3.54k reviews for:

North and South - The Original Classic Edition

Elizabeth Gaskell

4.12 AVERAGE

jeccai's review against another edition

4.0

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The OG enemies to lovers, I loved the dynamic between Mr Thornton and Margaret Hale. It reads as if Pride and Prejudice collided with a Dickens novel, which means it is obviously a classic and must-read.

archergal's review against another edition

3.0

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It wound up kinda quickly at the end, but it was still good. Though these gentle, self-sacrificing Victorian heroines make me feel horribly inadequate, and kinda sorry for them at the same time.

And Juliet Stevenson as narrator??? *chef's kiss* Absolutely perfect. She is So. GOOD.

For Victorian Book Club.

kaninfotola's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark inspiring reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

katiejlumsden's review against another edition

5.0

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What a brilliant book - one of my favourites of all time. There are so many things I love about North and South, from the social criticism and exploration of industrialisation, to the beautiful love story and complex characters. I adore this one.

Just as wonderful on every reread.

seatherny's review against another edition

4.5

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

mysti_8l's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful slow-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: Yes

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this book has such an incredible balance between the romance and mill plot line. it's a little slow at points, but the prose is so beautiful that every word is a joy to read. and margaret and thornton have such incredible character development throughout. this book is so beautiful and comforting, and i can't wait to revisit it in the future.

irene_lear's review against another edition

3.5

emotional reflective medium-paced

scdaisydaisy's review against another edition

4.25

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

poorlywordedbookreviews's review against another edition

5.0

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𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘴, 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘥, 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨; 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦... 𝘔𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘪𝘴, ‘𝘋𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘥𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯; 𝘣𝘶𝘵, 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘥𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.’

   

Margaret Hale has lived an idyllic life - her childhood spent in a beautiful chocolate box village in the New Forest, and her teenage years in Harley Street as a companion for with her wealthy cousin. However, Margaret finds herself thrust into a whole new world when her father, a priest, has a crisis of conscience and leaves the church, at the same time as her cousin is engaged to be married. In order to find alternative work her father relocates them to a northern industrial town, where cultures and world views collide….

   

𝘓𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦; 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘶𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥--𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴.

   

Adored this! Genuinely surprised as most classics are always a bit of struggle to fully love due to the style, but no, not this time! So glad it lives up to the TV adaption… unlike many Austen books (yes I know, blasphemy blah blah blah). In fact I’d describe Gaskell as a cross between Dickens and Austen, mixing her romance in with lots of social commentary on pertinent issues (then and now) across the class divides. She aims not just to confront her audience, but to take them on a journey with Margaret, and demonstrate how changes can be made. The romance is secondary, but a key element for modern readers who will be endlessly frustrated at Margaret’s slow conversion to what we can all see. Honestly I know she was going through it, but Thornton deserved better!

   

“𝘔𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘵! 𝘞𝘩𝘺, 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦! 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥." "𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘰.”

   

So yeah, this one tops the classics I’ve actually read leader board - go read! And now I’m off to rewatch Richard Armitage yearn sternly whilst embracing better HR practices 😍😆

allison_allbookedup's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced