About the book
Life in the small English town of Cranford seems very quiet and peaceful. In Cranford nobody is very rich, but you must not talk about being poor. Indeed not. That would be a very vulgar thing. And it Crandford it is important not to be vulgar. The ladies of Crandford are just like people in any age. They can be sad, happy, proud, brave, angry, jealous-and very kind. They make their visits between the hours of twelve and three, give little evening parties, and worry about their maid-servants. But life is not always smooth-there are little arguments and jealousies, sudden deaths and unexpected marriages.
The first thing to say is that Crandford is held by the ladies. They rent all the best houses. If a married couple comes to live in the town, the gentleman soon disappears from sight. He is either frightened away by being the only man at the Crandford evening parties or he is at his business all week in Drumble, twenty miles away. The Crandford ladies are not fashionable, and they prefer the old way. They have exact rules for visiting, which they explained most seriously to any young people.…
