I think N&S is worth reading--I believe this was the one Dickens scolded her for, writing about industrial ills and not the proper domestic things women ought to write about. But structurally it's got a lot of Victorian tropes. W&D, I think, is her most brilliant as she had finally freed herself of most of the standard Victorian tropes like angelic deathbed speeches, and jerky endings. But be prepared: the only reason (I believe) W&D is not better known is because she died before the last chapter was written. We do get a summary of what happens--her publisher knew that much. If anything, that is the most profound evidence of the effect of show and not tell that there is. Anyway, I tend to warn people going in to keep that in mind.

Yeesh it is so very good. I'd love for you to read it and to discuss it.