North and South
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North and South
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Narrated by:
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Juliet Stevenson
About this listen
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
What listeners say about North and South
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Shamir Aboobucker
- 07-03-2018
A must listen
Beautifully narrated. A must listen. Grwat storyline & Characterization. Just that the finish was short & sudden.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 15-11-2017
Pleasant
Very enjoyable. Sometimes the actions of the characters were exasperating but overall a great listen
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Cashy Yates
- 27-05-2022
Great performance
A lot of historical interest, performed in a way that made it really entertaining.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Felicity
- 22-08-2018
Spellbinding
Fascinating story, beautifully narrated. Pride and Prejudice meets the industrial revolution. Gripping, gritty and romantic.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs. J. Richmond
- 05-08-2022
A poignant tale in the industrial Victorian era.
The story starts in the South with a humble Parson and his family who enjoy a parsimonious but comfortable living in rural England. The heroine, Margaret is reunited with her family after a lengthy stay in London with her mother's family. Life is probably as good as it gets until the Parson has pangs of conscience and decides to relocate his family north to a fictional industrial town. In the process the family finds itself facing all manner of challenges and adjustments.
There are detailed descriptions of life both in London, the rural South and industrial North which give us considerable insights how different classes of people in Victorian England co-existed. I am sure a lot of the story is idealised as one wonders how harmonious the classes really were.
Like her friend Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell no doubt was a great proponent of social justice and an acute commentator on English society. She expresses appreciation for the directness and hard work of the North folk and for their hardships and struggles, which was perhaps not understood by many living south of Watford. However she also understands and describes well the vicissitudes of rural life.
The story is not difficult to follow despite its long-windedness and the characters are, as in real life, balanced by likeable and less desirable. None of them is without fault and of course in keeping with the time, most of them have some fairly skewed views because of their status and/or religious beliefs.
Gaskell's descriptions of industrial manufacturing and the relationship between workers and management are quite fascinating. And of course quite sad at times. It is interesting to hear about the role of unions and scab labour in the mid-19th century.
Her main characters are probably hard for us to relate to given the constraints of society they had to fit into. Today we are largely blessed with free will and freedom to choose whom we associate with. I suspect Gaskell placed her characters in some fairly revolutionary situations for the time. Certainly they give credence to the old adage that the course of true love never did run smooth.
The most enjoyable aspect of the audio version of the book is the narration of Juliet Stevenson. She is superb. Her voices and intonation certainly bring the book alive.
It does well to remember when reading this book that it was serialised which probably goes some way to explaining how drawn out it is. I thoroughly enjoyed it despite this.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eleanor
- 17-05-2023
Wonderful
Beautifully read with absolutely superb characterisation. Could not put it down. The novel itself gets away with some didacticism and philosophising by being beautifully written. Did not want it to end. Juliet Stevenson: brilliant.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dominique Taylor
- 29-10-2023
Wonderful narration
Enjoyed this audio book very much. The narrator did such a great job, allowing easy identification of the key characters and making it a joy to listen to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kait
- 27-10-2015
Beautiful Classic
This story has such diverse range of emotion, dragging readers through a love story both thick and thin. One of my favourite love stories and the ideal female lead and male love interest.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- LiGi
- 05-10-2020
Superb
Wonderful narration by Juliette Stevenson of a beautifully crafted novel, skillfully plotted with detailed character development and counterpoint
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Wonniewormy
- 17-07-2023
An old, everlasting classic.
It’s a lovely book to listen to. Although as a modern woman, it grated me in parts where such out dated ideals were made such a fuss of. But that was the writing for the time. And it doesn’t take away the beautiful ending.
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