Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

British female novelist. Born in London to a Unitarian pastor. Losing her mother at a young age, she spent her peaceful childhood raised by an aunt in the small rural town of Knutsford. In 1832, she married a pastor of the same sect as her father, and lived in Manchester, where she was posted. She wrote the novel "Mary Barton" (1848), which quickly made her famous as an author. She then wrote other masterpieces, such as the novella "Cranford" (1853, translated as "A Town of Women Only") and "The Life of Charlotte Bronte" (1857), which are filled with kindness and humor and are modeled on her hometown of Knutsford. However, she suddenly died in 1865, close to the completion of "Wife and Daughter". She portrays the social issues and state of affairs of the 19th century without losing faith in humanity and religion, just as a pastor's daughter and wife should.

[Shigeru Koike]

"Shigeru Koike's translation of "World Literature Collection 14: A Town of Women Only" (1967, Chikuma Shobo)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イギリスの女流小説家。ユニテリアン派の牧師を父としてロンドンに生まれる。幼くして母を失い、田舎(いなか)の小さな町ナッツフォードに住む伯母に養われて、平和な少女時代を過ごした。1832年に父と同じ派の牧師と結婚、任地のマンチェスターに住み、長編『メアリー・バートン』（1848）を書いて一躍作家として名をあげた。その後故郷ナッツフォードをモデルに善意とユーモアを盛り込んだ中編『クランフォード』（1853／邦訳名『女だけの町』）、『シャーロット・ブロンテ伝』（1857）などの代表作を書いたが、65年『妻と娘』完成間近で急逝した。19世紀の社会問題や世相を、いかにも牧師の娘、妻らしく人間と宗教への信頼を失うことなく描いている。

［小池　滋］

『小池滋訳『世界文学全集14　女だけの町』（1967・筑摩書房）』

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