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North and South

Penguin Classics

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is performed by Gemma Whelan, best known for her roles in Game of Thrones, Gentleman Jack and Upstart Crow. This definitive recording includes an Introduction by Patricia Ingham.

When her father leaves the Church, Margaret Hale is uprooted from her comfortable home in Hampshire to move with her family to the North of England. Initially repulsed by the ugliness of her new surroundings in the industrial town of Milton, Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of local mill workers and develops a passionate sense of social justice.

In North and South Gaskell skillfully fused individual feeling with social concern and in Margaret Hale created one of the mostoriginal heroines of Victorian literature.

 Classics Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Women's Fiction World Literature Fiction
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The classic North and South novel needs no defence, it is a thought-provoking yet enjoyable story and Gemma Whelan’s narration really brings it to life. Clear and crisp, with sympathetic accents and suitable voice adaptations for different characters, I thoroughly recommend this audible version of the novel.

The narration really makes this audiobook

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The narrator did a brilliant job bringing this wonderful classic story to life. Highly recommended.

Brilliantly narrated.

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Excellent narration. She even managed to bring Bessie Higgins to life! Brilliant accents. Very enjoyable listen

Excellent narration

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I loved every minute of it. I like the story in general as I had read it before and Gemma Whelan’s voice and imitation of accents were really a great pleasure to listen to.

Great characters and story accompanied by a expressive narrator.

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Elizabeth Gaskell deserves to be as well known today as Charles Dickens or Thomas Hardy. In fact, I believe that North and South is better than anything by either of those two fine writers. It really is magnificent, surely one of the best novels of the nineteenth century – easily in a top 10, even a top five. From the moment Margaret Hale meets John Thornton the romantic tension vibrates through almost every line of the novel. There is insight too into the relationship between masters and workers in the early industrial revolution.

I was absolutely engrossed in North and South and resented the times I couldn’t be reading it. It’s wonderful and I highly recommend it. One regret is that the novel ends abruptly and I had to look up what happened – seemingly it is to do with Victorian sensibilities about the extent to which a “lady” should engage in business. Margaret Hale’s sudden involvement in the management of the property she inherited means much more than it would to us today. I really wanted there to be an epilogue - a return to Milton chapter.

It’s a fantastic novel. Please read it.

Gemma Whelan's clear diction emphases the beauty of the prose - although it takes a little getting used to. Some may prefer Juliet Stevenson's more passionate reading, but Ms Whelan's take is also excellent. The novel is so good you'll want to listen over and over so why not try both versions. In fact, I'm going to give the Claire Willie version a listen too - the novel is so good!

A Wonderful Novel, Highly Recommended

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