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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
I had some many comments while reading this book that I was going to put in a review. However, most of them I have forgotten. It felt wordy to me in the beginning. I believe that was me getting back into reading Victorian literature. The pace felt slow until the characters got to Milton. Once there, it's like the rhythm of the industrial city helped move the book forward. It's a class book, most definitely. So, the speeches on class responsibility and place in society are very prominent. Once the deaths of the book start, the pace slows again making the grief suffocating. Margaret was a great character; I like how she had her own mind and counsel. She took care of herself. The romance is done well from Mr.Thornton's viewpoint, but I did think it was hard to see why Margaret chooses him.
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
I finished my latest book club selection (North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell) on the drive home from California and we had the meeting Thursday night. It is really the first novel we've read (I missed the meeting for To Kill A Mockingbird) and I definitely thought it was the most interesting discussion we've had so far! I must admit I was a little wary of the book when I first started reading it. It was written in the 1850's I believe, so the writing style took some getting used to and it was slow going for a little while. I honestly don't think I would have continued reading if not for the book club - I need something to grab my attention pretty quickly - but by the end I really loved it. There are interesting comparisons made between male and female roles, the different social classes, and the northern and southern parts of England at the time. Elizabeth Gaskell does an excellent job developing the characters into people you really feel you know and I definitely became invested in what would end up happening to Margret, the main character. Although all the relationships in the book are interesting and explored in great depth, I am a romantic at heart and was glued to the last 100 pages or so of the book just waiting to find out if Margret was finally going to find love (and by the way you don't find out until the last 3, that's right THREE, pages....the book is over 400!) - I was really worried I would never know :-)! I highly recommend the book - just keep trucking through those first chapters - it is definitely worth it in the end!
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-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:
Complicated
emotional
medium-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
slow-paced
emotional
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Very interesting from the perspective of learning more about industrialization in England at the time, however not the most compelling book of all time
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A wonderful book. It reminded me a bit of Pride and Prejudice in the way that the male and female leads acted towards each other. Though I maybe found this book a bit easier to read. I found the discussion of class interesting, especially in differences in the way she portrayed the people of the classes. I look forward to trying some of her other works.