The Grey Woman

by Elizabeth Gaskell

The Grey Woman is a gothic novella written by Elizabeth Gaskell. The story is set in the mid-19th century and follows the life of a young woman named Anna, who is forced to marry a wealthy man named Baron von Reisenstein after her father's death. Anna soon discovers that her husband is a cruel and abusive man who has a dark secret. She befriends a mysterious woman dressed in grey, who helps her to uncover the truth about her husband and escape from his clutches. The story is full of suspense, mystery, and drama, and explores themes such as domestic violence, power, and control. The Grey Woman is considered one of Gaskell's finest works and is a must-read for fans of gothic literature.In fact, I dared not speak even to her, as if there were anything beyond the most common event in life in our preparing thus to leave the house of blood by stealth in the dead of night. She gave me directions - short condensed directions, without reasons--just as you do to a child; and like a child I obeyed her. She went often to the door and listened; and often, too, she went to the window, and looked anxiously out.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Short Stories, Gothic, Audiobook, Horror, Mystery

52 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1861

About the author

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, née Stevenson (29 September 1810 – 12 November 1865), often referred to simply as Mrs. Gaskell, was an English novelist and short story writer during the Victorian era. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of society, including the very poor, and as such are of interest to social historians as well as lovers of literature.

AKA:
Елізабет Гаскелл (Ukrainian)

Reviews

[Katie Lumsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy a Gaskell gothic novella and this one was no exception - thoroughly enjoyable, gripping and dramatic. I adore her writing style and her characterisation, and just how different everything she writes is.

[Alex.andthebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Idealna na jedno posiedzenie, szczególnie w jakiś deszczowy jesienny wieczór!

[Isabela. · Rating 3 out of 5]

El inicio es un poquito aburrido aunque después va tomando un tanto más de forma e historia, indaga mucho sobre la paranoia y preocupación, aunque el final me pareció un poco cliché. Aún así, es pasable y me dio la curiosidad suficiente para leer algo más de la autora.

[Axl Oswaldo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

My first Gaskell's gothic novella and it has been an impressive surprise, a great read to kick off my 2022 in books.
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this novel since I wasn't expecting that much of it.

The Grey Woman is the story of Anna Scherer, daughter of a German miller, who gets married to a French man. After this event, she and his husband ended up living in a big castle, a place where an ominous atmosphere is present since the moment she arrived at it. Suddenly, a secret is reveled to our protagonist: his husband is not the person who she believed he was, and therefore, her life could be in danger.

I must confess that I had a bias against Gaskell's gothic works; there was no reason, but I really love her other novels such as The Moorland Cottage, Cranford, , and mainly, Ruth, that I thought her gothic stories wouldn't be that good. Well, I was absolutely wrong: trust me, I really felt so scared of what was happening in the novel. Because, you know, what is scarier than a simple, typical man? No zombies, or vampires, or perhaps witches, but a man, a man who was supposed to love and care of you.

I highly recommend reading The Grey Woman, and if you loved reading, for instance , Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, you’ll probably enjoy the former as well.
As a matter of fact, both stories are not that similar, but somehow The Grey Woman reminded me of Rebecca because of its atmosphere and a fact that the first story has in common with the second one.
Now, I’m really eager to continue reading all the books written by Gaskell, since she has become my favorite Victorian author.

"'Oh! take me back then now, my father! oh, my father!' when I felt, rather than saw, my husband present near me."

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this audio book free from librivox.org. The reader was decent considering it was just done by a volunteer. I enjoyed this gothic short story by Gaskell. I've read a remarkable romance/social commentary by her (North & South) and a humorous collection of stories in Cranford. This was different from both of them. Suspenseful and interesting.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, the suspense! Listening to the audio book while driving down dark country roads may not have been the wisest move. My eyes kept darting back and forth looking for what?! Thriller of a short story.

[cyannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

save me victorian era writers save me

kocham

[Arbuz Dumbledore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Świetna historia na jeden wieczór, wciągająca, z pomysłem i jesieniarska

[Coleccionista de finales tristes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy buen relato y además escrito en forma epistolar. El título lo lleva por una mujer a quien rápidamente se le encaneció el pelo. Sin más comentarios para no hacer spoilers.

[Terris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good one! Very suspenseful and intriguing. It kept me on the edge of my seat! Since I had not read anything like this from Elizabeth Gaskell I was pleasantly surprised! I recommend it :)

[pandarka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Całkiem przyjemna, króciutka historia, ale z zadziwiającym plot twistem.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A master storyteller Elizabeth Gaskell gives us an excellent Gothic short story. In this one an innocent woman is witness to a crime committed by her husband and with only her devoted maid flees for her life. Due to his wealth and power nowhere is she safe. Their only hope is to live in disguise constantly living in fear and suspense of being discovered.

[Klaudia • szumiabooki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Króciutka historia a jaka wciągająca i trzymająca w napięciu!

[SheriC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I just don't know what to think about Elizabeth Gaskell. This is the third story of hers that I've read, and they bear almost no resemblance to each other. I adored North & South, DNF'd Cranford out of sheer boredom, and this one was... pretty good, I guess. It's a sad little tale of a young woman pressured to marry a near-stranger, who turns out to not be a good catch after all. It's gothic in nature, but falls a little short on gothic atmosphere. Still, it was worth the time spent on it.

Audiobook freebie via Librivox. The performance was not bad, considering it was done by a volunteer rather than a professional, and I have no idea how to pronounce all the German and French in the text so I wouldn't know if she was mangling them.

[Zee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a spoiler but a recommendation: if you listen to the Librivox audiobook it will behoove you to follow along with the written words at least for sections 2 and 3. Otherwise, the last paragraph of the story may leave you confused. Hint: names matter.

Moving on, I had to read this once and then skim again to figure out what I missed. Beyond that, there are some beautiful relationships that are hard to discuss without spoiling the story.

It is a most unusual story for its time, I believe, and yet captivating in the range of emotions and situations, level of creativity, and depth of display of human nature. I loved this story- and I give few books 5 stars.

[Renee M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little gothic tale by Elizabeth Gaskell. It’s always interesting to see a beloved author trying their hand at a variety of genres. A beautiful lady. A dastardly husband. Isolation and Danger abound! I can imagine that stories like these, with their page-turning drama, paid the rent for many 19th Century authors.

[Rebekah Giese Witherspoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reader, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Cranford anymore.

This tale begins in the German equivalent of Cranford: Heidelberg, a charming town filled with mostly kind-hearted folks who indulge in villagey gossip over kaffee und kuchen. We follow our heroine to a chateau in France, filled with darkness, fear, and evil. Then we’re on the run for our lives!

All the Victorian tropes are here (and how I love them!) but they’re interwoven with messages that are quite uncommon in Victorian literature:

Message #1: Young lady, if your dad is kind to you, don’t get married. If you do, your life will not get better and could, quite possibly, turn into a living nightmare.

Message #2: If you disregard message #1 and find yourself married to evil incarnate, run away. You are capable of independent thought and action! You can escape him!

Message #3: Class doesn’t matter. Being friends with your servants is admirable and might even save your life, in every possible way.

I soon found out how little I, or, apparently, anyone else, could bend the terrible will of the man who had on first acquaintance appeared to me too effeminate and languid to exert his will in the slightest particular.

This fast-paced novella is for you if you’re a fan of Elizabeth Gaskell or Gothic tales or Victorian suspense or stories about the power of female friendship.

The free ebook is available as part of a collection of Gaskell’s novellas and short stories at gutenberg.org and in the Kindle store.

#Victober2021
Lucy’s challenge: Read a Victorian book with a female main character

[Merche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un relato cortito pero ha sido un buen estreno con esta autora.
No sé si soy yo pero me parece que tiene un estilo directo y quizás no tan edulcorado como en otras historias de la época victoriana.
Me ha encantado la relación entre las dos protagonistas y la capacidad de transmitir ese constante estado de huida que hace que hasta tu te acabes acelerando.

[DziwakLiteracki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth Gaskell okrzyknięta mianem jednej z najwybitniejszych brytyjskich pisarek XIX wieku, dała się poznać swym czytelnikom za sprawą takich tytułów jak ,,Północ i Południe’’, ,,Żony i córki’’, czy choćby ,,Panie z Cranford’’. Nie każdy jednak wie, że Gaskell prócz klasycznych powieści romantyczno – obyczajowych, tworzyła również utwory o nieco mroczniejszym wydźwięku; historie o duchach i nawiedzonych zamczyskach przyniosły jej wówczas popularność, lecz dzisiaj – biorąc pod uwagę odmienny styl powyżej wymienionych lektur – naprawdę trudno kojarzyć ją samą z literaturą ‘straszną’. A szkoda, bo dorobek Elizabeth Gaskell rzeczywiście obfituje w kilka naprawdę udanych tekstów, które doskonale korespondują z gotykiem i grozą; pokłosie tej zabawy możemy zresztą poznać dzięki ukazanym na polskim rynku wydawniczym ,,Niesamowitym historiom’’ (C&T Crime & Thriller, seria Biblioteka Grozy 2014) lub niezależnie opublikowanej ,,Szarej damie’’ od wydawnictwa MG.
****
Kiedy córka bogatego młynarza, Anna Scherer, na wskutek knowań zazdrosnej bratowej opuszcza dom rodzinny, nie podejrzewa nawet, że w najbliższej przyszłości nie przyjdzie jej go zobaczyć. Nie myśli także ani o gorących porywach serca, ani o wielkiej miłości, ani o pośpiesznym ożenku; tymczasem to właśnie się jej przytrafia. Podczas odwiedzin u dobrej znajomej, Anna poznaje Pana de Tourelle – przystojnego i bogatego szlachcica, cieszącego się ogólnymi względami miejskiej śmietanki towarzyskiej. Pan de Tourelle z namaszczeniem adoruje młodą dziewczynę i choć nieco jej to schlebia, Anna czuje wewnętrze obawy przed znajomością z ów mężczyzną. Jak się jednak okazuje, sama Anna w temacie własnego losu ma niewiele do powiedzenia. Naprędce przyszykowane zaręczyny, cichy ślub, nerwowe pożegnanie z bliskimi i już, Pani de Tourelle z rodu Scherer, gna w zdobnym powoziku do francuskiego zamczyska Les Rochers, którego mury… Skrywają niejedną upiorną tajemnicę.
****
Elizabeth Gaskell uciekając się do klasyki gatunku, stworzyła na jego kanwie sensacyjną opowiastkę naszpikowaną najznamienitszymi motywami. Ta krótka nowelka, osadzona na tle XVIII – wiecznej rzeczywistości, wspaniale łączy ze sobą nie tylko cechy gotyckich historii, ale i przemyca elementy krytyki wobec współczesnej sytuacji kobiet. Gaskell lawiruje pomiędzy fikcją, a realiami epoki; kreśli postać młodziutkiej, niedoświadczonej dziewczyny – uzależnionej od statusu rodziny, ich bogactwa oraz powziętych przez nich decyzji – i za jej przykładem prezentuje złożoność problemu. Anna, zaprzedana mężowi, skazana na jego łaskę i niełaskę, nie może w żaden sposób sobie pomóc, a jednym wyjściem z patowej sytuacji, wydaje się być szaleńcza ucieczka; ucieczka, która trwać będzie przez całe jej życie. Pod pierzynką trzymającej w napięciu akcji, autorka prowadzi równolegle fabułę tyleż tragiczną, co i prawdziwą.

Łatwo więc wyłapać ogólne przesłanie ,,Szarej damy’’, ale trzeba także wspomnieć, że prócz feministycznego zacięcia, całość jest po prostu… Szalenie atrakcyjna. Elizabeth Gaskell operuje pięknym językiem i za jego pomocą odmalowuje niesamowicie sugestywne obrazy. Wyśmienicie wykorzystuje opisy otoczenia, czyniąc z nich idealny plan dla rozgrywających się wydarzeń. Na wpół zrujnowane zamczysko, jego przepastne pokoje, zapomniane odnogi, zimne i ciemne korytarze, będą świadkiem osobliwych wydarzeń. Suspens, tajemnica, zagadka, śmierć… Autorka wciela wszystkie te elementy do swojego utworu, obudowując go gęstą atmosferą niepokoju oraz poczuciem nieuchronnie zbliżającego się nieszczęścia. Tu nie ma miejsca na przestój, złapanie oddechu.

Szkatułkowa forma noweli pcha czytelnika w głąb mrocznej historii Anny Scherer, spirala koszmarnych wypadków napędza rozwój fabuły, hipnotyczna aura rozpala wyobraźnię.
,,Szara dama’’ to niemała gratka dla wielbicieli opowieści z dreszczykiem.

[Marta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Krótko, lecz za krótko.
Trochę się wynudziłam.🥱

[Antusa de Ory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnífica novela corta gótica o, más bien, “nouvelle”. Es una historia dentro de otra historia. Muy bien escrita, fácil de leer, tan intensa, intrigante y aterradora que crea auténticos momentos de suspense y hace que no puedas dejar de leer. Me ha encantado.

[Yibbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Every once in a while, a favorite author will let you down. This little story was just strange. I loved the opening. It was a fun way to open a trajety. After that, it was just rather overly melodramatic and complicated.
And now I find out I've read it before. Yep, wasn't any better the second time around. I wouldn't bother with this one. So many of her other books are so much better.
2020
It’s an okay little story if you like melodramatic Victorian gothic horror. It’s not really a genre I like, so I may not be the best judge, but I found it an okay little story. Personally, the best part was that it wasn’t as drawn out as many Victorian gothic novels are. That gave it less of a chance to get overly melodramatic. It still has all the wildly improbable, yet fortuitous, chances you would expect though.
So if you are looking for a little story about a weak heroine trapped in a disastrous marriage and forced to undergo trials and tribulations, this might just be the book for you.

[Courtney (courtney & books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Gaskell story I've read, and I really enjoyed it! I read it on audiobook, so I do feel like I need to read it again to better understand it. However, I had a really good reading experience. I also had a really good class discussion on this story about race, gender, and queerness. This story is really strange and horrible, but it's fascinating. Definitely recommend.

[Karith Amel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Suspenseful, creepy, with well-drawn characters, and a strong side-note of women saving women (even when they can't save themselves). Feels complete -- everything it should be -- despite its short length.

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely story with an unexpected ending.

For me this story was more of a gothic piece rather than a horror story.

[Carm9n · Rating 4 out of 5]

My impressions here,
http://carmenyamigos.blogspot.com.es/...

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick & intriguing. Short but extremely interesting plot. Well narrated by Jane Greensmith. Recommended.

[Alicia Sandoval Poveda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia triste y corta sobre el horror que vive una mujer en un matrimonio violento. Se lee en un suspiro y está perfectamente escrita.

[Una (EX) precaria tra i libri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Il testo appartiene ad un preciso filone di short stories della Gaskell, incentrate sugli abusi domestici perpetrati ai danni delle sue eroine, il tutto raccontato con atmosfere e toni gotici, volti a generare angoscia e terrore.
La Gaskell ha dato voce alla sottomissione delle donne ottenuta con violenza fisica e/o psicologica. E pensare che il Domestic Abuse Act è stato emanato nel suo Paese 'solo' 160 anni dopo (La donna grigia fu pubblicato nel 1861), riconoscendo finalmente come abuso qualsiasi tipo di violenza anche psicologica perpetrata all’interno delle mura domestiche, così come tutti i comportamenti coercitivi e volti al controllo di una persona, sia essa coniuge o fidanzat*.
Sarà un caso che proprio questi racconti siano stati quasi ignorati e passati per una produzione secondaria e marginale dell’autrice?
Nonostante l’età, si tratta di un racconto ancora attuale, basta sostituire le ambientazioni e abbiamo il prototipo dell'abusante: il cambiamento di atteggiamento subito dopo il matrimonio, l’isolamento della moglie dalla famiglia e dagli affetti, la reclusione/prigionia passata per una forma di protezione, le regole (una dopo l’altra), il proposito di ucciderla qualora si ribellasse/lo tradisse. Non a caso la Gaskell ne fa un criminale.

Alcuni critici hanno interpretato la storia alla luce del topos di Barbablù: Monsieur de la Tourelle è il ricco possidente che sceglie una giovane sposa ingenua, timida e dal carattere remissivo, la chiude nel suo castello e rende inaccessibile una stanza, il suo studio. Anche il misterioso viaggio del marito è un elemento che richiama la fiaba di Barbablù, che la Gaskell conosceva bene dato che circolava sia nella versione di Perrault che nella rivisitazione dei fratelli Grimm.

[Iuliae · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Przyjemna, krótka nowelka. Liczyłam na więcej napięcia i mroku, nie czułam strachu czy jakiejokolwiek grozy, ale dobrze się bawiłam, byłam ciekawa jak rozwinie się akcja. Przyjemnie się czytało😸