North & South discussion
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Introductions
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Hi! Thanks to Ceri I found this group (thank you, Ceri! *waves*)I absolutly love North and South, book and film! Read it twice so far and really want to read it again soon. Will see when I get the time for that - with 4 month old baby I still need to find my reading routine again.
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Welcome Katrin, Camilla and Julia! :)
My name is Diana S. Long and I reside in Mount Clemens, MI, USA. MC is about 19 miles NE of Downtown Detroit. I only discovered this wonderful film in May of 2013 and have just finished reading the novel. Thank you for letting me share this time with you.
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Welcome Diana! Hope to read your comments! And hope to hear from the FB group too!
Hi everybody :) I'm finally posting here:p
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I've been reading this book in fits and starts only because of a hectic schedule. I've been watching the video repeatedly ever since I found it again on Netflix. Then I broke down and purchased my own copy! Interesting to compare the two and see what is changed in the film and what is absolutely faithful to the text. Casting of roles was perfect. I love this book.
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Hello everyone, I am kammy. I love N&S. It is tied with Pride & Prejudice as my favourite books of all time. I love the English Classics and Historical novels. My favourite time period is mid 1700 to 1900.
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Hello, I just wanted to say thank you for this wonderful group. I stumbled upon it a little while ago, and have had a lot of fun reading through some of the discussions. I don't actually have one favorite book (who can really choose ?) but this one certainly ranks near the top. Thornton is my Darcy... ;)I seem to be the odd man out here, having read the book long before seeing the BBC series. I actually put off watching the film because I was worried about what they might do to it. After seeing Richard Armitage in Robin Hood, I decided to give it a try and am so glad I did. Richard embodies John Thornton in a way that is even greater than the imagination. I haven't been able to read the book since without picturing him.
It's nice to come on here and find so many people who appreciate his talent (and gorgeousness and voice like the very heavens have opened...). I don't know how many people here are Americans, but any time you mention his name, most people just look at you and then you have to say "You know, from The Hobbit".
I hate I didn't find this group in time for the group reading. Is there any chance of doing it again some time? Or maybe some of Gaskell's other works?
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I'm so pleased that you've enjoyed reading through some of the discussions on the group, I find that so many of our members have very interesting and well-expressed opinions. I can't wait to see you around some of the threads. :) I agree that it's far too hard to choose a favourite novel! But when I'm in a certain mood I think N&S is mine.
You're not actually alone there! Certainly I saw the series before reading the novel (absolutely love Robin Hood, by the way), but I know of at least a few other members who had read the book long before seeing the series. I loved Richard Armitage as Thornton in the series, and I loved the character, but reading the novel made me realise just how brilliantly Richard had portrayed Mr. Thornton.
That's one of the things I love about this group; being able to talk about and appreciate Richard Armitage without getting odd looks... though I don't know how you'd get odd looks on the internet?! :D Anyway, I get the same thing, trying to explain who he is! But the worst thing is when I - being a New Zealander - tell people that he was in the Hobbit, and then they ask who he played. I reply with "Thorin, the leader of the Company," and several times I've got the response "Which one was that again? Can't quite remember him..." At which I just feel like curling up into a ball to cry for a while. *massive facepalm* I thought us Kiwi's were supposed to know these things!
Oooh, and speaking of Richard's beautiful voice; have you ever listened to any of his audio-book narrations? :)
In answer to your question about the group read, I have been contemplating the very same thing recently. If we follow the same trend as last year we'll have two group reads and two group series-watchings this year, so you'll definitely have a chance to join in sometime! :) But lately I've been wondering if it might be fun to do a group read of an N&S spin-off story next... What do you think?
Oo, I'd be up for a spinoff group read Becca. I hope to read Unmapped Country this year as I've had it recommended to me by a reading buddy but I'd be happy to join in a read of a different book. There is that fanfic everybody says is awesome, 'Pack Clouds Away', perhaps?Or perhaps we could do a group read of another book by Mrs Gaskell? I've read 'Mary Barton' and 'Wives and Daughters' but I wouldn't mind rereading, I didn't get on with 'Cranford' but I'd be willing to give it another shot, and I guess the benefit of trying one of these last two is that we could watch them as well as reading them as they've been adapted. I also hear that Ruth is quite good, but I have no idea what it's about.
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Any spin-off group read could be fun. Mary Barton has a lot in common with N&S.
"Pack Clouds Away" is the only sequel to N&S I know of that actually takes off exactly from the last page of Gaskell's book. Everything else out there is a variation of some kind. Those are interesting, too, of course!
Thank you both, Becca and Trudy. :) I didn't actually mean strange looks over the Internet. Actually i just started on Goodreads, so you guys are some of the first people I'm talking to here. But more when you mention Richard's name to people here in the States you get that kind of blank look. But that's crazy, as long as Peter Jackson took over half your country you'd think people would have at least the characters down cold. Did you get to see any of the cast or anyone while they were filming? What an amazing opportunity.
I did love Robin Hood, it was the first time I ever saw Richard in anything and I was hooked. Isn't your little profile icon from Holiday Granger's appearance in the third season? I haven't heard any of his audio recordings. I cant seem to get into audio books, but what a perfect choice for a narrator. I had heard something somewhere about him being in a group of English actors doing a special poetry recording or something for Valentines Day. Maybe something shorter like that I could sit and listen to over and over... Sigh
I think I would be up for a retelling. I tend to be a little weary of that sort of thing because of some Jane Austen sequels I had the misfortune of reading... Some as as a beta reader. They shall remain nameless. But maybe with Gaskell's characters not suffering from so much commercial popularity the way Austen's do, they would be a little better. And I'm up for any of Gaskell's works. It been a while since I've read any of the others.
I know of a variation that picks up a few hours before the last pages of Mrs Gaskell's North and South. It's not quite finished yet. Margaret leaves for Spain before John has a chance to hear of her plan to lend him the money. Hope to share with the group someday soon.
Suzan wrote: "I know of a variation that picks up a few hours before the last pages of Mrs Gaskell's North and South. It's not quite finished yet. Margaret leaves for Spain before John has a chance to hear of ..."Am I not the only "hopefully soon to be published" author on here?? I always hate telling people, because it kind of screams, "Please like me and read my book when it's finished". It's an interesting premise, but I hope John's business is all right.
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Amen, Trudy. Marie, I have been floating bits of my story out there for a few months. It's scary to think your story could get criticized, but I find the N&S group to be very supportive and encouraging, so I keep going. I'm not sure if this was your concern, but it was what stopped me for a long time.
Anyway, back to the purpose of this particular goodreads blog. Thanks for indulging the off topic post.
Welcome Marie! I'm an American who read the book in college before seeing the miniseries many years later. If I met you and you said you loved Richard Armitage, I would certainly know who you mean! I don't read variations but I'd be open to reading Wives and Daughters. I liked the miniseries.
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I didn't actually mean strange looks over the Internet. Actually i just started on Goodreads, so you guys are some of the first people I'm talking to here. But..."
Oh, no, I didn't think you meant strange looks over the Internet! I only meant that it was nice - from my point of view - to come to somewhere where you didn't get strange looks for mentioning Richard Armitage, and then I was speculating as to how I would know whether or not I was getting weird looks anyway, seeing as the group is Internet-based. :)
It is crazy, isn't it? There are a lot of people in New Zealand who have the whole "Lord of the Rings"/"Hobbit" thing really sorted, but a disappointing amount of people who are a lot more clueless than you'd hope. I never saw any of the cast filming, because most of the time they were down in the South Island, whereas I live in the North Island. I saw a lot of them at the 2012 Premiere that I flew down to Wellington for! I even saw Richard Armitage, but... *stifles a sob* I can barely remember it, because I knew nothing of him but his name then! *sniffle* I only became a fan of his about eight months later, but I'm determined I'll see him again sometime. :)
And I have met one member of the Lord of the Rings cast! The woman who plays Rosie, Sam's wife, used to go to the same piano teacher that I did. :) Also, Karl Urban used to live down the street from my ex-boyfriend, and my cousins live about twenty minutes away from Hobbiton, so I've been there quite a bit. I even met a girl at my university who worked at Hobbiton while Richard Armitage and the other dwarves were there! She got to serve them lunch and all that, and she said Richard was pretty impressive in person. *jealous mumbling*
Robin Hood is great. :) It's so much fun, but Guy of Gisborne is definitely the most complicated character and Richard Armitage brings a presence that the show really needs sometimes. You are quite right, my profile icon is of Meg! Holiday and Richard were great in that episode - one of my favourites because it was so brilliantly done, but it's a sort of love/hate relationship because the episode was really sad. I'm sure you know what I mean. :)
Wow, you really should listen to some of his audio recordings! You were right about the poetry recordings, he just recorded twenty minutes worth of Classic Love Poems for Valentine's Day, and what's even better is that they're free on Audible! I can't usually get into audio-books either, but like you said, Richard is the perfect choice for a narrator. He's honestly an amazing reader, and when you put Richard Armitage and Georgette Heyer together... Heaven. *sigh*
I think doing a group read of a N&S retelling would be quite fun - though I can't imagine many would measure up to Trudy's! I really loved her variations, but it'd be nice to find out how other variations dealt with the story. There are an awful lot of Jane Austen retellings though, aren't there? I stay away from most of those save a select few, to be honest.
If anyone has any other suggestions for retellings or other Gaskell novels, just let me know! In a week or two I think I'll set up a poll, that might be the easiest and fairest way to decide. :)
Becca wrote: "Marie wrote: "Thank you both, Becca and Trudy. :) I didn't actually mean strange looks over the Internet. Actually i just started on Goodreads, so you guys are some of the first people I'm talkin..."
This is devastating, Becca. I'd kill to have those opportunities. Sad that you weren't a fan of him(Richard Armitage) then but you've SEEN him! In person! Gahhhhh.
Though it might be a good thing I don't live there. I would probably end up being a creepy stalker.
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Haha, which part is devastating? That I've had those opportunities, or that I utterly wasted the best one? I almost wish I hadn't seen Richard... to know I've seen him but to have only an almost non-existent memory of it is just cruel. :( But as I said, I am determined to meet him properly one day, and as I'm going to live in England near the end of this year, I might have a bit more of a chance! At least then I'll be on the right side of the planet!
LOL. Nah, you wouldn't end up being a creepy stalker, I don't think. Any of the Lord of the Rings actors I've met or known of have been pure chance, I imagine it would be hard to actually find these people on purpose. You might end up haunting some of the shoot locations though! :P
Qnpoohbear wrote: "Welcome Marie! I'm an American who read the book in college before seeing the miniseries many years later. If I met you and you said you loved Richard Armitage, I would certainly know who you mean!..."Thank you so much!! There are those of us here in America with exceptional taste. And I'm not saying I'm making any assumptions about your age, but from your about being several years removed from college... Well, may I just say it is nice to know when you're not the only one here who's barely legal. I'm desperately clinging to my twenties. Really, it's by a thread people...
Trudy wrote: "Oh, are there some budding authors in this group who are on the cusp of publishing some N&S variations? Great! We have a long way to go to catch up with the tons of Austen fiction out there!"Sorry... Mine is not really a North and South variation. I'm Sorry :( The main male character did have some inspiration from John Thornton though. And even though it's more centered around emotions, there is some discussion throughout about the economy and employment, etc. It's period leaning in aesthetic, but it's modern in a sense of how those things are happening or still happening today.
Oh gosh, Becca, how horrible to have been so close to him and not have known it. Here's hoping you find him in a timely fashion once you get to England. How awesome is being at one of the premiers though. And knowing Rosie. Those are great stories. And you getting to move to England... >.< No really, congratulations. I've been seriously considering the UK for a while now. Maybe in the next couple of years, but I'd kind of like the time to spend a few weeks or so there first. Make sure I would like it long term. I love the idea, but it is a massive change.
And now I'm going to haunt Audible...
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I know... :'( Thank you for your kind wishes regarding my meeting him in England, though! I believe he lives in New York now, but comes back to England on occasion. :) Being at the premier was amazing, yes - things like that make me very happy to be a New Zealander.
Thank you! I am very excited to go, even though it isn't for a while. I'm sure I'll love it, but as you say it is a very big change.
LOL! Haunting Audible sounds like a great idea. :D
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Following a suggestion from Trudy, I've set up a thread where members can nominate possibilities for our next group read. I'll leave that up for a couple of weeks, and from there try and create a poll out of the suggestions. :)
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Hi everyone!I'm just new in this group. Thanks to Trudy who shared the link to this group though I've been goodreads member for a few years now but I just watched N&S few days ago but watched it over and over... I think I'm already having N&S syndrome ahihihi
I also begun reading the book by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell the other day till I got the audiobook yesterday but also get caught up watching BBC's miniseries again. I just can't get enough of Richard Armitage as John Thornton.
I believe that aside from my online book friends, I'll be having more from this group ,-)
You have the same "affliction" I do. I kept streaming N&S until I decided I had to have my own DVD. Now I think I've seen 80% of RA's work and can't get enough. His narrations are wonderful, too. Enjoy and welcome!
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I hope you're enjoying the book! And I hope you enjoy talking to people on the different discussion threads we have here, all our members are really lovely. :) I look forward to chatting with you!
Marie wrote: "Hi everyone!..."I couldn't resist, I had to come and welcome you to the group as well. ;)
- Marie
Hello All! I'm Lois from the N&S IMDb board. Nice to finally be here :) I'm not much of a reader but I love discussing anything N&S. LOLAlso, I wanted to thank again the person who dropped by the IMDb board to tell us about the N&S10 anniversary twitter event. It is a rather tiny group there; the ladies and I did our best and we were quite happy with the results. :)
Well, I'll leave it there. Hope to see you around! *waves*
Cheers!
North & South
Books mentioned in this topic
Unmapped Country: The story of North and South continues (other topics)Ruth (other topics)
Candide (other topics)
Mary Barton (other topics)
Wives and Daughters (other topics)
It took me about five weeks to read the book this time around. If you read just 15-20 minutes a day, Camilla, you can finish it before the next century! ;)