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lilyiwj 's review for:
North and South
by Elizabeth Gaskell
I'll keep this review short, because I feel like many other reviews have expressed lots of what a want to say in far more eloquent terms, but I'll stick my oar in a little.
I'll first say that usually, I hate romance stories. Nothing puts me off a novel more than an unnecessary romantic sub-plot, or worse, the dreaded love triangle. However, this was the first time in a while that the romance in a novel was hugely appealing to me, and that I really wanted the main characters to get together-so much so that I had to text my friend (who hadn't even read the book) saying "THEY GOT TOGETHER!!"
Initially, however, the characters of Margaret Hale and Mr Thornton did irritate me a little. Both seemed very stuck in their ways and prejudiced, and Margaret a little weak-willed and over-religious. That being said, the genius of the novel is that Gaskell manages to transform these characters into people you genuinely sympathise with, in spite of their flaws (and the characters are flawed, but in a good way).
Even if you hate romance stories, I would give this one a go because it's not just a romantic tale, in fact romance often takes the back seat to much larger issues. I think that Gaskell manages to have a Dickens-style panoramic analysis of society, without Dickens' dry-ness and tendency to ramble (sorry to any Dickens fans.) She discusses politics, religion, the pros and cons of unions, capitalism, social injustice, prejudice and the differences between north and south (hence the title). Gaskell manages to use the love story to discuss these themes, making the romance relevant rather than just a sub-plot.
I also liked the novel because it was surprisingly gritty. Initially, all the flowery description of the South is a little dull, but it is very quickly replaced with (again Dickensian) descriptions of abject poverty and suffering. It's nice to see a Victorian author (particularly a woman author) so enagaged with the social issues of her time, and not looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses. The novel, although Dickensian in many ways does lack the sense of Dickens' humour, meaning it is often quite gritty and depressing. There is a point when the number of deaths just seems to be gratuitous, particularly when they happen off page and are just remarked upon. Aside from that point, I enjoyed the grittyness of the novel; it made it seem realistic. However, for those looking for a light romantic read-don't read this novel! I've seen a couple of reviews unhappy with the way the novel "lectures" the reader, but for me those lectures (although sometimes a little lengthy for my liking) gave me a great insight into Victorian attitudes and what society really was like, more so than any other novel I had read from the time. When reading, though, be prepared for Victorian style writing, which can seem a little lengthy in comparison to modern literature.
I loved the novel for so many reasons: the well written rejection of the male love interest initially (which I celebrated at the time but then quickly changed my mind), the well rounded female protagonist and male protagonist who you grow to love, the discussion of social issues and the very slow burn romance story. Although there are certainly some points in which I think it could have been improved (some aspects of Margaret's character, cutting down of some sections for example) overall I really, really enjoyed this novel.
Austen with added grit, Dickens without the waffle: 4.5 stars.
(and I just heard that Richard Armitage played Mr Thornton in the tv series: PERFECT!!!)
I'll first say that usually, I hate romance stories. Nothing puts me off a novel more than an unnecessary romantic sub-plot, or worse, the dreaded love triangle. However, this was the first time in a while that the romance in a novel was hugely appealing to me, and that I really wanted the main characters to get together-so much so that I had to text my friend (who hadn't even read the book) saying "THEY GOT TOGETHER!!"
Initially, however, the characters of Margaret Hale and Mr Thornton did irritate me a little. Both seemed very stuck in their ways and prejudiced, and Margaret a little weak-willed and over-religious. That being said, the genius of the novel is that Gaskell manages to transform these characters into people you genuinely sympathise with, in spite of their flaws (and the characters are flawed, but in a good way).
Even if you hate romance stories, I would give this one a go because it's not just a romantic tale, in fact romance often takes the back seat to much larger issues. I think that Gaskell manages to have a Dickens-style panoramic analysis of society, without Dickens' dry-ness and tendency to ramble (sorry to any Dickens fans.) She discusses politics, religion, the pros and cons of unions, capitalism, social injustice, prejudice and the differences between north and south (hence the title). Gaskell manages to use the love story to discuss these themes, making the romance relevant rather than just a sub-plot.
I also liked the novel because it was surprisingly gritty. Initially, all the flowery description of the South is a little dull, but it is very quickly replaced with (again Dickensian) descriptions of abject poverty and suffering. It's nice to see a Victorian author (particularly a woman author) so enagaged with the social issues of her time, and not looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses. The novel, although Dickensian in many ways does lack the sense of Dickens' humour, meaning it is often quite gritty and depressing. There is a point when the number of deaths just seems to be gratuitous, particularly when they happen off page and are just remarked upon. Aside from that point, I enjoyed the grittyness of the novel; it made it seem realistic. However, for those looking for a light romantic read-don't read this novel! I've seen a couple of reviews unhappy with the way the novel "lectures" the reader, but for me those lectures (although sometimes a little lengthy for my liking) gave me a great insight into Victorian attitudes and what society really was like, more so than any other novel I had read from the time. When reading, though, be prepared for Victorian style writing, which can seem a little lengthy in comparison to modern literature.
I loved the novel for so many reasons: the well written rejection of the male love interest initially (which I celebrated at the time but then quickly changed my mind), the well rounded female protagonist and male protagonist who you grow to love, the discussion of social issues and the very slow burn romance story. Although there are certainly some points in which I think it could have been improved (some aspects of Margaret's character, cutting down of some sections for example) overall I really, really enjoyed this novel.
Austen with added grit, Dickens without the waffle: 4.5 stars.
(and I just heard that Richard Armitage played Mr Thornton in the tv series: PERFECT!!!)