North and South

Synopsis

Having grown up in London and rural southern England, Margaret Hale moves with her father to the northern industrial city of Milton. She is shocked by the unsympathetic attitude of the textile-mill owner John Thornton, whose factory workers are engaged in an acrimonious strike. Against this backdrop of social unrest, the relationship between the two is tumultuous, and it takes further upheaval and tragedy for them to see each other in a different light.

Loved

• The romance. Before reading this I was craving something Pride and Prejudice-ish and this definitely hit the spot! This romance is very much like Pride and Prejudice- those words are even used to describe Margaret and Mr. Thornton. However, this story has a little more action than a Jane Austen novel and there are actually things that take place outside of a drawing room ;) This is the ultimate slow-burn romance, as it takes nearly 600 pages for these two to end up together, but it's made worth it with some frustrating tension, swoony moments and a sweet reconciliation at the end :)

• Margaret. Margaret is a refreshing heroine, especially for this time period because she keep her head when her world falls apart over and over again throughout the story. She initially appears haughty, prideful and judgmental, but we quickly discover her nature to be empathetic, selfless, and plucky. Her dignified strength carries her through the tragedies of her story, and her compassion softens her pride and widens her perspective.

• Mr. Thornton. Although readers aren't supposed to like Mr. Thornton initially because of his cold-hearted and unsympathetic view towards his mill workers, I found myself liking him from the first time we meet him. He is very much like Mr. Darcy in that he is broody, successful and mysterious, but completely insecure and out of his depth when it comes to Margaret. The best part about Mr. Thornton is that we get his perspective in the story and get to see what he is thinking about Margaret- which makes for some swoony moments, and makes it hard not to fall for him ;) His character also develops nicely in this story as he becomes much more compassionate and understanding through Margaret's influence.

• The social commentary. The romance is the best part of this story, but it shares the stage with the drama of Margaret's life that exhibits the poverty and tragedy of the Industrial Revolution. It seems that most of us are familiar with the south of England at this time because of the popular Regency-style books, but many of us are probably not familiar with the north of England- where people had to fight, struggle and work hard to keep themselves and their families alive. I found it very interesting to understand this totally different side of England during this era and see how these people fought and worked to survive. The commentary and drama gave me Dickens vibes as it showcased the poverty and hardships of England during this time period.

Didn't Love

• My only complaint is that we don't get a very long resolution scene at the end to resolve the romance. I wish we had more Margaret and Mr. Thornton time! :)

Content

• Language: 
• A few uses of "damned."

• Sexual content: 
• None.

• Violence
• A mob throws stones at a man and woman. The woman gets a cut on her face from the stones.
• A man attacks another man in a skirmish. One of the men falls in to the railroad station and dies a few days later from the fall.


• Other themes:
• A man commits suicide by drowning himself- his distorted and bloated body is described.
• Prominent theme of death- four main characters die of natural causes.

Overall Thoughts

This was a very compelling story, and I found myself riveted for most of the book. Getting started was a little slow, as with many classics, but once the plot picked up the pacing was engaging. This is very similar to Pride and Prejudice in the romance between Margaret and Mr. Thornton, but without the sparkle and charm of a Jane Austen novel. This story was darker and more dramatic- full of deaths, poverty, and tragedy that showcase what the Industrial Revolution was like and how it affected families and cities. This was published in Dickens' magazine along with Hard Times, and it definitely has the vibes of a Dickens novel in that we get a front-row seat to the destruction of poverty by coming to love the characters it affects. If you are looking for a light and fluffy Jane Austen-esque novel, this won't be it. But if you are up for an engrossing drama with a different side of the Regency era complete with a slow burn, Darcy and Elizabeth-type romance, this is for you. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves Jane Austen, Dickens, or classics in general!