This literary biographical study examines the life and works of the mid-Victorian woman novelist, Elizabeth Gaskell, whose popularity is now well established. It places her writing in the context of her attitudes towards creative production, her relationship with publishers, and her literary friendships, as well as examining those events of her life which fed into her work. It pays particular attention to the ways in which she sought to reconcile the conflicting demands made upon her, as woman and as artist.

'This short and accessible contribution to the 'Literary Lives' series...[is] recommended.' - T. Hoagwood, Choice

'This excellent new addition to Gaskell studies places Elizabeth Gaskell firmly in the context of the professional literary world of the mid nineteenth-century. Designed for students, it is admirably concise and perceptive, especially in using biographical information and correspondence to show how Gaskell's relationship with the modes and milieux of literary production, and with other contemporary writers, affected both the content and presentation of her fiction. Foster is also adept at weaving together many strands, and this acute critical study is also a succinct and moving biography.' - Jenny Uglow, Gaskell Society Journal

Autorentext
SHIRLEY FOSTER is Senior Lecturer in English and American Literature at the University of Sheffield. She has published in areas of Victorian women's fiction, English and American travel writing and children's literature. She has recently co-authored an anthology of women's travel texts.

Inhalt
Introduction Background and Early Life The 1830s and 1840s: Marriage, Manchester and Literary Beginnings The 1850s: Growing Professionalism The 1850s: The Established Author The 1860s: Achievements and Endings Bibliography Index