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“North and South” by Elizabeth Gaskell
North and South may be downloaded for free from the Girlebooks Catalog
North and South is one of those tasty novels you’ll want to set aside an entire weekend to gobble up. And then follow it up not long after by watching the excellent BBC adaptation (although you may do these two things in reverse order–which is what I did, and it by no means lessens the enjoyment of either).
As Wikipedia so tersely states, Elizabeth Gaskell is best known for her biography of Charlotte Brontë. Perhaps this is why I never thought of reading Gaskell’s novels, which makes absolutely no sense now that I think about it! North and South takes place in fictional Milton, presumed to be Manchester around the mid 1850s. The tale is told from the perspective of young Margaret Hale from the south of England who moves with her parents to Milton, in the north. She is immediately struck by not only the dreariness of the weather but also of the people, the city, and its surroundings. She longs for warmth, sunshine, wild roses, and the carefree days of idleness she enjoyed in the south. Everyone she meets in Milton, including her father’s favorite pupil Mr Thornton, seems to grate against her southern values, seeming to care only about time and money wasted.
As the story progresses, we see Margaret suffer through many changes, both circumstantial and psychological. Her experiences with the poor and the industrial ruling classes make her rethink her preconceived ideas about Milton and its people. Many call it a social novel, providing insight to ideas at the time on religion, class, and gender. However, at heart North and South is a romance, and straight to your heart it will go. The characters are beautifully portrayed and the story hums along at a nice rate for a book of its length. Now my only regret is not having discovered this gem earlier.
Discussion
4 comments for ““North and South” by Elizabeth Gaskell”
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I can’t wait to read the book! I loved the BBC production, and if the book follows the same tradition of having more detail and depth than what can be produced on film, then I am sure I won’t be disappointed.
great! let me know what you think. i have some opinions on the book vs film, however i didn’t want to share too much as it might spoil the book for some people.
I had one of those weeks where I couldn’t stop reading! I loved the book, as I loved the BBC production. Yes, there are some differences, that happens frequently in turning a great book into a great movie. However, I don’t think that the differences detract from the story at all! I found what I was looking for, more depth and detail than what could be conveyed on film. I confess that as much as I enjoy the way the book ends, I prefer the more romantic and dramatic version of the movie. Hey, I am a romantic. I would definitely recommend both book and movie to all who like a good clean love story that ends well. I know that I plan to both read and watch both again.
i agree about the ending! you just can’t beat the bbc production ending. and i was looking forward to the same thing, just with more detail in the book, and was disappointed. the rest of the book didn’t disappoint, though. i was surprised that i had never heard of this book before. i suppose gaskell is better known in her home country than elsewhere. she was not part of our required reading in high school.