From the Bookshelf of Never too Late to Read Classics…

North and South

Elizabeth Gaskell

Start date: September 15, 2015

Finish date: October 14, 2015

Why we're reading this: Came in second in the Poll
Recommended by Member Judy
[close] Came in second in the Poll
Recommended by Member Judy

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Mar 16, 2022 Anu rated it liked it

Shelves: classics, world, feminism

After reading through five hundred pages of fine print, you'd think that the story regarding our love-birds Margaret and Mr. Thornton would be fleshed out better. Their relationship hurtles forward in the last two pages and the book just... ends.

Elizabeth Gaskell's work is often brought up when one is discussing Jane Austen. The former is seen as giving her readers a working class view of the Regency/Victorian eras compared to the latter's more elitist portrayal. However, any other points of co After reading through five hundred pages of fine print, you'd think that the story regarding our love-birds Margaret and Mr. Thornton would be fleshed out better. Their relationship hurtles forward in the last two pages and the book just... ends.

Elizabeth Gaskell's work is often brought up when one is discussing Jane Austen. The former is seen as giving her readers a working class view of the Regency/Victorian eras compared to the latter's more elitist portrayal. However, any other points of comparison between these two authors is unjust. Yes, the main characters are female but Margaret of North and South has no depth unlike any Austenian protagonist. She's insufferable, holier-than-thou and extremely naïve. And no, the young age of our heroine cannot explain away her unpleasantness.

"Let them insult my maiden pride as they will - I walk pure before God!" - Sheesh!

Talking about one-dimensional characters, Mr. Thornton is portrayed as a love-sick brute - a big old softie inside that gruff exterior. Lines such as "He dreaded lest he should go forwards to meet her, with his arms held out in mute entreaty that she would come and nestle there" are incongruous to the powerful, level-headed businessman that he is the very next second.

The only character that I enjoyed in this book is Mr. Bell who is conveniently introduced right in the end when the plot deemed it necessary that Margaret should somehow get a large inheritance for being such a good girl. As a stereotypical flamboyant bachelor, Mr. Bell gives the readers the few, but much needed, laughs in this otherwise dreary tale. And let's not get into the numerous deaths in this book - by the end of the book I'm surprised Margaret wasn't carted off to an asylum in hysterics. Every time the plot needed to move forward, someone dies almost as if Margaret was being followed by the Grim Reaper.

Apart from the somewhat absurd characters, I did like the portrayal of poor working class men and women of the times. Also, the clash between working class ideals and struggles and that of the rich masters was excellent. I was able to learn a lot about the struggles of non-landed folk, immigrants and poor women from this book. To me, if the storyline between Margaret and Mr. Thornton was removed, it would be a 5-star book. ...more

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