Elizabeth Gaskell

John Lawson

A revolutionary social and political commentary, North and South solidified Gaskell's place in the company of Victorian England's finest novelists.

North and South

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

North and South (Wordsworth Classics) (Wordsworth Collection)

Maria Victoria Farrugia

Ditipriya Acharya

Most of the people who recommended I read this book often compared Elizabeth Gaskell to Jane Austen and both I agree and disagree with that comparison. While Austen was an astute observer who included her witty remarks about the society she wrote about, her works are focussed majorly on the love lives of her characters. (There's nothing wrong with that. Austen happens to be one of my favourite authors.) However, Gaskell's North and South talks about the socio-economic and political conflict between the people of the industrial north and the rural south. 

While there is a love story at the centre of the novel, the narrative very rarely is about the feelings of the main character and her love interest. The book follows Margaret Hale as she comes to understand the complexities of the relations between mill-owners and their labour. Her feelings towards John Thornton, the love interest in this book, are also heavily influenced by the economic conditions of the striking mill-workers. 

There's a lot of commentary about the new rich (the Thornton's), those whose money comes from trade and manufacturing stemming from the Industrial Revolution, and the old rich (the Shaw's- the family Margaret grew up with). I think a reread is required to understand all the topics that Gaskell explores in this book. All in all, I found the experience of reading this book very enlightening.

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 Milton, Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of local mill workers and develops a passionate sense of social justice. This is intensified by her tempestuous relationship with the mill-owner and self-made man John Thornton, as their fierce opposition over his treatment of his employees masks a deeper attraction. In North and South Gaskell skilfully fused individual feeling with social concern, and in Margaret Hale created one of the most original heroines of Victorian literature.

This book is such pride and predjuice esque, but it's so much more than just that. Rather than a focus on the romance, it's such a mouth piece for the poorer working class, and it's such an emotional read. Honestly, this book is full of death, disease, sadness and poverty and how Gaskell has formulated it is admirable. The length of the book is quite long, but it helps in connecting with other characters and becoming attached, so that when things happen, and the main character Margeret is struggling, it's so hard to read and it really tugs on your heartstrings. I love this book honestly. I wasn't sure whether to give this four or five stars, so it might change, but either way it was such a perfect book and I loved it, i was a little hestitant in picking it up because its size is pretty daunting okay, but like if your wanting to pick it up, its so worth it. I will say that maybe it is a bit too long, its a bit unecessary, and there are a couple characters who I would gladly kill off. but yeah, Gaskell is a great author, and if your having a hangover from pride and prejudice and want it similar, read this because bro even though Margeret and Mr Thorntons relationship is SOOOO DRAGGED OUT the last two sides are perfect.

surtified™

Through the story of Margaret Hale, the middle-class southerner who moves to the northern industrial town of Milton, Gaskell skilfully explores issues of class and gender in the conflict between Margaret's ready sympathy with the workers and her growing attraction to the charismatic mill owner, John Thornton. This new revised and expanded edition sets the novel in the context of Victorian social and medical debate.

Pepper

Having seen the TV adaptation I found this book everything it was and much more. What you cannot hear of Mr Thornton's inner thoughts, what you do not see of Gaskell's far reaching knowledge through her quotes and references, what you do not quite grasp of Margaret's development of character you can understand by reading the book. I loved reading every page of it from the depiction of class struggles and the repeated discussion of the question of authority and if it should be followed blindly (in reference to 'the hands', Frederick and his ship, Mr. Hale and his changing relationship with his religion) to the love story that encompasses the narrative.

"But he never went near her himself; he did not look at her. Only he knew what she was doing - better than he knew the movements of anyone else in the room."

Hope Gamble

Another book I read after watching the show. There are a few differences, but overall the show was a great adaptation of this novel.

Patricia Ingham

North and south

Trish

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 myself rooting for them despite their differences of opinion and loved Mrs. Thornton's character very much. All in all, a great romantic classic, that hardly feels like a classic at all.

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Arianna M

Condition of England novel by Gaskell that features a heroine I enjoyed immensely, a hero I couldn't help but love from the start, with all his faults, beautiful prose, a Christian-Socialist sensibility towards the working class which is definitely striking.
I also very much loved the introduction by Patricia Ingham and would've was a book-length critique of it written by her!

an authoritative text, contexts, criticism

I used the Norton Critical edition to write my graduation thesis on this novel.
What strikes me in North and South is the fullness of emotion it displays. Characters have strong, complex feelings, which the narrative doesn't shy away from. As Rosemarie Bodenheimer says in one of the critical essays offered by this edition,
If the actions of Margaret's life stress her assumption of responsibility amid rapid changes of fortune, the story of her inner life renders the process of psychic change in terms that also move beyond our usual notions about Victorian analysis. At its best the narrative describes the strong and contradictory feelings of the two lovers with an impartial, unmoralised recognition of their integrity that anticipates the method of D. H. Lawrence. [Barbara Hardy recognises and summarises this as one of Gaskell's strengths, pointing out "how often the feelings are not specialised, not kept in separate compartments."] Gaskell's refusal to judge or categorise the feelings she names gives another kind of narrative validity to her view that honest feeling does not live by the rules of conventional role. (–, p. 543)
This is an edition I am happy to have in my collection. I especially enjoyed the section with Gaskell's correspondence, giving us particular insight into the writing of the novel and its reception.

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 Milton, Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of the local mill workers and develops a passionate sense of social justice. This is intensified by her tempestuous relationship with the mill-owner and self-made man, John Thornton, as their fierce opposition over his treatment of his employees masks a deeper attraction. In North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell skillfully fuses individual feeling with social concern, and in Margaret Hale creates one of the most original heroines of Victorian literature.'Edith!' said Margaret, gently, 'Edith!'But, as Margaret half suspected, Edith had fallen asleep. She lay curled up on the sofa in the back drawing-room in Harley Street, looking very lovely in her white muslin and blue ribbons. If Titania had ever been dressed in white muslin and blue ribbons, and had fallen asleep on a crimson damask sofa in a back drawing-room, Edith might have been taken for her. Margaret was struck afresh by her cousin's beauty. They had grown up together from childhood, and all along Edith had been remarked upon by every one, except Margaret, for her prettiness; but Margaret had never thought about it until the last few days, when the prospect of soon losing her companion seemed to give force to every sweet quality and charm which Edith possessed. They had been talking about wedding dresses, and wedding ceremonies; and Captain Lennox, and what he had told Edith about her future life at Corfu, where his regiment was stationed; and the difficulty of keeping a piano in good tune (a difficulty which Edith seemed to consider as one of the most formidable that could befall her in her married life), and what gowns she should want in the visits to Scotland, which would immediately succeed her marriage; but the whispered tone had latterly become more drowsy; and Margaret, after a pause of a few minutes, found, as she fancied, that in spite of the buzz in the next room, Edith had rolled herself up into a soft ball of muslin and ribbon, and silken curls, and gone off into a peaceful little after-dinner nap.

Original Text

Janice Hopper

It wound up kinda quickly at the end, but it was still good. Though these gentle, self-sacrificing Victorian heroines make me feel horribly inadequate, and kinda sorry for them at the same time.

And Juliet Stevenson as narrator??? *chef's kiss* Absolutely perfect. She is So. GOOD.

For Victorian Book Club.

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 Milton, Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of the local mill workers.

Aya kamel

i just read the last chapter 5 times just to realise it's over and the book is finished 🙈💗💗 it's unexpected , very well-written and not a bit like pride and prejudice ; i enjoyed it more . and how the author described the emotions and thoughts of the character very well . Mrs Thornton and Mrs Hale weren't exaggerating at all but they added there own touchs on the plot . 
the setting of the novel gave it a very good base to develop , where the environment played a really big part in affecting the characters personalities and what they came to be in the end 
Strongly recommended 💜

juno

I never wrote a review for this, even though I read it about a month or more ago. I enjoyed it! I don't fully remember it but I do remember enjoying it! I must've since I gave it 4 stars haha.

Joelle Kern

I absolutely loved this read! I was captivated by the portrayal of the struggles between classes, and the portrayal of the struggle between cultures. The love story of Thornton and Margaret was just perfect--it allowed there so be so much more to the story than just their relationship, but also pulled me in and made me flip through those pages faster so I could see them together! I appreciated the growth and self-exploration of these uniquely dynamic characters and honestly loved the characters despite their flaws instead of just being annoyed by them as often happens. I honestly never found myself bored or wishing a section would move faster and was sad at how quickly the story wrapped up. I will definitely be adding this to my bookshelf and reading again :)

Katharina Hoffmann

Hating on capitalism and still wanting for John Thornton to marry me are not mutually exclusive

Haley McDowell

The part about men vs gentlemen have me the ick. If I erase it from my brain 10/10

Melody Izard

This started like all those other books written in the 1850s. About some over-privileged girl who is a little smarter than her counterparts but still enjoys her privileged life and is slightly amused by the hoi polloi. But then, her father has some sort of Christian meltdown and can't keep being a minister - but won't give us the holy scoop - and moves the family off to the industrial town of Milton. Poverty has crept closer to their doorstep and the distance between the Hales and their unwashed neighbors is suddenly not very significant. 

Yes, there is a 1850s love story and Margaret eventually shows that she is made of some special stuff after all and might just be a cut above the rest, but it's touching, and sincere and bold in the telling.

Robert Louis Stevenson

The master of Ballantrae.

Lisa van der Heijden 

* 4.5/5

Since this is a classic and I am not an expert on English lit I will just say that I LOVED this book. Basically, it is pride and prejudice set during the Industrial Revolution. It is a very interesting book. It is a romance story, but it also deals with social injustice and social issues during this time in England. The romance is very sweet and very VERY slow. Mr Thornton, in my opinion, is serious competition for Mr. Darcy. My only issues with this book that it has a LOT of text and not a lot of dialogue. Therefore, it took quite a while for me to finish it. 

If you love Pride and Prejudice and are not intimidated by lots of text, you should check this one out!

Heather Wood

I love reading Gaskell, even though this is such a sad book with one tiny little page of happier ever after at the end! I wish we had more screen time with Thornton and Margaret; it just seems like we heard more from Higgins and Edith than him. I enjoyed reading this one aloud to my husband because it WAS so much more than a romance.

Rose Stanley

I loved the portrait of a northern industrial town in this. I also really liked the characterisation (Margaret is a great heroine, and I loved the mother-son dynamic between Mr and Mrs Thornton), though the ending felt a little rushed, and the number of characters killed off was quite impressive!

Elizabeth Gaskell's compassionate, richly dramatic novel features one of the most original and fully-rounded female characters in Victorian fiction, Margaret Hale. It shows how, forced to move from the country to an industrial northern town, she develops a passionate sense of social justice, and a turbulent relationship with mill-owner John Thornton. North and Southdepicts a young woman discovering herself, in a nuanced portrayal of what divides people, and what brings them together.

Kate

Jade Flynn

What a charming treat. It's English Afternoon Tea in novel form. Pour yourself a cup of tea, make some finger sandwiches and scones and settle down with a simply delightful story, with a plethora of social criticism and an authentic documentation of industrialisation in Britain. It gives me a sense of pride, that such beautiful literature was written about my country. As Mary Poppins once said it was "practically perfect in every way". Splendid.

Emily

the og enemies to lovers 

read for school

Silvia Morgantini

** spoiler alert **
           Questo romanzo è stato descritto come "Orgoglio e Pregiudizio per socialisti", e in superficie le somiglianze tra la storia d'amore di Margaret e Thornton e quella di Mr Darcy e Elizabeth ci sono tutte: l'incompatibilità caratteriale, il rifiuto della prima proposta di matrimonio seguito da un periodo di lontananza che aiuta i protagonisti a comprendere meglio il mondo che li circonda e a cambiare opinione l'uno riguardo l'altra; ma la bellezza del romanzo sta nel suo essere prima di tutto un meraviglioso commento sulle diseguaglianze sociali, sul rapporto con la fede e la religione, i motivi che spingono la classe operaia allo sciopero, la necessità del dialogo fra classi diverse, indispensabile perché  "We should understand each other better, and I'll venture to say we should like each other more." 

Quattro stelle soltanto perché mi sarebbe piaciuto se l'autrice si fosse soffermata di più sulla riconciliazione tra Margaret e Thornton, se non altro per vedere la reazione di Mrs Thornton, ma nel complesso uno dei romanzi migliori che abbia mai letto.

Jeni Enjaian

I absolutely adored the BBC mini series version and hoped that the book would would live up to at least a portion of the mini series version. I will stick with the mini series. Gaskell's writing does not hold a candle to Austen who she is most often compared to. All of the characters are flat throughout the novel. Any changes happen suddenly without prompting or written motivation. For example, the love story? It just appears. The main characters start loving each other without any warning or lead up. Additionally, Gaskell created an almost completely unlikeable character that most readers are unable to empathize with.
Kudos to the BBC for creating something so wonderful out of mediocrity.
I do not recommend this book.

Alexia Cambaling

Simona Andrijauskiene

I enjoyed this book, but at the beginning it was hard to get in to it. I wasn't attached to any of the characters until half of a book. But then it started to get more and more interesting and situation that main character got herself into was intriguing.

North and South

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