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Why North and South by Gaskell Should Have Been the First Classic You Read

Why North and South by Gaskell Should Have Been the First Classic You Read

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Book Review : North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

A masterful blend of the class struggle that came with the rise of industrialization and a love story between two people who seldom agree with one another. North and Southby Elizabeth Gaskell is a must read and one of the best classics to be acquainted with.

 

Why North and South?

Those who do not enjoy classics complain about how every classical heroine’s main ambition is to secure herself a nice husband and how the slow language does not keep their interest in the book. While I do not guarantee a fast paced book, Elizabeth Gaskell’s Margaret Hale is one of the most relatable heroines to the modern day reader. She is not on the hunt for a husband; she shifts to a new place and is trying to fit in; she is trying to strengthen her relationship with her mother and she has opinions of her own. The story is narrated against the backdrop of the rise of industrialization and spans into its merits and demerits.

 

In Brief

North and South, as the name makes it evident, is the story of the two regions that are vastly different from one another. Mr. Hale and his family move from the bucolic Hampshire to the industrial Milton. Mr. Hale who was a clergyman in the south no longer feels inclined to serve the church and moves north to take up a teaching job. Mrs. Hale and his daughter, Margaret, are in for a surprise in their new house. Margaret tries to find the ‘beauty in the vulgarity’ while her mother is vexed by the change of residence. The three main characters in the book are Margaret, Mr. Thornton (a self-made, proud mill-owner with with a likeness to Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice) and Nicholas Higgins (a worker who heads the worker’s union). There is a clash of ideas and ideals throughout the novel and Margaret, being new to the place, often becomes the middle ground between both the classes.

Book Review : North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

 

I loved Margaret as a heroine. She is not overly bold or unrealistically ambitious which is an often used cliché in books to portray women in a strong manner. She is at peace with her new life on her own terms, makes new friends and tries to understand how a complex class system runs the town. What makes Margaret a perfect heroine is that she is like a baby exposed to a strange world and so we, readers, are completely at ease while learning about the social hierarchy that runs Milton, through her eyes. She holds no prejudices against the working class, who are often crass in their language, nor admiration for the so-called masters, who have risen to higher positions in society by their hard work. Through Margaret, Gaskell gives us a heroine who is eager to be acquainted with the problems of her new society as well as tries for a mutual existence, if not a complete reconciliation, between the clashing classes. Needless to say, such clashes are still unresolved between the administrative hierarchies in all our present day workplaces, be it the corporate sector, manufacturing or academic.

 

Mr. Thorton and Mr. Higgins are two sides of the same coin. Both are proud, honest and hard working. While they do not see eye-to-eye in the beginning of the book, we see a more tender and humane side of both the characters as the story progresses. The gradual change in the relationship between these two men is definitely done with panache and is one of my favourite portions in the book. Gaskell always shows two sides of the coin- she might talk about worker’s conditions, but she also talks about employment opportunities; she might talk about the harshness of mill owners but she also lists out the reasons they behave so; she talks about the smoke filled, dreary Milton and the ill workers, but she also tells us why the residents love living there.

 

A classical heroine with opinions; an industrial town; a clash of the classes. Click To Tweet

 

Like every classic, we have a set of stereotypical side characters who were equally loveable and some are even shocking. Mr. Thorton’s mother, for example, revels in her son’s success and is a haughty lady and harsh mistress. We see a motherly side of her when she is worried about her son. Bessy, Margaret’s friend in Milton, is another character that evokes sympathy. Mr. Bell, a friend of Mr. Hale’s, is like a fairy-godmother in this story and he is a good one indeed.

 

Last, but not the least, is the love story of Margaret and Mr. Thorton. They disagree on so many occasions but their inner emotions leave the reader in deep anguish. The language is beautiful and emotionally evocative. It is in the blossoming of this young love that we see the pride and prejudices of both the characters which is one reason that North and South is often called as Pride and Prejudice in a new (new?) bottle.

 

Book Review : North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

 

The Bad

The ending left me heavily disappointed. Of course it was expected that it will be abrupt since there were so few pages left and you know the book will not end without a happy ending. But I wanted a bit more of the story; what happened to the characters after that and so on. Mr. Hale’s conversion from a clergyman to a teacher was an interesting aspect of the story. Though he does not give up his religious Christian beliefs and ponders on them at several instances in the later parts of the book, Gaskell never elaborates on this decision other than saying that Mr. Hale was unhappy with his job. I would have loved to confirm if his decision  was due to the church’s doctrines or his zest for teaching.

 

Final Verdict

I loved this book. If you dislike classics, this is the book you should read; this is the one you should have started with. The story has a realistic tone to it and the main storyline does not involve ball dancing to secure husbands. A loveable heroine with a sense of social justice, and the two men (Let me emphasize that these three main characters do not form a love triangle) who are so different in their views but so similar in their disposition make North and South a very agreeable novel.

 

No ball room dancing or husband hunting makes this a remarkable classic with a difference Click To Tweet

 

North and South was my introduction to Elizabeth Gaskell’s writing and I would love to explore more of her novels. I have kept Gaskell’s books on high priority in my Classics Club list of books to read in the next five years. Having finished Ruth, the story of a fallen woman, my next pick would be Wives and Daughters.

 

Title : North and South
Author : Elizabeth Gaskell
Publisher : Penguin Classics
Published : 2012 (Originally 1854)
Language : English
Pages : 544
Rating : 5/5

View Comments (28)
  • Excellent. You make a convincing case! The hunt for Mr Darcy isn’t too thrilling to some!

    I, too, was left wanting to know if it was just clergy burnout or if there was another reason for him leaving the church. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I think American readers today (young ones) might be lacking in sufficient depth of history to place this as like the difference between the Robber Barons and the workers. That the south of England is the elite part and the north the “grubby” part–like Newport, RI vs any rust belt city here. Sadly the teaching of history here has been reduced to political correctness and sound bytes.

    • I am glad you enjoyed North and South too. I am working through her novels. I read Ruth and liked it but not quite loved it. I cannot wait to discover more of Gaskell

    • If you loved the mini series, I am sure you would love the book. Hope you enjoy it when you pick it up.

      • I’ve heard good things about not only this mini-series but the BBC version of your next pick (W&D). The only thing I’ve read of hers is her biography of Charlotte Bronte, which I ended up loving (unexpectedly really). Must get to this one sooner rather than later, as I’m sure I’d enjoy it for all the same reasons you’ve cited (although I can already feel the sting of that abrupt ending – I know just what you mean).

  • Such a great post. You have me wanting to revisit Gaskell’s novels,which I haven’t read since I was in college. I thought I had read this one, but it actually doesn’t sound familiar so I’m definitely going to have to pick up a copy so that I can read about Margaret Hale. She sounds like a fascinating and very modern woman for her time.

    • I really liked North and South and the fact that the story takes place in the backdrop of the industrial revolution makes it very relatable to us. I hope you will enjoy it.

  • Firstly, so glad to be able to leave a comment properly on your blog.
    North and South does sound like a very unusual book, and I’m surprised I’ve never heard of it. Will definitely give this a try.

    • Yeah, hopefully many of the problems are fixed. Not able to work something out. I definitely changed something while furiously trying and forgot to note down the changes to revert back.

      Gaskell is not as famous as Austen but she touches on a variety of topics on the social front. North and South deals with the class struggle; Ruth deals with a fallen woman (and Gaskell wrote this controversial piece as a clergyman’s wife. Imagine!). She is one of those bold ladies who told she won’t edit out things when Dickens requested her to

  • This is a lovely spoiler free review. I read North and South after seeing the wonderful BBC adaptation. Have you seen it? After reading your post I want to go back to her world 🙂 I have two other books of Gaskell with me, The Cranford Chronicles and Sylvia’s Lovers. Should start with one of them.

    Sujata

    • I have not read either of them. But I would love to read some day. I loved the BBC adaptation of North and South too.

      Thanks for dropping by.

  • I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I’ve never heard of this book, classic or not! I am on the fence about most classics– I had some poor experiences in school which really turned me off to them. I keep trying to jump back in, but I have yet to find traction. Perhaps I’ll find that in this novel?

    It sounds like a few people haven’t heard of this book before, despite it being a classic. Do you have any idea why that might be, Resh Susan?

    • I think many readers know only the very famous classics writers and mainly Jane Austen clouds all the other lesser known women writers. But Gaskell is a force in herself. She is an advocate of social justice and does not shy away from controversial topics. An important writer indeed in my opinion. And as I have mentioned, Gaskell’s topics are not restricted to finding a husband; her works talk about harsher realities. So her books are similar to famous classics in their writing style but very different in the matters tackled in the novel. I hope you will try out Gaskell one day

  • I loved this book when I read it ages ago. I must revisit Gaskell, but my classic writer of choice at the moment is Trollope, and I HAVE to get back to him some time soon.

    • I am really enjoying Trollope too, Liz. I am still reading Doctor Thorne in the Barset shire series and hopefully I will complete it this year

  • Great review! I love how deeply you went into each of the aspects.

    I do love Pride and Prejudice, and you’ve made a very convincing case. If I’m on the hunt for some Classic reads anytime soon, this will definitely be one to look into. 🙂

    Alexa
    thessalexa.blogspot.com
    verbosityreviews.com

  • First, let me say that this is a very well-written review!

    High school instilled a fear of classics in me (why do teachers always pick the most boring ones?), so I tend to avoid them. But when I do pick up a classic novel, I typically enjoy it. Maybe I’ll try North and South next–it sounds wonderful!

  • North +South is a great novel and the language, I find, is easier to read than some. Anyone who likes a love story with some ‘northern grit’ should watch the BBC 2004 adaptation. It is beautiful and will inspire a reader of good things to read Mrs Gaskell for sure.

    • I loved the BBC adaptation. I really enjoy Gaskell’s writing and I have plans to read all her novels. I am picking up Wives and Daughters next month

  • I just wrote a review of North and South myself. I totally agree with what you said about the fierce heroine. Margaret Hale is definitely a role model for young women (now and then)! It’s not surprising that this book is said to be one of those who gave voice to feminist movements.

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