Product Description

With evocative settings in Cookson’s northeast England, eras from the mid-1800s to World War I come alive in these four powerful dramas that portray the harshness of the English class system and the redemptive power of love. Stars include Sean Bean, Julian Wadham, Juliet Aubrey, Jack Davenport, Honeysuckle Weeks, and Ian Bannen.

The Wingless Bird—On the brink of World War I, three very different families are linked by a shopkeeper’s daughter who is determined to make a better life for herself. Seen on Masterpiece Theatre. Approx. 148 min.

The Moth—In 1913, a talented carpenter leaves the Jarrow shipyards to work in a small village where an encounter with an ethereal girl-child changes his life. Approx. 151 min.

The Rag Nymph—In an impulsive act of charity that changes her life, a rag and bone lady in the slums of Victorian Newcastle takes in the 10-year-old daughter of a prostitute. Approx. 148 min.

The Fifteen Streets—A rugged Tyneside dockworker and the daughter of a wealthy local shipbuilder fall in love and try to bridge the social gulf that divides them. Nominated for an International Emmy® Award. Approx. 104 min.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14595 in DVD
• Brand: BEAN,SEAN
• Released on: 2006-03-28
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Dimensions: .90 pounds
• Running time: 551 minutes

Amazon.com
Brutal family brawls, World War I post-traumatic stress, religious skepticism, and child prostitution--not what you expect from a collection of romances! But though Catherine Cookson's novels emphasize the redemptive power of love, they never lose sight of the harsher side of life. Certain themes recur again and again, particularly the cruelty of class snobbery (before she became one of the wealthiest women in England, Cookson worked as a servant). But her treatment of class is nuanced and complex; in The Wingless Bird, for example, an upper-crust couple oppose their son marrying a shopgirl--but the shopgirl's middle-class parents are just as hostile to their other daughter marrying a lower-class bloke. In The Rag Nymph--perhaps the most enjoyable of the four, with its detailed Victorian setting and ripping plot--an orphan girl hopes a gentleman will marry her, but her dream is clearly portrayed as folly, while the class-bridging romance of The Fifteen Streets--set at the turn of the century--has a chance to triumph, as does the 1913 romance between a carpenter and an heiress in The Moth.

Cookson's romances lack the wit and subtlety of Jane Austen or the theatricality and invention of Charles Dickens, but her vigorous storytelling combined with her unblinking eye towards class and violence in ordinary life--both physical and emotional--make her stories vivid and engaging. The excellent casts don't hurt either; these miniseries are dotted with actors who went on to great acclaim in movies and television, including Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings, the Sharpe series), Jane Horrocks (Absolutely Fabulous, Little Voice), Jack Davenport (Coupling, Pirates of the Caribbean), Juliet Aubrey (The Mayor of Casterbridge), Honeysuckle Weeks (Foyle's War), and more. Hopeful yet honest, romantic but skeptical, these four adaptations splendidly demonstrate Cookson's blend of tart and sweet. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

An interesting tale of three eccentric families during a period in which war is nearing
Presented in dramatic and superbly crafted productions, The Catherine Cookson Collection: Set One is a four disc DVD collection of film adaptations from Cookson's four powerful novels: The Wingless Bird which is an interesting tale of three eccentric families during a period in which war is nearing, all intertwined with the daughter of a shopkeeper who is hard set on making for herself a better life. The Moth, based in 1913 about a carpenter who leaves his home for work in a small village where his encounter with a peculiar young girl changes his life and understandings. The Rag Nymph is the engaging story of a prostitute's daughter being taken into the home of the main character, a rag and bone lady living in the slums of Victorian Newcastle. The Fifteen Streets depicts a rugged dockworker's love for a wealthy local shipbuilder's daughter and the struggle between the social contrast they share. A welcome and popular addition to community library Video/DVD collections, The Catherine Cookson Collection is very highly recommended to fans of the work of Catherine Cookson, as well those with a particular interest in British drama.

A Long-Awaited Treat
I am glad to welcome the Catherine Cookson Collection-Set 1 into my period film library, and while I have not read any of Ms. Cookson's books, the films are vastly entertaining and will hopefully open up a new legion of fans. The boxed set contains four films: The Wingless Bird, The Moth, The Rag Nymph, and the Fifteen Streets.

The films, produced by Granada television, are well done overall, however they are not quite as sumptuous as many of the BBC productions everyone loves so much; they also tend to be a little bit darker. Despite this, I believe the Catherine Cookson films educate viewers on the behaviors and conditions of England's lower and middle classes and are for the most part highly realistic. They also boast many fine actors: Juliet Aubrey, Sean Bean, Justine Waddell, Honeysuckle Weeks, Jack Davenport, and Crispin Bonham-Carter, to name a few.

My favorite movie out of the collection was The Rag Nymph, the story of a prostitute's young daughter being taken in by a rag and bones lady. Afterwards, The Moth followed by the The Wingless Bird, and finally, The Fifteen Streets.

Catherine Cookson review
I purchased this DVD set for mymother-in-law. She was overjoyed with it and has raved about it. She is a huge fan of Catherine Cookson and really enjoys anything she has produced.