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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
Gaskell’s writing is superb (some passages were so full of emotion I loved them) but this book is so lengthy. In any case I’m glad I read this. There were only a few modifications in the BBC miniseries.
I really enjoyed the character development and the rich use of colloquial dialogue. A beautiful book I think. It was a bit slow at times but it reflects life in that sense, that things aren’t always dramatic. Sometimes life drags on. Not in a boring way, Gaskell managed to convey that reality of life. I’m glad to have discovered a new author I enjoy, this being the second Gaskell book I’ve read, after Wives and Daughters.
Me ha gustado mucho más de lo que esperaba y hasta me he divertido con este romanticismo que se me hace tan extraño... En este episodio del podcast Librorum os cuento más (SIEMPRE SIN SPOILERS):
https://sons.red/2018/10/02/18-norte-y-sur-elizabeth-gaskell/
https://sons.red/2018/10/02/18-norte-y-sur-elizabeth-gaskell/
This is the first time I've read this book, after viewing the BBC mini-series more times than I'm willing to admit to. Two special features of this reading experience:
1) A lovely audiobook reading by Juliet Stevenson - really one of the best audiobook readings I've ever heard. She made the material more accessible and did a fantastic job differentiating among characters in dialog-heavy sections.
2) Using amazon's new Whispersync between audible audiobooks and amazon kindle ebooks. I mainly listen to audiobooks while riding a bus, which happens on most work days. Being able to listen to the book some of the time and read it at other times really improved my overall experience of the book. The audiobook version I listened to was 18+ hours long. That would have taken ages for me to get through in audiobook only format, with a good chance that I'd lose interest at some point. I really enjoyed the joint audiobook-ebook reading experience.
Overall, I'm ashamed that I haven't read this book before now. It's sort of a Dickensian-era romance novel, but with important historical political/socioeconomic context. Although perhaps I'm just telling myself the second half to make myself feel better about the first half. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to others, especially fans of the BBC mini-series.
1) A lovely audiobook reading by Juliet Stevenson - really one of the best audiobook readings I've ever heard. She made the material more accessible and did a fantastic job differentiating among characters in dialog-heavy sections.
2) Using amazon's new Whispersync between audible audiobooks and amazon kindle ebooks. I mainly listen to audiobooks while riding a bus, which happens on most work days. Being able to listen to the book some of the time and read it at other times really improved my overall experience of the book. The audiobook version I listened to was 18+ hours long. That would have taken ages for me to get through in audiobook only format, with a good chance that I'd lose interest at some point. I really enjoyed the joint audiobook-ebook reading experience.
Overall, I'm ashamed that I haven't read this book before now. It's sort of a Dickensian-era romance novel, but with important historical political/socioeconomic context. Although perhaps I'm just telling myself the second half to make myself feel better about the first half. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to others, especially fans of the BBC mini-series.
Loved this book. It was more than a regency-era romance. It's such a great glimpse into the master/hand relationship, the origins of unions, the political and social-economic tensions of the time. Brilliantly written. I can't wait to delve into more of her books.
The 5 stars are in no way influenced by my imagination imposing Richard Armitage on John Thornton. I thoroughly enjoyed Gaskell tackling religion and doubt, justice, and capitalism. I found Margaret Hale to be a silent hero, one that can be easily overlooked, but her perseverance throughout her family's tragedies and ability to always be the reliable one are traits that are perhaps easy to dismiss.
I'll keep this review short, because I feel like many other reviews have expressed lots of what a want to say in far more eloquent terms, but I'll stick my oar in a little.
I'll first say that usually, I hate romance stories. Nothing puts me off a novel more than an unnecessary romantic sub-plot, or worse, the dreaded love triangle. However, this was the first time in a while that the romance in a novel was hugely appealing to me, and that I really wanted the main characters to get together-so much so that I had to text my friend (who hadn't even read the book) saying "THEY GOT TOGETHER!!"
Initially, however, the characters of Margaret Hale and Mr Thornton did irritate me a little. Both seemed very stuck in their ways and prejudiced, and Margaret a little weak-willed and over-religious. That being said, the genius of the novel is that Gaskell manages to transform these characters into people you genuinely sympathise with, in spite of their flaws (and the characters are flawed, but in a good way).
Even if you hate romance stories, I would give this one a go because it's not just a romantic tale, in fact romance often takes the back seat to much larger issues. I think that Gaskell manages to have a Dickens-style panoramic analysis of society, without Dickens' dry-ness and tendency to ramble (sorry to any Dickens fans.) She discusses politics, religion, the pros and cons of unions, capitalism, social injustice, prejudice and the differences between north and south (hence the title). Gaskell manages to use the love story to discuss these themes, making the romance relevant rather than just a sub-plot.
I also liked the novel because it was surprisingly gritty. Initially, all the flowery description of the South is a little dull, but it is very quickly replaced with (again Dickensian) descriptions of abject poverty and suffering. It's nice to see a Victorian author (particularly a woman author) so enagaged with the social issues of her time, and not looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses. The novel, although Dickensian in many ways does lack the sense of Dickens' humour, meaning it is often quite gritty and depressing. There is a point when the number of deaths just seems to be gratuitous, particularly when they happen off page and are just remarked upon. Aside from that point, I enjoyed the grittyness of the novel; it made it seem realistic. However, for those looking for a light romantic read-don't read this novel! I've seen a couple of reviews unhappy with the way the novel "lectures" the reader, but for me those lectures (although sometimes a little lengthy for my liking) gave me a great insight into Victorian attitudes and what society really was like, more so than any other novel I had read from the time. When reading, though, be prepared for Victorian style writing, which can seem a little lengthy in comparison to modern literature.
I loved the novel for so many reasons: the well written rejection of the male love interest initially (which I celebrated at the time but then quickly changed my mind), the well rounded female protagonist and male protagonist who you grow to love, the discussion of social issues and the very slow burn romance story. Although there are certainly some points in which I think it could have been improved (some aspects of Margaret's character, cutting down of some sections for example) overall I really, really enjoyed this novel.
Austen with added grit, Dickens without the waffle: 4.5 stars.
(and I just heard that Richard Armitage played Mr Thornton in the tv series: PERFECT!!!)
I'll first say that usually, I hate romance stories. Nothing puts me off a novel more than an unnecessary romantic sub-plot, or worse, the dreaded love triangle. However, this was the first time in a while that the romance in a novel was hugely appealing to me, and that I really wanted the main characters to get together-so much so that I had to text my friend (who hadn't even read the book) saying "THEY GOT TOGETHER!!"
Initially, however, the characters of Margaret Hale and Mr Thornton did irritate me a little. Both seemed very stuck in their ways and prejudiced, and Margaret a little weak-willed and over-religious. That being said, the genius of the novel is that Gaskell manages to transform these characters into people you genuinely sympathise with, in spite of their flaws (and the characters are flawed, but in a good way).
Even if you hate romance stories, I would give this one a go because it's not just a romantic tale, in fact romance often takes the back seat to much larger issues. I think that Gaskell manages to have a Dickens-style panoramic analysis of society, without Dickens' dry-ness and tendency to ramble (sorry to any Dickens fans.) She discusses politics, religion, the pros and cons of unions, capitalism, social injustice, prejudice and the differences between north and south (hence the title). Gaskell manages to use the love story to discuss these themes, making the romance relevant rather than just a sub-plot.
I also liked the novel because it was surprisingly gritty. Initially, all the flowery description of the South is a little dull, but it is very quickly replaced with (again Dickensian) descriptions of abject poverty and suffering. It's nice to see a Victorian author (particularly a woman author) so enagaged with the social issues of her time, and not looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses. The novel, although Dickensian in many ways does lack the sense of Dickens' humour, meaning it is often quite gritty and depressing. There is a point when the number of deaths just seems to be gratuitous, particularly when they happen off page and are just remarked upon. Aside from that point, I enjoyed the grittyness of the novel; it made it seem realistic. However, for those looking for a light romantic read-don't read this novel! I've seen a couple of reviews unhappy with the way the novel "lectures" the reader, but for me those lectures (although sometimes a little lengthy for my liking) gave me a great insight into Victorian attitudes and what society really was like, more so than any other novel I had read from the time. When reading, though, be prepared for Victorian style writing, which can seem a little lengthy in comparison to modern literature.
I loved the novel for so many reasons: the well written rejection of the male love interest initially (which I celebrated at the time but then quickly changed my mind), the well rounded female protagonist and male protagonist who you grow to love, the discussion of social issues and the very slow burn romance story. Although there are certainly some points in which I think it could have been improved (some aspects of Margaret's character, cutting down of some sections for example) overall I really, really enjoyed this novel.
Austen with added grit, Dickens without the waffle: 4.5 stars.
(and I just heard that Richard Armitage played Mr Thornton in the tv series: PERFECT!!!)
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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