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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
I never expected to like this book so much. So richly written and with broad themes besides the romantic life of its heroin. Indeed a classic!
This is an asterisked five star review. On the one hand, this was an enjoyable read/listen, of course, everything read by Juliet Stevenson is an enjoyable listen. At the same time, as I noted earlier, Gaskell (at least in my limited experience of her) is no Austen. Her amusement at human behavior is (at least here) grounded more in a kind of indignation than, as in Austen, in simple glee at follies and foibles and people tripping over their own feet. I probably won't re-read this, but I probably will read at least one more Gaskell, so all in all, closer to a 5 than a 4, but not a 5 the way Pride & Prejudice is a 5.
Highly recommend this English novel. A nice mix between Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. Her descriptions of her characters' inner turmoil is compelling. I wish it didn't have to end.
hopeful
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Simplemente amé este libro. Reseña https://youtu.be/2rg5mN-_kT8
Reading this a bit every morning while waiting for Seminary to get out. It makes the miniseries make more sense. Duh.
Yes, Gaskell writes a cunning description of the disparate living conditions between the masters and workers. But honestly, I don't see enough people talking about how she brilliantly proves that women have always faced the problem of straight men assuming that kindness and friendship are an open invitation to romantic relationships.
While I was reading this book, I kept getting intense Pride and Prejudice flashbacks until I finally came to the conclusion that this is the industrial age version of the story. You have two main characters from different social classes: the rich, self-made manufacturer and the poor vicar's daughter. Both are extremely proud about their stations in life and are highly prejudiced about other social classes. The hero, in this case, John Thornton, falls madly in love with the heroine, Margaret Hale, who hates his guts and refuses his marriage proposal before learning that he's actually secretly a sweetheart and not at all what she thought he was. The romance portion of the story definitely feels like Gaskell copy and pasted Austen's story into her own, but didn't take the time to flesh it out. The romance cuts off abruptly at the end of the book and it could have done with another 3-4 pages to make it feel a little more organic.
Beyond the the romance, North and South takes on a life of its own, focusing on the social and economic differences between the industrial North and the agricultural South of England. I wasn't a huge fan of these parts of the story and found many of the working class characters Margaret befriends throughout the book really hard to understand as Gaskell chose to write all of their dialogue with accents. Its was like reading another language and I had to look up every couple of words in a glossary that the book, thankfully, provides. Overall, North and South wasn't a bad reading experience, but I definitely won't be adding it to my list of favorite classics anytime soon.
Beyond the the romance, North and South takes on a life of its own, focusing on the social and economic differences between the industrial North and the agricultural South of England. I wasn't a huge fan of these parts of the story and found many of the working class characters Margaret befriends throughout the book really hard to understand as Gaskell chose to write all of their dialogue with accents. Its was like reading another language and I had to look up every couple of words in a glossary that the book, thankfully, provides. Overall, North and South wasn't a bad reading experience, but I definitely won't be adding it to my list of favorite classics anytime soon.
Quiet, empathetic, slow but steady in the character development. Had a very lovely time and exactly what I needed in this dreary weather.