North and South

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

I got this book for my birthday from Catherine Weller. We had been talking about it; how she had watched it on TV and I hadn't . I had never read any Gaskell before and had no idea of the story.

First impressions were positive because I loved the cover.  Lots of 'classic' books have fusty old- fashioned, worthy, boring pictures on them. (Penguin Classics are the worst culprits.) Those do not encourage you to pick up a book which you instantly visualise as a worthy tome. This cover, in contrast, was beautiful. 

Luckily there was no picture of Elizabeth Gaskell inside. Unfortunately her portrait isn't good at selling books, she looks a bit severe and dull.  It seemed like Vintage had done it's 21st Century packaging homework.  It worked for me!

Now for the content,

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I often find reading Victorian novels a bit of a chore but this was an easy read and I feIt I could empathise with Margaret, the main character. She was a strong minded 19 year old, who seemed very mature.This was because her parents were really pathetic characters. They just just left everything up to their dutiful daughter. Luckily Margaret had enough balls and character for the both of them.

 I enjoyed the section when her father tells her he has lost his religion ( a problem for a vicar I presume) and they have to move from the countryside of Hampshire up to Darkshire. A euphemism for Manchester. Marg's Dad is too much of a coward to inform his wife about such life changing and momentous events and poor Margaret gets lumbered with informing her. So off to Darkshire they trot (literally). Poor Mother is beside herself with grief. Life is obviously very different up North for Margaret but even though she comes from a middle class and educated family she is not a snob.

John Thornton is a business man who wants to educate himself further.  He becomes a student of the ex vicar. (Lots of learning Greek) John never went to school and educated himself in business...luckily for him he finds Greek really interesting.(Or is it all an excuse to see Miss Margaret?!) There are then lots of discussions and high sexual tension between Margaret and John. He becomes obsessed by her hands and arms  and Elizabeth Gaskell gets carried away with  highly erotic language  for a page or two. After the super heroine flings her arms around John to protect him from a brawling gang of striking workers in his cotton factory things unfortunately calm down between them. She thinks she can not be  with a Northern business man, he thinks she is 'in love with another man'  John is aware that he is not a 'gentleman'  and Mother of John thinks she is too poor and aloof for her beloved son. There sure are lots of class prejudices for them to overcome.

Margaret puts her old Southern lifestyle onto a pedestal but finally it dawns on her that the lot of the average Southern farmer/worker isn't any better..infact probably worse, than life in Darkshire. Farm hands down South are nothing more than ignorant serfs and die really young from daily grind in the fields.   At least up North people seemed to  have a more industrious spirit and more freedom of mind.   (There's a great section on Witchcraft in rural Hampshire at the end of the book)

Of course Margaret and John get together, but along the way there are many tribulations, misunderstandings, fainting fits, discussions and deaths.(Lots of deaths)

I enjoyed reading it partly because topics covered are timeless: workers rights, health, depression, responsibilities, class,  love, lies and humanism. Luckily Gaskell doesn't turn the book into a preachy, worthy epic either. It's just a well drawn picture of life in Britain at that time.

Originally posted on 02.02.12 on posterous.com