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mariasilva's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Alcoholism
columnclub's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
There's a lot of interesting stuff here, but it felt a little lukewarm overall, in both the politics and the romance. I did love the last few lines, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Classism, Death of parent, Medical content, and Suicide
Moderate: Animal death, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Child death, and Religious bigotry
mariebastien's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
katiemcgregor's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
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
4.0
While I wouldn't categorize North and South under a label so simple as "Pride and Prejudice with labor disputes" I can't deny that they're somewhat in the same vein, though the former focuses more on the labor dispute part than the Pride and Prejudice part. But it is a funny comparison.
In all honesty, I haven't grown up knowing of any of Elizabeth Gaskell's classic works. My classic knowledge isn't extensive, but North and South is right up my alley so I'm surprised that we haven't crossed paths until now.
With all of the multifaceted subjects this novel addresses, it really is quite easy to understand. I still cross referenced chapters with analyses, just to confirm that I wasn't missing anything, but the only parts that I had some issue deciphering were the dialogues presented in Darkshire dialect; the content not being so hard to digest as the slang itself.
I must say, though it wasn't necessarily the main focus of the story, I did love the romance. I appreciate that Gaskell chose to show Thornton's perspective, rather than keeping her readers in the dark. I do love a good one-sided slow burn full of yearning. I only wish that the last chapter had been a bit longer. Though, now that I've finished the original work I'm sure I'll throw myself into the 2004 BBC miniseries to satisfy any of my lingering desires.
In all honesty, I haven't grown up knowing of any of Elizabeth Gaskell's classic works. My classic knowledge isn't extensive, but North and South is right up my alley so I'm surprised that we haven't crossed paths until now.
With all of the multifaceted subjects this novel addresses, it really is quite easy to understand. I still cross referenced chapters with analyses, just to confirm that I wasn't missing anything, but the only parts that I had some issue deciphering were the dialogues presented in Darkshire dialect; the content not being so hard to digest as the slang itself.
I must say, though it wasn't necessarily the main focus of the story, I did love the romance. I appreciate that Gaskell chose to show Thornton's perspective, rather than keeping her readers in the dark. I do love a good one-sided slow burn full of yearning. I only wish that the last chapter had been a bit longer. Though, now that I've finished the original work I'm sure I'll throw myself into the 2004 BBC miniseries to satisfy any of my lingering desires.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Alcoholism
andra_mihaela_s's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars for "North and South" by Elizabeth Gaskell!
This was a completely different story from what I've imagined! We start the novel by seeing Margaret Hale supporting her more wealthier cousin, Edith, with her marriage preparations.
Shortly after, Margaret goes home to Helstone, where her parents reside. She hopes her happines in the small village won't be disturbed. Little did she knew, that from the moment Mr. Henry Lennox comes to visit as promised in London, her life will take a different turn...all because her father can endure being a priest no more!
Once again, I want to underline that I did not anticipate the relationship between North and South as Gaskell delivered in her story.(This may be accounted by the fact that I know little about the period discussed ..1850's...or the people in question)
<b>Content warning: death</b
Margaret got me intrigued from the first moment we truly focus on her...that is the scene when the Lennox brothers pay a visit to the bride's family on Harley Street...her interaction with Henry got me making sooo many assumptions about her future, what this book is truly about, how her social status may change, etc.! ^_^ I was truly living my best life!...Then the garden scene happened and I was lost..0_0...the sudden changes we experienced! The clever way in which Gaskell painted for us Helstone through Margaret's eyes (and the change in it after 2 years), Milton, the Higgins family and the Thortons...splendid!!!>..<
She made the reader think what she wanted about a scene, place, character and circumstances! That takes talent!
Also, what she started by introducing Nicholas Higgins and his elder daughter, Bessy....really great plot and theme introduction! In the beginning I was hindered by the way they talked (took me a while to understand what sounds were missing...>..>), and I really did not see how she'll tie their story and friendship with Margaret to the rest of the family (who, in my opinion shoudn't let her spend time with them given the fact she's of a different status), or with the Thortons.
Now, I can safely say they give Margaret a reason to live in Milton and become more active! There is a clear distinction brought up several times between characters, about the stillness of the South/Helstone/London, the laid back way in which life flows there with it's clean image , in contrast to the busy and dirty life in North/Milton full of people with purpose and desire to better themselves.
Favorite characters: Margaret, John Thorton and his mother(she's normally someone I woudn't like but, here, Gaskell gave her a deeper meaning and made her more accurate with her strict judgement of everyone), Nicholas Higgings, and Henry Lennox(he's, I believe, a character who originally had a different path/story and thus feels more misterious and compelling than the others)
Least favorite characters: Mr. Hale, Mrs.Hale, Mrs.Shaw and her daughter Edith(quite a selfish person! and slow to understand a lot of things!...I think she represents, together with her husband, the way of the South)
When it comes to the plot and characters, we need to address them together! The narrative of Margaret finding appreciation for people so different from her both in mind and position in life; the way in which she curbes her pride little by little and finds happiness in a place/person soo unexpected for her; the very real problems of both workmen and masters , and the sad reality of either parties never understanding or even knowing the other's struggles...everything combined with a tragic family story that started due to abuse of power and horrible work relationships... gives us a window into the past and teaches us humility, kindness, the benefits of doubts and good will, and finally, how important is to apply fair judgement to everything we do and to pay attention to every side involved!
All I can say is that Margaret and the plot grow and become more complex almost in tandem. Every little sentiment, trial, tragedy, joy and mental struggle is expertly used by Gaskell to also further the discussion about class division!
I'm not sure every reader will agree with me, after all, there was a part in the middle where Higgings became a focus that almost lost me...but if you have a little patience, or you enjoy the slow progression typical of classics, you'll be rewarded!
Before moving on to other things, I want to mention the beautiful and funny scene at the end where both MCs are soooo aware of their family's dramatic ways:)))))) Loved that!>..<
With all this praise out of the way, I have some small issues that some other readers may want to be aware of:
- besides the favorite characters I mentioned above, the rest are pretty much your standard take on an archetype...for me it wasn't a problem due to the fact that we have a strong cast of fully fledged individuals that we focus on, and also because they are integral for a situation or fill the tableu (it being a family one, a situational one regarding the plot or any other variation).
- Margaret takes a lot of time transforming from a passive character in her own story to an active/ combative one (I did not take away stars for this because it's very much a thing of classical writing and it may be argued as giving believable character growth to the protagonist)
- we never end up knowing why Mr. Hale left the Church, nor how Friederich dealt with the last major news
- Mr. Adam Bell was sadly underutilized!!! And he was sooo funny and ironic!!!>..< Loved how no one got his real meaning when he was sarcastic! :))))
In conclusion, this book is perfect for classic lovers, those interested in reading a story with a beautiful slow burn romance that discusses class diferences, what it means to depend on faceless strangers when it comes to your livelihood, and the struggles of working under difficult conditions in a world where nobody knows or cares about your aspirations.
In my opinion, I will highly recommend you try Gaskell's work; I know I will be reading from her in the future! ^^
Enjoy
This was a completely different story from what I've imagined! We start the novel by seeing Margaret Hale supporting her more wealthier cousin, Edith, with her marriage preparations.
Shortly after, Margaret goes home to Helstone, where her parents reside. She hopes her happines in the small village won't be disturbed. Little did she knew, that from the moment Mr. Henry Lennox comes to visit as promised in London, her life will take a different turn...all because her father can endure being a priest no more!
Once again, I want to underline that I did not anticipate the relationship between North and South as Gaskell delivered in her story.(This may be accounted by the fact that I know little about the period discussed ..1850's...or the people in question)
<b>Content warning: death</b
Margaret got me intrigued from the first moment we truly focus on her...that is the scene when the Lennox brothers pay a visit to the bride's family on Harley Street...her interaction with Henry got me making sooo many assumptions about her future, what this book is truly about, how her social status may change, etc.! ^_^ I was truly living my best life!...Then the garden scene happened and I was lost..0_0...the sudden changes we experienced! The clever way in which Gaskell painted for us Helstone through Margaret's eyes (and the change in it after 2 years), Milton, the Higgins family and the Thortons...splendid!!!>..<
She made the reader think what she wanted about a scene, place, character and circumstances! That takes talent!
Also, what she started by introducing Nicholas Higgins and his elder daughter, Bessy....really great plot and theme introduction! In the beginning I was hindered by the way they talked (took me a while to understand what sounds were missing...>..>), and I really did not see how she'll tie their story and friendship with Margaret to the rest of the family (who, in my opinion shoudn't let her spend time with them given the fact she's of a different status), or with the Thortons.
Now, I can safely say they give Margaret a reason to live in Milton and become more active! There is a clear distinction brought up several times between characters, about the stillness of the South/Helstone/London, the laid back way in which life flows there with it's clean image , in contrast to the busy and dirty life in North/Milton full of people with purpose and desire to better themselves.
Favorite characters: Margaret, John Thorton and his mother(she's normally someone I woudn't like but, here, Gaskell gave her a deeper meaning and made her more accurate with her strict judgement of everyone), Nicholas Higgings, and Henry Lennox(he's, I believe, a character who originally had a different path/story and thus feels more misterious and compelling than the others)
Least favorite characters: Mr. Hale, Mrs.Hale, Mrs.Shaw and her daughter Edith(quite a selfish person! and slow to understand a lot of things!...I think she represents, together with her husband, the way of the South)
When it comes to the plot and characters, we need to address them together! The narrative of Margaret finding appreciation for people so different from her both in mind and position in life; the way in which she curbes her pride little by little and finds happiness in a place/person soo unexpected for her; the very real problems of both workmen and masters , and the sad reality of either parties never understanding or even knowing the other's struggles...everything combined with a tragic family story that started due to abuse of power and horrible work relationships... gives us a window into the past and teaches us humility, kindness, the benefits of doubts and good will, and finally, how important is to apply fair judgement to everything we do and to pay attention to every side involved!
All I can say is that Margaret and the plot grow and become more complex almost in tandem. Every little sentiment, trial, tragedy, joy and mental struggle is expertly used by Gaskell to also further the discussion about class division!
I'm not sure every reader will agree with me, after all, there was a part in the middle where Higgings became a focus that almost lost me...but if you have a little patience, or you enjoy the slow progression typical of classics, you'll be rewarded!
Before moving on to other things, I want to mention the beautiful and funny scene at the end where both MCs are soooo aware of their family's dramatic ways:)))))) Loved that!>..<
With all this praise out of the way, I have some small issues that some other readers may want to be aware of:
- besides the favorite characters I mentioned above, the rest are pretty much your standard take on an archetype...for me it wasn't a problem due to the fact that we have a strong cast of fully fledged individuals that we focus on, and also because they are integral for a situation or fill the tableu (it being a family one, a situational one regarding the plot or any other variation).
- Margaret takes a lot of time transforming from a passive character in her own story to an active/ combative one (I did not take away stars for this because it's very much a thing of classical writing and it may be argued as giving believable character growth to the protagonist)
- we never end up knowing why Mr. Hale left the Church, nor how Friederich dealt with the last major news
- Mr. Adam Bell was sadly underutilized!!! And he was sooo funny and ironic!!!>..< Loved how no one got his real meaning when he was sarcastic! :))))
In conclusion, this book is perfect for classic lovers, those interested in reading a story with a beautiful slow burn romance that discusses class diferences, what it means to depend on faceless strangers when it comes to your livelihood, and the struggles of working under difficult conditions in a world where nobody knows or cares about your aspirations.
In my opinion, I will highly recommend you try Gaskell's work; I know I will be reading from her in the future! ^^
Enjoy
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
samarakroeger's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
When Charles Dickens himself thinks your book is too long (the AUDACITY of him, honestly) ... it might be a bit too long. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much depth Elizabeth Gaskell was able to infuse in the pages of North and South. Great discussion of class, labor conflicts, gender roles, and the role of unions in Victorian Britain that is often lacking in books from a similar time (for example, I can't stand Charles Dickens).
This might be marketed as a love story, but it really isn't, at least at its core. It's so much more than that!
This might be marketed as a love story, but it really isn't, at least at its core. It's so much more than that!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Terminal illness
Minor: Suicide
mwanamkembaya's review
challenging
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Death, and Suicide
Minor: Religious bigotry
nicolesreadingbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
lydiavsbooks's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm not usually a big reader of classics so, even though I loved the series, I expected to struggle with this but oh boi I could not have been more wrong. This might genuinely be my new favourite book...of all time.
Firstly, Margaret frigidy frackin' Hale. Wow, amazing, incredible, I love her so much. I would say she needs protecting at all costs but by the end of the book that gal can protect herself. Damn.
Praise number two: the vibes. Helstone, beautiful.Manchester Milton, the atmosphere of the Northern industrial town, the factories, the poverty. Mmmm
Next up, socialism. Erm 1850s? Incredible. So good, the strikes, the contrast of the North and the South, the contrast of classes. Perfect. And once again, Margaret I'dgivehermykidneys Hale.
The character development, mainly enjoying watching Margaret slowly turning up the sass levels, but Thornton too, fabulous.
Honestly I just felt giddy the whole time reading this, every day I picked this up: instant good day. I have no criticisms, this book is perfect.
Firstly, Margaret frigidy frackin' Hale. Wow, amazing, incredible, I love her so much. I would say she needs protecting at all costs but by the end of the book that gal can protect herself. Damn.
Praise number two: the vibes. Helstone, beautiful.
Next up, socialism. Erm 1850s? Incredible. So good, the strikes, the contrast of the North and the South, the contrast of classes. Perfect. And once again, Margaret I'dgivehermykidneys Hale.
The character development, mainly enjoying watching Margaret slowly turning up the sass levels, but Thornton too, fabulous.
Honestly I just felt giddy the whole time reading this, every day I picked this up: instant good day. I have no criticisms, this book is perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Suicide
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, and Sexism
fa1th_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is what I imagine what a Victorian novel would be like.
I have watched the adapted BBC 2004 miniseries prior to reading the book, and I think it did me a lot of good, or else I wouldn't have such patience cracking down a 700 pages book. To put it poorly, this novel is sort of what I imagine Pride and Prejudice would be like, if it was set in the changing time of the Industrial Revolution. The world was filled with smoke and dirt, a whole lot dimmer, and death creeping in every corner. Similar premise to Austen's P&P, our heroine Margaret was the 'Prejudice' to Mr. Thornton's 'Pride', only in Gaskell's story, their opposing opinions were rooted in differences of class and in the culture. Both Margaret and Mr. Thornton were only a small fraction of the rapidly changes of time. I love what Gaskell did with her social commentary of the time, with Margaret moving from the leisure and comforting South to the cold and fast-moving North, her entire life was challenged and altered, same as her points of view.
I love Margaret as a protagonist. She was soft and kind yet strong-minded, while she began as a sheltered and prejudiced young lady living her privileged life in London, her world would soon never be peaceful again. Family troubles worried her to no end, deaths came one by one and not to mention a brother on the run with mutiny charges. At times I was so awe with her strength and resilience, because I would be in such a bad place if I'm in her shoes, this poor girl suffered so much with so many lost. With bleak changes both inside and outside of her home, Margaret was forced to grow up and be her own mistress, but she never lost hope and always strived to provide comfort to those who were in need. She was a bit haughty at first, upset by Milton's poverty and coldness, but quickly she realized her conceit and unfair judgement, and came to love Milton for what it was.
I also really love Mr. Thornton. He was a self-made man, a cotton-mill owner, which made Margaret turned her nose up at first. However, he proudly stood his ground, because he worked hard to earn his wealth and took care of his family, so his encounters with Margaret were clash of different ideas. Since I'm already using Austen as a comparison, I would like to mention that in this novel, we did get a lot more thoughts from the Mr. Thornton's point of view than Mr.Darcy. He was hopelessly in love with Margaret and it was clearly shown. Even though I must confess, as a reader in 2021, I kind of don't like Mrs. Thornton. Her attachment to her son was understandable, but sometimes she was so hostile and harsh to Margaret that I had to roll my eyes. Though Mr. Bell in the latter half behaved in a similar way as Margaret's protecter (side-note, love him, such a funny guy), thus eased off my dislike a bit, I just want her to be treated with kindness and love because she deserved all the love :'(
I enjoyed this story very much, the reason I deducted 0.5 in the rating was only because it was kind of depressing (in a typical Victorian classic literature way), so I wouldn't want to revisit it easily. Nevertheless, I'm glad that I picked it up, and I will continue with Gaskell's works whenever I'm able.
I have watched the adapted BBC 2004 miniseries prior to reading the book, and I think it did me a lot of good, or else I wouldn't have such patience cracking down a 700 pages book. To put it poorly, this novel is sort of what I imagine Pride and Prejudice would be like, if it was set in the changing time of the Industrial Revolution. The world was filled with smoke and dirt, a whole lot dimmer, and death creeping in every corner. Similar premise to Austen's P&P, our heroine Margaret was the 'Prejudice' to Mr. Thornton's 'Pride', only in Gaskell's story, their opposing opinions were rooted in differences of class and in the culture. Both Margaret and Mr. Thornton were only a small fraction of the rapidly changes of time. I love what Gaskell did with her social commentary of the time, with Margaret moving from the leisure and comforting South to the cold and fast-moving North, her entire life was challenged and altered, same as her points of view.
I love Margaret as a protagonist. She was soft and kind yet strong-minded, while she began as a sheltered and prejudiced young lady living her privileged life in London, her world would soon never be peaceful again. Family troubles worried her to no end, deaths came one by one and not to mention a brother on the run with mutiny charges. At times I was so awe with her strength and resilience, because I would be in such a bad place if I'm in her shoes, this poor girl suffered so much with so many lost. With bleak changes both inside and outside of her home, Margaret was forced to grow up and be her own mistress, but she never lost hope and always strived to provide comfort to those who were in need. She was a bit haughty at first, upset by Milton's poverty and coldness, but quickly she realized her conceit and unfair judgement, and came to love Milton for what it was.
I also really love Mr. Thornton. He was a self-made man, a cotton-mill owner, which made Margaret turned her nose up at first. However, he proudly stood his ground, because he worked hard to earn his wealth and took care of his family, so his encounters with Margaret were clash of different ideas. Since I'm already using Austen as a comparison, I would like to mention that in this novel, we did get a lot more thoughts from the Mr. Thornton's point of view than Mr.Darcy. He was hopelessly in love with Margaret and it was clearly shown. Even though I must confess, as a reader in 2021, I kind of don't like Mrs. Thornton. Her attachment to her son was understandable, but sometimes she was so hostile and harsh to Margaret that I had to roll my eyes. Though Mr. Bell in the latter half behaved in a similar way as Margaret's protecter (side-note, love him, such a funny guy), thus eased off my dislike a bit, I just want her to be treated with kindness and love because she deserved all the love :'(
I enjoyed this story very much, the reason I deducted 0.5 in the rating was only because it was kind of depressing (in a typical Victorian classic literature way), so I wouldn't want to revisit it easily. Nevertheless, I'm glad that I picked it up, and I will continue with Gaskell's works whenever I'm able.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Suicide, and Violence