North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Loyal Books
Mrs. Gaskell as she was popularly known, had a hard and lonely childhood, spent with various aunts and relatives after her mother died and her father left her. The young Elizabeth met and married a clergyman and moved to Manchester with him. It was here that she developed her strong sense of social justice and the themes which form the basis of her writing. Her biography of her dear friend Charlotte Bronte is considered a classic and provides a wonderfully human picture of the Yorkshire genius and her equally talented, tragic family. North and South is set in a fictional town called Milton and located north of England. The heroine Margaret Hale arrives here, having suffered a series of unfortunate events. Her father, a wealthy churchman who lives in the idyllic English countryside suddenly finds himself losing the faith that has sustained him all these years. He leaves the church and moves his family to this preindustrial, ugly and uninspiring city, where poverty, crime and hopelessness dominate. Margaret soon encounters the handsome, but materialistic, cotton mill owner and tycoon, John Thornton. Their values and philosophies are poles apart, leading to an inevitable clash, which forms the basis of the title of the novel, North and South. The book traces the advent of the Industrial Revolution in England, the pathetic condition of workers and the callous, greedy attitude of the mill owners who formed the bedrock of the new rich in the country. She also wrote several very popular ghost stories which were regularly published by Dickens in his magazine, Household Words. However, Mrs. Gaskell's works, though immensely popular in her lifetime, soon faded into obscurity. Today, her works are known chiefly through television adaptations of her novels like Cranford and North and South. Her enduring themes of tradition verses modernity, feminism, the changing nature of relationships and the falsity of first impressions all resonate with the interests of readers today.
Categories: Arts
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Previous episodes
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52 - 01 – Haste to the Wedding Tue, 02 Jan 2024 - 0h
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51 - 02 – Roses and Thorns Mon, 01 Jan 2024 - 0h
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50 - 03 – The More Haste The Worst Speed Sun, 31 Dec 2023 - 0h
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49 - 04 – Doubts And Difficulties Sat, 30 Dec 2023 - 0h
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48 - 05 – Desicion Fri, 29 Dec 2023 - 0h
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47 - 06 – Farewell Thu, 28 Dec 2023 - 0h
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46 - 07 – New Scenes and Faces Wed, 27 Dec 2023 - 0h
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45 - 08 – Home Sickness Tue, 26 Dec 2023 - 0h
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44 - 09 – Dressing for Tea Mon, 25 Dec 2023 - 0h
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43 - 10 – Wrought Iron and Gold Sun, 24 Dec 2023 - 0h
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42 - 11 – First Impressions Sat, 23 Dec 2023 - 0h
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41 - 12 – Morning Calls Fri, 22 Dec 2023 - 0h
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40 - 13 – A Soft Breeze in a Sultry Place Thu, 21 Dec 2023 - 0h
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39 - 14 – The Mutiny Wed, 20 Dec 2023 - 0h
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38 - 15 – Masters and Men Tue, 19 Dec 2023 - 0h
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37 - 16 – The Shadow of Death Mon, 18 Dec 2023 - 0h
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36 - 17 – What Is A Strike? Sun, 17 Dec 2023 - 0h
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35 - 18 – Likes and Dislikes Sat, 16 Dec 2023 - 0h
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34 - 19 – Angel Visits Fri, 15 Dec 2023 - 0h
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33 - 20 – Men and Gentlemen Thu, 14 Dec 2023 - 0h
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32 - 21 – The Dark Night Wed, 13 Dec 2023 - 0h
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31 - 22 – A Blow and Its Consequences Tue, 12 Dec 2023 - 0h
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30 - 23 – Mistakes Mon, 11 Dec 2023 - 0h
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29 - 24 – Mistakes Cleared Up Sun, 10 Dec 2023 - 0h
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28 - 25 – Fredrick Sat, 09 Dec 2023 - 0h
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27 - 26 – Mother and Son Fri, 08 Dec 2023 - 0h
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26 - 27 – Fruit-piece Thu, 07 Dec 2023 - 0h
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25 - 28 – Comfort in Sorrow Wed, 06 Dec 2023 - 0h
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24 - 29 – A Ray Of Sunshine Tue, 05 Dec 2023 - 0h
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23 - 30 – Home At Last Mon, 04 Dec 2023 - 0h
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22 - 31 – Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot? Sun, 03 Dec 2023 - 0h
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21 - 32 – Mischances Sat, 02 Dec 2023 - 0h
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20 - 33 – Peace Fri, 01 Dec 2023 - 0h
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19 - 34 – False and True Thu, 30 Nov 2023 - 0h
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18 - 35 – Expiation Wed, 29 Nov 2023 - 0h
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17 - 36 – Union Not Always Strength Tue, 28 Nov 2023 - 0h
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16 - 37 – Looking South Mon, 27 Nov 2023 - 0h
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15 - 38 – Promises Fulfillfed Sun, 26 Nov 2023 - 0h
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14 - 39 – Making Friends Sat, 25 Nov 2023 - 0h
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13 - 40 – Out of Tune Fri, 24 Nov 2023 - 0h
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12 - 41 – The Journey’s End Thu, 23 Nov 2023 - 0h
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11 - 42 – Alone! Alone! Wed, 22 Nov 2023 - 0h
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10 - 43 – Margaret’s Flittin’ Tue, 21 Nov 2023 - 0h
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9 - 44 – Ease Not Peace Mon, 20 Nov 2023 - 0h
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8 - 45 – Not All a Dream Sun, 19 Nov 2023 - 0h
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7 - 46 – Once and Now Sat, 18 Nov 2023 - 0h
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6 - 47 – Something Wanting Fri, 17 Nov 2023 - 0h
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5 - 48 – Ne’er To Be Found Again Thu, 16 Nov 2023 - 0h
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4 - 49 – Breathing Tranquility Wed, 15 Nov 2023 - 0h
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3 - 50 – Changes at Milton Tue, 14 Nov 2023 - 0h