Product Description

A revolutionary political and social commentary, North and South confirmed Gaskell's place in the company of Victorian England's finest novelists. This Norton Critical Edition is annotated and edited by the preeminent Gaskell scholar, Alan Shelston, and includes the full text of the closely related story "Lizzie Leigh". The criticism section collects eleven assessments of the novel, among them Louis Cazamian's 1904 study of industrial fiction and Hilary Schor's recent analysis of North and South in the context of discourse analysis. A chronology and selected bibliography are also included.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #452278 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 608 pages

Customer Reviews

a delicious read - classic antagonism happily reconciled
I know it sounds like a cliché - promoting one book by comparing it to another - but I can't help telling that "N&S" resembles Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" a bit.

N&S is about Hampshire-born(the South)Margaret Hale forced to leave her beloved home in the southern countryside as his father - a former parson - resigns his parsonage because of religious doubts and takes his family to Milton in Darkshire (the North). There Margaret makes friends with Nicholas Higgins, a poor, but hones and upright weaver and union man and his mortally ill daughter, Bessy. Their circumstances make her even more prejudiced against the North.
She is appalled at the industrial, noisy, polluted and cruel milieu embodied in John Thornton, a proud, successful northern mill-owner, her father's pupil. Although Thornton is a straightforward man of honour and decency, Margaret condemns him as ungentleman-like, greedy for profit and cruel to workers. Their different principles clash right from the start.

Thornton is aware of Margaret's dislike and contempt for him and his ways but he cannot help falling passionately in love with her feeling all the while that he "is not good enough for her". Dramatic events - the riotous workers on strike threaten his life and Margaret shields him with her own body when they start to throw things at him - make him confess his love for Margaret which is indignantly rejected by the girl (she has acted upon pure and general charity and would have done the same for all her fellow-men).

The drastic change of scenery and circumstances affect the whole family very badly, especially Margaret's mother, Mrs Hale, whose health is continuously failing her. Margaret struggles to keep up family peace, to help out in household chores - as no proper servant can be found - and to be a son and a daughter in one for her parents.
There is a family secret hidden from public knowledge: Margaret's brother, Frederic Hale, former officer of the Navy, is in hiding and wanted for having been the ringleader of a mutiny. His return would surely cost him his life, however, Margaret writes him a letter begging his return as their mother's last wish is to see him once more before she dies.

Frederic arrives and spends some time with his beloved family, but is compelled to go away as he is threatened with discovery.
Mr Thornton sees him & his sister saying their goodbyes at the station and takes them for lovers. That is the first time that Margaret realizes she cares about the possible loss of his good opinion of her.

Unfortunately he is not the only one they encounter at the station endangering not only Frederic's life (he is able to escape) but Margaret's reputation as well. It is John Thornton, the magistrate who helps to save both (the latter directly, the former indirectly).

A chain of events change both Thornton's and Margaret's life taking Margaret back to the south, to London, and financial disaster is looming over Thornton, but they are fated to meet again ...

So, this summary is meant to be a kind of "teaser-trailer". Although this novel is not so witty and light as "P&P", it is still a very enjoyable read. I recommend the book to everyone who likes classic Victorian drama whether they have seen the stunning BBC mini series or not.

television can point you in the right direction after all!
It was the first-rate BBC adaptation of 'North and South' that led me to the book and, from there, to a biography of Mrs. Gaskell, a quite remarkable woman. I wish I had come across her years ago! This is a splendid book in itself, with a strong and
involving plot and a most attractive social conscience played out through the main characters. It is no surprise that Dickens admired this writer and comissioned work from her. There is the same generosity of spirit and concern for the human and moral rights of people in society (oh dear! this makes it sound like a doctrinaire tract - it isn't!). She is a good storyteller and knows how to hold her reader. It is never heavy but always weighty and worthwhile and she shows real understanding and psychological skill. Thanks, BBC!