Book Beginnings on Friday (8)

Book Beginnings on Friday is a new meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. If you'd like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

In the first place, Cranford is in the possession of the Amazons; all the holders of houses above a certain rent are women.

Cranford is about the mostly female residents of a village in 1830s England who are trying to adapt to the changes around them while holding on to their customs and keeping up appearances. I think the first sentence is rather humorous. I haven't gotten very far (the second page) but I've already laughed a few times at the observations of the narrator. After the first sentence she goes on to comment that if a married couple moves to Cranford the husband tends to "disappear" because he is frightened by being around so many women. She also notes that men wouldn't have anything to do in Cranford because the women are "quite sufficient" and one village lady commented that a man "is so in the way in the house".

I watched part of the PBS miniseries with Judi Dench and I found it to be delightful and hilarious so I am looking forward to reading the book.