North&South, Austen with social morality

I have to confess that I watched the BBC adaptation before I read the book so I was already in love with the story; it's a lovely tale and the twists and turns in Margret's life, though unfortunate, are not unbelievable.

Basic storyline: Margaret Hale and her family move to the Northern industrial town of Milton from their sweet Southern village. The whole family is uprooted and struggles to settle into the smoky, noisy, dank atmosphere of their new home. Their earliest acquaintances there are the Thorntons - dignified Mrs Thornton, her silly daughter Fanny, and her handsome son John, wealthy master of the Marlborough Mills and a famous name in cotton. Despite Mr Thornton's best efforts, Margaret believes Milton society to be inferior to their status as gentlefolk, and so the scene is set for a 'Pride and Prejudice'-esque story of wounded egos, longing glances, misunderstandings and, finally, true love.

Despite the similarities between this novel and the Austen favourite, there are big differences. This book is much more complex, and much grittier, leaning further towards Dickens in some respects. The poverty of the Milton workers, in which Margaret takes a philanthropic interest, is a major focus of the novel. The misfortunes of the Higgins and Boucher families, and their constant struggles against injustice, illness and uncaring employers, are carefully explored and movingly rendered.



All in all, this is a wonderful novel. It provides a fascinating insight into a time and an existence very different to modern life, while never losing the intimacy that draws the reader into the lives of these characters. I cried several times over the course of the novel, and had the HUGEST smile on my face at the inevitable and well-deserved happy ending. A fantastic read - and if you haven't seen the BBC adaptation with Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe, you should! It's what started my love affair with this story. Never thought I'd love a movie/series better than BBC's P&P, but I must admit North and South went straight to my heart and knocked P&P down.
I’d like to thank the lovely Maria Grazia of FLY HIGH! for inspiring me to read this book and watch the BBC drama. An unforgettable experience.

Save the BBC!

I've received this from a few friends so I'm passing in on to you. Please read it and sign the petition if you agree. Our voice is a very strong tool against these ruthless business people. Thanks for listening.
Ciao


Dear friends,

The BBC is considering sweeping cuts, cutting its website in half and dropping TV and radio stations. The reason: to enrich corporate media. According to a story in the Times, the proposal is a bid to "shrink" in order to "appease the BBC's rivals." If this goes forward, it's a giveaway to Rupert Murdoch, who sees the BBC as a threat to his profits. The BBC is a global treasure. Public outcry has prevented BBC cuts before, now we can save it again! Sign the petition and pass it along -- let's get to 100,000 signatures before we deliver it to the BBC Trust later this week, so they know the UK, and the world, want the Beeb to stand strong:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bbc/?vl

The BBC isn't perfect, but the people pushing for these cuts want to destroy it, not to improve it. The Times, owned by media baron Rupert Murdoch, responded by calling for further cuts such as closing Radio 1. Last autumn, Rupert's son James Murdoch gave a speech calling for the BBC to be forced to become "far, far smaller". Today's cuts are proposed in a "strategic review" written by John Tate -- co-author of the Conservative Party's manifesto, and now a BBC executive. If the goal is to reduce competition to corporate media outfits, this may just be the beginning. Murdoch -- the global media magnate -- has long seen the BBC as his biggest rival, and his media outlets have assaulted the Labor government. Now, with the recession hurting profits and a UK election coming soon, he and his allies are on the attack. We need greater investment in quality and originality by the BBC, not death by a thousand cuts. Let's raise all our voices to protect the Beeb, and deliver an overwhelming number of signatures to the BBC Trust this week -- sign and spread the word to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bbc/?vl