw 3mo
Cuilin @mcctrish I‘m not trusting the Bradshaws, including Jemima. 3mo
mcctrish @Cuilin yes, she‘s a nosy posey 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly I thought Sally was going to inspire Ruth to also have a will, but no, that went nowhere 😂 The Bradshaws, on the other hand… I fear that Ruth will be thrown in with the young rake Bradshaw, and he will seduce her! 😨 3mo
rubyslippersreads In spite of all she‘s been through, I think Ruth is naive enough to fall for another cad. 😏 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO @mcctrish Sally really is a whole other story! 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO @Clare-Dragonfly @rubyslippersreads I am also fearing this turn, but really hope that's not what happens ... 🙈🙈🙈 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO @TheBookHippie 🙋🏻‍♀️ I have much to say to this book! 3mo
rubyslippersreads @currentlyreadinginCO @mcctrish I think Sally is my favorite character. 🐷 3mo
TheBookHippie @currentlyreadinginCO RIGHT?!?! 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 3mo
37 likes1 stack add15 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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mcctrish The Bensons talk too much 🤣🤣🤣 what is up with Bradshaw?! 3mo
Bookwormjillk This was an interesting chapter. I feel like Gaskell is sewing the seeds for total destruction in a chapter or two. 3mo
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BarkingMadRead @Bookwormjillk I 💯 agree 🤣 3mo
Aimeesue Oh, that Jemima and her pesky questions! 😂 (edited) 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly I‘m worried about that hypocritical Bradshaw son! 3mo
Ruthiella @Clare-Dragonfly Oh yes! Richard Bradshaw is Chekov‘s gun…😱 3mo
Cuilin @Ruthiella there was only one reason he was mentioned!!! 😣 3mo
dabbe @mcctrish IKR? Isn't he married? Does he have the hots for Ruth? Does it matter in that time period that he's married? He creeps me out! 😂 3mo
mcctrish @dabbe exaclty! Does he want to be a benefactor with benefits? So many alarms are going off 3mo
dabbe @mcctrish A so-called #bwithb 😂 3mo
Bookwormjillk @mcctrish benefactor with benefits 🤣🤣🤣 3mo
willaful @Ruthiella Yup! Like his dad isn't creepy enough... 3mo
rubyslippersreads Is Richard Bradshaw going to be another Bellingham??? 🙀 3mo
37 likes16 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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IndoorDame Hahaha definite Mr. Collins vibes! 🤣 3mo
Bookwormjillk Mr Collins vibes 😂 3mo
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AllDebooks 🤣🤣Mr Collins, absolutely 🤣🤣 3mo
AllDebooks It was common practice not to baptise infants until at least 6 months, due to infant mortality. Could still call him somrthing other than baby, tho! 😅 3mo
Cuilin Oh, you‘re a teenage mother postpartum, you have no prospects, you have no family, you are an orphan, but could stop crying and just learn how to make a bed cheerfully. Thanks 🙄 3mo
BarkingMadRead @Cuilin right? Omg 3mo
TheBookHippie 🏆 Mr Collins indeed 🤣 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly I love Sally 😂 3mo
mcctrish @Cuilin 🤣🤣 although moving out to live in squalor taking in dressmaking that is doomed to be subpar isn‘t the greatest plan 3mo
mcctrish Sally rocks 3mo
rubyslippersreads I love that the only thing that tempted Sally about the proposal was the 🐷. 3mo
BarkingMadRead @rubyslippersreads it‘s all about the 🥓🥓 3mo
Cuilin @mcctrish agreed 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO At this moment I feel like things COULD be okay and this could be the end of the story -- Ruth has shelter, support, she's working on her education and the cover story seems to be working ... not ideal, but something made of a bad situation. And yet 71% remains. 3mo
Cuilin @currentlyreadinginCO there‘s a storm a brewing 🌪️ 3mo
julieclair I‘m listening on audio, and whoever is narrating Sally‘s part is a gem! Even if I do have to replay it sometimes because her accent is pretty thick. 😎 3mo
BarkingMadRead @julieclair I love when audiobooks have different actors for each character! 3mo
38 likes21 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Librarybelle The dress present was creepy, and the fact that he watches her while she prays…I‘m not sure where this will lead. 3mo
Bookwormjillk Yeah a lot going on here. We‘re not all that far into the book and so much has happened already. (edited) 3mo
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TheBookHippie Only chapter 15 😳🤯 whew. 3mo
Ruthiella @Librarybelle Oh yeah. Mr Bradshaw = creepy. 😱 3mo
Cuilin My prediction is the Bradshaws will be Ruth‘s doom. Mr. Bradshaw using gifts as a controlling device, gave me the ick. 3mo
AllDebooks @Librarybelle total creep. 3mo
mcctrish I agree @Cuilin Bradshaw wants a side gig 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO Sigh leave Ruth alone 3mo
dabbe I want Ruth to grow a spine! I want her to get tough like Tess! It seems like everything is happening TO her and that she's not doing anything to FOR herself. Maybe that's why there's still more ... I hope so. 3mo
AllDebooks Did anyone else think this chapter went from 0-60? Ruth was newly pregnant and dumped, and then she has a baby boy and a new lurking pervert! I'm looking at you, Bradshaw. 🤮 I hope we really start to see her character develop now she's a mother. 🤞 3mo
KAO I did like that in the last part of this chapter, Ruth finally looks back on Bellingham and becomes aware of his “selfish, worldly nature, unnoticed at the time” and recognized in his speeches “a low standard, of impatient self-indulgence, of no acknowledgment of things spiritual and heavenly.” I was hoping that a spine was born—but then came self-reproach for “judging the absent father.” Oy! 3mo
Bookwormjillk @AllDebooks yes, seemed really abrupt 3mo
rubyslippersreads I‘m glad Ruth finally recognized Bellingham for the cad he truly is. Now if she can just fend off the icky Bradshaw. 😠 3mo
julieclair I hope you‘re wrong, @Cuilin , but I‘m afraid you‘re right. 😕 3mo
40 likes16 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Bookwormjillk These people are kind of terrible at lying. 3mo
AllDebooks When Faith started embellishing Ruth's 'story', I couldn't help feeling she was looking to out her, even if subconsciously. An embellished lie is always going to catch you out. It would be better to keep it simple. 3mo
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mcctrish I‘m still in shock over hacking off all of Ruth‘s hair 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO don't trust these people at all 🙄🙄 3mo
Cuilin Faith, the truth will out, what are you doing? 3mo
Ruthiella Oh dear. “What could go wrong ?” EXACTLY!!😬 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly And now Faith has to remember all her lies—and so do Ruth and Thurstan. And I don‘t think anyone has told Ruth! 3mo
mcctrish @Clare-Dragonfly nobody actually tells Ruth anything 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly @mcctrish New subtitle for this book 😂😂😂 3mo
rubyslippersreads @mcctrish 😂😂😂 3mo
mcctrish @Clare-Dragonfly @rubyslippersreads I mean, look where we are in this story and it‘s all based on a lack of sharing information with Ruth 🤯 3mo
BarkingMadRead @mcctrish you just summed up the entire plot in one sentence 🤣 3mo
rubyslippersreads @mcctrish @Clare-Dragonfly If only someone had at least told Ruth about the birds and the bees. 😏 3mo
35 likes16 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Cuilin Does anybody else feel like in order to make this more palatable to a Victorian reader Ruth had to be punished in some way? Hence the hair being cut, almost like she‘s in prison???? 3mo
IndoorDame @Cuilin I think you‘re right 3mo
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IndoorDame When it says Faith switched to the informal you with Ruth and she didn‘t notice at first… is the implication supposed to be that Faith lost respect for her when she found out about the pregnancy, or that she‘s trying to make the fiction of their distant “family connection” convincing since they gave her a family name and now their reputations are on the line too? 3mo
Ruthiella I think also that Sally is protecting her naive employers. She‘s saying, “if I can see through this ruse, so will others. Let‘s make it work”. 3mo
TheBookHippie @Cuilin YES!!!! This exactly. 3mo
AllDebooks @Cuilin absolutely. 3mo
AllDebooks I have read a lot of Victorian fiction and history and never heard of widows cutting their hair. I went down a Google rabbit hole and found this quite interesting 🤔 https://journalofantiques.com/features/the-evolution-of-mourning-wear/ 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO I felt that, too, and how the punishment failing to shame Ruth changed Sally's desire to punish her in the first place @Ruthiella 3mo
dabbe @Ruthiella Agree 💯. 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly I was skeptical that Sally dropping him could have caused his “deformity” but I searched Wikipedia for “hunchback” and it *can* be caused by trauma! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyphosis 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly @IndoorDame I read it as Sally using the formal “you” with her employers—the Bensons, not Ruth—when they arrived, but as she got comfortable again, switched to the informal “thou” she is used to. I don‘t think she switched pronouns with Ruth. 3mo
IndoorDame @Clare-Dragonfly oh, makes sense. Thanks 3mo
mcctrish “Men on the other hand weren‘t expected to follow the rigid mourning rules” @AllDebooks the world really hates women! Imagine if we didn‘t just want equality and autonomy and decided to get even 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly @AllDebooks Fascinating, thanks for sharing! I‘d heard of deep mourning and half-mourning but somehow I‘d missed the existence of second mourning! 3mo
willaful @Clare-Dragonfly Interesting... I was skeptical too. 3mo
willaful @Ruthiella Also a good point. 3mo
julieclair Such an interesting article, @AllDebooks ! Thanks for sharing. 3mo
40 likes18 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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AllDebooks This is all very convenient. 3mo
Cuilin Why would they send the money back? 😑 That baby is going to need some things!!!! 3mo
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BarkingMadRead @Cuilin I would have kept it for her, and not let her know. She has no concept of money! 3mo
Cuilin @BarkingMadRead exactly! 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly @BarkingMadRead That‘s what I thought was going on and was a bit annoyed with Faith for lying to Ruth! But instead I‘m annoyed with her for giving back such a large amount of money 😂 I can‘t fault Ruth‘s principles but you got it exactly right—no concept of money. 3mo
Crinoline_Laphroaig I'm behind after the weekend. Catching up! 3mo
mcctrish Faith is all “she gives the money back, what a wonderful girl! “She gives the money back, does she have any idea of the cost of things?!” Somebody have sense here, please!!! Keep the money and ask for MORE! Bankrupt the Bellingshits 3mo
Bookwormjillk I kind of admired Ruth sending the money back, but also yeah it was dumb. They should have kept it for her. 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO They should have kept it for her, but they were going to take it without telling her anyway?? I'm surprised that they even sent it back and didn't pocket it for the trouble.... 3mo
AllDebooks @BarkingMadRead I honestly think Ruth hasn't a clue about anything. Her vulnerability and naivety are utterly terrifying. Off she trots with more random strangers, who, yes, have been good to her so far, but she's so trusting. 🫣 3mo
dabbe @currentlyreadinginCO That's exactly what I thought! If the minister and his sis are able to lie that Ruth is a widow, surely they can keep the money without telling Ruth and use it to help her. #plotholehere 3mo
willaful I wonder if this was convention at the time or if this book was part of starting the convention. I can't tell you how many romance heroines have gotten up my nose by refusing to take support for their secret babies... 3mo
Aimeesue @mcctrish Yes! Bankruptcy is too good for them. 3mo
rubyslippersreads Ruth‘s principles might be in the right place, but I‘d still like to shake some sense into her. 3mo
mcctrish @rubyslippersreads her principles haven‘t really been working in her favour 3mo
Bookwormjillk @AllDebooks that‘s a really good point! She doesn‘t know these people at all! 3mo
jewright I just wonder when things are taking a turn for the worse. It‘s super early in the book. 3mo
37 likes22 comments
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AllDebooks
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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I'm catching up on #Pemberlittens buddy read with my best furry pal for company. I'm sitting outside hoping for a chance to glimpse the Aurora Borealis and Perseid meteors as we have the first clear night of the weekend.

#Hyggehour

IuliaC 😻 3mo
rubyslippersreads What a cutie pie. 😻 3mo
IndoorDame 😻😻😻 3mo
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Ruthiella 😻😻😻 3mo
AnnCrystal 💕😻💝. 3mo
dabbe #photocontestwinner 🖤🐾🖤 3mo
46 likes6 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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mcctrish Well there‘s no question now what Ruth and Bellingham were up to 🤣🤣🤦🏻‍♀️ Faith is going to have her faith and judgment tested 3mo
See All 43 Comments
TheBookHippie @mcctrish took me way too long to go OHHHH. 😵‍💫🤷🏻‍♀️ yes. Now we know. 3mo
mcctrish @TheBookHippie it‘s hard to go against the patriarchy when they call all the shots but maybe Faith will turn the tide 🤞🏼 Ruth needs all the help and people in her corner she can get 3mo
TheBookHippie @mcctrish 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 3mo
IndoorDame Sooo… Just how long were they at that inn? I mean these days we need about a month to confirm a pregnancy, but just how far along would a petite teenager have to be for a doctor to see a pregnancy back then? 3mo
Ruthiella @IndoorDame I think this is a doctor who serves the plot over the patient. 3mo
BarkingMadRead @IndoorDame I wondered the same, I didn‘t think they were there for more than a couple of weeks, but where were they before that? I‘ll have to check the timeline 3mo
mcctrish @IndoorDame so now I am thinking, remember when Bellingshit said he wanted to take Ruth to her family home but didn‘t want to take his carriage cuz he‘d miss their ‘walks‘ maybe walk means shenanigans?! 3mo
IndoorDame @mcctrish ooo, sneaky! On his part and the author‘s. That never occurred to me, but if it‘s true her loosing her job that day isn‘t quite as much of an overreaction as I thought 3mo
IndoorDame @Ruthiella definitely a possibility! 3mo
BarkingMadRead @IndoorDame @mcctrish I consulted the Google and apparently they were at that inn for “a number of months” 3mo
mcctrish @IndoorDame exactly what I‘m thinking #noinnuendotohelpmewiththisbook 3mo
mcctrish @BarkingMadRead so Bellingshit knew a bun in the oven had to be a possibility sooner or later and he‘s cutting his losses on purpose 🤬🤬🤬 3mo
BarkingMadRead @mcctrish oh, for sure, and why not? Mum will take care of everything 🙄 3mo
mcctrish I am further enraged 3mo
TheBookHippie @mcctrish I‘m thinking WALKS in a whole new light. @IndoorDame I too was thinking short time in Inn. 3mo
IndoorDame @mcctrish 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 is right! 3mo
TheBookHippie @mcctrish I wasn‘t thinking this devious but of course… 🤦🏻‍♀️ (edited) 3mo
mcctrish @TheBookHippie he knew she‘d be ruined on multiple levels ( did it anyways) and now he‘s too tired to deal 3mo
IndoorDame @TheBookHippie @mcctrish we must start to be much sneakier in our thinking as we read this. Like a mystery novel. Nothing anyone says is to be trusted! 😂 3mo
mcctrish @IndoorDame I actually just thought “I have to think harder with this book than a mystery!” 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly @BarkingMadRead Months?! Was Ruth never suspicious that they were in Wales, not London and Europe like he said he had to go to? Sheesh. I wish someone had taught this child something. 3mo
Cuilin I‘m having a hard time with all the faith discussion of “Ruth‘s sin” like she did this alone. WTF?? @mcctrish #Bellingshit lol 3mo
Cuilin @IndoorDame 🕵️‍♀️ 3mo
Aimeesue @mcctrish Absolutely yes about crossing the patriarchy when you‘re swimming in it with no real way out. A lot of time people don‘t even realize they hold ridiculous sexist beliefs until they confronted with a situation that forced them to think deeply about it. 3mo
Aimeesue @Cuilin The “boys will be boys” trope goes deep. It also sets women up as the force responsible for upholding morality, and that hasn‘t even ended today. #MeToo made a dent, but it‘s still everywhere. 3mo
Cuilin @Aimeesue I hate when people say, girls mature quicker than boys. No you‘re just holding them to different standards. 3mo
mcctrish @Cuilin thanks to shit like this girls have to mature quicker aka understand all the fuckery afoot or they lose 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO Hoping that Benson's sis's plan works but suspecting that it won't and Ruth is going to be one tragedy after another like our girl Tess. Interesting discussion today , Im also viewing the previous innuendo in a new light🧐 3mo
Aimeesue @Cuilin Yep. It‘s ridiculous. But effective, because it sets less powerful people above the power holders in a single aspect which was seen as significant at the time. Double edged sword because it‘s also a method of control if any female steps out of bounds, like Ruth. 3mo
Aimeesue @mcctrish And then they call us manipulative! 🙄 3mo
mcctrish @Aimeesue I‘m watching the latest season of Bridgerton and Colin and Penelope have had a falling out right before the wedding and he says he‘s going through with the wedding cuz he‘s a gentleman and they‘ve been intimate, although she could have planned that to entrap him! OH MY GOD! 3mo
Aimeesue @mcctrish Yeah, dude, sure. 🙄 3mo
willaful I like how Faith is written. You can tell she's good people because when she realizes she's in the wrong she doesn't get defensive and convince herself she's right after all.

And she kind of represents what girls like Ruth are up against, because she's not a cruel person but is a part of her culture (as are we all.) It takes someone like her brother to be able to see beyond the usual.
3mo
Bookwormjillk I got a late start today and now that it‘s confirmed I‘m questioning everything. And I want to read Tess again and the rest of Gaskell‘s books. 🤯 3mo
TheBookHippie @mcctrish UGHHHHHH. 3mo
TheBookHippie @IndoorDame I was reading this with too much innocence!!! LOLOLOLOL 3mo
TheBookHippie @Aimeesue UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. 3mo
TheBookHippie @Aimeesue Power and control. The evil twins. 3mo
mcctrish @willaful me too 3mo
33 likes43 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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mcctrish 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻#peterasbenson 3mo
mcctrish Also “get thee to a penitentiary” is a bit extreme FFS! The Bellinghams are awful people. I‘m not sure which I want more, ‘Mr‘ Bellingham to die OR for him to live and get his ducks in a row 🤞🏼his mother catches the plague next 3mo
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Cuilin @mcctrish “get thee to a penitentiary” lol 3mo
Cuilin A girls life hangs in the balance, but heaven forbid we let Mr. Bellingham get annoyed. 😳 3mo
IndoorDame I thought even at this time a penitentiary was a prison. Is there another meaning? 3mo
BarkingMadRead @IndoorDame I looked it up, it‘s more of a charitable institution for fallen women, it‘s basically a rehab to make them “fit for society” 🙄 3mo
IndoorDame @BarkingMadRead 😬 better than prison I guess, but we all know those places have super shady track records historically… 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly I was thinking a penitentiary must be more like a workhouse. A place for “fallen women” makes sense—a place for penitents… I‘m disappointed in my Penguin Classics edition having endnotes, but not one that explains “penitentiary.” 3mo
mcctrish @Cuilin YES! Heaven forbid the boy is annoyed 3mo
Cuilin @IndoorDame @Clare-Dragonfly it‘s giving Magdalene Laundries Scandal. 3mo
TheBookHippie @mcctrish 🤞🏻 his mother catches the plague 😵‍💫🤣👀 3mo
BarkingMadRead @TheBookHippie can we please try and keep current politics out of the discussion? 3mo
Bookwormjillk Can someone get that money from Mason PLEASE 3mo
dabbe @Cuilin Or accuse HIM of anything in appropriate. It's ALWAYS the woman hussy, isn't it? 🙄 3mo
BarkingMadRead @dabbe @Cuilin obviously she was all by herself when the unspeakable happened 🙄 3mo
Cuilin @BarkingMadRead @Dabbe I overheard a woman say there would be no bad men if it weren‘t for bad women! I had to just walk away. (edited) 3mo
dabbe @Cuilin Oh, lordy be. 😮 #speechless 3mo
rubyslippersreads @Cuilin Definitely. 3mo
julieclair @Cuilin You‘re joking. In real life? Present day? How is that even possible? 🤯 3mo
Cuilin @julieclair It was the 90‘s, my teenage self bristled. 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO Mrs B is the worst 🤮, def Dinklage as Benson 🤣🤣 3mo
jewright I‘m wondering if Benson will marry her. 3mo
julieclair @Cuilin Your teenage self had every right to bristle! 3mo
36 likes27 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Ch 9: why is this who I picture for sweet Mr Benson?! #shortchapter #ruthissick #shecantcatchabreak #bensonisasaint #hashtagbrigade

mcctrish Not only did that stupid entitled manchild leave her without a backward glance, he‘s given her the plague 3mo
Aimeesue @mcctrish Right? Dispicable boy. 3mo
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TheBookHippie @mcctrish BECAUSE OF COURSE HE DID. 😵‍💫 3mo
Ruthiella I‘m picturing Peter Dinklage. I understood dwarf before hunchback… 3mo
mcctrish @Ruthiella I am very pro Peter Dinklage in this role 3mo
BarkingMadRead @Ruthiella ohhhhhhh I love that. Yes! 3mo
TheBookHippie @Ruthiella ohhhhh yes. Good pick. 3mo
Bookwormjillk Did Baby B get her sick or is she just heart broken? I guess we'll find out. 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO Wondering the same! @Bookwormjillk 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly Ahh so perfect! A sweet, generous hunchback! 3mo
julieclair #BensonOfNotreDame is the sweetest, kindest man. 💝 3mo
rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella Perfect casting! 3mo
AllDebooks I'm so glad he now has a name cos I was getting really hacked off with deformed/hunchback. So demeaning 3mo
34 likes15 comments
blurb
BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Bookwormjillk That 5 seconds of defending her was more than I thought she was going to get. Yes very worried about the money. 3mo
Cuilin @Bookwormjillk I thought the money may have been for the bill at the Inn? His behavior is unforgivable. 3mo
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IndoorDame 🙋🏻‍♀️ Having major anxiety about the money! 3mo
AllDebooks Urgh, he's so awful. Sending Mummy in to clean up his mess, no doubt, again!! 3mo
mcctrish @IndoorDame I totally said “take the money with you dumbass” in a Jennifer Coolidge voice 3mo
IndoorDame @mcctrish I was doing the horror movie thing, but substituting “don‘t go into the dark creepy basement!” for take the money!/go back and see if the money is still there!” She may have no experience with men, but she has some experience with poverty already, so she it‘s not naïveté that keeps her from realizing how close she is to slipping into abject poverty and what that is. I‘ve decided to blame this character flaw on her being a teenager. 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly Mrs. B is so awful!! She is absolutely determined to see Ruth as bad and Henry as totally innocent, even though Henry tells her straight-up that it‘s his fault (which is far better than I expected of him). I‘m sure Gaskell is just using her to show the prevailing attitude of the time but I can still hate her 😡😡😡 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly I‘m not worried about the money—it‘s in her own room and I‘m pretty sure the landlady and her servants are honest, good people. I‘ve been wrong before though 😂 And I love the “deformed man” saving Ruth by needing help himself—just like when Clarence jumps in the river in It‘s a Wonderful Life! 3mo
willaful LOL, I'm glad I'm not the only one freaking about the money. The people in this book are very good at justifying their own terrible behavior, so I just see it being taken. 3mo
mcctrish @willaful I totally think it could be taken to cover Ruth‘s extra expenses or Mrs B could be charged enough to cover all of it #inaperfectworld and Ruth will have a small sum to start just above the gutter. Ruth is a bit too Blanche Dubois for me (although women can‘t actually do anything for themselves so of course they have to depend on the kindness of men/strangers #somuchforasisterhood ) 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO things really took a turn here 😳😳😳 3mo
Ruthiella OMG Please keep the money Ruth! I remember Tess also being stupid/too proud/too timid to go to Angel‘s family once they were married. 3mo
Aimeesue Excellent pic of the awful Mrs. B! That‘s her all over. 3mo
jewright Good grief this chapter made me so angry. The double standard is awful. 3mo
willaful @mcctrish She's a lot, lot younger than Blanche. 3mo
julieclair There was so much going on I. This chapter that I never even thought about the money! 😂 3mo
35 likes1 stack add17 comments
blurb
BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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willaful It's so hard to stick to just one chapter! 3mo
mcctrish @willaful absolutely especially when I do not understand the nature of the relationship between Ruth and Sir B who have obviously been sharing a room so it must be more than I think it is 🍆🍑😱 3mo
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BarkingMadRead @mcctrish I knowwwww like did they or didn‘t they?!? They must have, but it‘s not even alluded to! We want to know!!! 3mo
dabbe I'd love to wipe the holier-than-thou attitude off Mrs. B's face. Things are going from bad to worst for our Tess. I mean Ruth. 😂 3mo
mcctrish @dabbe apparently that‘s how women of worth are supposed to act and how Ruth outed herself immediately 3mo
currentlyreadinginCO @mcctrish @BarkingMadRead I am confused, too! Is everyone this bent out of shape bc they're just sharing a room together!? Or are we just supposed to understand that they're sleeping together and if so why isn't Ruth conflicted about that ? 3mo
Bookwormjillk @currentlyreadinginCO @mcctrish @BarkingMadRead I am confused too. I would have expected a little more inner monologue from Ruth. 3mo
IndoorDame @BarkingMadRead @mcctrish right? I keep feeling like I missed the reference and wanting to go back, but aside from just how rude the locals were and the fact that he fussed with her hair and she didn‘t react, I saw nothing. And he‘s rich, his room could have a sitting room or something, right? 3mo
willaful I think we're seeing stylistic conventions. Ruth is supposed to be too innocent to even understand but we're supposed to get it. 3mo
Librarybelle I agree, @willaful . I think Gaskell is playing up that Ruth is that naive that she doesn‘t understand what‘s happening. She‘s in love; she thinks B is in love with her. She also keeps thinking B will call for her. Gaskell I think also writes this in that we as the audience can infer what has happened. 3mo
mcctrish Good lord @Librarybelle @willaful I can appreciate this isn‘t a romance novel but it feels like Ruth is too dumb to know what‘s going on or I guess I am 🤣🤣 3mo
Librarybelle @mcctrish Oh no! I come to this reading knowing a little bit about Gaskell—this book was very controversial when it was published, as Gaskell wanted to show society how cruel they were to women like Ruth—and I keep getting Tess vibes from this. I‘m also incredibly jaded and have read enough 19th century lit to guess what‘s going on. I think Gaskell is trying to show that sheltering your daughters from the world leads them to situations like this. 3mo
Librarybelle ⬆️ If I didn‘t have prior knowledge, I‘d be wondering the same things as everyone else! 3mo
mcctrish @Librarybelle I commend Gaskell for her mission 3mo
Librarybelle @mcctrish Me too! She strikes me as a woman who was strong and was willing to make people think. 3mo
Bookwormjillk @Librarybelle major Tess vibes! 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly I agree with @willaful and @Librarybelle. It reminds me of Sister Carrie—I read it knowing it was supposed to be super scandalous and not knowing why, and then I was so confused when it became clear to me she‘d had sex with a man, and went back a few chapters trying to figure out when that was mentioned. I think neither Gaskell nor Dreiser could have published anything more explicit; a man and woman sharing a room was enough for their readers. 3mo
BarkingMadRead @Clare-Dragonfly @Librarybelle that makes total sense 3mo
willaful @Librarybelle overly sheltering on the one hand, but also selfishly putting them potentially in harm's way and then abandoning them, like her mistress did. And.. Thomas was it? He had no words to explain to her what he was (very rightfully) afraid of. Keeping people ignorant keeps them powerless. 3mo
Librarybelle Agreed, @Clare-Dragonfly . I think the audience of Gaskell‘s time would immediately draw a conclusion about sharing a room at the inn. 3mo
Librarybelle Yes, @willaful ! Completely agree! 3mo
Crinoline_Laphroaig I'm find Ruth's naivete annoying. I yelled at page stop being so clueless. Also she was given a room stop skulking in the hallway. And stay out of the Dragons way. 3mo
rubyslippersreads I think sharing a room with a man was enough to ruin Ruth, whereas for Bellingham, although his mommy didn‘t like it, “boys will be boys.” 3mo
34 likes26 comments
blurb
BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Ruthiella Poor Ruth. I do, however wish she had a little more spunk. She‘s so GOOD. 4mo
Cuilin Oh my gosh, her lack of experience makes her so naïve. That is what Bellingham is taking advantage of and why are others blaming her not him.? 4mo
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currentlyreadinginCO The most naive!! And Bellingham is a baby too 🙄🙄 4mo
Bookwormjillk I can't decide if it's better or worse for Ruth if Baby B dies. 4mo
mcctrish @Ruthiella me too! Bloody little brat punches her and she doesn‘t want to upset BELLINGHAM?! Karma is biting his ass ( and I don‘t think they are having sex, she‘d know that‘s what‘s going on wouldn‘t she ?) 4mo
BarkingMadRead @mcctrish I wondered the same, like that‘s yet to come 4mo
willaful @BarkingMadRead @mcctrish I don't see why he would wait.

4mo
mcctrish @willaful true, should I just consider the deed done since everyone else in ‘town‘ does? 4mo
willaful @mcctrish I imagine we'll find out when it becomes very horribly obvious. 😔 (edited) 4mo
dabbe @willaful @mcctrish And if the deed has been done, it makes me want to 🤢 when she still calls him SIR. 4mo
mcctrish @dabbe that‘s another reason why I don‘t think it‘s done ( I‘m not saying he isn‘t grooming her ) 4mo
Clare-Dragonfly Ugh. I was looking forward to Bellingham abandoning Ruth when he‘s tired of her, causing her to recognize his true character. But now he‘s probably going to just die and his mom will show up and blame her for being a fallen woman and she‘ll still idolize him, when it‘s his fault that she‘s in this terrible position. 😡 4mo
TheBookHippie 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢 4mo
AllDebooks Ruth's naivety is so grim in the face of having to deal with Bellingham. If only she had left the inn and gone back to her childhood home instead of getting in the carriage with B 3mo
rubyslippersreads Bellingham‘s mother is even more revolting than he is. 😠 3mo
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BarkingMadRead
Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell
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Ch 5: Ruthie? Also, I‘m trapped in Orlando until early Tuesday morning because our flight was cancelled due to the storm. This chapter made me a little salty 🤣 #anyway #ruthandbellinghamataninn #hereallylikesgettinghisway 🙄 #petulantlittlebaby #ruthhasasoloadventure #ilovehowsheviewedthestranger #ofcoursebellinghamseeshimdifferently #staytuned #hashtagbrigade

Cuilin Of course Bellingham would use the narrow social position definition of a gentleman.🙄 ugh what a charlatan. 4mo
AnnCrystal 🙏💝. 4mo
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currentlyreadinginCO The reading party sounds delightful, though!! 4mo
Bookwormjillk @currentlyreadinginCO Yes I wanted more info on the reading party

Safe travels @barkingmadread
(edited) 4mo
Clare-Dragonfly A reading party sounds great, but if they were bored being stuck in the inn due to weather, I don‘t think the point of the reading party was actually reading 😂 I‘m not thrilled with the way Gaskell describes the “deformed” man, but for the time it was probably pretty good, especially since he actually seems to be a decent guy, unlike Bellingham. 4mo
Clare-Dragonfly Also, I guess we‘re supposed to infer that Ruth and Bellingham are having sex at this point? The only hint is the fact that they‘re sharing a room. 4mo
willaful Aww, the Foxglove Fairy!
4mo
BarkingMadRead @Clare-Dragonfly probably? I wondered the same thing 4mo
mcctrish @Clare-Dragonfly I wondered too, but even if they aren‘t everyone assumes ( Jennie does) so Ruth is ruined 4mo
Bookwormjillk @Clare-Dragonfly I think so? I wasn't sure either. 4mo
rubyslippersreads I‘d like to know what a reading party really is. If it involves lots of books, tea, and snacks, it sounds delightful. But it also sounds too dull to suit the odious Mr. Bellingham. 😏 3mo
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