Scan barcode
manderzreadz's review against another edition
5.0
Words cannot express how much I love this book. I was so sad when it ended because I wanted more! It truly is a treasure.
rek216's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kdawn999's review against another edition
3.0
This is a blatant rip off of Pride and Prejudice—and I’m all for it. The antagonism, the family pride, distrustfulness of strangers, the sexual tension of saving your will-be lover from a riot—all great. Throw in a side plot about a mutineer (which it does) and this book has a lot going for it. It was a 4-5 star read for me through the 1st half, but then… people start dying off along with the action. The heroine gets caught up too deeply in her not-actual failings to be very strong or interesting. While the final ending reunion is cute, we are deprived of the aftermath of the romantic pairing, where they should have to deal with the social ramifications of getting together. What a shame, this was almost great!
ilex_cs's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty
spyralnode's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
This was extremely dull.
Readers rever Elizabeth Gaskell for being a quality classics writer, one that can be read today with as much joy as when it was first publish. But my experience was different, everything was so long winded, tedious, and a real pain to read. Plus, I am realising that the social novels of the England of the 1800s are just not my thing, as much as I liked them during my teenage years. The Jane Austen-esque style of people meeting at each other houses, chatting, gossiping and that's it doesn't do anything for me, in fact I find it lacking substance.
And that's exactly it, 'North and South' aims to be a romance as well as discuss social issues, such as labour and industrialisation, yet it does neither with sufficient consideration. The two characters are Margaret and Mr. Thornton (and don't get me started about how I feel with main characters named 'Mr.' something), coming from the South, respectively the North of England. They don't know each other's cultures, way of life, and will come together despite their differences.
Their interactions read passionless, I couldn't root for them at all, and I found them both boring, individually and together. I'm really not sure why we had them to follow, they didn't stand out in any way.
There was so much room in this story to add more reflection or challenge the reader when it comes to manual labour. Yet, it was fairly straightforward, missing a nuance and a discussion.
Yeah... disappointing.
Readers rever Elizabeth Gaskell for being a quality classics writer, one that can be read today with as much joy as when it was first publish. But my experience was different, everything was so long winded, tedious, and a real pain to read. Plus, I am realising that the social novels of the England of the 1800s are just not my thing, as much as I liked them during my teenage years. The Jane Austen-esque style of people meeting at each other houses, chatting, gossiping and that's it doesn't do anything for me, in fact I find it lacking substance.
And that's exactly it, 'North and South' aims to be a romance as well as discuss social issues, such as labour and industrialisation, yet it does neither with sufficient consideration. The two characters are Margaret and Mr. Thornton (and don't get me started about how I feel with main characters named 'Mr.' something), coming from the South, respectively the North of England. They don't know each other's cultures, way of life, and will come together despite their differences.
Their interactions read passionless, I couldn't root for them at all, and I found them both boring, individually and together. I'm really not sure why we had them to follow, they didn't stand out in any way.
There was so much room in this story to add more reflection or challenge the reader when it comes to manual labour. Yet, it was fairly straightforward, missing a nuance and a discussion.
Yeah... disappointing.
__ommommoo's review against another edition
4.0
La conciencia de clase y raza, además de mi aversión al capitalismo y la ideología neoliberal, me impiden darle 5 estrellas a este libro. Pero está escrito de forma muy amena, y presenta las condiciones de la vida de los obreros en el siglo XIX de una forma (que uno podría decir es) acertada. Los detalles y las imágenes que la autora logra recrear captaron mi interés una y otra vez, y en medio de todo, las setecientas páginas del libro se pasaron rápido. El tonito religioso es cansoncito pero comprensible. Lo que más me gustó de la historia fue Margaret. La autora tuvo mucha habilidad para desarrollar las complejidades de la protagonista, y sobre todo, para empoderarla. Margaret se casó con un hombre que la desafiaba mental y emocionalmente, se casó cuando quiso, cuando sabía que estaba mayor, cuando la etiqueta y presentación de una dama propia de la época no le podía importar menos, valiéndole tres madres sus otros pretendientes por muy buen puestecitos que fuesen. Simplemente el matrimonio no era su preocupación ni su fin en la vida, el sentido de vivir lo encontraba en su desempeño moral, ciudadano y personal. Muy decimonónica e ilustrada esta historia, ¿no? Y lo más importante: su excusa para casarse, fue querer salvar a su futuro esposo de la bancarrota. I mean, perrísima, divísima, empoderada.
Por lo que leí en la introducción del libro, este tipo de historia no es rara que la escriba una mujer como Elizabeth Gaskell. Me quedo con ganas de saber más de esta autora y su vida, pinta demasiaaado interesante.
Por lo que leí en la introducción del libro, este tipo de historia no es rara que la escriba una mujer como Elizabeth Gaskell. Me quedo con ganas de saber más de esta autora y su vida, pinta demasiaaado interesante.
arr2_dee2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5