North and South

this was fine. Feels like the blueprint for the slow burn and miscommunication trope. I have one question tho: why is everyone dying

It takes a lot for a romance plot to capture me, but this one managed to do so (neglecting the fact that the main obstacle was the apparent impossibility in Victorian society for a short, clarifying talk between a man and a woman, which is kind of annoying when viewed from today). Margaret Hale is a great character and so is Thornton - who'd have thunk it that I could develop sympathies for an English industrialist from the 1800s, a class of people I commonly hold up as examples of the word 'despicable'?! But you live and you learn. Nevertheless, the book would not have been half as enjoyable without the aspect of the class and social struggle in the industrial north of England being a central focus, the fight between the capitalists and the workers. And while I still hold in my lefty heart that the view presented here is somewhat rose-coloured, it was still very satisfying and treated every character with the humanity they deserved. And I too change perpetually - now this, now that - now disappointed and peevish because all is not exactly as I had pictured it, and now suddenly discovering that the reality is far more beautiful than I imagined it.

It is an old book and I had quite some trouble understanding everything, especially from the Higginses with their written northers dialect. However, I liked the people and was able to understand and connect with the main characters. Margaret and John clearly care and respect each other from the beginning, John's romantic feelings are very obvious early on. The changing of Margarets feelings was not that "clear" to me, but otherwise very cute love story. There are too many deaths in this in my taste though. I read it mostly, because I really liked the 2004 TV show.