North and South [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 12, 2007

NORTH AND SOUTH (1854) by Elizabeth Gaskell is both a social commentary and the romantic story of a young lady, Margaret Hale, who is relocated with her family from the affluent South of England to the industrial North.

Margaret comes in contact with the difficulties of the working class and her sympathies are engaged. She also encounters the fascinating John Thornton, a wealthy local mill owner and a man of true integrity. Romantic tension ensues, reminiscent of Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. However, unlike an Austen heroine, Margaret lives in a world of harsher realities, with few things whitewashed, and suffering going hand in hand with ultimate exultation.

A classic portrayal of nineteenth century industrialization, and of the complexities of the human heart.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 516 pages
• Publisher: Norilana Books (November 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934648248
• ISBN-13: 978-1934648247
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,173,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A very basic edition, September 13, 2008

By 

Victoria Deni - See all my reviews

This review is from: North and South (Hardcover)

I prefer hardcover over paperback and I wasn't too impressed with this edition, the only one available in hardcover. It's full of typos, some of which obviously are due to the fact that some machine scanned the text from the first edition and no human eye ever went over the text once again. Thus, "being bold" becomes "being hold", "he lives there with his ilk" becomes "he lives there with his milk" etc. First I thought those were archaic forms of English or some obscure dialect but no, it was just the machine... There is absolutely no "bonus material", no annotations, explanations, preface or anything else. No comparison with the carefully done Barnes and Noble Classics editions. Then again, at least the book is physically solid, good binding, decent paper, not too thin, not transparent.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT BOOK!, December 26, 2009

By 

Lori Sheppard (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: North and South (Hardcover)

I discovered Elizabeth Gaskell 3 years ago when I stumbled across the adaptation of this book on You Tube (also available here on Amazon), and quickly this became my all time favorite work of fiction.

If you are a fan of Period Dramas, like Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters, then you will enjoy this book. Instead of the quiet peaceful of the English countryside, this story is set in the heart of the industrial revolution. It initially follows the life of Margaret Hale who was born and raised in the bright southern towns of Helstone and London. Margaret is forced to leave her comfortable life and move North when her father decides to change professions. The family settles in the (fictional) industrial town of Milton, located in (fictional) Darkshire. There she encounters life as she has never experienced before. A cold dark climate, the bustle and demands of industry, and the clash of society between the factory workers and the Mill Masters. It is also here that she discovers the dark and smoldering John Thornton, Master of Marlborough Mills. Unlike Austen or Bronte, Mrs. Gaskell explores the heart and mind of her hero, Mr. Thornton. By the end of the book you will have experienced a beautiful transformation of both major characters as well as several of the minor characters.

At it's heart, it is a classic romance but as others more wise than I have stated, it's a love story with a eye on the issues of the time in which it is placed.

Highly recommended! (I can not recommend it highly enough) As well as the adaptation of the same name, staring Richard Armitage and Daniella Denby-Ashe. (which can also be found here on Amazon!)

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars North and South- if you can stand it, March 1, 2010

By 

Classics Fan - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: North and South (Hardcover)

I have never written a review before, but I can't restrain my contempt for Norilana. This book happens to be the beautiful, poignant love story I have ever had the pleasure to read. However, this particular text has been so badly printed that it absolutely overflows, if I can use that word in relation to a book, with typos! It is so obvious that the text was never proofread! Norilana should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for corrupting the text of this beautiful book to the extent that I was practically wincing every few minutes as I discovered another mistake. I dislike buying paperbacks, but I would rather have a paperback with the pure text than wade through another Norilana edition of anything again.