Welcome to Litsy!

As an Elizabeth Gaskell fan, this book caught my eye when I first saw it in England under the UK title, Mrs Gaskell and Me. I should have picked up a copy then, but I travel light and had limited space in my baggage. Nell Stevens is both vulnerable and dramatic in her memoir meets history, which I found to have an interesting premise and be an enjoyable read. Glad to have finally read it now.

July and August New Book Picks and a bonus treat for getting a part time job 📚🥰. I somehow managed to pick all nonfiction reads. I'm excited about reading Nell Stevens' memoir because it's partly about my lady Elizabeth Gaskell! My writing spark has been lit again recently and One Year to a Writing Life has me interested. Life has been busy and my reading mojo has been experiencing a draught... sorry I haven't been on much. #bookhaul

This is Elizabeth Gaskell, a British writer who was the best friend of Charlotte Brontë. Elizabeth wrote her biography. This memoir is about the author attempting to write her doctoral dissertation about Mrs. Gaskell while trying to balance a love affair. She feels that Mrs. Gaskell is her kindred spirit as she too felt strong affection for a man who could not be hers. Somewhat of a stretch to compare the two writers lives as similar, but enjoyed.

Haven‘t done this in a while, but couldn‘t resist checking out this charming book while returning my other ones. Did not realize that it was a biography until, I got it home! Usually, I am going to the library for specific book club or challenge books.

I adored this book! I generally don‘t like novels that weave between a historical story and a modern day researcher/historian trying to figure her own life out as informed by this other past life (how is this a genre, much less one I know well enough to have an opinion about) but actually this is a memoir and a lovely depiction of a real person grappling with a subject she‘s trying to write about and understand—and I do relate to that! Lovely book

History combined with a memoir add romance & a lovely sketch can‘t wait to read thanks @DoubledayBooks for this #instagramwin,made my day💕👏👏📚

The author's description of supervision meetings is reminding me of anxieties past. Enjoying the history bits about Mrs Gaskell though.

There were so many people to insult...

Maxim for life there.

Loved Stevens'previous memoir and loving this one so far.

Sometimes, when you really love a book, you gotta try your best to replicate the cover—but with a less cool outfit—and way more greenery.

I loved THE VICTORIAN & THE ROMANTIC. Half memoir of Nell Stevens‘s life, half biography of Elizabeth Gaskell, wholly unputdownable. This is a story of love and loss and literature, and if you‘re looking for some great nonfiction, I cannot recommend it enough.

I was interested in this book because I liked Stevens‘s previous work Bleaker House and also the work of Elizabeth Gaskell. And, well, this combination memoir-imaginative biography (biographical novella) combining Stevens‘s work for her PhD about 19th century artists, her love for Gaskell‘s work and the unfulfilled love affair (?) between Gaskell and Charles Eliot Norton is a strange hodge-podge of styles.

I am about 20% into this #netgalley arc and am really enjoying it so far. It is exactly the book that I needed right now! Pub - 8/7

The Author did a great job making an argument for the supposed love affair between Gaskell & Norton. I think that there is a great fictional memoir intertwined w/ a biography about the Author‘s journey with love & academia that was at times very appealing to read. I would have enjoyed the story more if the historical portion had been based on solid facts & not artistic license. Full review at www.thegenreminx.com #reviewer #TheGenreMinxBookReviews

Damn. I have to stop reading books about/by writers who are failing at PhD's and turn the stories and ideas into novels instead. I inevitably find myself echoing the stern, irritated tutors and supervisors "What IS your point?" "Why HAVE you written this?" "Do you think your work is strong enough?". The writer's story is irritatingly familiar and self-centred in a way that doesn't offer anything interesting and the details of Gaskell's life ?