Welcome to Litsy!

“He went along the crowded streets mechanically, winding in and out among the people, but never seeing them, -almost sick with longing for that one half-hour-that one brief space of time when she clung to him, and her heart beat against his-to come once again.”

Went into this book thinking I would really like it, but unfortunately, I didn't. Most of the characters were insufferable and unpleasant. I do appreciate the commentary on classism, racism, city vs country, etc, and how ridiculous some concepts really are. I think this book would have felt more focused if there were fewer chapters that felt the same/didn't add much to the plot or commentary.

Happy first day of #Victober ! this was a last minute pick for me, but I am very curious about the tagged book. Will jump into it in a little while.

New Smith & Taylor edition of North and South just dropped *and* the lilacs are blooming?! What more could anybody ask for??

“But the future must be met, however stern and iron it be” Elizabeth Gaskell

I don‘t know anything about this book except that it involves three favorite Litten authors, Jane Austen, Mrs. Gaskell, and Charlotte Brontë. And it‘s free for #Kindle today. #ebook #kindlefreebie

#Two4Tuesday

1. We last moved in 2003. Just completed a renovation of our home so we can lively here comfortably for another 20+ years. 🤞

2. Tagged book for a classic where a character moves. Billy Summers by Stephen King for a more recent one.

@TheSpineView

14-23 Dec 23 (audiobook)
I enjoyed this far more than expected, having never really heard of Gaskell and expecting a poor man‘s version of Austen. The depiction of class in 19th century England and the emergent union movement were very interesting and distinguished this text from most of the 19th century romance I have read. It is far from perfect but I am pleased I took the time to listen. Juliet Stevenson is a wonderful narrator.

Watched the BBC adaptation of North and South with the book club girls @VioletCavalier @hkapusta @WonderingGypsy . It‘s a fairly good adaptation of the novel; after all it is a four hour miniseries!

Up next!

#bookspinbingo
#23in23
#minichunkster

This was my first time reading this author and it won't be my last. I loved how she touched on the classes and brought to life Victorian industrial Era. Will be in the top 10 of favorite reads this year.

Bit of retail therapy in the heat of an afternoon in Lincoln moving our youngest out of uni for the last time. It is such a beautiful city and even though a little hard to get to well worth a visit . I will miss popping over especially when you get to rummage in a 2nd hand book shop in the site of a mediaeval synagogue. This was halfway up the aptly called Steep Hill which is quite a climb to the cathedral in the afternoon sun.

#Ihavequestions getting around to these fun prompts posted earlier that I didn't do then!Margaret Hale,Clary and Polly Cazalet,And RIchard from the Cazalet CHronicles,Coram,Lyra,Iorek from His Dark Materials,Katherine from Barbara Trapido's works,Janie from THeir Eyes,Poppy Carew,VI Warshawski,Grace Makutsi,Ursula,Tambudzai,AKuany,Salima and CHerifa,Olanna,Fanny...this is ending up being a list of fictional characters I want to meet

1850s novel set in industrialized northern England, a combo of romance and exposure of social injustices. https://cannonballread.com/2023/02/north-and-south-elcicco/

Book haul (right after my unread book post 🙈)! These new Harper Muse Classics are gorgeous!

Oof… way overdue in recording this one in Litsy…

I both enjoyed this more and less than I expected... The story line left me somewhat lacking in places - sorry, the union stuff was really boring - but the story moved faster than I expected it would. I think I'll try more Gaskell.

Book sorting rescues - a Folio edition of the tagged Gaskell and Memoirs of the Early Italian Painters from 1875. Not that I'm super interested in Italian Painters, but it's such a lovely little thing.
#folio

📖 North and South (Gaskell), The Neverending Story, Nimona
✍️ Garth Nix
📺 Nikita, The Neverending Story
🎤 Nirvana
🎶 Not About Love (Fiona Apple), Nobody Loves You Like I Do (Madrugada), Nosferatu (Blue Oyster Cult)

#ManicMonday #LetterN @CBee

I read a free kindle version of this while listening to the audio read by Juliet Stevenson who does a fabulous job of making each member of the large cast of characters sound distinct without resorting to doing “voices”. The pictured cover is not on either of the editions I read from, but as I quite dislike both of those cover images I‘m imagining they had the cover from my favorite paperback edition 😉

This was my #doublespin back in April ⬇️

I really enjoyed this classic, I‘ve been meaning to read it for years so glad we did it for book club. I was completely immersed. Margaret Hale is a great character, a strong woman who manages to transcend the domestic sphere & address social & issues of the times. Gaskell had travelled so this gives the book more scope than, say Austen. Too long at times but social & industrial history still relevant today. The romance felt true. A great read.

So, this was all a morality tale? Middle class well- educated but impoverished Margaret Hale sees both sides of Marx and Engel‘s Manchester and … finds a dumb strike-leader/factory worker and respectable attractive factory owner who just needs to understand his workers better. Got that? Also she matures, and religion is good, and fortune spins, and other stuff happens. For me this represents the paternal contradictions of the 19th century.

Started this Sunday, part of a Victorian theme on LibraryThing. I basically missed all the Victorian novels, so filling in. I‘ll try to pick through it in little pieces over the next two months (in between other things).

Update: I never got to it. Sunshine, a nap, and my kids dominated the day. Ah well…..I‘ll try again in October. I‘ll be starting this today for the Dewey's 24 hour readathon. I'm not sure i filled out the form correctly.....but gonna have fun anyway haha.
#readathon #Dewey's24HourReadathon

I'm giving this a Pan but it could be a generous So-So.The only reason why I didn't bail on this one is because I was doing chalter a day with #Pemberlittens. I didn't connect with any of the characters, Thornton's love comes from nowhere and it's so intensely exagerated that sometimes is even funny, Margaret's love seem to come from nowhere,even when we have "access to her thoughts" through the narrative they are never mentioned ⬇️

I loved this story about a family who moves from a farming community to an industrial city and the culture shock that ensues. Sometimes it is really cringey reading about the imperious "masters" (factory owners) and their free market, anti-union rhetoric, and the patronizing descriptions of the hands are disgusting. But I also appreciate the historical snapshot of peoples' attitudes, and there is character development here. Both Margaret and ⏬

I'm doing the good Auntie thing today. Picking up from Dental Surgery and watching over. So getting caught up on my Litsy Reviews.

Thanks for hosting at @MicrobeMom. I always have fun with #PemberLittens. This was my 2nd reading. It's the favorite book of a Library friend of mine so I read it few years ago. This time I did audio. Enjoyable but still love Jane more.

#pemberlittens me me! 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️

#pemberlittens I was so happy to do this buddy read, but I am not sure so would have finished it it I was required to read more than a chapter a day. I loved that this was grittier than a Jane Austen novel and really delved into conflicts between the upper class and the working class. I also loved Mr. Thornton‘s transformation and the moments of feminism. However, I did find big chunks of this novel boring and unnecessary. I agree with others👇

#pemberlittens #chapter52NS Finally!! In our last chapter Margaret and Mr. Lennox spend lots of time talking properties and not marriage much to Edith‘s chagrin. The next day Mr. Lennox, Mr. Thornton, & Margaret are to meet but Mr. Lennox never shows. Margaret is forced to meet with John alone. She tries ineloquently to explain that she want to give him some of her money to stay in business. This quickly devolves into again ineloquent 👇👇

While I didn‘t warm up to any of the characters enough for this to be a favorite, I‘m glad that I finally got around to reading this classic. I had fun reading along with my fellow #Pemberlittens and huge thanks to @MicrobeMom for leading the read along!

I didn't hate it, but didn't like it either. Most of the characters are ego-centered or weak, and/or die. I found the romance unconvincing. The ending was rather abrupt, too. The themes explored are important and interesting, but that's all I can list on the positive side.
Reading with the #Pemberlittens added a lot to the enjoyment factor for me. Thanks for hosting @MicrobeMom and a shoutout to @nanuska_153 for your hilarious posts 😂

I‘m so glad I read this with the #PemberLittens. Reading this a chapter a day, increased my enjoyed of this.

About the North and South of England which is between industry and farmers. About masters and workers. About the new world and the old.

Margaret grew on me and Edith annoyed me.

I loved your daily summaries and memes @MicrobeMom so thanks for tagging me.

@sprainedbrain

#pemberlittens #Chapter51NS Mr. Thornton is visiting London to settle the loss of his business and to sublet his factory and home. Mr. Lennox gets him an invite to dinner at Edith‘s. Margaret wishes not to attend but is forced by Edith. While Margaret is checking John out, he is doing an excellent job of avoiding her. It is clear that he has lost everything, but he tells Margaret that all his men want to for him again. He knows this will 👇👇

I finished this a couple of weeks ago, but forgot to post about it. I enjoyed this story as an audiobook; Margaret moving from a quaint town in the South to trying to adjust to an industrial town where a strike takes place. I read that this book was initially serialized and Gaskell had wanted the book to be longer, but had to cut it short by two episodes. I would like to see what she intended as I feel that the romance portion was cut short.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘m so glad I finally read this classic. I had steered clear of it but thank you #pemberlittens and @MicrobeMom for picking this one and leading a great discussion these past two months. This was an excellent book giving me insight into the industrial revolution in England and the parallels between country living and city dwelling. Very detailed and pretty depressing. Very different style from Austen but she was writing later than Austen

First #buddyread with #PemberLittens was so fun! Lovely to read so slowly, a chapter a day and, while it was strange at first, I enjoyed the pace and the time it gave me to think through the themes. A grittier world than Austen‘s, but the push/pull between industry/class, city/rural, business owner/worker, individual/community is riveting. Mr. Thornton is a great hero because he is so invested in the relationship. @MicrobeMom @sprainedbrain

Well, I went ahead and finished this one yesterday - I got behind on the chapter-a-day schedule when I was sick over the weekend and then had no idea where I was supposed to be, so I just went for the gold! 😂 I'm glad to have read this one, but can't particularly say I enjoyed it. I found Margaret to be sanctimonious and boring. Gaskell's only method for forwarding the plot was killing off another character so that we could watch Margaret be ⬇

#pemberlittens #Chapter50NS Trade is bad in Milton and John‘s business has not recovered since the strike. His bet on the Irish workers ended up being disastrous. John‘s brother-in-law wants him to dump his borrowed money into some speculation scheme. After a dramatic talks with Mrs. Thornton he decides not too and is forces to give up his business. While he is offer a few positions, he is waiting for the right one. He also finds👇👇

Chapter 53? I know we are past this chapter, but this quote just slayed me: "If my tones, or modes of thought, are what you dislike, will you do me the justice to tell me so, and so give me the chance of learning to please you?" ??? Because that's how love and respect work. #pemberlittens

#pemberlittens #chapter49NS Margaret has inherited a substantial sum from Mr. Bell. Henry Lennox is helping her sort it out. She is still upset Mr. Thornton does not know her truth. The family travels to the sea where Margaret grieves and is able to come to some resolutions. Henry is finding her more attractive and amiable. The family is hopeful. Upon their return, Margaret has decided to take matters into her own hands👇👇

I must be honest, this is a reluctant pick because I admire Elizabeth Gaskell‘s quite modern writing for 1854 about the classes, gender roles, & the rural life vs industrialization, but I slogged through this one, got behind & then did 3 chapters a day to catch up & finally finished it to get it off my plate. I‘m glad I read it, but found almost every character tedious (occasionally even John Thornton who was the best of the lot). I‘ll forever ⬇️

#pemberlittens #Chapter48NS So Margaret is attending Mrs. Shaw‘s dinners which are not boring but Margaret is still depressed. She is still not thrilled with Mr. Lennox. Mr. Bell is to visit and he has not been feeling well. There is more talk of Spain, Edith is again insensitive and self-centered. Margaret feels bad. Mr. Bell never shows up because he is dying. She travels to Oxford to find he has died and returns to London. Poor Margaret.

Stolen from JA Universe on the evil Facebook… but I laughed, #PemberLittens. 😂

#pemberlittens #Chapter47NS Dixon returns with gossip from Milton. Fanny Thornton‘s wedding was too over the top. Edith mentions Mr. Bell wanting to take Margaret to Spain to visit Fred. Dixon is worried about being converted to a Catholic. Edith is annoying and self-centered making everything about her. Margaret wants Mr. Bell to visit Milton to explain all to John. Mr. Lennox visits often but there is nothing between him and Margaret.

#pemberlittens #Chapter46NS Margaret and Mr. Bell travel to Helstone where she finds it much changed. Susan is now in school and the Vicar and his new wife are awful. They have made many changes to the house and to the school. Margaret is depressed and confesses her lie to the police to Mr. Bell. She wishes for him to tell John the truth. After a fitful night, she feels better for her confession. She turns down the vicar‘s invite for dinner.

#pemberlittens #Chapter43NS Mr. Bell has it in his mind to visit Helstone. After a meeting with Henry Lennox in which Margaret learn there is no hope for a defense for Fred, Mr. Bell proposes they visit Helstone together. Margaret is very excited to do so and they secure permission from Mrs. Shaw.

#pemberlittens #Chapter44NS Margaret is now at Harley St. Every night she is left alone and she is bored by the monotony of each day. Mr. Bell visits and finds out Fred was in Milton when Mrs. Hale died. Henry Lennox arrives and Mr. Bell senses tension between him and Margaret. When they both leave they talk of Mr. Hale and Lennox puts him down for leaving his position. Mr. Bell is not having it. Henry is very arrogant.

#pemberlittens #chapter43 It is decided that Margaret will return to London. Mr. Bell writes her a letter explaining her father‘s burial in Oxford, she will get an allowance from him, and Cpt. Lennox and John are there. Margaret goes about Milton saying goodbye to Mary, Mrs. Thornton who is now having tender feelings, John who stupidly does not profess his love again, and finally Higgins. Higgins is kind and she gives him Mr. Hale‘s bible.

I went ahead and finished this ahead of schedule because I kept losing track of the right chapter and my library borrow was expiring. Overall, it‘s a low pick for me. I just didn‘t get caught up enough in or care enough about any of the characters‘ stories and the ending felt abrupt. I can see that it had important things to say, but I just kept wanting something more.

#PemberLittens #audiobook #1001books

#pemberlittens #chapter42 NS I am so behind! So quickly, Margaret is too depressed to get off the couch. Mr. Bell loses his appetites, quickly regains it, and wants to take Margaret to Oxford. Mrs. Shaw doesn‘t want to travel to Milton, hates when she gets there, and displaces Mr. Bell at the Hale home. Mr. Thornton arrives and take Mr. Bell to his house. They discuss Frederick and John begins to realize a few things.