North and South (original: 1855; edição: 2008)

This is a lovely book that simultaneously draws you in to imagine the marvelous worlds of Margaret Hale, and forces you to stand back to consider and reconcile the contrasting opinions carried by the characters within. It is as much a bildungsroman as it is a romance, because the protagonist suffers through hardship, and grows and matures as she comes to understand the world around her. On the other hand, most romances would also include important changes in the lives, and (if it is a very good book) character (or perception of the character) of the protagonist, just as a coming of age tale would.

I decided to read North and South after having seen the BBC miniseries, and was surprised at how much the two differed. Not only were there deviations in style and details, but some of the major plot events included in the miniseries were completely contrived, which was a disappointment (not that I was consequently disappointed in the book, of course). On the other hand, it was delightful to read most of the characters described in the book almost exactly as portrayed by the miniseries, including Margaret, Mr Hale, and Mr Thornton. I thoroughly enjoyed being privy to some of Mr Thornton's thoughts, and not only to Miss Hale's, as I believe would have been common for books of this nature. I also must admit that I found it necessary to reread some of the talk of factories and manufacturing in order to comprehend exactly what was being said.

My last point of admiration is that this book faithfully draws you ever forward to its conclusion, instead of thrusting it upon you at the very last. I appreciated the contrast between this book and one (any) of Jane Austen's, which tend to leave me with the slight feeling of being cheated out of those moments or processes leading up to the end. ( )

My new most favourite classic. This beats Pride and Prejudice by a mile. Seriously. I loved the book so much, I'm fairly speechless... ( )

North and South is not my kind of Victorian novel. True, the part about the class system and the labor strike was appealing, but there was just so much emotion and hand-wringing to get through. In the end, both Margaret and Mr. Thornton develop as characters, but it comes all at a rush in the end. I feel that Gaskell's weakest area is pacing and structure. ( )

Perhaps the least convincing marriage plot in the history of marriage plots, until Eugenides' Marriage Plot. A great middle third, but hoo boy, that last third is awful. ( )

Review on 3rd Reading (08/28/2020):

The first time I read this was for fun after stumbling upon and loving the 2004 miniseries. The second was a couple of years later for class, at which time I focused on connections to today's world, namely poor working conditions. This third time was a reading done out of a desire for comfort, familiarity, and nostalgia. I love this book. I have even gone so far as to call it my favorite. Margaret Hale is one of my favorite characters in all of the literature I've read because I see myself in her at both her worst and her best. She is at once strong and weak, proud and humble, too loquacious and too reticent. She grows so much throughout the novel and all the hardships she faces. She is willing to sacrifice the love of her life to protect her brother and does not feel guilty for it. All she regrets about the matter is that there were misunderstandings that she could not in good faith clear up. When faced with unjust ridicule and insult, she says, "I decline every attempt to justify myself for anything" (310), and pushes away from the situation, to protect both herself and her brother.

Thornton also has such growth of character. In fact, he has one of my favorite passages in literature:

"Once brought face to face, man to man, with an individual of the masses around him, and (take notice) out of the character of master and workman, in the first instance, they had each begun to recognize that 'we have all of us one human heart.'" (409)

He goes from a very proud man to a very humbled man, one who has learned the value of the everyman. Even when he thinks Margaret was ruined for all intents and purposes, he protects her as best as he can at the risk of his own integrity. Because he loves her. Even when he believes he can't have her, he tries to understand her, and he respects her.

I'll probably read this book again someday, but hopefully it won't be because I'm seeking comfort in a very dark time. For now, I'll just recall, because I must:

"But courage, little heart. We will turn back, and by God's help we may find the lost path." (337) ( )