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yilliun's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Suicide, and Terminal illness
Minor: Animal death
anamustacho's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Ik zou dit niet lezen als beginner. Je moet een basiskennis hebben van de cultuur en maatschappij uit die tijd.
Het is een zeer beschrijvend verhaal.
Ook heel vaag in veel momenten, zeker het begin had ik telkens het gevoel alsof ik een heel stuk gemist had. Maw is het aan de ene kant uitgebreid beschreven en aan de andere kant verwarrend vaag.
Onderwerpen als klasse, arbeidsrecht, sociaal recht, arm vs rijk, vrouwenrechten, overlijden en rouw, opofferingen, levenskeuzes, naastenliefde, geloof, trots en vooroordelen.
Het is een zeer beschrijvend verhaal.
Ook heel vaag in veel momenten, zeker het begin had ik telkens het gevoel alsof ik een heel stuk gemist had. Maw is het aan de ene kant uitgebreid beschreven en aan de andere kant verwarrend vaag.
Onderwerpen als klasse, arbeidsrecht, sociaal recht, arm vs rijk, vrouwenrechten, overlijden en rouw, opofferingen, levenskeuzes, naastenliefde, geloof, trots en vooroordelen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, War, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Confinement, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
darinwilson's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
helalost's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Terminal illness
abbieve's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Terminal illness
quoteradar's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book does a decent job of illustrating class divides in British society with the contextual nuance of rising or falling in economic and social status. It also demonstrates something I've found to be true in my own experience: that it's easy for someone to disdain a class of people in the abstract and to wilfully misunderstand their circumstances, but when people are receptive to opportunities to interact with - to build relationships or at least trust with and to genuinely listen to - real people with different lived experience, there's a possibility of real perspective change.
The narrative overtly comments on its thesis about industrial labor and class consciousness. It's less direct, but there's also a running theme of the performance of emotional labor in social systems; Margaret is noted as continuously having to suppress or set aside her own feelings and emotional needs in order to accommodate the people around her, and this is acknowledged as a form of uncompensated labor on which the surrounding social systems depend, and which crosses class divides.
Star deducted for failure to address the context of British colonialism, American slavery, and racism/supremacy culture and their significant implications to the narrative. Most notably,the book has Irish laborers brought over as knobsticks (scabs) to break the Milton strike, and both the owner class and working class characters express an unanalyzed stereotype that these Irish workers are stupid, poorly-skilled, and lack both long-term judgement and class solidarity in taking over the millwork from the British strikers. Nothing is said about Britain essentially forcing Ireland into famine and why the Irish workers would be so desperate as to accept being imported for cheap labor, or really even what importing laborers who are willing to accept lower wages and poorer conditions says about the manufacturers. There's a conversation about the differences between industrial labor in urban areas and farm labor in rural areas, and that the workers of either type would be poorly adapted to switch roles, but this analyses doesn't seem to be applied to the Irish workers' apparent lack of skill as textile mill operators.
Likewise, it's noted that the British textile industry is experiencing undercutting and uncertainty from American cotton, without the remotest acknowledgement that in the mid-1850s, American cotton labor was performed by enslaved people and the American commodities market was fast approaching a civil war over abolition. This particular flavor of racism is ignored entirely, while a minor incident in the narrative actively perpetuates racist stereotypes of Romani people.
The narrative overtly comments on its thesis about industrial labor and class consciousness. It's less direct, but there's also a running theme of the performance of emotional labor in social systems; Margaret is noted as continuously having to suppress or set aside her own feelings and emotional needs in order to accommodate the people around her, and this is acknowledged as a form of uncompensated labor on which the surrounding social systems depend, and which crosses class divides.
Star deducted for failure to address the context of British colonialism, American slavery, and racism/supremacy culture and their significant implications to the narrative. Most notably,
Likewise, it's noted that the British textile industry is experiencing undercutting and uncertainty from American cotton, without the remotest acknowledgement that in the mid-1850s, American cotton labor was performed by enslaved people and the American commodities market was fast approaching a civil war over abolition. This particular flavor of racism is ignored entirely, while a minor incident in the narrative actively perpetuates racist stereotypes of Romani people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
turidt's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Classism
Moderate: Terminal illness
haley49's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
I don’t read classics too often but this book reminded me why I should. The characters and story were so well done. I was actually reacting at some parts with the same emotion I would a romance novel written in the modern day and yet it has layers of social, economic, and religious themes that make it the longstanding classic that it is. Would recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Sexism and Violence
renardthefox's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really enjoyed NORTH AND SOUTH, but not quite as much as earlier this year, when I read it during a fifteen hour bus journey. It turns out when I have other books to read, and other stuff to do, this wasn't QUITE so charming. But that's okay.
NORTH AND SOUTH is the story of Margaret Hale murdering everyone in her life and her romance with the one man she can't kill. Joking aside, there is a LOT of death in this book. I won't spoil who dies, but be prepared.
I like Margaret, even though she's a snob and a bit of a white knight to the working-class who don't know better. I like John, too, though he's a capitalist pig. They're very realistically and humanly depicted.
I don't have anything to say about Mr Hale except that he can suck my dick. The man is a menace.
Likeability aside, I do question the politics of almost everyone in this novel. It's like the conventions of writing a romance (though of course it's not a modern romance) constrained ELIZABETH GASKELL. Or perhaps her desire to be even-handed. You can be even-handed and point out that one side is the good one, I promise! Higgins is somewhat sympathetically drawn, but even so, he still needs to learn the lesson that Thornton knows what he's doing as master, and I just don't agree!
The thing that is best about NORTH AND SOUTH (and I promise this is a compliment!) is that it's many better books stitched together. There's elements of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, JANE EYRE, I even detect some THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL in there. But the ability to makes this all hang together is a skill in itself, I would argue.
Anyway, I enjoyed it, but: Dickens was right about the title! Sorry not sorry.
NORTH AND SOUTH is the story of Margaret Hale murdering everyone in her life and her romance with the one man she can't kill. Joking aside, there is a LOT of death in this book. I won't spoil who dies, but be prepared.
I like Margaret, even though she's a snob and a bit of a white knight to the working-class who don't know better. I like John, too, though he's a capitalist pig. They're very realistically and humanly depicted.
I don't have anything to say about Mr Hale except that he can suck my dick. The man is a menace.
Likeability aside, I do question the politics of almost everyone in this novel. It's like the conventions of writing a romance (though of course it's not a modern romance) constrained ELIZABETH GASKELL. Or perhaps her desire to be even-handed. You can be even-handed and point out that one side is the good one, I promise! Higgins is somewhat sympathetically drawn, but even so, he still needs to learn the lesson that Thornton knows what he's doing as master, and I just don't agree!
The thing that is best about NORTH AND SOUTH (and I promise this is a compliment!) is that it's many better books stitched together. There's elements of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, JANE EYRE, I even detect some THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL in there. But the ability to makes this all hang together is a skill in itself, I would argue.
Anyway, I enjoyed it, but: Dickens was right about the title! Sorry not sorry.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Sexism, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
beccaand's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Death