And Heaven and Hell, Love and War, North and South

"North and South" is a sweeping Victorian novel published serially in 1854 and in book form a year later. It tells the story of Margaret Hale, a young lady who endures change, hardship, and the sting of death as her family moves from the countryside of Southern England to an industrial town in Northern England.

Miss Hale is a strong female character who breaks away from the traditional subservient role. She finds herself in an interesting setting where she has ties to the poor, the everyday working man, as well as the upper crust of society in the industrial town of Milton.

Some might brush this novel aside as a mere love story between Miss Hale and her two suitors Henry Lennox and John Thornton, but it also tackles social issues regarding the life and relationships of "men and masters" as the two classes struggle against each other at times in the common interest of manufacturing. Religion also plays a minor role in the novel as some characters struggle with doubts, some have no faith, and others draw hope and guidance from their faith in God.

Overall, I found this an enjoyable read following Miss Hale's growth over a couple years, and seeing how her perception changes - her perception of the tranquility and even hardships found in the South, and her perception of the industrial North. A comment by her godfather Mr. Bell really summarized what Margaret learned firsthand in this novel, "It is the first changes among familiar things that make such a mystery of time to the young; afterwards we lose the sense of the mysterious. I take changes in all I see as a matter of course. The instability of all human things is familiar to me, to you it is new and oppressive."

The story of two West Point graduates: one from the South and one from the North and how the slavery issue challenges their friendship. The story is good but the writing is pedestrian. Good to read on a plane or a bus ride.

I really enjoyed reading this story. Poor Margaret endured so much pain, but always seemed to endure. It seemed that John Thornton spent too much time thinking about Margaret and not enough about pursuing her. The class difference had a lot to do with their challenges. I'm glad Margaret realized what she finally needed.

Wonderful portrayal of life in mid nineteenth century England, depicting the industrialization of the midlands with its inherent social issues of labor relations, child labor, income disparity and the perception of its way of life by the south. Wonderfully poignant love story intertwined amidst this as well

If you're looking to get informed on the Industrial Revelation from the perspective of someone who loved through it, this books does a good job of addressing the social political issues from both ends. The ending was rather unsatisfactory though, story wise.

Wow can you believe this classic is free! I think it is perhaps more powerful than Pride and Prejudice and certainly watching the BBC program makes it so. It is a heartbreaking story with so much sadness I thought I could not possibly like it. The hero Mr Thornton is equal to Mr Rochester of Jane Eyre and even more opinionated and prejudiced than Mr Darcy. It is a must read for any lover of classic literature and for those of us who are frustrated that it doesn't continue (as I believe the author was) then there are numerous great sequels which you can quickly buy to fill the craving.
Can't recommend it more. A wonderful wonderful book.

I was fascinated with the proper speech, with the slang, and with the era of this wonderful book. A clash of social levels, of the educated, of the poor, but honesty, good deeds and love wins out, finally! Life has all the same things now, just a different set of characters. I recommend this book to those who enjoy history and values.

While the characters. are not as endearing as those in Mrs. Gaskell's Cranford, the story told in North and South gives deep insight into human condition during the Industrial. Revolution. I did not find the denouement entirely believable though there is ample foreshadowing. Still North and South is an excellent read and holds a vitalplace among Mrs. Gaskell's "industrial" novels.

This story takes place during the industrial revolution of England. The characters compare the differences between the laid-back lifestyle of southern England to the more driven lifestyle of northern England.
This is as perfect a love story as you can get. John Thornton is at the top of my list of heroes (yes, even over Mr. Darcy!). And Margaret Hale is the perfect match for him. I highly recommend this book. I also highly recommend the BBC mini-series of the same name. My favorite period drama by far! And, oh... That kiss!

I love this book. Elizabeth Gaskell writing captures the world as it was in the 19th century and how society was dealing with the industrial age. I also like how she deals with social norms and social injustice of the time. She must have been extremely intelligent, as well as socially aware and insightful to the human condition.

This was a very interesting book about a important time in our nation's history. It was informative and easy to read from a human point of view. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

I have always liked the history of this most beautiful country of ours. I enjoy reading about our country when it was growing up, as this is history about the civil war, I also like the westerns that are written about the early settlers.

Another John Jakes masterpiece. The characters are very well developed and the plot simply follows history, a history that comes to life in his telling. Jakes gives the background for many of the events leading up to the war and great descriptions of the leading and influential people of the time. I will be very sad when this is finished.

I confess to finding this author by following Richard Armitage of "The Hobbit" fame. He starred in the BBC drama edition of this. Highly recommend! So I got the book to read. She is a very good writer ahead of her time in social issues and language. Not as much stodgy Victorian overblown verbiage as some. Apparently, she had to write this for a serial and ended it more abruptly than she wanted, but it is still a nice romance. Watch the drama, then read the book and you won't be disappointed.

What a great read! I was surprised at how closely this classic resembles Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Am I the only one who has thought this? =] In my opinion, Mr. Thornton 's character reminds me of Mr. Darcy and Margaret reminds me of Elizabeth Bennett, though there is a definite distinction between each individual. And though I do get rather annoyed when the characters misunderstand one another (almost throughout the entire book!), I greatly enjoyed reading this classic. And will definitely re-read it in the near future!

Elizabeth Gaskell does a superb job transporting us to the Industrial Revolution in Northern England at the Cotton Mill of fictional Milton. John Thornton & Margaret Hale are definitely two characters that mold and shape the book. They compliment and contrast each other, giving the sense of urgency and belonging in this Victorian era novel. Truly is a page turner from start to finish!

North and South is one of my favorite classic novels and its not hard to read at all, as can be the case with the language of some classic novels that can bog a reader down. Don't tell Ms. Austen but I like North and South much more than Pride and Prejudice. The only reason I compare the two is because of the "hate at first sight, which grows into love" romance that blossoms between Mr. Thornton and Miss Hale, because North and South is so much more than a love story. It's also a story of the formation of workers' unions and the turmoil between factory bosses and their laborers. And of course, it's a story about how a place can change and shape who we are and who we become. If you are even thinking about reading this book, pick it up and do so.

I had been looking forward to owning and reading my own copy of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel, North and South. However, I was sadly disappointed with this particular edition: Alba & Tromm copyright 2010. Not only did the book lack the dust jacket which the listing photo included, but it also had no introduction or footnotes for the expressions and vocabulary of the time. Even worse, the text contains NUMEROUS typos - from missing words and punctuation to misspelled words. I doubt Ms. Gaskell is responsible for all the errors this edition contains; in fact, I think she would have a hard time reading her own work as presented in this edition. I would not recommend this edition, even though it is a hardcover. I would go with a high quality paperback edition; it would make the reading of this wonderful novel far more enjoyable.

Really a great read; well-developed characters, an interesting plot, and a great look into the issue of labor relations and commercial demands from different perspectives. My only (small) critique is that the end of the story is a little abrupt, although it is really well played. The book strikes a good balance between describing the business issues that Gaskell clearly wanted to address and telling a satisfying romantic story. Margaret Hale is relatable and the hero is pretty dreamy :)

Excellent story about overcoming prejudices. Also reflects a bit about strikes and the development of unions in England. It took me a while to get into the book, but I couldn't put it down once I did.

My favorite book by Gaskell. She utilizes the "love at first fight" romance trope made so popular by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, but - rather than Austen's ironic expression - Gaskell layers this story with a serious tone to tease out deeper social commentary. A must read for any classic literature enthusiast!

This is one of my favorite miniseries and the 2nd time to purchase it. I loaned out my first set and have not received them back. I've been wanting to watch it again so purchased a new North and South Trilogy. I have also read the books. Haven't found anything by John Jakes that I don't like.

My favorite book by Gaskell. She utilizes the "love at first fight" romance trope made so popular by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, but - rather than Austen's ironic expression - Gaskell layers this story with a serious tone to tease out deeper social commentary. A must read for any classic literature enthusiast!

This is one of my favorite miniseries and the 2nd time to purchase it. I loaned out my first set and have not received them back. I've been wanting to watch it again so purchased a new North and South Trilogy. I have also read the books. Haven't found anything by John Jakes that I don't like.

North and South is a trilogy covering the Antebellum period through the 1870's. It is primarily the story of two families, one from Charleston in the South and LeHigh Station,PA in the North. It is a well written story. I strongly recommend this trilogy to anyone that enjoys history and families.

Loved it! So much better than the BBC miniseries. I liked that well enough, and that is what piqued my interest in this author and this book. I'm so glad I read the book, though, and didn't leave Margaret and Mr. Thornton to just what the BBC showed them as.

Gaskell's North and South is an engaging romance with a social conscience; unfortunately, this edition is ridden with typographical errors, missing words, and nonsensical grammar. Although some of these problems may be attributable to the Victorian-era writing style, it is clear that many--if not the majority--are due to careless editing by a publishing house that put little effort into turning out a clean copy of a non-copyrighted work.

The story itself follows the romance of Margaret Hale--who grew up in southern England--and John Thornton--a self-made man from the industrial north. Not surprisingly, their different backgrounds lead to conflict, but it is, of course, the conflict of opposites that attract. One of the pleasures of Gaskell's writing is that she shares the hero's thoughts with the reader. That makes Thornton more likeable much earlier in the book. Because this is a Victorian work, there is a fair amount of outright moralizing and pious content. This aspect of the writing isn't to my taste, but it doesn't overwhelm the rest of the story.

Overall, this is a really enjoyable book, but do yourself a favor and read it in a different edition. I'd give the novel 4 stars and the edition 2.

Jane Austen for the socially-conscious set! The small-town drama and will-they-or-won't-they romance is interspersed with conversation regarding the societal effects of the industrial revolution. The characters were wonderfully written and there was a wonderful build to the final resolution. Highly recommend!

This is a story Jane Austen fans will appreciate. It does not have Miss Austen's sense of humor, but it has compelling characters in a nicely drawn period drama. I saw the bbc production and decided to read the book. The video puts some things in a modern context, which would not have happened during the time period, and are not in the book. (SPOILER ALERT: Stop reading if you don't want details of the book or video.) Specifically, our heroine initially does not like Mr. Thornton because she spent her childhood living in the household of the idle rich and he was a tradesman, not because she saw him attacking one of his workers who was smoking. The attack, which was in the video and thankfully not in the book, is incongruous with Mr. Thornton's character. Additionally, while the kiss scene at the end is beautiful in the video, it would not have happened during that time period. The makers of the video have acknowledged this and chose to do it because it is what we have come to expect at the end of a love story. My favorite scene from the video is not in the book: "Look back. Look back at me."

I'll leave reviewing the wonderful book to others (but it gets five stars as well!) and I'll just focus on this edition.
It has footnotes that cover slang terms, and bits of historical information that pertain to the story. I found them extremely helpful and interesting.
There are also critical essays in the back, which I have not read.
Also included are letters to and from Elizabeth Gaskell, to and from several other people, including Charles Dickens (who worked for the magazine that was publishing her story serially), other people with whom she discussed ideas for the book as she was writing, and other authors of the day (Charlotte Bronte, Harriot Beecher Stowe) writing to congratulate her and tell her how much they enjoyed her book. I found the letters very interesting and full of personality.
Enjoy reading this wonderful book! I will definitely be looking for more of Norton's critical editions!

As a student I was never concerned about the leaning of our history. What did the old days have to do with me?! As I've grown older and hopefully a little wiser I can't get enough. This trilogy has opened up the past as well as the knowledge that although we've made progress we have a long way to go.

As a person who loves historical fiction up through the Reconstruction after the Civil War, this story brought back fond memories I spent as a teenager reading this story. Though fictional it is historically accurate about how people were divided on the issue of slavery.

The imagery John Jakes creates in all of his stories can almost make a person believe they in were actually participating in the events.

A wonderfully enjoyable way to spend a rainy afternoon with nothing else to do but curl up with your Kindle and imerse yourself in an era that is gone but not forgotten.

I purchased this book originally because I saw the BBC mini series on Netflix and loved the story. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy to read this book is. The language is older then modern day, and runs the risk of being hard to follow.... but this one is written quite well. I am following and engrossed in the story so much. I don't have to reread some phrase to understand it's meaning and get pulled out of the story.

It's an excellent read.

As a huge fan of Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen, I decided to search for other authors with similar styles and themes. In the process, I heard of this book. Not sure if I would enjoy it, I decided to be cheap and downloaded a free digital copy of it online. Before finishing the first chapter, I knew I was going to love it, and could barely get through the 3rd before ordering this paperback it from the store. I've been thrilled that I did! Full of warmth, humor, romance, tragedy, and so much more, this has become possibly my favorite book. (Pride and Prejudice has held that spot for a long time. I've read P&P at least 6 times, and watched the long BBC version of the movie more times than I can count - but North & South is at least tied with it).

I'd strongly recommend reading North and South before watching the BBC movie adaptation. Don't get me wrong - I loved the movie too, and it stands a wonderful piece on its own. It stayed true to much of the novel, but it made changes to key scenes and lost a lot of the humor and social awkwardness that makes the book so much fun. If you've seen the movie already and enjoyed it, then you're going to love the book.

As for many of the comments regarding typos in the book and grammar issues, I did notice a few. But mostly they were minor and did not detract from the reading. At any rate, when trying to choose a version to buy, all of the paperback versions I looked at had comments on typos. The layout of the book was nice - comfy margins, easy to read type. (I know, it sounds trivial, but my copy of Jane Eyre was not so kindly published with it's 1/4" margins, and now I really appreciate a well produced novel). So overall, I'd recommend this version, though I'll probably trade mine out for a hardcover edition one day when the paperback wears out!

I like to read the book before seeing the movie. I have never been a fan of history, but this was written in such a great story line, that I was and am fascinated by all that I am learning about our country's history from so many angles. Great read and great way to learn about the past.

A love story woven through with social justice issues of the Industrial Revolution still engages readers by not being to preachy. All sides get a fair shake. Gaskell may not write quite as well as Austen, but her insights into the problems of her era make up for that tiny shortcoming.

One of my absolute favorite books. Two main characters from two opposite worlds, thrown together for better or worse. Pride and Prejudice similarities, but during the industrial revolution. Not a fluffy romance novel--although there is romance--it covers other topics of the times, in addition to making you think from different characters' perspectives. Through hardship comes enlightenment and maturity, and it's wonderful to "watch" the characters evolve. Helstone in particular reminded me of my own home, so Margaret's situation really resonated with me. Will read again and again.

I enjoyed the BBC production, but the book is ten times better. The subtleties of each character's personality, the beautiful language, the natural way in which faith is discussed, and the witty, satisfying ending are only a few of the reasons this novel is on my "favorites" list.

I discovered Elizabeth Gaskell 3 years ago when I stumbled across the adaptation of this book on You Tube (also available here on the store), and quickly this became my all time favorite work of fiction.

If you are a fan of Period Dramas, like Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters, then you will enjoy this book. Instead of the quiet peaceful of the English countryside, this story is set in the heart of the industrial revolution. It initially follows the life of Margaret Hale who was born and raised in the bright southern towns of Helstone and London. Margaret is forced to leave her comfortable life and move North when her father decides to change professions. The family settles in the (fictional) industrial town of Milton, located in (fictional) Darkshire. There she encounters life as she has never experienced before. A cold dark climate, the bustle and demands of industry, and the clash of society between the factory workers and the Mill Masters. It is also here that she discovers the dark and smoldering John Thornton, Master of Marlborough Mills. Unlike Austen or Bronte, Mrs. Gaskell explores the heart and mind of her hero, Mr. Thornton. By the end of the book you will have experienced a beautiful transformation of both major characters as well as several of the minor characters.

At it's heart, it is a classic romance but as others more wise than I have stated, it's a love story with a eye on the issues of the time in which it is placed.

Highly recommended! (I can not recommend it highly enough) As well as the adaptation of the same name, staring Richard Armitage and Daniella Denby-Ashe. (which can also be found here on the store!)

Elizabeth Gaskell does an amazing job of making a "History" lesson interesting by capturing the essence of the mid 1800's and presenting it in a beautiful love story. If every time period in History were presented in such a wonderful way instead of the "dry facts" found in other books people would know more about it. I would love to read more books like North and South.

I was introduced to North and South by the incredible BBC adaptation. The book, reminiscent of Pride and Predijice and Jane Eyre does not disappoint. It provides a vivid portrait of the times and an engrossing love story. It is long and the pace is slow, yet the ending leaves you wishing for more.

Oh what a tedious author. Many, many triple compounded sentences, and almost no romantic development between her two main characters. Described as a romance, the book was a heavy and sorrowful legacy about the abominable factory conditions of Victorian era England.
Only read this if you have absolutely nothing else to do, and want to become depressed.

I had not been familiar with Elizabeth Gaskill's works, to the extent that when my wife ordered "North and South" on DVD, I assumed it was a Civil War piece. Reality was a pleasant surprise, but I do like books, and the price was definitely right for this edition. As usual, I like the book rather better than the DVD of the BBC series, especially the ending chapters. At first, I thought the ending rather abrupt, but since have enjoyed devising my own versions of the next meeting between Mrs. Thornton and Margaret. My poor high school English teachers would never believe the things I read and enjoy. My only negative is the lack of a table of contents. I have used bookmarks rather more frequently to somewhat make up for that omission. As a general admission of ignorance, I do wish English editions, especially of English authors, would footnote segments in other languages. Yes, we should all know French and Latin, but I don't. Anyone who likes Jane Austen should read Elizabeth Gaskell unless, of course, they expect or want them to be the same.