Mary Barton (Penguin Classics)
by Elizabeth Gaskell
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Book Summary Information
Author: Elizabeth GaskellEditor: MacDonald Daly
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1997-04-01
ISBN: 014043464X
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Book Reviews of Mary Barton (Penguin Classics)
Book Review: A keen observer of humanity
Summary: 5 Stars
After watching the 2005 BBC TV-adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel "North and South", I was intrigued to go back and read the novel. I liked it so much, that I wanted to read more, and so found "Mary Barton". In both novels, I was impressed with Elizabeth Gaskell's keen insight into the human spirit - despair, doubt, kindness, love, compassion, hopelessness, loyalty, frivolity, and most of everything in between. She has a rare talent to create believable male and female characters (with their inherent differences in perception and interpretation) at all walks of life, and to inspire compassion and understanding for all her characters' actions. The plot is largely divided between mystery and romance, both of which are done well. This is definitely a book I would recommend to fellow Austen fans!
Compared to the majority of modern novels, her writing has more of a leisurely pace to it and she takes the time to describe the emotional inner workings of her characters as much as she devotes to outward plot development. The frequent historical or literary references not immediately at a current-day reader's fingertips are explained well in this edition's notes at the end for those who want to know (like me).
Historically, this book is a fascinating treatise of the working class toil, life, and death in the mid-1800s in Manchester, England, the rise of trade unions, and the trouble attendant therewith. Gaskell's astute observations about the living conditions of the poor in that day and age make for a compelling and thought-provoking read. It is hard to leave her books not feeling that the two opposite points of view of masters and men can be true, and that compassion might go a long way to bridge the gap.
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