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North and South

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North and South

By: Elizabeth Gaskell
Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
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About this listen

This is the story of Margaret Hale, a young English woman who accompanies her family's move from rural southern England to the industrial north. It proves to be a difficult change, with all the attendant social conflicts and cultural misunderstandings consequent to such situations. It is a study in contrasts. Mrs. Gaskell created one of the Victorian era's greatest heroines in Margaret Hale, a young lady of passionate intensity. Always filled with a fiery sense of justice, she feels herself, nevertheless, spiritually isolated from society.

Margaret finds her new surroundings shocking. Though appalled by the dirt, noise and the gruffness of the mercantile city, she reserves her greatest contempt for the mill owners themselves. When charismatic mill owner John Thornton begins to take classics lessons from her father, Margaret's distaste for this vulgar "new class" of industrial magnates crystallizes.

Over time, Margaret's opinion of the mill workers begins to soften, though not toward the owners - which makes her strange attraction to John Thornton all the more remarkable. The wrenching series of labor problems and deaths that occur as the story progresses serves as a background to the inner struggles Margaret endures...the turmoil of private family life in contrast to the struggle against the overt poverty and deprivation she witnesses around her.

Listen to one of the greatest of all Victorian novels and let the artistry of Elizabeth Gaskell sweep you away to another time and place. Considered her finest work, North and South will keep you listening breathlessly to the very end.

Public Domain (P)2007 Audio Connoisseur
Classics Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Romance
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What listeners say about North and South

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Poor accent and characterisation

This wonderful novel was sadly spoiled for me by the very poor immitation upper class UK English accent and alarming female and below stairs chracterisations of the reader.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Disappointing Performance

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No. I, like others, am unable to listen to this version through to completion. Although I love the story the performance is so dreadful it has spoiled the whole experience.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator's voice characterisations were unsuitable to the characters.

Any additional comments?

If you are considering purchasing this book, pick another version.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Dreadful narrator

Struggled through five chapters before giving up and buying another version(Juliet Stevenson's model version). Slow diction, laboured, hopeless attempts at accents and female voices.... By far the worst of many books that I have bought from audible, 90% of which are so good.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Dreadful

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

Nobody

What did you like best about this story?

Ths story is fine

Would you be willing to try another one of Charlton Griffin’s performances?

abso-bloodt-lutely NOT

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The narrator. An annoying plummy voice. Talking with a hot potato in his mouth. Totally unsuited to this novel

Any additional comments?

I would dearly like a refund. I listened for 15 minutes and could take no more of it

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

I'm unable to listen further than chapter 4 to one of my favourite books because the reader's voice characterisations are so truly dreadful! And I bet you wont put this one online!

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8 people found this helpful