A review by samarakroeger
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

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!
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