North and South (version 3)
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Read by MaryAnn
North and South is set in the fictional industrial town of Milton in the North of England. Forced to leave her home in the tranquil rural south, Margaret Hale settles with her parents in Milton where she witnesses the brutal world wrought by the industrial revolution and employers and workers clashing in the first organized strikes. Sympathetic to the poor whose courage and tenacity she admires and among whom she makes friends, she clashes with John Thornton, a cotton mill manufacturer who belongs to the nouveaux riches and whose contemptuous attitude to workers Margaret despises. (Summary from Wikipedia) (19 hr 3 min)
Chapters
Reviews
such a great reader & book!
jaded_grl
the reader does such a fantastic job! during certain emotional parts of the story, she reads with such clearness and emotion that she almost made me cry! the story is a love story, and though you may have it figured out halfway through - it is a really enjoyable tale getting to that happy moment. the book also provides a light lesson on how labor unions work and the breakdown of communication between bosses and workers. truly a moving story.
Beautiful
Clover
This is such a beautiful novel. It tends to take me a while to get into Gaskell's stories and at times this one felt a little slow, but it's so very worth it. The social and political aspects of the novel are fascinating, and it's one of the best love stories I've ever read. The combination of politics and romance is unusual and really makes North and South unique. It's stayed with me and become one of my favourites. Mary Ann's reading is wonderful too. Can't recommend it enough! :)
Beautifully read
Prashanthi
Beautifully read. No comparison to other recordings. Very pleased.
draught does not = drawt
eck
I love this narrator's voice and change in accents with the different characters, but I can't give her 5 stars because she mispronounces the word "draught" over and over. If you're going to read older books, you really must understand the old spelling. "Draught" is the old/British spelling for "draft," as in a draft beer, or a draft of air. "Draught" rhymes with "raft", not "ought."
SUPERB!
Joyce
I have read North and South a number of times throughout my 71 years of life as well as watched the BBC production of it. It has always been a favorite, but I got more enjoyment listening to this excellent reading than ever before. The dialogues are beautifully done and the emotions of the characters can be felt. Thank you, Mary Ann, and thank you, Libravox!
Brilliant!
A LibriVox Listener
Another great book! came here after listening to Wives and Daughters. it does end abruptly, but the more I think on it, the more I actually appreciate it! The author spends her time on the substance and so once at the end, all though I wanted it to continue, was delicious and filling. A great writer! and very well read, thank you!
First time listener
A LibriVox Listener
This is the first time I've heard North and South and the first time I've heard Mary Anne and I loved them both! She's done a great job at captivating all of my senses so that I would forget that there was only one narrator! Will be looking for more books read by her.
Adrienne
What beautiful reading! MaryAnn did a splendid job with the text and in particular with the very difficult Yorkshire accent. My only criticisms are in the last page. There should have been a slight pause before she read ‘How shall I ever tell Aunt Shaw?’ she whispered, after some time of delicious silence. Also, the intonation in the word ‘That’ in ‘That man!’ and ‘That woman!’ wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I would have preferred a higher and stronger intonation on the word ‘That’, followed by an element of surprise and lower tone in the accompanying ‘man!’ and ‘woman!’ However, despite the Canadian (?) accent which I soon became thoroughly accustomed to, I enjoyed this reading immensely. Many thanks!!