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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
“I know you despise me; allow me to say, it is because you do not understand me.”
Loved for the most part. Watching how John and Margaret mature and lose their individual prejudices throughout was wonderful to witness. I think definitely a new favourite romantic classic for me.
It is overly dramatic and overly religious (for my own personal taste) at times but I also found it to be very clever and beautiful.
“I wanted to see the place where Margaret grew to what she is, even at the worst time of all, when I had no hope of ever calling her mine.”
Loved for the most part. Watching how John and Margaret mature and lose their individual prejudices throughout was wonderful to witness. I think definitely a new favourite romantic classic for me.
It is overly dramatic and overly religious (for my own personal taste) at times but I also found it to be very clever and beautiful.
“I wanted to see the place where Margaret grew to what she is, even at the worst time of all, when I had no hope of ever calling her mine.”
I was going to love this even if I didn't like it. Ive watched it so many times and it has a special place in my heart.
It's quite depressing but it still calls to me.
It's quite depressing but it still calls to me.
Denna var toppen, älskar verkligen en gammal brittisk roman <3.
I suspect I read this book (and wrote an essay on it) back in college, but I don't remember it well. Recently watching the 2004 BBC miniseries made me return to this book, and I'm glad I did. I love how all the characters develop - not just the protagonists - and if I were to write an essay (again!), I would focus on how they measure up to John Thornton's definition of a "man":
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
I take it that "gentleman" is a term that only describes a person in his relation to others; but when we speak of him as "a man," we consider him not merely with regard to his fellow-men, but in relation to himself, - to life - to time - to eternity. A cast-away lonely as Robinson Crusoe - a prisoner immured in a dungeon for life - nay, even a saint in Patmos, has his endurance, his strength, his faith, best described by being spoken of as "a man." I am rather weary of this word "gentlemanly," which seems to me to be often inappropriately used, and often, too, with such exaggerated distortion of meaning, while the full simplicity of the noun "man," and the adjective "manly" are unacknowledged - that I am induced to class it with the cant of the day.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
dark
emotional
relaxing
fast-paced
A love story involving two strong characters from very different worlds during the Industrial Revolution.
The way that the characters are brought to life is amazing and the language used is just beautiful. I found myself reading some lines again and again.
The way that the characters are brought to life is amazing and the language used is just beautiful. I found myself reading some lines again and again.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Read my full review here.
There’s so much I can say about North and South. In short: so many feels. This book is by no means light. It’s complex and deals with heavy issues like grief and death and class divides. But amongst that it also depicts love and happiness and growth.
Gaskell’s characters are all so engaging and multi-faceted that it's impossible not to adore them. Margaret is a good person, through and through. She’s strong, brave, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Her world view was rather limited before moving to Milton, but by the end of the novel she has grown so much.
Mr. Thornton also grows into a better person by taking Margaret’s advice to get to know his employees. He really is such a sweetheart. He loves Margaret so much, and the scenes in which he thinks about her with fondness and tenderness are lovely to read.
I’m glad Gaskell chose to tell the story in third person because otherwise we wouldn’t have gotten to know Mr. Thornton - and other characters - as well as we do with these glimpses into his mind.
Another character which I quite enjoyed reading is the funny Mr. Bell. He was certainly a comic relief, but he is much more complex than that. He loves Margaret as if she's his own child and so does what he can to ensure her happiness and safety. Beyond that, his joking, light-hearted nature were reprieves from the more tragic events.
This novel is certainly more than a “romance” though it does have that aspect. It’s about expanding world-views, learning empathy, caring for others, etc. As for the romance, it’s a slow burn but it’s realistic. It kind of reminded me of Elizabeth and Darcy, partly because Margaret and Thornton have so much pride and prejudice (and Margaret rejects Thornton before she finally gets together with him).
Overall, North and South is a wonderfully engaging, complex, rich, and emotional read. The ending is not only happy, but witty and I couldn’t ask for a better ending to a novel that has put its characters through a roller-coaster ride. I can’t sing my praises enough.
There’s so much I can say about North and South. In short: so many feels. This book is by no means light. It’s complex and deals with heavy issues like grief and death and class divides. But amongst that it also depicts love and happiness and growth.
Gaskell’s characters are all so engaging and multi-faceted that it's impossible not to adore them. Margaret is a good person, through and through. She’s strong, brave, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Her world view was rather limited before moving to Milton, but by the end of the novel she has grown so much.
Mr. Thornton also grows into a better person by taking Margaret’s advice to get to know his employees. He really is such a sweetheart. He loves Margaret so much, and the scenes in which he thinks about her with fondness and tenderness are lovely to read.
I’m glad Gaskell chose to tell the story in third person because otherwise we wouldn’t have gotten to know Mr. Thornton - and other characters - as well as we do with these glimpses into his mind.
Another character which I quite enjoyed reading is the funny Mr. Bell. He was certainly a comic relief, but he is much more complex than that. He loves Margaret as if she's his own child and so does what he can to ensure her happiness and safety. Beyond that, his joking, light-hearted nature were reprieves from the more tragic events.
This novel is certainly more than a “romance” though it does have that aspect. It’s about expanding world-views, learning empathy, caring for others, etc. As for the romance, it’s a slow burn but it’s realistic. It kind of reminded me of Elizabeth and Darcy, partly because Margaret and Thornton have so much pride and prejudice (and Margaret rejects Thornton before she finally gets together with him).
Overall, North and South is a wonderfully engaging, complex, rich, and emotional read. The ending is not only happy, but witty and I couldn’t ask for a better ending to a novel that has put its characters through a roller-coaster ride. I can’t sing my praises enough.
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
Forever one of my favorite books. The slow burn of the love between Margaret Hale and John Thornton, the way she learns to value people she couldn’t understand at first, I never grow tired of it.