Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
Phew! Margaret was really going through it. If I wasn’t bored to tears, I’d feel bad for her. It’s a good thing I listened to the audiobook because I’d have almost certainly DNF’d this otherwise. It’s a lot like Pride and Prejudice with a dash of union busting mixed with Anna Karenina. The latter of which I’ve been attempting to listen to for the past year and a half to no avail because, again, it bores me to tears. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books, but this one suffered from a lot of tedium that I could have personally done with out. Oh well, another classic done.
I don't want to DNF this book, but I'm ~70-75% into it and I wish I like it more. I thought it would be something like Pride and Prejudice... Not even close... For some reason I keep thinking that Margaret is annoying though I can see that her character changes and develops into much wiser person... Mr Thornton and his mother - I think I like them the best in this book :) Margaret's parents are too... soft for my liking. No, not soft - they are not interesting...
I am still enjoying the Gaskell I am reading and this was no exception, but I have to admit the northerner in me got a bit uppity at times. Yes, this is from the mid 1800s, but the North-South divide in England is still very much there and flourishing. And at the end of the day in this book, it is the southerners who are the educated, illuminated ones, the rich (and idle rich in some cases, living off someone else's hard work and seemingly contributing nothing), where everything's beautiful and light and covered in roses, and even their labourers can do hard work much better than the northerners (as Margaret advises Nicholas Higgins when he wonders about travelling south for work). Insubordination is a disgrace when the northerners do it (striking) but somehow honourable when the southerners do it (mutiny). Even at the end it is southern money that saves the north. I mean, for crying out loud, they go north to live in "Darkshire".
I know Gaskell did live in the north, Manchester, so she knew better than a lot about the north and also about the realities of working people. So through that she humanises them rather than turning them into cartoons, and also shows the horrors of what living on the bread line can bring. And how sometimes people fail financially, through no fault of their own, but as victims of economics. And perhaps that is as big a step as she dared take at the time, given who her readership would be.
Margaret Hale is the only child of Reverand and Mrs Hale, who live at Helstone in the south and everything is just peaches and cream until the reverand no longer believes in the Church and as a matter of conscience leaves. I didn't completely understand what his issue was, only that he didn't seem to like organisation... of that, or of organising his own leaving of Helstone and moving somewhere else, of telling his own wife about his decision... And so he takes a tutor's job in the north, in Darkshire, in Milton, a manufacturing town where Mr John Thornton is one of the mill owners, and one of Mr Hale's first pupils. He is a self made man, and quite different to the Hales.. by the Thorntons face up to life in a dower way. Margaret rocks up full of prejudice against the north and takes a dislike to Thornton although, well, we all know what's coming and there's a thin line between love and hate. Tragedies, dramas and friendships abound.
It feels like it is a book of contrasts. Aside from the obvious north v south, you also have good and bad insubordination, rich v poor, working rich v idle rich, mothers (consider Mrs Hale and Mrs Thornton), the choices sisters can make in marriage (Mrs Hale v. Aunt Edith), two 19 year old girls from rich and poor (Margaret and poor Bessie Higgins) and so on and so on. The course starts next week, will have to see how my musings develop.
I know Gaskell did live in the north, Manchester, so she knew better than a lot about the north and also about the realities of working people. So through that she humanises them rather than turning them into cartoons, and also shows the horrors of what living on the bread line can bring. And how sometimes people fail financially, through no fault of their own, but as victims of economics. And perhaps that is as big a step as she dared take at the time, given who her readership would be.
Margaret Hale is the only child of Reverand and Mrs Hale, who live at Helstone in the south and everything is just peaches and cream until the reverand no longer believes in the Church and as a matter of conscience leaves. I didn't completely understand what his issue was, only that he didn't seem to like organisation... of that, or of organising his own leaving of Helstone and moving somewhere else, of telling his own wife about his decision... And so he takes a tutor's job in the north, in Darkshire, in Milton, a manufacturing town where Mr John Thornton is one of the mill owners, and one of Mr Hale's first pupils. He is a self made man, and quite different to the Hales.. by the Thorntons face up to life in a dower way. Margaret rocks up full of prejudice against the north and takes a dislike to Thornton although, well, we all know what's coming and there's a thin line between love and hate. Tragedies, dramas and friendships abound.
It feels like it is a book of contrasts. Aside from the obvious north v south, you also have good and bad insubordination, rich v poor, working rich v idle rich, mothers (consider Mrs Hale and Mrs Thornton), the choices sisters can make in marriage (Mrs Hale v. Aunt Edith), two 19 year old girls from rich and poor (Margaret and poor Bessie Higgins) and so on and so on. The course starts next week, will have to see how my musings develop.
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you Heather Ordover at Craft Lit for introducing me to this book, which I'm sure I never would have read otherwise. I thought I did not not like classic literature but I listened to Craft Lit because she presented Jane Eyre, which was my favorite of all the books we read in high school. I continued listening after it was finished because I was fascinated by all the things I learned from the podcast. Things about the language in the book, the author, the culture, and more. And much as I love Jane Eyre, North and South is even more interesting because of the historical issues Elizabeth Gaskell brings to the story. I read chapters in between podcasts and I have a deep respect for the reader who made the accent of the north understandable. Had I just picked up the book, I think the spelling out of the north accent would've been very frustrating to read.
But about the actual story - Margaret Hale is the main character and most of the story is from her perspective. She is a devoted daughter to parents who to modern eyes seem too dependent on her. Indeed, there is a point where the author shows that Margaret even takes her cues from them to know whether to be happy or serious. The worst part of this is how in their absence she is cast adrift emotionally. And yet that is how I believe she finally figures out how to take charge of life. And when she finally does, telling off her selfish, shallow cousin in the process, I felt like cheering. Margaret has many woes in her journey, but she is happy when she takes control of her life and chooses happiness for herself.
But about the actual story - Margaret Hale is the main character and most of the story is from her perspective. She is a devoted daughter to parents who to modern eyes seem too dependent on her. Indeed, there is a point where the author shows that Margaret even takes her cues from them to know whether to be happy or serious. The worst part of this is how in their absence she is cast adrift emotionally. And yet that is how I believe she finally figures out how to take charge of life. And when she finally does, telling off her selfish, shallow cousin in the process, I felt like cheering. Margaret has many woes in her journey, but she is happy when she takes control of her life and chooses happiness for herself.
I think this book taught me more about socialism, unions, capitalism, and the relationship between employer and employee than even my government class. Learning things through a story really works. I especially appreciated how the two MCs were initially on opposite sides of the conflict (one being a mill owner, the other a friend to a union leader), and how they learned from each other.
The romance is lovely too, of course, as are the settings and the family relationships. The whole story starts because Margaret's father has a crisis of faith (it's assumed, I believe, that he's now Unitarian rather than Anglican), but the novel doesn't touch much on religion any more except that the characters occasionally pray together and go to church. I would have appreciated more of a discussion of the father's beliefs, but I guess that's too much to ask of a book that's already tackling social issues. Plus I think Gaskell herself was a Universalist, so I don't think we'd agree on much anyway ;)
---
read 4/17/2017
reread 5/12/2018
reread 3/13/2020
The romance is lovely too, of course, as are the settings and the family relationships. The whole story starts because Margaret's father has a crisis of faith (it's assumed, I believe, that he's now Unitarian rather than Anglican), but the novel doesn't touch much on religion any more except that the characters occasionally pray together and go to church. I would have appreciated more of a discussion of the father's beliefs, but I guess that's too much to ask of a book that's already tackling social issues. Plus I think Gaskell herself was a Universalist, so I don't think we'd agree on much anyway ;)
---
read 4/17/2017
reread 5/12/2018
reread 3/13/2020
I loved it and I am smiling from ear to ear, and I love every person in it.
Oh Mr Thornton and oh beautiful Margret.
But, man, all these deaths. SERIOUSLY! :'(
Still, I love it. <3
Oh Mr Thornton and oh beautiful Margret.
But, man, all these deaths. SERIOUSLY! :'(
Still, I love it. <3
By far one of my favorite stories and romances. The main character, Margaret, is strong, proud, prejudice, and not afraid to get her hands dirty. While she's been quite content to be a well-educated lady, she's not afraid to speak her mind and point out injustices when she sees them. She doesn't cower to any man, including those in higher ranking positions and that makes her the hero we all want to be. Gaskell does a great job of painting the disparity between the classes and how we all can learn something from each other. Throw in some union organizing, illness, death, a fugitive, and misunderstandings and you'll find a very interesting read.
PS The BBC did a great version with Richard Armitage. One of my favorite movies.
PS The BBC did a great version with Richard Armitage. One of my favorite movies.
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
It seems silly to declare a book which has been popular for nearly 200 years is good, but here goes:
This is a great novel.
I admit to finally picking it up when I heard it described as “Pride & Prejudice but Darcy has a job.” While accurate, this summary skips over the coming of age aspects and the variety of social issues it covers (class prejudice, labor strikes, religion…).
The characters are complex and realistic. Margaret goes from a slightly pampered easy life to a year of one difficulty after another with quite possibly the most self-absorbed parents ever written. In the process of creating an entirely new life, she forms a circle of varied acquaintances, putting her right between two sides of a labor strike. Both perspectives of the strikes are shown to have truths and prejudices with real people behind them.
The writing is absolutely propulsive, turning what could be a dry, moralistic story into one that’s truly difficult to put down.
This is a great novel.
I admit to finally picking it up when I heard it described as “Pride & Prejudice but Darcy has a job.” While accurate, this summary skips over the coming of age aspects and the variety of social issues it covers (class prejudice, labor strikes, religion…).
The characters are complex and realistic. Margaret goes from a slightly pampered easy life to a year of one difficulty after another with quite possibly the most self-absorbed parents ever written. In the process of creating an entirely new life, she forms a circle of varied acquaintances, putting her right between two sides of a labor strike. Both perspectives of the strikes are shown to have truths and prejudices with real people behind them.
The writing is absolutely propulsive, turning what could be a dry, moralistic story into one that’s truly difficult to put down.