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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
Am I one of the legions of North and South fans who was inspired to read the book after swooning over Richard Armitage in the BBC miniseries?
Yes. Yes I am.
And proud of it.
Because without that AMAZING miniseries I would not have read this beautiful book.
This story revolves around Margaret Hale, a beauty form the south of England who is more accustomed to parlor rooms, country roads, and clean air, and John Thornton, an industrious manufacturer in the North of England who is used to smoky skies, hard work, and factory floors. These are two people whose paths should never have crossed at such a time in England. They each had their own circles, their own interests, and their own views on society. But as luck would have it they were thrust together and quickly came to learn from one another whether they wanted to or not.
This novel was originally written as a serial which leads to it being somewhat choppy and disjointed as a whole, but each chatter was continuous and well written. The POV switched between our 2 wonderful characters which gave us fantastic glimpses into their thoughts, emotions, and reasonings. And as most books of this genre is written from the female perspective I totally loved worming my way inside Mr. Thornton's intense mind.
This is a novel rife with misunderstandings, unstated emotions, and uncertainties. It has characters that are selfish, whiny, and ignorant (I'm lookin at you Edith....). The plot built up slowly. Tis book is not one with large parties, big to dos, or complex plot points. It's about the everyday, adaptation, change, emotions, and relationship. And it's beautiful.
Now I will say, the ending...it is...lacking. Now I can definitely appreciate it, and I enjoyed it, but at heart I am a selfish creature and I wanted more. So of course now I am reading one of the many sequels to the book! Lol!
Yes. Yes I am.
And proud of it.
Because without that AMAZING miniseries I would not have read this beautiful book.
This story revolves around Margaret Hale, a beauty form the south of England who is more accustomed to parlor rooms, country roads, and clean air, and John Thornton, an industrious manufacturer in the North of England who is used to smoky skies, hard work, and factory floors. These are two people whose paths should never have crossed at such a time in England. They each had their own circles, their own interests, and their own views on society. But as luck would have it they were thrust together and quickly came to learn from one another whether they wanted to or not.
This novel was originally written as a serial which leads to it being somewhat choppy and disjointed as a whole, but each chatter was continuous and well written. The POV switched between our 2 wonderful characters which gave us fantastic glimpses into their thoughts, emotions, and reasonings. And as most books of this genre is written from the female perspective I totally loved worming my way inside Mr. Thornton's intense mind.
This is a novel rife with misunderstandings, unstated emotions, and uncertainties. It has characters that are selfish, whiny, and ignorant (I'm lookin at you Edith....). The plot built up slowly. Tis book is not one with large parties, big to dos, or complex plot points. It's about the everyday, adaptation, change, emotions, and relationship. And it's beautiful.
Now I will say, the ending...it is...lacking. Now I can definitely appreciate it, and I enjoyed it, but at heart I am a selfish creature and I wanted more. So of course now I am reading one of the many sequels to the book! Lol!
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
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
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An absolute delight.
The book, the narration, the story is really nice.
Recommend to anyone who enjoys an English Victorian book.
The book, the narration, the story is really nice.
Recommend to anyone who enjoys an English Victorian book.
A classic I return to periodically. As someone who has lived through massive changes in the past 75 years, I find it interesting to read about another time in history when “progress” resulted in upheaval, displacement, and confusion.
A contemporary of Dickens, Gaskell is not read nearly enough (although the BBC. Has done a fine job taking some of her work and putting it on the screen). This story is something of a working man's Pride and Prejudice, with some slightly less scandalous events, but in this reader's opinion, better character arcs, a fascinating sense of place, a thorough contemplation of unions and mill towns, and an ending just as satisfying as Austen's.
slow-paced
Egyszer olvasós.
Kicsit változtat a vilagszemléleten.
Kicsit változtat a vilagszemléleten.
emotional
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