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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
ALL HAIL MARGARET OUR QUEEN 😌👑🔥
I would say this book was wonderful, but someone already stole that line ;-) Instead, I will highlight the fact that Gaskell’s North and South presented a view of the industrial revolution through Austen-tinted lenses using a strong female character and class politics with a hint of romance.
While Gaskell’s writing style lacked the infamous and addictive Austen wit, her characters and storyline were highly compelling. The main character, Margaret Hale, was born and raised in a quaint, rural (and Southern!) part of England, but spent the majority of her time living with wealthy, London-based relatives. Margaret mastered the delicate balance of appreciating simple, country living while mastering the ways of a refined urban lifestyle. This balance was ruined when Margaret’s father religious doubts cause him to resign as minister from the aforementioned bucolic area’s church and land the family in an incredibly dreary-sounding industrial town. (Of course this town lies North of where they used to live – hence the geographically diverse title!)
Here is where things get interesting. Her pragmatic background, in combination with the noblesse oblige attitude from her London-immersed adulthood, led Margaret to sympathize with and befriend members of the working class in this manufacturing town. This well-spring of feeling, of course, resulted in conflict with one of the town’s handsome mill owners (John Thornton), and to find out what happens you are going to have to read the book for yourself ;-)
Because of the romantic element to this novel, it is difficult not to make at least one or two comparisons to the works of Jane Austen, despite the fact that Gaskell was seven years old when Austen died and more a Charlotte Bronte contemporary. That said, while I disagree with those that compare Mr. Thornton to Mr. Darcy (let’s be serious people, the former was a self-made working man and the latter regency gentility!) I will concede that, like all good heroines, Margaret Hale steals the show and was (dare I say it?) far more opinionated, stalwart and spunky than Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Enjoy!
While Gaskell’s writing style lacked the infamous and addictive Austen wit, her characters and storyline were highly compelling. The main character, Margaret Hale, was born and raised in a quaint, rural (and Southern!) part of England, but spent the majority of her time living with wealthy, London-based relatives. Margaret mastered the delicate balance of appreciating simple, country living while mastering the ways of a refined urban lifestyle. This balance was ruined when Margaret’s father religious doubts cause him to resign as minister from the aforementioned bucolic area’s church and land the family in an incredibly dreary-sounding industrial town. (Of course this town lies North of where they used to live – hence the geographically diverse title!)
Here is where things get interesting. Her pragmatic background, in combination with the noblesse oblige attitude from her London-immersed adulthood, led Margaret to sympathize with and befriend members of the working class in this manufacturing town. This well-spring of feeling, of course, resulted in conflict with one of the town’s handsome mill owners (John Thornton), and to find out what happens you are going to have to read the book for yourself ;-)
Because of the romantic element to this novel, it is difficult not to make at least one or two comparisons to the works of Jane Austen, despite the fact that Gaskell was seven years old when Austen died and more a Charlotte Bronte contemporary. That said, while I disagree with those that compare Mr. Thornton to Mr. Darcy (let’s be serious people, the former was a self-made working man and the latter regency gentility!) I will concede that, like all good heroines, Margaret Hale steals the show and was (dare I say it?) far more opinionated, stalwart and spunky than Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Enjoy!
What a surprise! I expected to be bored to tears but I wholeheartedly enjoyed it! It was such a revelation to see so much politics at play alongside drama upon drama. I really warmed to Margaret; she instilled me with pride. Bessy Higgins was a stand-out character for me and I was really moved by her death. Excellently written and a must-read- bravo Gaskell!
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Partly cute, partly grand. Becomes slightly more tedious than I’d have liked toward the end; maybe this was only because I felt pressured to read it for class?
Either way, a really terrific novel with themes and concepts completely alien to anything else I’m aware of in this genre. Takes a sledgehammer to society so overtly in comparison to her predecessors. For all the occasional (very welcome) melodrama, there is also great, sophisticated social discourse.
Fabulous!
Highly recommend.
Either way, a really terrific novel with themes and concepts completely alien to anything else I’m aware of in this genre. Takes a sledgehammer to society so overtly in comparison to her predecessors. For all the occasional (very welcome) melodrama, there is also great, sophisticated social discourse.
Fabulous!
Highly recommend.
I've been meaning to read North and South for such a long time, and in the midst of AEU union negotiations it seemed like as good a time as any to pick it up.
I very much enjoyed the nuanced (if flawed) discussions surrounding workers and master's obligations to one another, as well as discussions of gender, class and religion that felt years ahead of its time.
But most of all, I loved that John Thornton This is literally the most relatable thing I've read in years and it was written well over a hundred and fifty years ago.
I very much enjoyed the nuanced (if flawed) discussions surrounding workers and master's obligations to one another, as well as discussions of gender, class and religion that felt years ahead of its time.
But most of all, I loved that John Thornton
Spoiler
was so despairing of being turned down that he first considered crying in the gutter, then felt so awkward when he realised he was standing in a daze at the bus stop and was too awkward to say it was a mistake so he got on and ended up in the country for a day.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very Austen-esque, which I love but a tad too much swooning by our heroine.