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North and South
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins
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North and South
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Summary
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.
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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
- Morwenna
- 19-05-23
Wonderful book, wonderful narration
(Despite Gaskell being cut short and having to rush the ending at max speed, which is an incredible shame)
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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
- Wendy
- 10-07-23
Brilliant story
I really enjoyed this story. It was brilliantly read: such a variety of voices from one lady
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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
- Anonymous User
- 16-05-23
Great narration
A lovely story with viviid characters that is brought to life by excellent narration.
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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
- Amazon Customer
- 09-11-23
Queen Juliet
Wonderful narration of this epic book on social political history, love and families. Juliet never falters and I was able to listen whilst running through storms and floods
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- barbara w
- 20-09-23
An interesting and enjoyable book
North and South was beautifully read and engaged my interest throughout. The social history reflected within the story, though known, was well portrayed and written with perception and empathy.
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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
- Anonymous User
- 13-12-23
Outstanding all round
Thoroughly recommended as a well written and exceptionally well read piece of social history as seen through feminine eyes.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Suborna Afrin
- 16-02-24
Enduring love story & unforgettable characters!
I looked for the audio version of this book after watching the BBC adaptation recently, which is now my all time favourite TV series ever, surpassing even my long time favourite ‘Pride and Prejudice’. However, I couldn’t help but find this audio book a bit disappointing. The voice chosen for Mr. Thornton had reduced my enjoyment of this great classic considerably. I deeply missed Richard Armitage’s deep delicious baritone voice. I can’t help but imagine how delightfully delicious, it would’ve been if RA had done the voice for Mr. Thornton, who would forever be the only Mr. Thornton ever to exist and no one would and can come close. Yet, I wish efforts were made to find a decent enough voice which would’ve helped increase enjoyment of the listeners significantly and hence the lack of stars in my review.
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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
- Kirstine
- 20-11-17
Superb narration of a multi-layered novel
I’ve read a couple of other books by Mrs Gaskell so had an idea of what to expect and I wasn’t disappointed. Its a very long book that explores the impact of loss of social status on a family, including the plucky central character Margaret Hale, against a backdrop of industrial unrest. Like Dickens, the author highlights the inequalities in society, however, I find her characters more realistic compared with Dicken’s propensity to create caricatures. It’s surprising that at the time Mrs Gaskell was regarded as inferior to Dickens and her books largely forgotten until recently. For me she’s up there with Trollope and Dickens without their tendency to have meek, soppy young heroines.
Juliet Stevenson’s narration is superb and more like a radio drama owing to her ability to create so many different voices.
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12 people 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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Story4 out of 5 stars
- roseroserose
- 28-10-21
A classic
Really enjoyed this, have seen the tv adaption & enjoyed hearing the full story. Knocked off a point because it does go on a bit but still loved it!
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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
- Ms T Durlen
- 05-02-22
gripping and interesting
what a find! gripping story about love and (mis)communication in early industrial revolution. it'll surprise you.
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