NORTH AND SOUTH 2

Now that I 've had a week to digest and contemplate the novel as a whole, I thought the story a tad unsubstantial
inasmuch that it was a silly
romance concerning
Margaret Hale 's move north
and the perhaps amusing
misunderstandings between
herself and cotton mill owner
John Thornton .

There were good things in
the story which highlighted
the differences in the classes;
and the factory conditions
under which the poor were
expected to work . For me the
vivid description of the
workplace was the best part
of the book . Unfortunately I
think it may have been better
expressed if Gaskell had
created a more educated
character to explain it to the
reader alongside Bessie's
description, which was full of
pathos given her dying ,
consumptive condition .
Although much was made of
the "riot " that too was very
slight and passed over
almost as soon as the
chapter ended .

When I began reading 'North
And South ', I was expecting a
grittier 'Libbie Marsh's Three
Eras', instead I got a middle -
class comedy of manners
wrapped up as a romance .
It was a high standard of
writing as one expects of
Gaskell, it fell in nicely with
the 'condition of England '
novels of the Victorian era,
and silly romance aside , it
gave adequate food for
thought. I 'd give it 7 out of
10 rating or 3 stars out of 5 .

NORTH AND SOUTH

Just completed North And South . What a charming and amusing romance, delightful throughout and a pleasure to
read.

There was the gentle comedy
throughout of Thornton and
Margaret misunderstanding
each other with each
successive chapter which
Gaskell sustained effortlessly.
Much of Gaskell 's charm lies
in the subtlty of her wit and
the sharpness of her satire
which brings a certain
realism to her work which in
the hands of other writers
(for instance Dickens ) would
seem like crude and clowinsh
characatures in a cartoon
world of make -believe.
Margaret Hale was a strong ,
engaging , serious heroine ,
fortunately not flawless in
character and all the more
believable and human for it .
Mr Hale , a man of principle
and conscience was a
complex character , perhaps
much misunderstood for his
actions or inactions ,
whatever the case maybe .
But as it was primarily
Margaret's story, thanfully
Gaskell didn ' t feel the need
to weary the reader with
complex explanations into
the niceties of religious
doctrines and church politics.
There was plenty of light
relief and comedy for the
reader. We laughed along
with the simple- minded
servant Dixon , and her views
on education ( thinking and
reading) and her exaulted
opinion of herself as a
humble lady 's maid and
companion.

Also we laughed along with
the humble family of factory
workers the Higgins with
their plain and simple view of
life and the irony of their
speech.

Best of all we had the
Thorntons to laugh at - the
busness-minded John, unable
to understand his heart and
women, namely "that
woman" Margaret Hale ; and
that ghastly pair of
Thorntons in anyones side
the fashionable facile Fanny
and her haughty and self -
absorbed mother Mrs
Thornton, the vanity and
vulgarity of both being as
amusing as they were horrid .
In short , a charming
romance, an amusing read
and a diverting romp :o )

Reading matter

JUST RETURNED from town where after buying some general groceries from Tesco's, I nipped into Waterstone's to pick up a couple of novels.

A reading group I have joined will tomorrow begin to read and discuss Elizabeth Gaskell's 'North and South' (1855).

Gaskell is one of my favourite writers so I am looking forward to a good read.

Jan, an Aussie, who I met on Goodreads, asked my opinion upon Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' (1884), which I have never read, but another group which I have joined also are currently reading. She has expressed an interest in my perspective, so while at Waterstone's picked up a copy to read after I have completed North and South.

I've always considered Huck Finn children's literature, so if it proves to be I hope it will be as interesting and exciting as Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island' and 'Kidnapped', both of which made excellent adult reading.

Well, now it's time for lunch and the news hour. Good reading, folks! :o)