4.5 stars for "North and South" by Elizabeth Gaskell!

This was a completely different story from what I've imagined! We start the novel by seeing Margaret Hale supporting her more wealthier cousin, Edith, with her marriage preparations.
Shortly after, Margaret goes home to Helstone, where her parents reside. She hopes her happines in the small village won't be disturbed. Little did she knew, that from the moment Mr. Henry Lennox comes to visit as promised in London, her life will take a different turn...all because her father can endure being a priest no more!

Once again, I want to underline that I did not anticipate the relationship between North and South as Gaskell delivered in her story.(This may be accounted by the fact that I know little about the period discussed ..1850's...or the people in question)

<b>Content warning: death</b

Margaret got me intrigued from the first moment we truly focus on her...that is the scene when the Lennox brothers pay a visit to the bride's family on Harley Street...her interaction with Henry got me making sooo many assumptions about her future, what this book is truly about, how her social status may change, etc.! ^_^ I was truly living my best life!...Then the garden scene happened and I was lost..0_0...the sudden changes we experienced! The clever way in which Gaskell painted for us Helstone through Margaret's eyes (and the change in it after 2 years), Milton, the Higgins family and the Thortons...splendid!!!>..<

She made the reader think what she wanted about a scene, place, character and circumstances! That takes talent!

Also, what she started by introducing Nicholas Higgins and his elder daughter, Bessy....really great plot and theme introduction! In the beginning I was hindered by the way they talked (took me a while to understand what sounds were missing...>..>), and I really did not see how she'll tie their story and friendship with Margaret to the rest of the family (who, in my opinion shoudn't let her spend time with them given the fact she's of a different status), or with the Thortons.

Now, I can safely say they give Margaret a reason to live in Milton and become more active! There is a clear distinction brought up several times between characters, about the stillness of the South/Helstone/London, the laid back way in which life flows there with it's clean image , in contrast to the busy and dirty life in North/Milton full of people with purpose and desire to better themselves.

Favorite characters: Margaret, John Thorton and his mother(she's normally someone I woudn't like but, here, Gaskell gave her a deeper meaning and made her more accurate with her strict judgement of everyone), Nicholas Higgings, and Henry Lennox(he's, I believe, a character who originally had a different path/story and thus feels more misterious and compelling than the others)

Least favorite characters: Mr. Hale, Mrs.Hale, Mrs.Shaw and her daughter Edith(quite a selfish person! and slow to understand a lot of things!...I think she represents, together with her husband, the way of the South)

When it comes to the plot and characters, we need to address them together! The narrative of Margaret finding appreciation for people so different from her both in mind and position in life; the way in which she curbes her pride little by little and finds happiness in a place/person soo unexpected for her; the very real problems of both workmen and masters , and the sad reality of either parties never understanding or even knowing the other's struggles...everything combined with a tragic family story that started due to abuse of power and horrible work relationships... gives us a window into the past and teaches us humility, kindness, the benefits of doubts and good will, and finally, how important is to apply fair judgement to everything we do and to pay attention to every side involved!

All I can say is that Margaret and the plot grow and become more complex almost in tandem. Every little sentiment, trial, tragedy, joy and mental struggle is expertly used by Gaskell to also further the discussion about class division!

I'm not sure every reader will agree with me, after all, there was a part in the middle where Higgings became a focus that almost lost me...but if you have a little patience, or you enjoy the slow progression typical of classics, you'll be rewarded!

Before moving on to other things, I want to mention the beautiful and funny scene at the end where both MCs are soooo aware of their family's dramatic ways:)))))) Loved that!>..<

With all this praise out of the way, I have some small issues that some other readers may want to be aware of:
- besides the favorite characters I mentioned above, the rest are pretty much your standard take on an archetype...for me it wasn't a problem due to the fact that we have a strong cast of fully fledged individuals that we focus on, and also because they are integral for a situation or fill the tableu (it being a family one, a situational one regarding the plot or any other variation).
- Margaret takes a lot of time transforming from a passive character in her own story to an active/ combative one (I did not take away stars for this because it's very much a thing of classical writing and it may be argued as giving believable character growth to the protagonist)
- we never end up knowing why Mr. Hale left the Church, nor how Friederich dealt with the last major news
- Mr. Adam Bell was sadly underutilized!!! And he was sooo funny and ironic!!!>..< Loved how no one got his real meaning when he was sarcastic! :))))

In conclusion, this book is perfect for classic lovers, those interested in reading a story with a beautiful slow burn romance that discusses class diferences, what it means to depend on faceless strangers when it comes to your livelihood, and the struggles of working under difficult conditions in a world where nobody knows or cares about your aspirations. 
In my opinion, I will highly recommend you try Gaskell's work; I know I will be reading from her in the future! ^^

Enjoy