North and South

Rating:
Summary: Just an Average Read
Review: After reading this book and another by the same writer ("Mary Barton"), it becomes clear to me why the works of Elizabeth Gaskell are not as highly acclaimed as those by other writers of her time e.g. Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens or even Jane Austen. Mrs Gaskell wrote eloquently, her storylines are interesting and her heroines/heroes are likeable and believable BUT despite all these, you end up concluding that her writings are only averagely good.

"North and South" the novel started out nicely and interestingly enough. Halfway into the novel, I did fell in love with the story as I look forward to a romantic reconciliation between the penniless heroine, Margaret Hale and the rich mill owner, John Thornton. However, Mrs Gaskell made quite a mess of the ending. The last few chapters were boring and hurriedly written. Some of the most tedious chapters cover the character of a factory worker and Union member, Nicholas Higgins, and his ill, bed-ridden but truly-irritating daughter, Bessy who both keep droning on and on about their poverty, struggles and ailments.

In short, the ending is unsatisfactory and truly an anti-climax for the reader, after so much anticipation, as the beginning and earlier chapters of the novel are actually quite good.

Lastly, I will comment that comparatively, I find "North and South" more enjoyable than "Mary Barton" although the latter book has a better-written (i.e. "neater") ending.

Rating:
Summary: Gaskell's Victorian novel with modern ideas
Review: I agree with a lot that is written in the previous reviews here. Yes, there is a very slow start to this novel. I wonder whether that's because it was first serialized by Dickens, and Mrs. Gaskell was paid by the word. And, yes, the ending is rather abrupt, especially preceded by the last few slow chapters. Maybe Dickens lost his patience.

In so many ways, though, this novel is a treasure. It's not easy to write a political novel with a strong love story and good characterizations. Gaskell takes on quite a bit and mostly succeeds in her task of describing the changes industrialization brought to England. She balances her sympathy for the workers in the factories with the dilemmas posed to the mill owners by new machinery, competition from abroad, and the threats of potential workers' strikes. She contrasts very effectively the excitement of this new way of life against the nostalgia for the agrarian past. These were new concepts in Victorian England, but they are not so foreign today that we cannot readily understand their significance.

She gives us a sympathetic and spirited heroine in Margaret Hale, who is wise beyond her years. Another colorful character is Nicholas Higgins. I found myself looking forward to his scenes because he provides the humor in an almost-humorless book. (It is funny at the end, though, and I would have liked to have seen more of this tone.)

Mr. Thornton is a character we can readily identify with--someone who triumphs over adversity and seeks to constantly better himself. Someone with high standards, yet none higher than he holds himself to. Margaret is his match in every way.

I did see many plot similarities with "Pride and Prejudice" in the love story. We have characters of different class backgrounds who are initially repelled but who come to appreciate each other and are kept apart by misunderstandings and circumstances. The proposal scenes are strikingly familiar, and the first proposal includes almost the same language (re gentlemanlike behavior) that Elizabeth speaks to Darcy. And we have a Lady Catherine DeBourgh character in Mrs. Thornton, who does her best to drive the lovers apart. But I can't fault Mrs. Gaskell for borrowing plotlines from the master. Although Gaskell is a strong writer, she does not quite have Jane Austen's gift for revealing the humanity in her characters with humor and affection. There is not much "fun" and no banter (until the very last lines of the book) in the North and South love story.

There are many plot contrivances and conveniences, too, which compel us to suspend disbelief. A few too many rapid deaths, a character's coincidental presence at a key scene, another character showing up in an unexpected place, and more. But these limitations serve to drive the story and allow us to focus on the strong moral characters of our central characters and our strong wish for their eventual reconciliation.

In the Penguin edition, it is also rather disturbing to find the plot given away in the footnotes. I read the footnotes religiously to orient myself, but I don't understand why they have to mention so many plot occurrences (especially big things like deaths and proposals) ahead of time. So, if you don't want to know how things go, read the footnotes (and preface) judiciously.

OK, I've written a lot of negatives and yet I give the book 4 stars. Despite its flaws, North and South takes on a lot and mainly succeeds. I love its ambition and its great heart. I love that I learned a lot about English history at that particular time. I love that it rewarded me for getting through those first 150 pages with a rich, compelling story. I love that Mrs. Gaskell held my interest to the end. As Victorian novels go, this is surprisingly modern and a worthwhile read.

Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest and most underrated Victorian novels
Review: I fell in love with this marvellous novel and it's main protagonists, Margaret Hale & John Thornton, when I first read it some five years ago. I remember when I was reading the chapters describing the riot at Thornton's mill while on the way home from work on the train, I was so caught up with the story that I nearly missed my stop.

One of the things that particularly impresses me about "North and South" is that Elizabeth Gaskell actually concentrates as much, if not more, on the principal male character's (John Thornton's) sexual and romantic desires and inner life rather than on the main female character (Margaret Hale). This is somewhat unusual to find in a book by female writer of the Victorian era. I feel that it makes the character of John Thornton one of the most interesting and attractive in 19th century literature.

His passionate love and desire for Margaret border on the obsessive at times. However, Elizabeth Gaskell details his torturous struggles with his emotions in such a empathethic way that you feel immensely drawn to Thornton from the first time you meet him. The scenes where Margaret rebuffs his attempts at a marriage proposal and the aftermath where he dazedly goes off into the countryside to calm down are vividly written.

I thoroughly disagree with some of the other reviewer's comments below, especially the person on 17 March 2003 who cannot even get the author's name right. It makes you wonder if they have read the same book as I did. I have no respect for people who impose inappropriate and modern notions on a work from this era and give their opinions, with such a sneering tone, in a trite and dismissive critique.

I know that there are many "North and South" fans out there who, like me, can appreciate the novel for what it is, not what they think it should be.

It is simply a beautifully written, engaging and satisfying book.

Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest and most underrated Victorian novels
Review: I fell in love with this marvellous novel and it's main protagonists, Margaret Hale & John Thornton, when I first read it some five years ago. I remember when I was reading the chapters describing the riot at Thornton's mill while on the way home from work on the train, I was so caught up with the story that I nearly missed my stop.

One of the things that particularly impresses me about "North and South" is that Elizabeth Gaskell actually concentrates as much, if not more, on the principal male character's (John Thornton's) sexual and romantic desires and inner life rather than on the main female character (Margaret Hale). This is somewhat unusual to find in a book by female writer of the Victorian era. I feel that it makes the character of John Thornton one of the most interesting and attractive in 19th century literature.

His passionate love and desire for Margaret border on the obsessive at times. However, Elizabeth Gaskell details his torturous struggles with his emotions in such a empathethic way that you feel immensely drawn to Thornton from the first time you meet him. The scenes where Margaret rebuffs his attempts at a marriage proposal and the aftermath where he dazedly goes off into the countryside to calm down are vividly written.

I thoroughly disagree with some of the other reviewer's comments below, especially the person on 17 March 2003 who cannot even get the author's name right. It makes you wonder if they have read the same book as I did. I have no respect for people who impose inappropriate and modern notions on a work from this era and give their opinions, with such a sneering tone, in a trite and dismissive critique.

I know that there are many "North and South" fans out there who, like me, can appreciate the novel for what it is, not what they think it should be.

It is simply a beautifully written, engaging and satisfying book.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: I just loved this book! For all the Janeites (such as me...) it should also be a pleasure to read this book. True, Mrs. Gaskell writes about social and economical changes in the 19th century, however, she doesn't develop this aspect too much. She only writes about the "nice" workers, who don't "drink their salary" and who are being unfairly exploited by the masters. She sticks to the paternalistic view of the 19th century, and she is not revolutionary in a sense that the social conventions will be respected. The story is pretty much about the characters, and less about the environment.

Rating:
Summary: Possibly 3.5 stars, though not four...
Review: If we are discussing the novel's ability to entertain, the first 200 or so pages leave something to be desired. I found that portion of the book to be dry, lacking and highly dull. Had it not been a compulsory school text, I would have had no hestations in putting it down and picking a Henry Miller novel. Needless to say, if you are reading 'North and South' purely for the purpose of enjoyment, you will need patience to see you past the book's inital tedious stage.

This however, does not do justice to the second half, which remarkably captures the attention of the reader. The heroine of the piece suffers setback after setback, and develops into an admirable, becoming and interesting character, not to mention Mr Thornton, who seems to develop some personality over the span of the piece. The class relations, the plight of women and the longing for independence and individuality felt by the characters becomes entertaining where it first provided endless boredom. Even more interesting is the love hate relationship between Miss Hale and Mr Thornton. Due to the fact the piece was not entirely completed, the ending is lacking a certain solidardity and denies the novel the zest it requires to 'bring it home'.

Despite the fact it came to grow on me, the beginning and the ending have lowered my opinion of the novel immensly, and it does become slightly repetitive. The romantic basis of the novel reminds me slightly of Austen's classic 'Pride and Prejudice'; the opening opposition of the lovers, the favours etc. This piece would have to contain more substance, though is by no means a better novel, despite the fact it explores such themes as classes and poverty, which Austen's piece rarely (if ever) mentions.

Regardless, eventually interesting enough, though certainly not among my favourites, and definitely not one I would have considered reading had it not be compulsory.

Rating:
Summary: Barton's North and South is a Horror among Horrors
Review: In summarizing my opinion of this book, I can only think of one word: revulsion. Perhaps I should qualify -- absolute revulsion would be the better description. Elizabeth Barton's "North and South" is the most boring, trifling, heinously insignificant, hyperfeminized novels I have yet to read. While the novel does touch on some important themes -- class warfare, the condition of women, and don't forgot, the godlessness of the heathen lower classes -- no true insight is gained that cannot be found in a middle school history textbook.

The back cover describes North and South's heroine, Margaret Hale, as one of the "finest heroines of Victorian literature." Lies, I say. Lies. While Margaret does possess some independence of spirit, her self-sacrificing Christian character nevertheless humbles herself in love before a "benign" capitalist individualist, Mr. Thornton. Though people have spoken of North and South being a feminist novel, one need only read the first page of Bronte's earlier work, Jane Eyre, to find the former description flat.

Barton's characters are hopelessly vacuous, her storylines inane and inspid, her understanding of the world hopelessly shortsighted. One thinks of Virginia Woolf, who once said that the greatest female writers needed only a room of their own to perfect their writing. Elizabeth Barton, however, needed far, far more.

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece!!
Review: Just a quick review! The novel itself wasn't too bad, and Gaskell writes it really well. The characters are convincing, and she puts across the issues of the time really well. Unlike most other books written around the same time, North and South was a much easier read, and more enjoyable. The only thing that wasn't so good was the ending. It was so frustrating! I finished the book and was left wanting to know what happens, or at least a little bit more than what I was left with! Apart from the disappointing ending, North and South was a pretty good read. It was definitely one of the better books that the english department have given us to read over the holidays! :)

Rating:
Summary: Suprisingly modern and captivating
Review: Margaret Hale's father, a churchman, repudiates his beliefs, and consequently sacrifices his "living" in idyllic, sunny Helstone (is that "Hell" stone? Surely not...) in the South of England. The Hales relocate in Milton, in Darkshire, loosely modelled on Manchester. In the North, they learn the realities of industrial life, the poverty, social injustice, rampant death, etc.

Politically and socially, the local mill-owner, John Thornton, is Margaret's antagonist. Their initial mutual revulsion evolves eventually, through mutual sympathy, into love. Add in Margaret's brother, Frederick, living abroad under a cloud for mutiny, and you have the ingredients of a good story.

But the first 200 pages are, as another reviewer has remarked, tedious beyond belief. However, the last 250 or so pages fly by. Gaskell plots the story well. The many deaths, both lingering and sudden, are harrowing and moving. Ideologically, Gaskell was an armchair socialist, a middle-class wife who could afford to ally herself with the workers. Her style, packed with Victorianisms, is in some ways contemporary and highly idiomatic, and she handles conversation particularly well. There's much Northern dialogue to struggle through.

You'll struggle to reach the middle of the book, and then you won't be able to put it down. My fave chapter is the one where Margaret, after many reversals, returns to her native town of Helstone. Her nostalgia is tempered by the realisation that life moves on. Even this little jewel of a village is sadly changed. But, as she well knows, c'est la vie!

Rating:
Summary: Worth a read
Review: Margaret Hale's father, a churchman, repudiates his beliefs, and consequently sacrifices his "living" in idyllic, sunny Helstone (is that "Hell" stone? Surely not...) in the South of England. The Hales relocate in Milton, in Darkshire, loosely modelled on Manchester. In the North, they learn the realities of industrial life, the poverty, social injustice, rampant death, etc.

Politically and socially, the local mill-owner, John Thornton, is Margaret's antagonist. Their initial mutual revulsion evolves eventually, through mutual sympathy, into love. Add in Margaret's brother, Frederick, living abroad under a cloud for mutiny, and you have the ingredients of a good story.

But the first 200 pages are, as another reviewer has remarked, tedious beyond belief. However, the last 250 or so pages fly by. Gaskell plots the story well. The many deaths, both lingering and sudden, are harrowing and moving. Ideologically, Gaskell was an armchair socialist, a middle-class wife who could afford to ally herself with the workers. Her style, packed with Victorianisms, is in some ways contemporary and highly idiomatic, and she handles conversation particularly well. There's much Northern dialogue to struggle through.

You'll struggle to reach the middle of the book, and then you won't be able to put it down. My fave chapter is the one where Margaret, after many reversals, returns to her native town of Helstone. Her nostalgia is tempered by the realisation that life moves on. Even this little jewel of a village is sadly changed. But, as she well knows, c'est la vie!