"Sylvia's Lovers" is a book written by Elizabeth Gaskell in 1863. She called it "the saddest story I ever wrote."

Synopsis

The novel starts in the 1790s in a coastal town called Monkshaven, which is based on Whitby, England. This setting takes place during the early years of the French Revolution, when the practice of impressment—forcing people to join the navy—was common. Sylvia Robson, a 17-year-old girl, lives with her parents on a farm and is deeply loved by her cousin Philip Hepburn, who is a quiet Quaker. However, Sylvia falls in love with Charlie Kinraid, a brave sailor on a whaling ship, and they secretly promise to marry. When Charlie returns to his ship, he is taken by force into the Royal Navy by a group called a press gang, and Philip sees this happen. Philip does not tell Sylvia about the event or share Charlie’s final message to her. Believing Charlie is dead, Sylvia later marries Philip, partly because Philip helped her during a hard time after her father was imprisoned and executed for leading an attack against people who worked with the press gang. They have a daughter. Eventually, Charlie returns and reveals to Sylvia that Philip always knew he was alive. Philip leaves Sylvia in sadness after she becomes angry and rejects him, but she refuses to live with Charlie because of their child.

Philip joins the army using a false name and fights in the Napoleonic Wars, where he saves Charlie’s life. Charlie returns to Britain and marries a woman who does not know their past. His wife tells Sylvia that Charlie is a respected military leader, which makes Sylvia realize he may not have been as loyal to her as she was to him. She then understands she is truly in love with Philip. Meanwhile, Philip is severely injured in an explosion on a ship and returns to a small village in Northumbria to secretly see his child. He stays with the sister of a servant from Sylvia’s late parents and rescues his daughter when she is nearly drowned. Philip is seriously hurt while saving his child, but his identity is discovered, and he is reunited with Sylvia before dying.

Characters

• Sylvia Robson – a 17-year-old girl who is the main character in the story
• Philip Hepburn – Sylvia's cousin (the son of Sylvia's mother's brother), who works in a store that sells fabric
• Charlie Kinraid – a worker on a whaling ship, either as a specksioneer or harpooner
• Daniel Robson – Sylvia's father, who used to work on whaling ships
• Bell Robson – Sylvia's mother
• Molly Corney – Sylvia's friend
• Hester Rose – also works in a store that sells fabric
• Alice Rose – Hester's mother
• Press-gangs – groups of people who captured men and forced them to fight against France

Reception

The novel is one of Elizabeth Gaskell's not as well-known works. John McVeagh noted a "sudden use of dramatic scenes" that "makes the story less meaningful." The novel appears to be rushed in its ending. For example, the story spends a lot of time on Sylvia's growing feelings for Kinraid, but her later disappointment with him after his quick marriage at the end is only briefly mentioned. Since her obsessive love for him has shaped her life, it is surprising that this part is not covered in more detail. TJW, in an article in the Modern Language Review, wrote that "Kinraid is shown to be shallow, but Gaskell's description of him is not detailed enough for readers to fully understand how much Sylvia Robson loves him." However, the novel has also received praise and been compared favorably to the works of George Eliot, especially Adam Bede.