Historically interesting

Ah, I won't read the three volumes. I started the second just to find out what happened to Blanche and to save you the trouble: she marries the guy she foolishly eloped with and the deserving one who loves and helps her goes off to Italy with his sorrow.
In the Gutenberg introduction, it sais the book was digitalised just for its historical interest and I agree. Interesting enough for sociologists. However, I have no patience to read the intellectual discourses of a would-be etymologist explaining a connection between "reine" in French and "reign" in English though interesting for today's feminists).
I have no patience with the lengthy moralising interventions of the author. And he also does not seem to be able to write about interactions in larger companies. The three sisters, their future lovers (of whom one who was jilted by their stepmother) and the parents all happen to stay in the family's house (I missed how that came about), but apart from a game of bridge, their interactions are not participating in the story. The author focuses on each character (or couple) separately and they evolve totally on their own, the rest of the company disappearing out of sight.
Blanche and Rose have a miserable time at school, but all that is forgotten as soon as they are at home again. Violet gets separated to a seemingly happier environment, but her education is not discussed any further, for example to explain her views and maybe another way of thinking.
So one volume was quite enough.