Mary Barton

Rating:
Summary: A Truthful Depiction of the 19th Century Working Class Life
Review: Actually I read this book in three days' time (it can be even faster if I don't have to go to school). Anyway, Mrs. Gaskell's depiction of the working class people in Manchester during the 19th century was so vivid that you can just *see* and *feel* how the rich and the poor's lives were like back then by turning the pages. I believe no one who had read this book will not to some extent feel pity for the tragic hero, John Barton, in the story. But aside from this formal social theme being presented in the novel, there is also a very strong sense of religious/moral theme in it (espeically near the end of the story), as well as some drama and romance in it. Definitely worth a read, especially to those who are interested in Victorian Literature.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling reading.
Review: Gaskell wrote one of the most vivid descriptions of the gap between rich and poor in this novel of the Manchester 'hungry forties'.

The romantic plot centers around the murder of the son of a factory owner. While well written, the plot romance and mystery are almost cursory in comparison to the loving detail that Gaskell lavishes on Alice Wilson, the temptation of Esther, and all the little points of life in deep poverty. Gaskell is compassionate and clear-sighted in her writing, making this a very nice read.

Mary Barton appeals to readers of all ages, and works at the level of both plot and social history. Recommended for fans of the period, historians, and general readers.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling description of industrial revolution era want.
Review: Gaskell wrote one of the most vivid descriptions of the gap between rich and poor in this novel of the Manchester 'hungry forties'. The plot is driven by the device of a murder of young factory owner's son, but this story line is more an excuse to present the story as a novel (and to serve the demands and expectations of the novel form as it was understood at the time) than it really is the center of the book. The romance and the mystery (although still well-written) are cursory in comparison to the loving detail that Gaskell lavishes on Alice Wilson, the temptation of Esther and all the little points of life in deep poverty.

Worth reading, particularly if you're a fan of the novel (or history) of the period.

Rating:
Summary: A romantic view about Manchester life in the 19th century!
Review: Mary Barton is the first novel of Elizabeth Gaskell, a female writer who left her influence upon other English writers of the 19th century, like, for instance, Charles Dickens. The book is only an average view about Manchester life in the 19th century, focusing its attentions over the extreme poverty of the working class, the first labor conflicts in the pre-dawn of the Industrial Revolution, all this connected with a tender love story between the young Mary Barton and his old time friend Jem Wilson.
In fact, the murder of the young mill owner, Mr. Henry Carson - he too an admirer of Miss Barton - is not well developed and is not the central point of the novel because the reader knows all the time who is the real murderer. So, it's not a surprise at all the ending of the trial and the revelation of the real murderer in the last chapters.
Miss Gaskell has a simple and an almost näive vision of the social problems that harassed the working class in England when the Industrial Revolution started. Even though, we must recognize that she made a good work trying to denounce the insensibility of the English government about the problems of the workers and their families and the inflexibility of the mill owners and other high economic classes to negociate with their subordinates.
Mary Barton is a book that will hold the attencion of the readers, men or women, because Miss Gaskell has an elegant style and really knows how to tell a good story. Another great vintage of this novel are some great characters portrayed with flavour and undeniable charm, like the old and friendly Mr. Job Legh and the hard and anger John Barton, Mary's father.

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Summary: Charlotte Bronte's Friend & Fellow Author Writes Great!
Review: This book is a true classic along with all the books of the early to mid-1800's. The setting, the characters, the plot, and the intricate weaving of inspiration, spirituality, and passion is unforgettable in this classic work called "Mary Barton." A beautiful, touching account of life in England in the 1800's.

Rating:
Summary: Rich in Substance and Sadness
Review: This is a fine book, full of beautifully rendered characters. I love the painful and powerful picture Gaskell paints of life among the English working classes-- the struggles for physical and spiritual survival against horrific odds is rendered with compassion and depth. Her writing is emotionally rich and I found myself truly moved by the all the characters. The friendship between Mary and Margaret, the gentle, but rock solid faith of Alice, the passion of Jem, etc. This book is certainly worth reading.