Noord En Zuid

This impressive and smoothly written novel is about one of the most original female characters in Victorian literature, Margaret Hale. Elizabeth Gaskell created her to criticize the stereotypical role of women in the 19th century. The title that Gaskell initially gave to the novel was Margaret Hale, but under pressure from her publisher Charles Dickens she changed it to North and South referring to one of the important themes of the book, namely the contrast between the southern countryside and the industrialized north of England. In North and South, Gaskell expertly interweaves an immersive love story with a clash between social justice and the pursuit of profit. The suggestion that the novel is a socially motivated Pride and Prejudice is certainly valid.

Elizabeth Gaskell (Author)