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North and South

by Elizabeth Gaskell, Patricia Ingham (editor)

4.13 · Rating details · 107,622 Ratings · 5,557 Reviews

'How am I to dress up in my finery, and go off and away to smart parties, after the sorrow I have seen today?'

When her father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience, Margaret Hale is uprooted from her comfortable home in Hampshire to move with her family to the north of England. Initially repulsed by the ugliness of her new surroundings in the industrial town of Milto ...more

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Paperback, 425 pages

Published June 1st 1996 by Penguin Classics (first published May 1st 1854)

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Lists with This Book

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Community Reviews

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Dec 01, 2013 Barry Pierce rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century, read-in-2014

It's Pride and Prejudice for Socialists.

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Apr 03, 2012 Blacky *Romance Addict* rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, favorite-historical, read-historical, best-of-the-best, he-is-mine, 5-stars-for-enjoyment, review, read-2013

This will be a quote/pic review, I don't have time for a long one, and this is such a classic, that whatever I write won't be good enough :)
There will be spoilers as some of my fav quotes, just so you know :)

Thornton and Margaret <3

"He almost said to himself that he did not like her, before their conversation ended; he tried so to compensate himself for the mortified feeling, that while he looked upon her with an admiration he could not repress, she looked at him with proud indifference, taking him, he thought, for what, in his irritation, he told himself he was-a great rough fellow, with not a grace or a refinement about him."

"He shook hands with Margaret. He knew it was the first time their hands had met, though she was perfectly unconscious of the fact."

"He laid her down softly, and looking on her pure white face, the sense of what she was to him came upon him so keenly that he spoke it out in his pain:
'Oh, my Margaret-my Margaret! no one can tell what you are to me!'"

'I dare not hope. I never was fainthearted before; but I cannot believe such a creature cares for me.'
...
'But I know she does not care for me. I shall put myself at her feet-I must. If it were but one chance in a thousand-or a million-I should do it.'

'You look as if you thought it tainted you to be loved by me. You cannot avoid it. Nay, I, if I would, cannot cleanse you from it. But I would not, if I could. I have never loved any woman before: my life has been too busy, my thoughts too much absorbed with other things. Now I love, and will love. But do not be afraid of too much expression on my part.'

"How was it that he haunted her imagination so persistently? What could it be? Why did she care for what he thought, in spite of all her pride in spite of herself?"

"He lashed himself into an agony of fierce jealousy. He thought of that look, that attitude!-how he would have laid his life at her feet for such tender glances, such fond detention!"

"What shall I do? What do I mean? Why do I care what he thinks, beyond the mere loss of his good opinion as regards my telling the truth or not? I cannot tell. But I am very miserable! Oh, how unhappy this last year has been!"

'Where she had suffered so much.' Alas! and that was the way in which this eighteen months in Milton-to him so unspeakably precious, down to its very bitterness, which was worth all the rest of life's sweetness-would be remembered.

'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.'

'Oh, Mr. Thornton, I am not good enough!'
'Not good enough! Don't mock my own deep feeling of unworthiness.'

My buddy reader Nicole said everything there is to say about the book, just beautiful, if you want to know more, just read her review :)

DUCHESS NICOLE'S REVIEW

*buddy read with Tea, Karen, Nicole, Cathy, Amaryllis and I think there were some more people ahahhahah, anyway A LOT OF US*

...more

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Jul 23, 2008 Fiona rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of pride and prejudice

Shelves: read-more-then-once, books-i-own, classics, 2009, setting-england, 2010, bought-new, 2011, favourites

I have just completed reading this book for the second time and it has been even better then the first time.

I'd already seen the BBC series before reading the first time so I already knew the story, and I wish I'd come to the books afresh in a way though I do not think that would have altered in anyway, the way I perceived them. Though Richard Armitage certainly does help and I swooned over Thornton even more.

What I love about North and South is the passion and the realness of the characters, th ...more

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Apr 03, 2014 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, book-club-reads, classics, oldies-but-goodies

So about 5 years ago a friend and I were fangirling about Jane Austen generally and debating the merits of the various film adaptations of Pride and Prejudice--Colin Firth and Elizabeth Garvie (from the 1980 BBC version) FTW, by the way--and she says, "You have to watch this!" and hands me a couple of DVDs of North and South. And I say "thank you" but I'm thinking to myself, well, Patrick Swayze was pretty hot back in the day, but why on earth is she giving me DVDs of a U.S. Civil War miniseries ...more

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Apr 19, 2017 Lisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books-to-read-before-you-die

"Pride and Prejudice" wouldn't have been a bad title for this comparative study of English society in the midst of the Industrial Revolution.

I must say that I was prejudiced against it before starting, and have to swallow my pride and admit I was wrong!

I thought it would be a dry copy cat version of Hard Times, as the circumstances of its publication seemed to suggest that. But never trust your prejudices - that is what I learned from reading this highly entertaining and original story, and it ...more

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Jul 30, 2017 María rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Cualquiera que ansíe vivir la Revolución Industrial desde todos los puntos de vista, NECESITA este libro.

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Jun 17, 2007 Ailsa rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Fans of 19th century lit in general

Shelves: classics, women-writers

I can't quite put my finger on why I love this book quite as much as I do. And even for someone who does re-read books as much as I do, to get through 3 copies of one book is quite a feat. For me, the most remarkable achievement of Gaskell is that she is able to combine so many elements of various 19th century novelistic traditions and yet not have the novel collapse into incomprehensibility.

The broad scope of the novel, coupled with insightful depth and comment means that each reading of the bo I can't quite put my finger on why I love this book quite as much as I do. And even for someone who does re-read books as much as I do, to get through 3 copies of one book is quite a feat. For me, the most remarkable achievement of Gaskell is that she is able to combine so many elements of various 19th century novelistic traditions and yet not have the novel collapse into incomprehensibility.

The broad scope of the novel, coupled with insightful depth and comment means that each reading of the book can offer something new. Read it as a straight forward (or not) love story, a fictional romantic biography. Then discover the class politics that run through the novel. Or perhaps the debate (as the title suggests) between the rapidly industrialising north and the more gentrified south. Or the sexual and gender politics that create a constant thematic pulse throughout the book... Or any other matter you choose to seek out from religion to the nature of authority and so on and so forth. There is so much to be gained from the many directions in which this book can pull you: I personally have often come away from the book wanting to follow up on points raised, to examine the history behind the work. Or, if in a romantic mood, I will find snippets of prose or dialogue floating around my head.

I imagine for the majority of readers their primary concern is the love/hate relationship between Margaret and Thornton. Their story is successful because they are believable: they are imperfect, act willfully and foolishly, but ultimately they are good people. Margaret, especially, is an engaging heroine: her independance and strength of character in the face of (remorseless) adversity make her compelling, and gives the reader a real desire to see her gain her "happy" ending.

Criticisms I have heard against the book have numbered the following:

-It is dry
-Its "over-emotional" prose kills any actual emotion (i.e: it is poorly written)
-It is unbelievable
-Gaskell mimics other author's styles

But I believe most criticisms can be easily refuted. Obviously, to enjoy this book you need to familiarise and accept the conventions of the 19th century novel (i.e: long, expository, sentimental, sensational) and soak up the atmosphere and melodrama as part of the essential charm of the novel. After all, that's how the escapism occurs! North and South is no more dry (and in my personal opinion a lot less dry) than Dickens, far less emotional than the heated Villette, and certainly as believable as anything written by Austen, Shelley or the Brontes. Indeed, Gaskell is more firmly tied to realism via her evocation of working class Manchester. And in terms of Gaskell owing much in style to, say Dickens, that is no great suprise: Gaskell was similarly writing in serialised format, and Dickens edited much of North and South. But owing a stylistic debt to another artist is not an indicator of lack of artistic merit: otherwise we would have to discount the majority of Shakespeare's work.

Essentially then, this is a book that continues to keep giving and at the very least will provide a very pleasant few hours of escapism into another (marvellously pictured) world.

...more

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Feb 18, 2008 Dawn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I read this because I'd seen the BBC production, and wondered if Margaret Hale would be less silly in the book. North and South sounds like it should be about social and geographic divisions, but it's actually about finding balance amidst constant change. Although I found her character annoyingly reactive, the Miss Hale of the novel is decidedly less silly than she of the movie.

I've read comparisons of Mr. Thornton to Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy, but I don't personally see much likeness--aside from ...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Duchess Nicole rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Duchess Nicole by: Alexandra

Shelves: e-pcs, recommendations, genre-historical-romance, genre-historical-fiction, genre-classics, buddy-reads, read-in-2013, epic, make-me-cry

"And yet, yo see, North and South has both met and made kind o' friend in this big smoky place."
[image error]

I almost feel like a fraud reviewing books like this. I know that there are probably many details that I miss entirely, some nuances that go straight over my head, but these are my thoughts...however scattered they are.

Margaret Hale's father has been the spiritual leader of his community of Helston for decades. Now he questions his faith...not necessarily his belief in God, but maybe the ...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Tea Jovanović rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Prelepi klasik po kome je pre nekoliko godina snimljena nova serija koja je bozanstvena, onako kako samo Britanci umeju da urade serije i filmove po svojim klasicima... Ova autorka je kod nas uglavnom ignorisana od izdavaca ... Ali ko zna... mozda se i to promeni jednog dana... cuda su moguca... :)

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Nov 25, 2011 Kim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

I came to this novel, as is the case for many readers, through the BBC television adaptation, which I watched for the first time earlier this year. While I had not consciously avoided the novel and its adaptation until now, it's probably the case that I have been unconsciously avoiding Victorian fiction for some years, preferring the less ponderous novels of the earlier 19th century (particularly Austen) and the leaner style of 20th century fiction.

However at the moment I’m in the mood for Victo
I came to this novel, as is the case for many readers, through the BBC television adaptation, which I watched for the first time earlier this year. While I had not consciously avoided the novel and its adaptation until now, it's probably the case that I have been unconsciously avoiding Victorian fiction for some years, preferring the less ponderous novels of the earlier 19th century (particularly Austen) and the leaner style of 20th century fiction.

However at the moment I’m in the mood for Victoriana and this novel fits the bill perfectly. There are a lot of words – way more than is needed to simply tell the tale – and the tale itself has its share of sentimentality and melodrama. But I loved every word of the book and every overblown feeling that those words expressed. Having finished it, I will miss the world it took me to and I’m wondering how long it will be before I can visit that world again.

I listened to the novel in audiobook format, narrated by Juliet Stevenson. As is to be expected, the quality of the narration is superb. Stevenson flawlessly brings each character distinctly to life.

At the heart of North and South is the relationship between the two main protagonists: proud ex-parson’s daughter Margaret Hale and equally proud mill owner and industrialist John Thornton. They have different backgrounds, different attitudes and different sensibilities. They represent different worlds – she the world of the gentry from the agrarian and intellectual south of England, he the self-made men of the industrial north. They meet, they clash, they misunderstand each other. For the relationship to ultimately be resolved, they have to find a point of balance, a place of harmony, where the prejudices engendered by their differing backgrounds can give way to a new way of thinking and acting. The difficulties in the relationship of Margaret Hale and John Thornton are played out against the turmoil of 19th century England. Gaskell weaves into the novel the differences in attitude between the north and the south of the country, the conflict between capitalists and labour and the shifts in class and gender relations.

Some readers may find the novel’s discussion of social issues verging on the preachy, but I didn’t. I found it to be a fascinating glimpse not only into what I presume were Gaskell’s political and social views (although I know relatively little about Gaskell), but also into the attitudes of conservative, thoughtful, people towards the social change occurring at that time. This sense of change – change happening very fast, change that has to be coped with in order for the characters to survive – is a thread running through the novel. Margaret Hale in particular experiences extreme changes in her life and in her attitudes over the time span of the novel. John Thornton also experiences changes in his life circumstances and – crucially - in his attitude towards the relationship between employers and employees. Both characters have to deal with the changes in their lives while remaining true to themselves before they can find that place of harmony where they can be together. The resolution of their relationship symbolises the potential for a resolution of the social conflict which Gaskell so clearly describes.

Reviewers of North and South occasionally comment on the difference between the final scene in the novel and the final scene in the television adaptation. I like both. (view spoiler)

There are times when my reader’s soul craves lean, hard prose, stripped of excess adjectives and adverbs, where the action happens quickly and description is kept to a minimum. There are times when I am happy to wallow in lovely long words, with an abundance of description. This is a book for those times. It lacks the sparkle and wit of an Austen novel. Its language does not have the poetry of Hardy’s descriptions of landscape. But it’s a wonderful experience for a patient reader who wants to travel to a different time and place and is in the mood for an interesting tale, well told.
...more

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Nov 03, 2014 Melindam rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, anglophilia, victorian-england

3.5 stars

Recommended to everyone who likes classic Victorian drama whether they have seen the stunning BBC mini series or not.

SPOILER ALERT
N&S is about Hampshire-born (the South) Margaret Hale forced to leave her beloved home in the southern countryside as his father - a former parson - resigns his parsonage because of religious doubts and takes his family to Milton in Darkshire (the North). There Margaret makes friends with Nicholas Higgins, a poor, but honest and upright weaver and union m 3.5 stars

Recommended to everyone who likes classic Victorian drama whether they have seen the stunning BBC mini series or not.

SPOILER ALERT
N&S is about Hampshire-born (the South) Margaret Hale forced to leave her beloved home in the southern countryside as his father - a former parson - resigns his parsonage because of religious doubts and takes his family to Milton in Darkshire (the North). There Margaret makes friends with Nicholas Higgins, a poor, but honest and upright weaver and union man and his mortally ill daughter, Bessy. Their circumstances make her even more prejudiced against the North.
She is appalled at the industrial, noisy, polluted and cruel milieu embodied in John Thornton, a proud, successful northern mill-owner, her father's pupil. Although Thornton is a straightforward man of honour and decency, Margaret condemns him as ungentleman-like, greedy for profit and cruel to workers. Their different principles clash right from the start.
Thornton is aware of Margaret's dislike and contempt for him and his ways but he cannot help falling passionately in love with her, feeling all the while that he "is not good enough for her". Dramatic events - the riotous workers on strike threaten his life and Margaret shields him with her own body when they start to throw stones at him - make him confess his love for Margaret which is indignantly rejected by the girl (she has acted upon pure and general charity and would have done the same for all her fellow-men).
The drastic change of scenery and circumstances affect the whole family very badly, especially Margaret's mother, Mrs Hale, whose health is continuously failing her. Margaret struggles to keep up family peace, to help out in household chores - as no proper servant can be found - and to be a son and a daughter in one for her parents.
There is a family secret hidden from public knowledge: Margaret's brother, Frederic Hale, former officer of the Navy, is in hiding and wanted for having been the ringleader of a mutiny. His return would surely cost him his life, however, Margaret writes him a letter begging his return as their mother's last wish is to see him once more before she dies.
Frederic arrives and spends some time with his beloved family, but is compelled to go away as he is threatened with discovery.
Mr Thornton sees him & his sister saying their goodbyes at the station and takes them for lovers. That is the first time that Margaret realizes she cares about the possible loss of his good opinion of her.
Unfortunately he is not the only one they encounter at the station endangering not only Frederic's life (he is able to escape) but Margaret's reputation as well. It is John Thornton, as magistrate, who helps to save both (the latter directly, the former indirectly).
A chain of events change both Thornton's and Margaret's life taking Margaret back to the south, to London, and financial disaster is looming over Thornton, but they are fated to meet again ...

I like the novel a lot, there is a great story and good, solid characterisation, but there are quite a few parts where it is just bogged down with much too much detail, especially when it comes to bad things happening to Margaret (and most of the time it is bad things happening). Elizabeth Gaskell grabs at every opportunity to wax on how saintly and heroic Margaret is in the face of all the tragedy that ensues after her father's -as it turns out- really catastrophic decision to leave the South. All calamity is described at length, Margaret's trumpet is being blown at every opportunity up to the point where I started disliking her a bit. And when we come to the happy ending??: WHAM - it gets dealt with in 1.5 pages, which leaves me disappointed. BAH! ... But it is all soooo worth it to have Richard Armitage play Mr Thornton in the TV series. ;)

North and South gets compared a lot to Pride and Prejudice and while some parallels can certainly be found and similarities between Mr Darcy and Mr Thornton get pointed out, Margaret is no Elizabeth Bennet. (If I were pushed, I would say there are more similarities between her character and Fanny Price in a way: moral uprightness, but also an unforgiving stance to human weaknesses in others.)
Still, I can't resist sharing with you this image :)
description

...more

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Sep 17, 2011 Jason Koivu rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Where Austen leaves off, Gaskell picks up.

There is a great similarity in the style of these two 19th century writers. Both wield language with elegance and strength. Call it muscle-bound eloquence!

Gaskell was born during the time in which Austen set most of her books...well round about then anyway. It's hard to tell exactly when most Austen novels are set, but generally they're meant to be prior to or during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). Gaskell was born in 1810.

However, Gaskell's writing ...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2-stars, england, classics

Caution: Spoilers and Snark abound!

I’m afraid this review will not be popular with fans of the author, or those who see classic literature as unassailable. But after slogging through this book (especially so soon after discovering Villette, a truly excellent classic!), I feel obliged to warn potential readers, and let those who were disappointed with the book but wary about criticizing a classic know that they aren’t alone.

So, then: a recipe for North and South:

- Add one romantic plotline borrow ...more

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Jul 07, 2016 Madelyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

FULL REVIEW AT LITERARY CAFE: http://literarycafe.weebly.com/home/n...

"I wish I could tell you how lonely I am. How cold and harsh it is here. Everywhere there is conflict and unkindness. I think God has forsaken this place. I believe I have seen Hell and it's white, it's snow-white"
This is certainly a favorite classic of mine that I have enjoyed time and time again. The multi-layered plotline and political, as well as societal, elements, place this novel far ahead of its time.

One of the reasons ...more

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Jun 23, 2008 Diane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: british-charm, movie-adaptation

I'll admit that until about a month ago, I had never heard of Elizabeth Gaskell. I stumbled on her work after watching the BBC's miniseries North & South, which I loved. (All of you Pride & Prejudice fans out there should check out North & South. It's wonderful.)

Anyway, I read up on Gaskell and found that she's a hidden gem of 19th century British literature. Her books have romance, but also strong social themes. North & South focuses on the factories and industrial workers in no ...more

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Feb 06, 2017 Phrynne rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4000-books

I usually really enjoy books of this genre but this one left me unmoved.
I liked the characters who were all beautifully drawn and well rounded. Mrs Hale has to take the prize for selfishness although several others came very close.
I enjoyed the story very much but felt that the author rambled a bit too far and also enjoyed her soap box a little too much. These were all important issues of the time but were delivered with a very heavy hand.
The relationship between Mr Thornton and Margaret was d ...more

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Apr 17, 2017 April (Aprilius Maximus) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, 2017

I skimmed the last 25% of this because I was honestly just so bored, I'm very sad to say! Perhaps Elizabeth Gaskell just isn't the author for me!

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Nov 03, 2015 Jane rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: re-reading

I shall always remember ‘North and South’ as one of the last books that my mother and I discovered together. She loved books all her life, and even when her short term memory and her ability to follow a story faded she still appreciated lovely prose, being told about the books I was reading, and watching costume dramas on television. She loved the BBC adaptation of ‘Cranford’, and was able to recall studying the book and school and talk about how what she watched and heard compared with what she ...more

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Nov 14, 2007 Anneliese Bennion rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-ve-read-over-and-over

On Sunday evening I finished reading Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. It's the book they based the wonderful BBC movie on, in case you were wondering. It took me three weeks, maybe four to read this novel. I think that's the longest time I've spent with a book this year (not including when I've reread some of my favorites). A couple of years back I remember starting this book, but for some reason or another I didn't finish it. Just recently I came upon a website that posted pictures from the On Sunday evening I finished reading Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. It's the book they based the wonderful BBC movie on, in case you were wondering. It took me three weeks, maybe four to read this novel. I think that's the longest time I've spent with a book this year (not including when I've reread some of my favorites). A couple of years back I remember starting this book, but for some reason or another I didn't finish it. Just recently I came upon a website that posted pictures from the movie with captions either from the movie, different actors/directors and captions from the book. In going through these pictures and quotes, episode by episode, I felt a great need to try and read this book again.

This time, I was much more thorough. I kept a yellow marker with me whenever I read it so that I could highlight my favorite parts - which mostly included anything romantic or anything that peaked my interest.

I gave it 5 stars. It really was excellently written in beautiful style. I think it was as enjoyable and satisfying as any Jane Austen book. I just loved the language and images that she described. She originally wrote it for a magazine/newspaper that Charles Dickens edited. It was written like a serial. There are 52 chapters, each of which are never more than 10 pages long. I loved it because whenever I had time to sit down and read it, I could always finish a chapter.

Now, into the story itself. It struck me how everyone around Margaret used her. She is portrayed as a strong, independent, beautiful woman. But for all that, her goodness was always taken advantage. First with her father. He tells her about his decision to leave the church. It was very hard for him to tell her and very hard for her to hear. However, he doesn't feel like he can tell his wife, so he asks/makes Margaret do it. Later on, Margaret is required to keep the secret of her mother's illness. Not only that, but she's also required to tend to her as well. Then, her brother, inadvertently uses her to cover up their involvement in the death of Leonards. Over and over, these things happen. Even her cousin uses her as a nurse maid for her children. I was frustrated for her. She should not have been put in those situations, especially if she was as strong and independent as she is described.

It's interesting note the passing of time in this book. Margaret spent two years in Milton, in which both of her parents died and her good friend Bessy Higgins. Then she leaves and moves back to London. She is there for a year, in which Mr. Bell dies and in the end she accepts Mr. Thornton's proposal. When I watched the movie I was not aware of this movement of time.

I loved reading the thoughts of both Margaret and Mr. Thornton. At first they were attracted to each other. Then Margaret is disillusioned with him and really doesn't give him any thought until the strike. Mr. Thornton on the other hand, is captivated from the beginning. However, like Mr. Darcy, he failed in courting her and thus his proposal was refused. It is after this refusal that Margaret starts thinking more about him. Then, when she lies about her brother, she cannot stand the fact that Mr. Thornton knew she was lying, but did not have the courage to dissuade him of this. Whenever she thinks about him she suppresses investigating all of her feelings. After the refusal Mr. Thornton tries to prove to the world that he is not pining over Margaret. He even tries to put himself in her company, to prove his self mastery to himself. While all of the time loving her more and more, even though hope of marriage has died. Then in the end when they meet up again as equals in each other's eyes - it's just magnificent. It was wonderful!

As for the rest of the novel, it was quite enjoyable. I was interested in the workings of not only the commerce in Milton vs. London, but also in the societal differences as well. The characters were well written and each provided their own poignancy to the story. All in all it was a delightful read. ...more

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May 15, 2013 Sophie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites

Why have I not come across Elizabeth Gaskell's work before?! I have been missing out. I came across North and South through a recommendation from my good friend to watch the mini-series. So, eventually I did watch the mini-series and I absolutely loved it! I was intrigued by the characters and the story and I really wanted to read the novel. So in a few short days I began reading the original novel. And I really, really loved it.

The novel did seem quite daunting, being one of the longer classic Why have I not come across Elizabeth Gaskell's work before?! I have been missing out. I came across North and South through a recommendation from my good friend to watch the mini-series. So, eventually I did watch the mini-series and I absolutely loved it! I was intrigued by the characters and the story and I really wanted to read the novel. So in a few short days I began reading the original novel. And I really, really loved it.

The novel did seem quite daunting, being one of the longer classics I have read so far, but the story was full of detail and it kept flowing and I didn't get bored. As another good friend of mine so eloquently stated, Gaskell captures the happy medium between description and dialogue (Jane Austen being more inclined towards dialogue and Charles Dickens being full of description). Her descriptions of the places in which ‘North and South’ is set are wonderful. As are her characters and the depths to her characters. The story was full of many little side plots as well as the main plot of the growing relationship between the hero and the heroine, Margaret Hale and John Thornton.

However controversial this may be, I believe the way to sum up North and South in one sentence would be... Pride and Prejudice meets the industrial revolution. That is how I would sum it up. There are quite a few similarities (which to me suggest Gaskell may have been influenced by Austen’s work (during the equivalent of the first proposal scene in Pride and Prejudice, I could just see Margaret breaking out into ‘From the first moment I met you...)) but then there are so many differences as well to make this a story in its own right. Summing it up like that makes it sound a little simple, which it most definitely is not. Although at the heart there is the love story, similar in development to Darcy and Lizzy, between Thornton and Margaret, there are so many other things going on which make this an interesting and exciting novel. There is always something going on and you will not be bored; there are so many layers to this wonderful story.

My favourite character was, surprise surprise, John Thornton. And no this is not purely because he is the hero, and a very strong and handsome hero and that. Thornton is a character with so many levels and layers to his person that he is a wonderful character to read and get to know. One of the most interesting aspects for me to the whole novel was, well what the whole novel is on really, the differences in life between the North and the South, especially the difference in opinion between Margaret from the South and Thornton from the North in the ways regarding the relationship between master and worker. I always found myself agreeing with Thornton in what he was saying, even though I am from the South and Margaret’s country, as what he said seemed to make complete sense to me. There were also opposite opinions expressed from Thornton, a master, and Higgins, a worker. I found myself agreeing with Higgins when he was speaking but then agreeing with Thornton when he would express his views. I mainly found myself agreeing with Thornton more as his arguments, to me, seem founded on very sound logic. This is why I think I liked the character of John Thornton so much (it no doubt helped imagining Richard Armitage as Thornton whilst reading the novel, as Armitage made a very nice John Thornton :P)

If you are a lover of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, the Bronte sisters, historical novels or romance novels I suggest you read this book. If you want an idea of the story beforehand you can’t go wrong with the BBC mini-series which is pretty accurate, but then do not shy away from reading the novel which is worth reading. If you go for the novel first, I recommend watching the mini-series afterwards, as it is so worth watching!

For my full review;
http://laughingwithlizzie.blogspot.co...
...more

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Mar 14, 2017 Piyangie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-classics

North and South is the only Gaskell I have read so far. I first read this after watching the BBC TV series (a thing I really should not have done) and the overall impression I got was that this was a love story. However I liked the book very much and this prompted my reread this year. But on the second read, I'm surprised to find this to be otherwise. I mean, there is still a love story but that is not all. It is also about the clash of southern and northern ideas and the clash of working class North and South is the only Gaskell I have read so far. I first read this after watching the BBC TV series (a thing I really should not have done) and the overall impression I got was that this was a love story. However I liked the book very much and this prompted my reread this year. But on the second read, I'm surprised to find this to be otherwise. I mean, there is still a love story but that is not all. It is also about the clash of southern and northern ideas and the clash of working class people and their masters.
Margaret Hale, full of southern pride, finds herself suddenly placed in a northern industrial city. Having entertained a strong prejudice against the tradesmen, she views the northern mill owners to be similar uncouth men. Her pride and the misconceived notions mar her better judgement and she forms an instant dislike for Mr. Thornton. This dislike was mutual initially but Mr. Thornton goes through gradual change; and although he dislikes her haughty ways, he slowly learns to appreciate her for her true qualities. Margaret, though not as quickly as Mr. Thornton, too goes through this gradual change and learns to appreciate who he truly is.
Gaskell's idea of bringing these two characters, as I see, is twofold. First, through these characters, one from south and other from north, she shows us how the different views, beliefs and misconceptions of the two ends were reconciled. The southerners saw the industrial northern cities as noisy, smoky and full of uncouth people while the northerners saw the south as full of idle people who lacked action and also depth. It was interesting to see how Gaskell expressed these clashing views of both ends through her main characters, and the final reconciliation of the two was more as a reconciliation of North and South where both sides come to understand and respect each different ways. Second is, of course, the obvious reason of filling a love story. Although Gaskell succeeded brilliantly in the former, I felt she failed quite a bit in the latter. The romance was, for the most part of the book, was one sided. Mr. Thornton loved Margaret regardless of her rejection and also regardless of her disdain towards him. Margaret slowly discovers who he actually is and learns to respect his qualities and eventually falls in love. But while Gaskell expresses very fluently the feelings of Mr. Thornton, that eloquence was not employed in the case of Margaret; and so when Margaret did fall in love finally, I felt it was rather forced. (Maybe it is my fault for having watched the BBC series before reading).
On to the theme of "master" and "hand" (workmen) relationship, Gaskell stresses the importance of creating an amenable setting between the two classes to achieve greater productivity. Higgins and Thornton have been used for this end, and it was really interesting to read the clash of these two classes through the two strong characters.
Overall, it was an interesting reread and I think I enjoyed it more this time. ...more

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Oct 11, 2016 Carmo rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: inglaterra

Norte e Sul é isso mesmo; um livro que nos mostra os contrastes entre o Norte e o Sul da Inglaterra vitoriana em meados do sé. XIX.

Um norte industrializado a braços com as primeiras greves e reivindicações por parte de uma população laboral explorada, frente a um patronato que ia enriquecendo às custas da fome de homens e mulheres que viviam numa evidente pobreza. Do braço de ferro e dos consequentes confrontos surgiram as primeiras negociações entre patrões e empregados, naquele que iria ser um ...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Rowena rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, classics, english-lit

I had never really considered reading any Elizabeth Gaskell novels until I watched, and greatly enjoyed, the BBC adaptation of North and South.I have to say, I love both the book and the miniseries equally!

Mr Thornton has definitely acceded to the post of best literary hero in my mind (sorry, Mr Darcy!). I couldn't help but swoon over his thoughts. What a man!

One of the things I really loved about this book was how real the characters were. They had their insecurities, weaknesses and petty jeal ...more

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May 12, 2015 Trish rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, classics

I know you despise me; allow me to say, it is because you don’t understand me.

I absolutely adore this book! The only disappointment was the abrupt (albeit happy) ending. I wish there was a little bit more of a wrap-up of plot and characters at the end. And there were a few too many simultaneous deaths in the book so that the last couple hardly affected me at all. But otherwise, I really enjoyed it. The banter and dynamic between Mr. Thornton and Margaret is a familiar and intriguing one. I found ...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Aubrey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-star, reviewed, reality-check, r-2014, r-goodreads, antidote-think-twice-read, antidote-think-twice-all

I've been having conversations with my sister over the various articles being written on McDonald's unethical procedures of late. It's not the first time the topic has come up, but it is the first time since she was hired at said company's behest to earn her pocket money. I'll talk about employees cleaning their uniforms off the clock, she'll point out the ease of our home bound washing machine, I'll comment on the level of her paycheck, she'll speak of the guarantee of college, I'll bring up ni I've been having conversations with my sister over the various articles being written on McDonald's unethical procedures of late. It's not the first time the topic has come up, but it is the first time since she was hired at said company's behest to earn her pocket money. I'll talk about employees cleaning their uniforms off the clock, she'll point out the ease of our home bound washing machine, I'll comment on the level of her paycheck, she'll speak of the guarantee of college, I'll bring up nightmares of corporation instigated welfare, she'll counter with the fact that the staff is 'nice'. A few bouts of this narrows it down to some variation of the phrase of "Yeah, it's bad, but it's not affecting me." And such.

North and South touches upon this issue to a wonderful extent, workers and Unions and heads of manufacturing galore with a particular discussion between Margaret and Mr. Thornton(view spoiler) earning four stars right off the bat. If you were wondering about the tone of that previous sentence, yes, it means that I had issues that required a great deal of balancing before I settled on the stars. When Gaskell's good, she's very very good, but the fact that this work was originally a serial shows in the blocks of authorial insight that don't quite meld perfectly together. Also, N&S was published in 1850's Britain, and it shows to a disappointingly seedy extent.

What ties the aforementioned blocks together is main character Margaret Hale, and I am pleased to say that I was pleased with her. Barring all the enraptured talk about her eyes and hair and stoicism, this book is known as a romance, and when I read romances, what I'm interested in is the well-handled rejection scene that both displays the gal's brains and gives the guy his comeuppance if he's being a moaning twit about her lack of acceptance. Beyond that, her character was superbly crafted enough for me to forgive the cut-outish aspects of the others. I was particularly impressed with her (view spoiler) The gender stereotypes were switched, and none of the characters suffered any loss of inherent structure for it. I love things like that.

Now, the issues. The plot was going along well enough up until the worker's strike, but every subsequent dramatic event (view spoiler) afterwards was a seeming blow to the solar plexus of cohesive drive. I understand that Margaret wasn't going to be as active or engaging (view spoiler) as in the beginning, but it got to the point that I have to wonder if Gaskell was conscientiously chopping off plot tendrils in the interest of time and lack of other reasonable conclusions. I'm not one for story, but when a particular device (view spoiler) is repeated four times and hastier in its wrapping every repetition and all in all has nothing remarkably memorable to show for it, it gets stale.

However. The plot I can forgive. The hate for the Irish I can't, what with the insinuations of "bloodline corruption" and weak-willed nonsense and lines such as

"If the world stood still, it would retrograde and become corrupt, if that is not Irish.

That's Margaret talking, and it's Margaret and her beloved father putting forth all of the previous without a hint of authorial condemnation that accompanies their servant's distrust of poor folk and other flavors of small character bigotry. Regarding the book, I truly "really liked it" as displayed in the hovering block, but lines such as the one above have ruined books for me, especially when so obviously of the author's own personal prejudice.

On the one hand, real women and workers combining efforts with the company owners and all that jazz. On the other, discombobulation and bigotry. I'll let you be the judge. ...more

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Apr 01, 2016 Penny Reid rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ahhh-classics, 11-stars, will-rread-again, literary-fiction

Have you read this book?
If not, you should.
I wish I could read it again for the first time.

How he loves her will make an inescapable impression on you. If you are at all a romantic, this book is a must read.

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Jul 02, 2009 Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.) rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.) by: lonebearimages@gmail.com

Shelves: british-literature, victorian-literature, favorites, historical-fiction, read-in-2010, author-elizabeth-gaskell, my-western-canon

I just finished reading North and South. I had immediately preceded my read of Gaskell's North and South with a reading of Charlotte Bronte's Shirley; as they both tend to address the issues of life and love in the north of England and the interactions and differences between the gentry, the manufacturers, and the working class. Both novels involve quite serious romantic themes between gentlewomen and generally self-made Middle-class men struggling to forge prosperous businesses in the age of in ...more

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Jun 27, 2011 RavenclawReadingRoom rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, things-i-can-read-a-million-times, 5-star, squee-worthy, classics-club, 2015, own-it-hard-copy, i-ship-it, setting-uk, audience-adult, 2017

Trigger warnings: loss of a parent, loss of a friend, suicide.

24/3/2017
I love this book an unnatural amount and I stand by everything I said last time around. I probably have more in-depth thoughts than that, but I'm falling asleep. So.

10/2/2015
Elizabeth Gaskell is one of my favourite nineteenth century authors. I became mildly infatuated with Wives and Daughters when the BBC miniseries aired here in 1999, and became obsessed with it all over again in 2001 when I studied it at university (and l Trigger warnings: loss of a parent, loss of a friend, suicide.

24/3/2017
I love this book an unnatural amount and I stand by everything I said last time around. I probably have more in-depth thoughts than that, but I'm falling asleep. So.

10/2/2015
Elizabeth Gaskell is one of my favourite nineteenth century authors. I became mildly infatuated with Wives and Daughters when the BBC miniseries aired here in 1999, and became obsessed with it all over again in 2001 when I studied it at university (and let me tell you, I was not well pleased to turn the page and discover that Gaskell had rudely up and died before finishing the story!)

My first exposure to North and South came courtesy of the 2004 BBC miniseries of fabulousness. I watched the first two episodes and absolutely adored it. So much so that I immediately went and bought it from the ABC Shop so that I could see the rest rather than waiting another fortnight, and I loved everything about it. That last episode is still one of my go to today-has-sucked-and-needs-to-be-fixed remedies. Because of reasons.

I didn't read the book until about 2008, and the first time I read it, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Bessie struck me as really whiny with her constant talk of death and religion. I found Margaret kind of annoying, Mr Thornton was sort of bland, and I really wasn't happy with the ending compared to the BBC series.

But I've reread the book several times over the years, and I love it just a little bit more every time. Margaret is an incredibly interesting character, in that she's basically between two worlds. She's grown up with the upper classes in London, but that's not who she really is. At best, she was middle class. Her family never had huge amounts of money, and her father's parish was incredibly small. Yet she carries herself like nobility and looks down on anyone who works "in trade".

What it takes for her to see her life as it really is are the opinions of the people of Milton. Gaskell's Northerners don't stand for Margaret's better-than-you attitude. While they're not actively disrespectful towards her, many of them treat her as an equal, something she would never have expected in London.

Mrs Thornton, in particular, is super judgey towards Margaret and incredibly proud of her son and his achievements. She has no allusions about where their money comes from, and fails to see how Margaret and her tendency to romanticise life in the south is worth more than her son, who's built himself up from nothing to one of the most respected men in Milton.

The change in Margaret's attitude becomes obvious when she returns to London and spends time with her cousin Edith, who's extremely privileged but seems to constantly pout and complain about her life and how hard it is. When living with Edith, Margaret - while she may not acknowledge that she used to be far more like that - sees the merits in the Northern way of life far more.

In short, I love the characters, I love the setting, I love that the lower classes play just as much of a role as the middle to upper classes. But perhaps most of all, I love the ending - Gaskell's "delicious silence" is certainly one of the most explicit Victorian endings I've come across. I may still prefer the miniseries, but this is still one of my favourite classic books. ...more

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May 13, 2014 Hana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, classics, romance, 2014-reads, britain-ireland

Five Glorious Stars, and despite what I am about to say, this book is rated G for general audiences.

This is the novel that has forever changed the way I think about the Victorians, and particularly about Victorian women. We all have this picture in our heads of blushing innocents, swathed in great layers of petticoats, repressed, oppressed, and when forced to it, lying passively while thinking of England and all that.

Nope, I don’t think it was like that at all.

North and South is so richly comp Five Glorious Stars, and despite what I am about to say, this book is rated G for general audiences.

This is the novel that has forever changed the way I think about the Victorians, and particularly about Victorian women. We all have this picture in our heads of blushing innocents, swathed in great layers of petticoats, repressed, oppressed, and when forced to it, lying passively while thinking of England and all that.

Nope, I don’t think it was like that at all.

North and South is so richly complex, so surprisingly modern, that it can be read on many levels and readers tend to take out of the book what they bring to it. My edition has a long essay by Patricia Ingham that, while helpful, essentially deconstructs Margaret Hale's story as a proto-feminist battle of the sexes that is eventually ‘won’ by Margaret and ‘lost’ by a humbled John Thornton. I think that one’s just dead wrong. Sorry, Oxford.

One might also read it as a political tale pitting cold capitalism against labor unions and landed gentry; or as a commentary on societal change; or on the limits of religion and tradition as a guide; or on the dangers of pride and prejudice. Yes, I’ll grant you it’s all that and more.

But at its well-disguised core this is a love story; the story of a towering, raging, passionate, sexually-charged love that--against class, against prejudices, against all reason--flares irresistibly between two strong, powerful people; a love that is denied, demanded, fought against, almost lost, and at long last--fulfilled.

You don’t believe me?

I know. It took me three successive readings over the course of two weeks to really see it and I still would have missed the final clues had it not been for the help of my buddies on the North and South group read, and in particular loriBear, Trudy and Samanta.

For skeptics who have already read the book, I particularly recommend the threads for Chapters 37-39 and 51-52, but mind the spoilers! For those of you who have not read it yet, or who have only seen the mini-series, don’t miss this book: it’s even hotter than the movie, but do yourself a favor and read it along with Becca and the world’s best North and South buddies here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
...more

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About Elizabeth Gaskell

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, née Stevenson (29 September 1810 – 12 November 1865), often referred to simply as Mrs. Gaskell, was an English novelist and short story writer during the Victorian era. She is perhaps best known for her biography of Charlotte Brontë. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of society, including the very poor, and as such are of interest to socia ...more

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Quotes from North and South

“I know you despise me; allow me to say, it is because you do not understand me.” — 373 likes

“One word more. You look as if you thought it tainted you to be
loved by me. You cannot avoid it. Nay, I, if I would, cannot
cleanse you from it. But I would not, if I could. I have never
loved any woman before: my life has been too busy, my thoughts
too much absorbed with other things. Now I love, and will love.
But do not be afraid of too much expression on my part.” — 330 likes

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