If you enjoy reading books by Elizabeth Gaskell then you might also like the following authors:
Charlotte Brontë was an English author from the 19th century who wrote stories about strong and thoughtful characters, especially women. If you enjoy Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels, you may also like Charlotte Brontë's “Jane Eyre.”
This book follows Jane, an orphan who grows up under difficult conditions but eventually finds work as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There she meets Mr. Rochester, the stern and mysterious master of the house.
Strange happenings, unexpected secrets and difficult choices make Jane’s journey emotional and memorable.
George Eliot was an English novelist who wrote stories about everyday life and social issues of her time. Many readers who enjoy Elizabeth Gaskell also appreciate Eliot’s ability to create realistic characters with complex personal struggles.
One of Eliot’s well-known novels is “Middlemarch.” It is about provincial English life in the 1800s, filled with characters like Dorothea Brooke. Dorothea is a thoughtful young woman who dreams of doing something important with her life.
The story explores her marriage choices and hopes, alongside the ambitions of the idealistic Doctor Lydgate. Eliot shows how personal decisions can run up against society’s expectations.
If you enjoyed Elizabeth Gaskell, you might also appreciate Thomas Hardy. Hardy was an English writer who set his novels in rural southwest England. His stories focus on ordinary people caught up in difficult life situations.
One example is his novel “Far from the Madding Crowd.” It centers around Bathsheba Everdene, a young woman who inherits a farm and has to manage it herself. Bathsheba deals with challenges related to the farm business and complications from three very different suitors.
Hardy’s characters often face struggles related to social expectations and their own choices. His novels show life honestly, without making things seem easier or better than they are.
Anthony Trollope is a writer who captures daily life and the interactions between people clearly and honestly. Readers who like Elizabeth Gaskell might enjoy Trollope’s novel “The Warden.”
It is about a kind-hearted church official named Mr. Harding who oversees a home for elderly men. Some local people start to question if the wages Mr. Harding earns are fair or excessive. This causes disagreement and difficult choices for Mr. Harding.
Trollope writes gently and carefully about emotions and social pressures. He makes ordinary dilemmas feel genuine and important.
Wilkie Collins was an English author who wrote absorbing mystery and suspense novels in the Victorian era. If you enjoyed Elizabeth Gaskell’s engaging style and clear storytelling, Collins might interest you too.
His novel “The Woman in White” tells the story of Walter Hartright, a drawing teacher who meets a strange woman dressed entirely in white one night on a lonely London road.
Walter soon discovers a mystery linked to this woman—a web of deception, family secrets, and mistaken identity that changes the lives of everyone involved. Collins keeps readers curious about the woman’s true identity and the hidden conflicts that surround her life.
Charles Dickens is an author you might enjoy if you loved Elizabeth Gaskell. His novel, “Great Expectations,” follows a young orphan named Pip who suddenly receives money from an unknown source.
Pip moves to London to start his new life as a gentleman, but he struggles to understand who he truly is and who he wants to be.
Dickens creates many vivid, memorable characters, such as the strange old woman Miss Havisham who always wears her wedding dress and lives in a house that has stopped in time.
Dickens uses this story to explore class differences and the troubles people face when they place too much value on money or social status.
Anne Brontë was an English author who wrote books about everyday people in realistic situations. Her book “Agnes Grey” follows the life of Agnes, a young governess who struggles in her employment with wealthy families.
The story shows Agnes’s experiences with difficult children and insensitive employers. Brontë describes the quiet strength Agnes needs to cope with loneliness and hardship, while hoping for happiness.
Readers who appreciate Elizabeth Gaskell novels like “North and South” may enjoy Anne Brontë's similarly detailed view into ordinary lives.
If you enjoy Elizabeth Gaskell, you might find George Gissing appealing too. He was an English novelist in the late 19th century who wrote books about everyday lives and social problems in Victorian England.
His novel “The Odd Women” focuses on the lives of single women and their struggles in a society that mainly valued marriage. The story follows several women as they try to figure out how to lead independent and fulfilling lives.
It raises thoughtful questions about work, marriage, and the role of women at the time.
Edith Wharton was an American author who wrote novels about life in high society, especially focusing on personal relationships and social expectations. If you enjoy Elizabeth Gaskell, you might appreciate Wharton’s novel “The Age of Innocence.”
The story follows Newland Archer, a young lawyer set to marry into a respectable New York family. Archer meets Ellen Olenska, his fiancée’s cousin, and begins questioning the strict social standards around him.
This novel portrays family pressures with deep sensitivity, and captures the tensions hidden beneath their polite surface. Wharton’s portrayal of conflicted characters and strict social rules creates a thoughtful story that holds the reader’s interest until the final pages.
Mary Elizabeth Braddon was an English author who wrote popular novels in the Victorian age. Her stories usually mix mystery with family secrets. One well-known example is “Lady Audley’s Secret.”
This book is about Lucy Audley, a woman with a mysterious past who marries into a wealthy family. Soon strange events happen, and her nephew becomes suspicious. He begins an investigation to uncover her secrets and find out what she might be hiding.
The story is full of suspense and has an accurate picture of life in Victorian England. If you enjoy Elizabeth Gaskell’s detailed portrayals of society and family tensions, Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s novels may offer the same enjoyment.
Margaret Oliphant was a Scottish novelist from the Victorian era who wrote engaging novels about everyday lives and family dramas.
Readers who enjoy Elizabeth Gaskell may appreciate her book “Miss Marjoribanks,” which follows Lucilla Marjoribanks as she returns home after finishing her education. Lucilla plans to support her father’s comfort and to revitalize local society.
Her practical nature and amusing schemes bring humor and charm to this gentle tale of community life. The book offers insights into women’s roles and expectations through witty dialogue and interesting characters.
Sarah Grand was an author who wrote novels about the lives and struggles of women in Victorian society. If you enjoy Elizabeth Gaskell’s focus on social realism, you might appreciate Grand’s book “The Heavenly Twins.”
The novel follows two women who face the strict rules of their community and who find ways to challenge these restrictions. One of the characters, Evadne, defies conventions by taking control of her own life despite pressure to conform.
Her story presents an honest picture of women’s experiences and thoughts at a time when society discouraged them from speaking openly.
If you enjoy Elizabeth Gaskell, Mrs. Henry Wood is another author you should get to know. Her book “East Lynne” focuses on Lady Isabel Carlyle, a woman who makes choices that lead her life into unexpected tragedy.
Isabel’s life takes surprising turns as she struggles between duty and personal desires. The book captures relationships and society’s expectations with clear honesty. Mrs. Wood shows family drama and Victorian society in a straightforward, easy-to-follow story.
Susan Ferrier was a Scottish writer who lived during the early 19th century. Her books focus on society life in a way similar to Elizabeth Gaskell, with clear characters and situations that reveal the habits and customs of the time.
In the book “Marriage,” Ferrier tells the story of Lady Juliana, a spoiled English heiress who marries hastily and then must adapt to a very different life in the Scottish Highlands.
The novel offers a mix of humorous scenes and sharp observation of the manners and lifestyle differences between England and Scotland in that era.
Readers who appreciate Elizabeth Gaskell’s careful portraits of family and society often find Ferrier’s novels engaging for their realism and insightful humor.
Maria Edgeworth was an Irish author who wrote novels focused on everyday life and people’s relationships in early 19th century society.
One of her well-known novels is “Belinda,” which tells the story of Belinda Portman, a young woman sent by her aunt into fashionable London society to marry well. Edgeworth’s book explores family expectations and romantic relationships through Belinda’s experiences.
Readers who enjoy Elizabeth Gaskell’s stories about thoughtful and strong female characters would find Maria Edgeworth’s works appealing.