Reviews tagging 'Grief'

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

27 reviews

samarakroeger's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

When Charles Dickens himself thinks your book is too long (the AUDACITY of him, honestly) ... it might be a bit too long.  However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much depth Elizabeth Gaskell was able to infuse in the pages of North and South.  Great discussion of class, labor conflicts, gender roles, and the role of unions in Victorian Britain that is often lacking in books from a similar time (for example, I can't stand Charles Dickens).

This might be marketed as a love story, but it really isn't, at least at its core.  It's so much more than that!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Suicide

lydiavsbooks's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I'm not usually a big reader of classics so, even though I loved the series, I expected to struggle with this but oh boi I could not have been more wrong. This might genuinely be my new favourite book...of all time. 

Firstly, Margaret frigidy frackin' Hale. Wow, amazing, incredible, I love her so much. I would say she needs protecting at all costs but by the end of the book that gal can protect herself. Damn.

Praise number two: the vibes. Helstone, beautiful. Manchester  Milton, the atmosphere of the Northern industrial town, the factories, the poverty. Mmmm

Next up, socialism. Erm 1850s? Incredible. So good, the strikes, the contrast of the North and the South, the contrast of classes. Perfect. And once again, Margaret I'dgivehermykidneys Hale.

The character development, mainly enjoying watching Margaret slowly turning up the sass levels, but Thornton too, fabulous. 

Honestly I just felt giddy the whole time reading this, every day I picked this up: instant good day. I have no criticisms, this book is perfect.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Chronic illness, Suicide, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism, Death, and Sexism

rieviolet's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I can say that I enjoyed the reading experience, although it took me a couple of chapters to get really into the story. I often heard the book described as "Pride and Prejudice plus socialism" and, honestly, it's not such a far-off description. 

I really liked the characters' depiction and their growth over the course of the story, I appreciated how the author portrayed even the ones that I didn't find particulary pleasant. There were a lot of tragedies and misfortunes that kept occuring (maybe too many, give us a break Elizabeth Gaskell please) and that really took me by surprise and moved me.
I'm not immune to a good romantic plot but I can say that I really appreciated that there was more to the novel. I really enjoyed the description and the reflections on the social reality of the time, the strike and the conditions of workers. 

Still, there were some aspects that stopped me from giving full marks. There were maybe a bit too many mentions and reflections on religion that bored me a little and in part flew over my head, but that is more of a personal preference as someone who is not much of a religious person. 
I can also say that the pacing felt a bit off. At times the story dragged on a bit and moved quite slowly, then, 
instead, the ending felt rushed, the long-awaited resolution came very quickly and the novel ended rather abruptly.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Police brutality

gracescanlon's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism

lara_bk's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol

Minor: Injury/Injury detail

jowmy4's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is one of my absolute favourite books. I have read this book a few times before, and this time listen to an audiobook. It was even better than I rembered it being. The beginning is very slow and quite difficult to get into, but sets up important context which pays off later in the book. I think this is, objectively, a good book, but I'm also aware that probably the reason I love it so much is because it hits a lot of my personal preferences: class and social issues, rural villages, industrial towns, a variety of interesting family dynamics, friendships, characters learning and growing, and seemingly-unrequited romance. The characters are all really well developed, as well, and Mrs Thornton and Mr Thornton are probably two of my favourite characters of all time. The story is sad at points, but I had a big smile on my face at the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Suicide, Terminal illness, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Blood

Several of the characters die, including

both parents of the main character. Another character loses his child (who is in her late teens). There are further deaths besides.

Illness, death and grief are, in my opinion, treated realistically, and are given quite a lot of narrative time.

the_literarylinguist's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Grief

Minor: Alcoholism