North and South

By: Elizabeth Gaskell

Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson

Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

Written at the request of Charles Dickens, North and South is a book about rebellion; it poses fundamental questions about the nature of social authority and obedience. Gaskell expertly blends individual feeling with social concern, and her heroine, Margaret Hale, is one of the most original creations of Victorian literature.

When Margaret Hale's father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience she is forced to leave her comfortable home in the tranquil countryside of Hampshire and move with her family to the fictional industrial town of Milton in the north of England. Though at first disgusted by her new surroundings, she witnesses the brutality wrought by the Industrial Revolution and becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of the local mill workers. Sympathetic to the poor she makes friends among them and develops a fervent sense of social justice. She clashes with the mill-owner and self-made man, John Thornton, who is contemptuous of his workers. However, their fierce opposition masks a deeper attraction.

Gaskell based her depiction of Milton on Manchester, where she lived as the wife of a Unitarian minister. She was an accomplished writer, much of her work published in Charles Dickens' magazine Household Words including North and South which was originally published as a serial. She was also friends with Charlotte Brontë and after her death, her father, Patrick Brontë, chose Gaskell to write The Life of Charlotte Brontë.

Narrator Biography

Whether she's up on stage, behind the microphone or in front of the camera, Juliet Stevenson never fails to charm her audience...whoever they may be. Acting roles in Truly, Madly Deeply, Emma, Bend It like Beckham and Mona Lisa Smile have cemented her status as one of the great British actresses of our time. Meanwhile, her popular performances of hits such as Apple Tree Yard, the book that was turned into a TV series that people just couldn't stop talking about, have earned her an overwhelming amount of well-deserved praise for her spoken word talents.

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[An] admirable story...full of character and power." (Charles Dickens)

Holy Crap

This entire novel was wonderful but the very end was absolutely delicious. Mr Thornton is sexy AF.

Emotional and very long

Goodness, this book was long! I’m not one of those people who insist on reading the book before watching an on-screen adaptation, and I watched the mini-series version of North and South before reading it. I hadn’t heard of North and South in any form until the mini-series was recommended to me, and even while enjoying it, I didn’t know it had come from a book until I thought to check for it on Goodreads.

Having now read the book, I can’t say it’s my favorite classic, but it was a good story. It was also interesting to compare book to screen as I read, and I was happy to see that the mini-series stuck close to the source material in many ways. That said, this was not a funny or happy book, though it did have a happy ending. Poignant might be the best descriptor. Honestly, while it was an emotionally deep and well-crafted story, it was poignant enough that I wouldn’t read it if I were feeling sad already, because I don’t think it would exactly help to pull me out. Thankfully, however, I’ve been feeling fine lately and was able to enjoy it for what it was, and I did enjoy the way the romance worked out, which resulted in a sweet, lovely, ending scene. Another plus was the biblically-based viewpoints some of the characters held about death and some other subjects, which helped keep things from getting too depressing.

The main thing I didn’t like was this book’s length. I’m not normally one to gripe about length, assuming the story is good, but in this case, after about three-quarters of the way through, things dragged A LOT. I found myself tuning out of the audiobook for long periods and yet not feeling like I’d missed much when I tuned back in, because things were going so slow, and I really just wanted to FINISH THE BOOK ALREADY. This caused it to be one of those times where I felt the TV mini-series had the upper hand over the book, because the mini-series paced things better, and yet still kept the important points of the story in-tact. There were also times where I wanted to give Margret, and especially Mr. Thornton, a good talking to about making judgments without enough information, but that didn’t necessarily detract from the story for me.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars, but, given the length, I recommend that anyone interested watch the mini-series first to be sure you actually like the story before you dedicate yourself to the book. Had I not already known and liked the story, I doubt I would have pushed through the draggy parts. I also recommend that anyone interested be aware that the majority of this is not a feel-good story, and while it has a happy ending, it might not be the best thing to read if you’re feeling down.

Also of note: The narrator was one of my favorites. I love her performances and if I have the choice between her and another narrator, I will always go with her.

Content Advisory for those who want to know:

Violence: Very little violence in the traditional sense: One person has a rock thrown at them which grazes their head and causes some bleeding (barely described.) One person accidentally is pushed down some stairs (not described) and later dies, but they die from a disease they already had, not injuries. If I recall correctly, there was also a minor character who, it is said, commits suicide (by drowning, I think?), but this is not shown or described, only reported by another character.

There are some non-violent character deaths as well, two from disease and one of natural causes, but all three of which are people close to the main character, and their loss affects her and others deeply. One character is sick through much of the first half of the book and the scenes where Margaret spends time with her, comforting her in her ever-declining state were very poignant.

Drinking/drugs: Some characters drink socially, some characters drink excessively. At one point, two female characters must physically stand in the way of an already drunk man to keep him from going out and drinking himself to death because of his grief. He physically pushes one woman aside, but the other stands so firm he does not touch her and gives up. The person who died after being pushed down stairs died of a disease caused by excessive drinking. Overall, excessive drinking is shown as a Very Bad Thing.

Swearing: This was a very long book, and I admit I don’t remember everything, but I am positive there was little to no swearing, and *if* there ever was any swearing, it was mild and brief enough that it does not stand out in my memory.

Sexuality: There is a romance that (very) slowly grows throughout the story, and the characters express both emotional and physical attraction in thought and word, but none of these expressions ever got sexual. I don’t remember the couple ever even kissing.

Worldviews: Some of the characters are Bible-believing Christians (Margaret’s father in particular was a Christian minister) and some are not. God is referenced, and The Bible is referenced and quoted many times. Those characters who are not Christians don’t subscribe to any other religion that I recall, they simply consider themselves non-religious. Some of these people change their opinions for one reason or another, and some don’t, but I’ll note that the story is never preachy in any way. Everything the characters say and do is natural to what is going on in the story and I don’t believe the author was trying to make any kind of point about religion.

A classic love story, told incredibly well

If you could sum up North and South in three words, what would they be?

Relatable. Romantic. Timeless.

What other book might you compare North and South to and why?

NORTH AND SOUTH has elements in common with PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, though the latter has more direct comedy. In general, though, if you enjoy Jane Austen, George Eliot, and/or Charles Dickens, I think you'll enjoy Gaskell.

What about Juliet Stevenson’s performance did you like?

Juliet Stevenson is easily my favorite audiobook performer. She understands every text she reads and interprets it completely. Her acting is meticulous, as are her *many* dialects. She disappears in every role—every character has a distinct voice—but she moves between them all effortlessly. Her performance alone is worth getting the book, but it's a bonus for those who already love Gaskell's writing in the first place.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I've always been moved by Margaret's connection with Bessie, and Juliet Stevenson's readings of those scenes are particularly poignant.

Any additional comments?

Gaskell's NORTH AND SOUTH is an important and beautiful novel. The characters are full and honest, and they remain true to their convictions. They are real and relatable. Margaret is a great British literary heroine, up there with the likes of Lizzy Bennet, Jane Eyre, and Dorothea Brooke. Her relationships—both with her parents and with the brooding Mr. Thornton (he is much more brood-y than Mr. Darcy)—are honest and complicated. I've listened to Juliet's performance of this book at least 3 times so far and will probably listen again. Highly recommended.

Loved it

If you could sum up North and South in three words, what would they be?

A great listen!

What was one of the most memorable moments of North and South?

Full of saddness and beauty. Lots of Bravery in the face of difficulty and a clash of cultures as well.

Have you listened to any of Juliet Stevenson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Always love Juliet Stevenson. She gets it right. She's also spot on with the accents.

Any additional comments?

If you like Jane Austen you'll like this too.

Good historical fiction

I ended up really captivated by the book, and listened to its entirety without fast-forwarding, skipping or stopping midway (which I have done with other books). The first three chapters were really confusing, and I listened to them twice to figure out what was going on. But, after I read the wikipedia article about the author and the book, found out that this book was written in 1854, edited by Charles Dickens, and was intended as social commentary, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Though long, all the chapters seemed to have meaning, and I couldn't skip ahead for fear of missing important information. The actor / reader does a superb job of acting all the parts.

Love this story!

One of my favourite books! Such a wonderful love story and Gaskell is so good at building up her characters.
The reading was good but I kept having to raise the volume and lower it. Sometimes it was so soft I almost could not hear.

My first Elizabeth Gaskell novel, but not my last

I wasn't quite sure what to expect of "North and South." I downloaded it on a bit of a whim, and I'm very glad I did.

Reviewers have compared Gaskell to Jan Austen, which seems very strange to me; they have very little in common. Gaskell is trying to explore the effects of industrialization and labor unrest through the eyes of her heroine, who has moved to industrial Northern England from the more bucolic South.

Gaskell has nice characters to represent the capitalist class, the workers, and others. If anything, they're a bit too good to be true, but it also lets her set out the conflicts without putting in straw men. Her workers and capitalists are at odds with each other, and Gaskell doesn't draw out an easy solution, which is probably just as well, since it would destroy any realism the novel has.

Victorian Industrial Life Commentary

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. The story is good. It has a plot, commentary on life, and a love story. And most people aren't as picky about performance.

What was one of the most memorable moments of North and South?

Mr Hale's conviction about whether or not to leave the church.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I have a hard time with female narrators with accents.
I get lost in the whisper voice. It feels slow.
It's hard to listen to fast.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

What life was like during the industrial revolution.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this book when I first read it and when I listened to it. She is an author with something to say (and add) about life and what it means to be human.

They don't write them like they used to!

I enjoyed the writing and the look into northern England during the industrial revolution and the race to establish the fabric mills up there. Juliet Stevenson is a marvel. Her accents and expression made listening a joy. She acted rather than narrated. Many of the issues of material greed, the working classes vs those we call the 1%, and the place of technology resonate today. The characters are well drawn so I found myself caring for them. The language is Victorian, but not sentimental. If you are not afraid such, give this one a try!

Great Book, Brilliantly Performed

I highly recommend this as a great book, brilliant performed. Even though the BBC mini-series is riveting, this is by far its superior. So full of truth and character development besides the drama.