Book Review: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Borrowed book from sister. Free download on Kindle.
For the first half of this book I dreaded the picking up. It was so dark and heavy and dreary. I completed the book on Kindle and ended up enjoying it tremendously.
A study in contrasts … North and South, Man and Gentleman, Man and Woman, masters and “hands”, past and present. Margaret Hale’s world is turned upside down and inside out, death and difficulties surround her, trouble and conscience confound her, and she learns to be self-possessed and self-controlled. She sins and repents and is forgiven. She learns to live with a world that ever changes even as she seeks that One who is constant.
There are several plot similarities and parallels to Pride and Prejudice, but this book is very different in tone and theme.
I’m glad I have more Gaskell works to explore.
Just a further note for my blog readers; have a care of Gaskell’s Unitarianism. It doesn’t show up much in this book, despite Mr. Hale’s leanings in that direction. Margaret seems to be, and insists that she remains, a Christian and woman of the church.