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Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
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North and South (Penguin Classics) Paperback – 25 Jan. 1996

by Elizabeth Gaskell (Author), Patricia Ingham (Editor)
4.3 out of 5 stars 9,385 ratings
on any 4 Qualifying items | Terms
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As relevant now as when it was first published, Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South skilfully weaves a compelling love story into a clash between the pursuit of profit and humanitarian ideals. This Penguin Classics edition is edited with an introduction by Patricia Ingham.

When her father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience, Margaret Hale is uprooted from her comfortable home in Hampshire to move with her family to the North of England. Initially repulsed by the ugliness of her new surroundings in the industrial town of Milton, Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of local mill workers and develops a passionate sense of social justice. This is intensified by her tempestuous relationship with the mill-owner and self-made man John Thornton, as their fierce opposition over his treatment of his employees masks a deeper attraction. In North and South Gaskell skilfully fused individual feeling with social concern, and in Margaret Hale created one of the most original heroines of Victorian literature.

In her introduction Patricia Ingham examines Elizabeth Gaskell's treatment of geographical, economic and class differences, and the male and female roles portrayed in the novel. This edition also includes further reading, notes and a useful glossary.

Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-65) was born in London, but grew up in the north of England in the village of Knutsford. In 1832 she married the Reverend William Gaskell and had four daughters, and one son who died in infancy. Her first novel, Mary Barton, was published in 1848, winning the attention of Charles Dickens, and most of her later work was published in his journals, including Cranford (1853), serialised in Dickens's Household Words. She was also a lifelong friend of Charlotte Brontë, whose biography she wrote.

If you enjoyed North and South, you might like Jane Austen's Persuasion, also available in Penguin Classics.

'[An] admirable story ... full of character and power'
Charles Dickens

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  1. ISBN-10
    0140434240
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0140434248
  3. Edition
    Revised ed.
  4. Publisher
    Penguin Classics
  5. Publication date
    25 Jan. 1996
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    12.7 x 2.24 x 19.81 cm
  8. Print length
    496 pages
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From the Inside Flap

As relevant now as when it was first published, Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South skilfully weaves a compelling love story into a clash between the pursuit of profit and humanitarian ideals. This Penguin Classics edition is edited with an introduction by Patricia Ingham.

When her father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience, Margaret Hale is uprooted from her comfortable home in Hampshire to move with her family to the North of England. Initially repulsed by the ugliness of her new surroundings in the industrial town of Milton, Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of local mill workers and develops a passionate sense of social justice. This is intensified by her tempestuous relationship with the mill-owner and self-made man John Thornton, as their fierce opposition over his treatment of his employees masks a deeper attraction. In North and South Gaskell skilfully fused individual feeling with social concern, and in Margaret Hale created one of the most original heroines of Victorian literature.

In her introduction Patricia Ingham examines Elizabeth Gaskell's treatment of geographical, economic and class differences, and the male and female roles portrayed in the novel. This edition also includes further reading, notes and a useful glossary.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Classics
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 25 Jan. 1996
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Revised ed.
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140434240
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140434248
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 341 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 2.24 x 19.81 cm
  • Best Sellers Rank: 124,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 9,385 ratings

About the author

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Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

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Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell was born in London in 1810, but she spent her formative years in Cheshire, Stratford-upon-Avon and the north of England. In 1832 she married the Reverend William Gaskell, who became well known as the minister of the Unitarian Chapel in Manchester’s Cross Street. As well as leading a busy domestic life as minister’s wife and mother of four daughters, she worked among the poor, traveled frequently and wrote. Mary Barton (1848) was her first success.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
9,385 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book keeps them interested throughout and appreciate its romance mixed with social history. The writing receives positive feedback, with one customer noting its dramatic style reminiscent of Dickens, while the character development is praised for its depth. Moreover, customers value the book's insights into life and times. However, the pacing receives mixed reviews, with several customers finding it slow to begin. Additionally, the print size is criticized for being extremely small.

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ReadabilityStory qualityRomanceCharacter developmentInsightWriting qualityPacingPrint size
129 customers mention ‘Readability’113 positive16 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and keep them interested throughout, with one customer noting it's as engaging as contemporary novels.

"...in the changes mechanisation brought to the working classes it's a good read Not for thise who want a light read though - understandably it's..." Read more

"Good read" Read more

"Great read. True classic..." Read more

"Excellent read I felt I could really understand the characters beautifully written .you could really feel the atmosphere of living in the north..." Read more

69 customers mention ‘Story quality’54 positive15 negative

Customers love the story of this book, appreciating its interesting plots and brilliant ending, with one customer noting the inclusion of a murder mystery element.

"...writing is of a slightly long-winded and flowery style but it's a good story with well-drawn characters, good observation and social historical..." Read more

"Great story. Excellent for understanding life in a 19th century industrial town for both the rich and the poor...." Read more

"A great story, moving and interesting... a picture of the XVII CENTURY and the consequences of the second english revolution" Read more

"Enjoyed it but found it a tad long-winded and the ending rather abrupt after all that! Good character descriptions though." Read more

50 customers mention ‘Romance’45 positive5 negative

Customers appreciate the romance in the book, describing it as a stunning love story mixed with a sobering social history, featuring a bitter-sweet romantic touch.

"...There are great parallels to the modern age. There is human strength, love, loyalty and steadfastness emanating from the Mr. Thornton and his..." Read more

"Beautiful love story amid the story of industrial strikes in the factory of North England. This is a book I keep going back to read." Read more

"Fantastic read. So cleverly written and a great love story. Margaret and Mr Thornton are such strong characters,mi must now see the film!" Read more

"A wonderful story and thrilling read from start to finish. An absolute must for those who love classics by authors such as Bronte and Austen." Read more

39 customers mention ‘Character development’36 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting the compelling and well-developed personalities with great depth, and one customer specifically mentions the powerful central female character.

"...long-winded and flowery style but it's a good story with well-drawn characters, good observation and social historical interest...." Read more

"19th Century England comes to life. Gaskell's characters are wonderfully drawn and depict the lifestyle and attitudes of the class divide which..." Read more

"...Her characterisations are in great depth and result from the substantial research she did on the issues covered." Read more

"...Brilliant storyline, wonderful and believable characters. It's great to have a heroine with a bit of back bone!..." Read more

33 customers mention ‘Insight’31 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the book's insights, finding it excellent for understanding life and the times, with one customer noting it offers more depth than the TV adaptation.

"A brilliant insight into the difference between approaches to life by different classes and different areas of the country...." Read more

"This book has good intentions, but it is a slow read. If you can stick with it it's worth it." Read more

"An interesting insight into the lives of 19th century people in the affluent south and working class industrial north...." Read more

"I have already read the book, and enjoyed it, from a moral, philosophical, romantic and political theme!..." Read more

33 customers mention ‘Writing quality’31 positive2 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, particularly its old-fashioned prose and beautiful storytelling.

"Excellent read I felt I could really understand the characters beautifully written .you could really feel the atmosphere of living in the north..." Read more

"A beautiful story. Well written and informative to the reader of the era it was originally written...." Read more

"Beautifully written. Really enjoyed the book. The characters were really well drawn and her descriptions of the north and South were true and real." Read more

"A well written and enjoyable book with several interesting plots other than the romantic one, although that is also an enjoyable element of the book...." Read more

18 customers mention ‘Pacing’10 positive8 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it beautifully crafted while others describe it as slow moving and a slow read.

"I was not familiart with her work but found this very moving and she clearly knows her area and the society within her region." Read more

"This book has good intentions, but it is a slow read. If you can stick with it it's worth it." Read more

"...Some plot elements, including the ending, a bit forced. Lovable, believable, fleshed-out, varied characters...." Read more

"...Margaret herself flawed and arrogant is perfect. Took a while to read but now,bereft at finishing it. What work will equal this?" Read more

18 customers mention ‘Print size’3 positive15 negative

Customers find the print size of the book extremely small.

"Print too small, impossible to read." Read more

"Print is so tiny (must be font size 4 or 5) I had to order a different copy." Read more

"...Amazon - its OK to add a little glamour to your shelves but the font is very small." Read more

"...black cover version of paperback (image for reference) has really small font and hard to read, though it has good notes etc...." Read more

Hidden gem , bit serious read.
5 out of 5 stars
Hidden gem , bit serious read.
Like many I found out about the book from the brilliant BBC miniseries and decided to give the book a go, and I am so happy I did it. It is a realist's version of Pride and prejudice ,made for mature audience. A world which is not far from the current one with real hardship. I really enjoyed the growth and change shown by both the protagonists. I have a North and South in all formats ie, audio, kindle and paperback. The Penguin Classics , black cover version of paperback (image for reference) has really small font and hard to read, though it has good notes etc. I would suggest Oxford classic version, the font is bolder and easier to read. Now about the Kindle version of the book, look for ASIN : B01KXZ2T2S, Publisher : anboco; 1st edition (9 Sept. 2016). This one costs 50p and enables you to buy audible version read by Ms Juliet Stevenson (my favourite) at a reduced price. I found no problem in this version, easy to switch for reading to listening. I have added the product image for reference( lady's pic). Audiobooks , especially classics narrated by Ms Stevenson are my favourite and this one was no exception.
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Donna M H/S
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 August 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Thoroughly enjoyed.
    Bought a used copy that had some study notes in it, but that didn't bother me.
    Found it quite interesting to see which passages had been highlighted.
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  • Linda T.
    4.0 out of 5 stars North and South
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 September 2024
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    A very tricky old-fashioned prose in some places and the northern vernacular was difficult to read but once ‘tuned into’ the characters and their nuances of dialect I began to relax and enjoy it. It was a historical love story with class warfare and a murder mystery thrown into the plot. Hard work to read but worth it in the end, although at ‘The End’ you are left thinking “what happens next?”
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  • SusannahB
    5.0 out of 5 stars North and South
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 December 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Margaret Hale, the beautiful young daughter of a clergyman, is uprooted from her father's Hampshire rectory in the south of England when he decides he is unable to make a fresh declaration of conformity to the Liturgy and, in consequence, makes the decision to leave the church. Mr Hale resigns his position and takes his daughter and his delicate wife (who is totally shocked and distressed by her husband's decision) and moves them to Milton, an industrial town in the north of England. At Milton, Mr Hale takes on a tutoring role, which brings him into contact with factory owner John Thornton, a self-made man and an individual (and all that he stands for) whom Margaret takes exception to at their first meeting. In comparison with the south of England, Margaret and her mother find the northern town of Milton dirty and smoky and find the local people brash and uncultured; Margaret is also dismayed at the poverty in which the factory workers and their families are forced to live. However, she soon realizes it is up to her to make the best of the situation she finds herself in and she begins to take an interest in the local workers, which leads her into befriending a young woman and her father, Nicholas Higgins, a factory worker, who is involved with the unions and ready to take the workforce out on strike. Margaret's involvement with the Higgins family and her concerns about the living conditions of the working-class in Milton, brings her into further conflict with mill-owner John Thornton - who, by now, finds himself deeply attracted to Margaret, despite her attitude towards him. As time passes and Margaret and her family find themselves in some very difficult circumstances, Margaret's view of John Thornton gradually begins to change and she starts to see him in a new light, but then a situation arises, the consequences of which threaten to ruin their growing understanding of one another and spoil their chances of any sort of meaningful relationship.

    Published in 1855, Elizabeth Gaskell's 'North and South' with its themes of power and authority, and of gender and social inequality, has been compared with Charlotte Bronte's 'Shirley' for its depiction of the struggles of the workers against the mill owners, and Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' for its portrayal of the combination of antagonism and attraction experienced between the two main characters, and I can understand why this novel has been thus compared - however, Miss Gaskell has her own story to tell, she tells it in her own way and she tells it particularly well. I first read this novel many years ago when I was a teenager and feel I have derived much more from it by this second visit, finding it an involving and very interesting read. At 500 or so pages, this is certainly not the longest of the classics, but if you feel you might not have the time to devote to it, do consider downloading the Audible audio version:'North and South', which is very ably narrated by Juliet Stevenson and which you can enjoy listening to 'on the go' or whilst getting on with something else.

    5 Stars.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Romance Everything
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful gritty Victorian Story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 July 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I highly recommend this masters versus workers story. Which is also a love story between a upper working class northern manufacturer Mr Thornton and middle class Miss Hale, daughter of an ex parson. Set in Milton, Hampshire and London.
    This story sets out to show not all masters are always selfish and wicked in the Victorian era. And class snobbery gets put in it's place also. I have watched the great BBC mini series, which brings it more to life but as expected the book has much more details and adds more depth than the tv programme. Just a great shame the ending was rushed.
    P.S Juliet Stevenson read it perfectly.
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  • D. Morris
    3.0 out of 5 stars Why 19th century English literature gets a bad rap
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 October 2022
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Some people complain about 19th century fiction as if it were all of a kind, an attitude that seems bafflingly simplistic until you come across a book like this that trots out all the tropes. Then you might think that a whole lot of novels of the 1840s and 1850s in particular were all coming out of the same writers' room: situations, characters, themes just remixed slightly each time.

    What are the elements? Ineffectual male characters, either hopelessly indecisive or else rough-hewn and lacking in sensitivity. Convenient swoons. Gruff and brutalized characters with hearts of gold. Convenient deaths. Absent family members and skeletons in the closet. Twitty one-dimensional friends who are only there to make the plot work. Pointless obstinacy creating romantic obstacles in the absence of more interesting dilemmas. Cloying sentiment. Contrived suspense. Downfalls and inheritances. Lots of references to God.

    In fact, everything is there to make the plot work. "Who will tell Mrs Boucher her husband is dead?" "Not me," says useless dad, "I haven't time to think of what to say." "Not me," says the neighbour, "he and I weren't on good terms." "I! I will do it! Me!" cries Mary Sue Hale, yet again shown to be capable only by the helplessness of all around her.

    You can tell a good writer (Dickens, Thackeray) because they transmute and redeem the tropes with compelling characters, lyrical prose, humour and inspired situations. Elizabeth Gaskell isn't that kind of writer. She dutifully leads us through all this but only seems really interested when she's got the characters arguing about labour vs capital. You get the impression that the rest of it bores her -- the romantic misunderstandings, for example, so footling and so drawn-out that you are longing for the lovers to expire of some unspecified mid-Victorian ailment as much as you want them to finally get together. At least Thornton doesn't have to be burnt, blinded and lose a hand, but the formula dictates that he must be humbled so that he can be rescued by Mary Sue, who has of course by this time been left a fortune by a casual acquaintance.

    These characters are simply not interesting enough to hold our attention throughout such a rambling book, especially not when the real interest is in that theme of industrializing societies that Gaskell keeps wandering back to and then abandoning. Dickens would have included some larger-than-life Baloo-like characters to keep our attention. Thackeray might have given the lovers themselves more zest. Trollope would fully integrate the personal and societal themes. Gaskell isn't up to any of that. She wanted to call the book Margaret Hale (the actual title was Dickens's idea, allegedly) which at least would have signalled that the tedious main character was our focus. But that's odd, because as I said Gaskell just seems to be going through the motions with her. The political arguments are the only times she seems to come to life.

    Avoid looking at the notes. The editor is the kind of person who doesn't mind saying, "It's interesting that X says this line because he will die in the next chapter." Also, none of the notes actually illuminate what Gaskell is trying to do; they belong to that anal category of scholarship that delights in things like, "This is the third time Gaskell describes Mr Hale in feminine terms." Of course, with a book like this what else is there to say?

    Anyway, it's competent enough. I doubt if I'll bother with another Gaskell novel when there are so many better writers of the period. In fact, I should've just re-read Wuthering Heights.
    10 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Grüner Baum
    5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent, sozial, gefühlvoll
    Reviewed in Germany on 4 December 2009
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Wie soviele andere bin auch ich durch die BBC-Verfilmung auf das Buch aufmerksam geworden. Aufgrund der sehr 'englischen' Geschichte habe ich mich daran gewagt, es auf Englisch zu lesen (und habe erst später völlig verblüfft gelesen, dass es gar keine deutsche Übersetzung gibt, was bei einem Buch dieser Qualität unverständlich ist).

    Das Buch dreht sich um die Figur der Margarete Hale, die Tochter eines englischen Pfarrers um 1850. Der Vater beendet aus inneren Konflikten heraus seinen Pfarrersdienst und die Familie (Vater, Mutter, Margarete) ziehen aus dem idyllischen, ländlichen Helstone im Süden Englands in das nördliche, industriell geprägte Milton. Dort begegnen sie der Welt der Baumwollspinnereien, der Fabrikante, der Händler, der Arbeiter, einer eher grauen, steinernen, stinkenden Umwelt, die im Gegensatz zu ihrem grünen, farbenfrohen, ländlichen Idyll Südenglands steht. Margaret begegnet im speziellen dem Fabrikanten Mr. Thornton, der eine der Baumwollfabriken führt und zusammen mit seiner bestimmenden Mutter lebt, zu der er eine innige Beziehung hat.

    Margarete verkörpert den Typ der Frau um 1850, die in ihrer grundlegenden Haltung der Tradition verpflichtet ist (in Moral und Anstand, Denken in geschellschaftlichen Schichten und Pflichtgefühl gegenüber der Familie), in vielen Denk- und Verhaltensweisen aber die aufkommende Moderne aufnimmt (in Sensibilität für die Ungerechtigkeit gegenüber armen sozialen Schichten, in Freiheit des Denkens, in teilweise selbstbewussten Auftreten gegenüber Männern). Thornton ist der Fabrikant, der zwar die Rolle des Fabrikanten als 'Master' über seine Arbeiter konsequent vertritt, dabei aber mehr als andere auch Verantwortung und Pflicht gegenüber seinen Arbeitern empfindet.

    Das Buch erzählt nun im Sinne eines Entwicklungsromans Geschichten rund um Familie von Margarete (Krankheit und Tod der Eltern, die Geschichte um einen Bruder, der wegen Teilnahme an einer Meuterei als Offizier aus England verbannt ist) und um die sozialen Zustände in Milton (v.a. exemplarisch am Kontakt Margaretes zu einer Arbeiterfamilie und einem stattfindenden Streik). Darin hineingewebt ist die Geschichte um die Beziehung von Margarete mit Thornton. Sie beginnt mit verbalen Streitgesprächen, wird dann emotionaler, um nach einem krisenhaften Auseinanderbrechen, sich dann wieder emotional aufzuladen. Diese Liebesgeschichte erinnert nun an Jane Austens Paare. Sie ist aber definitiv nur ein Teil des Ganzen. Weite Teile erinnern in ihrer Betonung sozialer Misstände eher an Dickens oder in ihrer Verquickung von Familiengeschichte mit Schilderung gesellschaftlicher Entwicklungen an den frühen Thomas Mann. Das Buch ist eine ausgewogene Mischung aus Liebe-, Familien- und Gesellschaftsroman. Die verschiedenen Teile werden dabei mit ausgewogener Länge bedacht, wenngleich dem ganzen Buch (wie vielen Romanen) im ganzen 50 Seiten weniger gut getan hätten.

    Die psychologische Charakterisierung der Figuren ist intelligent, tiefgründig und hochwertig. Die Schilderung sozialer Missstände gelingt nicht ganz so packend, hinterlässt aber an vielen Stellen trotzdem Eindruck. Gut gelingt die ambivalente, facettenreiche Schilderung der Wahrnehmung von Süden (der nicht simpel verklärt wird) und Norden (der nicht einhellig verdammt wird). Sprachlich ist es hochwertig und weitestgehend sehr angenehm zu lesen. Eine Sprache, die poetisch, anregend und bezaubernd ist, aber nicht zu abgehoben oder intellektuell degoutant (hat mich an die 'Buddenbrooks' erinnert, wenn auch nicht ganz auf dem Niveau). An der ein oder anderen Stelle ist das Englisch dadurch mal nicht ganz einfach, v.a. im Fall von längeren Sätzen (man sieht hier mal, wie es Engländern mit der deutschen Sprache mit ihren vielen langen Sätzen gehen muss). Richtig schwierig sind z.T. die Dialoge mit Personen aus der Arbeiterklasse, weil hier deren Dialekt nachgeahmt wird (wobei ich so doof war, erst nach der letzten Seite zu merken, dass sich auf den letzten zwei Seiten ein Glossar mit Übersetzung der am übelsten Dialektausdrücke in echtes Englisch befindet). Im ganzen für Liebhaber von Literatur aus dem 19.Jahrhundert eine absolute Empfehlung.
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  • Ritika
    5.0 out of 5 stars North and South is undoubtedly one the best classics I have ever read
    Reviewed in India on 16 December 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Set in the times of the Industrial revolution in England, North and South is undoubtedly one the best classics I have ever read. We all know Jane Austen, yes she's great, agreed. But I feel that Gaskell never actually got the recognition she deserved for penning this masterpiece, even well after a hundred years since it's publication, owing partly to a few bad reviews from a few sexist critics, who were obviously not amused by Margaret's (our Heroine) rigorous exercise of her free will and "haughty", talk-back-to-men-attitude, and partly because it was a Woman writer, writing a book about a female heroine. Do the maths. Needless to say, she's a bit of a badass.
    The Novel itself is set in a fictional town of Northern England, Milton, to where Margaret Hale grudgingly relocates, relinquishing her most beloved home in the rural south, hence the name, North and South. Margaret's general disdain for the Industrialised North and her tendency to sympathise with the poor and to encourage them to lead a better life, clashes with the indifferent attitude of John Thornton, a wealthy manufacturer, who rules his cotton mill with an iron fist, and whose contemptuous attitude towards his workers, leads Margaret to despise him even more. It's in Milton that Margaret witnesses the first workers strike and it's repercussions. For the facts mentioned before, I hardly consider this novel a love story. This book manages to present us with many dimension of human emotions and their complexities. How Margaret and John learn to accept differences in opinions and in return gain something entirely unexpected. And since love obviously triumphs all differences, this is ultimately a love story, and a good one at that. We need to have more characters like them in Modern literature today, as opposed to the Twilight Trash.
    A happy or sad ending? It's actually quite a surprise and I totally love the ending. I love this book so much that even though I have a hardbound copy of it, I ordered one on Kindle as well, because I would like to carry it with me on my travels. Lovers of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters are sure to love this one!
    I love the writing and the dialogue and the awkward exchanges between the characters, especially between our two leads. They are quite adorable to be honest. And I love how Gaskell shows us multiple point of views, not just of Margaret, and that's what makes this book so great. After reading the book I highly recommend the TV series as well. Cheers, Have fun reading!!
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  • SILVIA
    5.0 out of 5 stars Emozionante!
    Reviewed in Italy on 20 March 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Ho iniziato il libro subito dopo averne visto l'adattamento per la tv. Seppur trovando lo stile di E.C
    Gaskell un po' ostico all'inzio e faticando nella comprensione dei dialoghi nel dialetto del Darkshire (l'immaginaria contea del Nord d'Inghilterra dove gran parte del romanzo si svolge), mi sono ritrovata totalmente risucchiata dal romanzo e dalle vicende che narra. La storia d'amore tra Mr. Thornton e Margaret Hale si snoda avendo per sfondo gli importanti mutamenti sociali della rivoluzione industriale inglese, che l'autrice narra con quasi pari zelo. Un po' deludente il finale, che dopo le battaglie interiori dei due personaggi avrebbe forse meritato un tono più vivido, anche se - certamente - Gaskell ha optato per la chiusura più intonata al carattere dei due protagonisti.
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  • Via
    5.0 out of 5 stars 5 estrelles
    Reviewed in Spain on 20 June 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Edició petita però maca.
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  • Renata
    5.0 out of 5 stars Já li duas vezes só esse ano
    Reviewed in Brazil on 26 July 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Conheci North and South este ano (2017). Já li duas vezes e, assim que esta edição chegar, lerei pela terceira vez. A primeira vez que "li" foi através de um audiolivro. Maravilho. Se tornou meu livro favorito junto com Jane Eyre, e isso quer dizer muita coisa. Comprei uma edição britânica muito linda e especial, e agora esta edição traduzida, porque preciso ter uma versão em português para recomendar a TODOS OS SERES HUMANOS. Esse livro é demais. Pense em uma história com um toque de Jane Austen (Orgulho e Preconceito seria um bom exemplo), mas com profundidade e crítica social. Com personagens complexos e nuançados. Com um romance LINDO. Para mim é simplesmente perfeito. Não é por acaso que Dickens era o editor da revista que publicou em partes esta história da E. Gaskell, uma escritora talentosa demais e infelizmente pouco conhecida fora da Inglaterra. Recomendo demais esta leitura.
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