No Time for Tomes? Miniseries of 19th-Century Novels by Women Writers
By Taylor Jasmine | On December 30, 2024 | Comments (0)
If you’d like to expand your knowledge of great 19th-century British novels by women writers but don’t have time to commit to the hours required to read and savor them, well-produced mini-series are the next best thing.
Here we explore adaptations of books by Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Elizabeth Gaskell, and George Eliot in the format of miniseries.
Many of the novels upon which these productions are based are quite substantial in length, making the multi-episode format more suitable than attempts (which have been made) to condense their contents into the average two-hour film.
Some of the titles listed below have been adapted to several times, both as stand-alone films or shorter mini-series versions. The expansiveness of lengthier mini-series allows their rich material to be presented in greater detail and faithfulness to the original novels.
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Jane Austen
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
Adapted from the 1811 novel by Jane Austen
7 episodes (1981)
Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen’s first published novel, is an exquisitely crafted portrait of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood who are forced to leave their home after their father’s death.
Like other women of their time and class, they must make good marriages. Along the way they encounter meddling matriarchs, conniving rakes, and competitive contemporaries, all standing in their path to love and security.
From the producer: “Marianne wears her heart on her sleeve when she falls in love with the charming but unsuitable John Willoughby. Her sister Elinor, sensitive to social convention, struggles to conceal her own romantic disappointment. Will the sisters find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love?”
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Adapted from the 1813 novel by Jane Austen
6 episodes (1995)
Every Pride and Prejudice fan can quote the famous opening line of Jane Austen’s classic, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Despite its modest beginnings (getting it published was no easy task), this has become one of the most beloved English novels of all time.
The storyline is as familiar as comfort food. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s first impression of one another isn’t a good one, and a series of misunderstandings involving themselves and a slew of supporting characters resolves into a satisfying marriage plot.
From the producer: “Witty Elizabeth Bennet charms haughty Darcy against a backdrop of a postcard countryside, small-town assembly rooms, and stately English homes.”
MANSFIELD PARK
Adapted from the 1814 novel by Jane Austen
6 episodes (1983)
Mansfield Park is Jane Austen’s third published novel. Fanny Price, the novel’s main character, is sent by her impoverished family to be raised in the household of a wealthy aunt and uncle. The narrative follows her into adulthood and comments on class, family ties, marriage, the status of women, and even British colonialism.
Critical reception for this novel, from the time it was published, has been the most mixed among Austen’s works, and it’s considered her most controversial.
From the producer: “When a spirited young woman is sent away to live on the great country estate of her rich cousins, she’s meant to learn the ways of proper society, but she also enlightens them with a wit and sparkle all her own.”
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The Brontë sisters
JANE EYRE
Adapted from the 1847 novel by Charlotte Brontë
4 episodes (2007)
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë’s best-known novel weaves the story of the title heroine’s love for the mysterious and reclusive Mr. Rochester with her quest for independence. Though considered a proto-feminist work, it also fits into the gothic novel genre due to that pesky little detail of Rochester’s mad wife locked away in an attic.
From the producer: “A young governess falls in love with her brooding and complex master. However, his dark past may destroy their relationship forever.” … And: “A lavish, complex and passionate adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s period romance.”
WUTHERING HEIGHTS
Adapted from the 1847 novel by Emily Brontë
7 episodes (2009)
Emily Brontë‘s only novel, Wuthering Heights is a brooding and complex story followingthe intersection of two families — the Earnshaws and the Lintons. The passionate connection of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff have sparked romantic imaginations as star-crossed lovers whose dramas and tragedies reverberate into the next generation.
From the producer: “Emily Brontë’s unforgettable story of jealousy, revenge, and the destructive passion of lovers Heathcliff and Cathy.”
THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL
Adapted from the 1848 novel by Anne Brontë
3 episodes (1996; BBC America)
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Brontë’s second and last novel before her untimely death, pseudonym was considered shocking for its time In retrospect, it’s considered one of the earliest feminist novels. The novel tells the story of the mysterious Helen Graham, who arrives at Wildfell Hall with her young son and servant. Through a series of letters from another character, we learn of Helen’s troubled past.
From the producer: “After moving to a remote village, a widow remains mysteriously silent about her past — until she becomes the focus of malicious village gossip.”
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Elizabeth Gaskell
CRANFORD
Adapted from the 1853 novel by Elizabeth Gaskell
4 episodes (1972)
Cranford is an episodic novel inspired by the small Cheshire town of Knutsford, where Elizabeth Gaskell grew up. It’s loosely plotted, focusing primarily on the women of the town and how they adapt to the rapid social changes brought by the arrival of a railroad.
From the producer: “Filled with the heartwarming humor and gentle pathos of Elizabeth Gaskell’s classic novel, this original four-part BBC dramatization of Cranford is set in the early 1840s in a fictional market town in northwest England. It centers on the town’s predominantly single and widowed middle-class female inhabitants who are comfortable with their traditional way of life.”
NORTH AND SOUTH
Adapted from the 1854 novel by Elizabeth Gaskell
4 episodes (2004)
North and South, arguably Elizabeth Gaskell’s most widely admired novel, centers on its heroine, Margaret Hale. Its fictional northern England mill town setting becomes an examination of industrialization, social class divisions, and poverty.
From the producer: “When Margaret Hale exchanges her rural life for a northern mill town, she witnesses firsthand the poverty of the working classes. She also meets mill-owner John Thornton, who she initially despises, while he finds her willful and proud. When the workers of Milton call a strike, Margaret takes their side, and the two are brought into deeper conflict.”
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George Eliot
MIDDLEMARCH
Adapted from the 1871 novel by George Eliot
7 episodes (1994)
Middlemarch (1871) by esteemed English novelist George Eliot (the pen name of Mary Ann Evans) follows the tale of Dorothea Brooke and Tertius Lydgate, two characters destined to enter marriages that are not only unfulfilling, but also conflict with their personal aspirations. This novel skillfully builds a richly textured picture of a provincial Victorian town, populating it with people whose struggles with love, relationships, and their own ambitions are instantly recognizable.
From the producer: “A masterpiece of 19th Century literature is transformed into a triumph of 20th Century television in this turbulent classic drama. A multi-layered story of provincial life on the brink of momentous change.”
DANIEL DERONDA
Adapted from the 1876 novel by George Eliot
4 episodes (2002)
Daniel Deronda, the last novel completed by George Eliot, is widely regarded as a proto-Zionist work, and one of the first works of literature sympathetic to Jews in 19th-century Britain. The novel has two intertwining plot lines. One concerns Daniel Deronda, who, as a young adult, discovers his Jewish origins, and the other concerns the beautiful, willful, and complex Gwendolen Harleth.
From the producer: “Andrew Davies’ adaptation of George Eliot’s last novel, charts a love story set in Victorian high society. Gwendolen Harleth falls in love with the idealistic Daniel Deronda, but they couldn’t be more different. When Gwendolen is forced into an oppressive marriage, Daniel becomes involved with a Jewish singer. Torn between the two women, Daniel embarks on a quest to discover his true identity.”
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