tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post6079936148660778656..comments2023-11-30T17:49:01.592-07:00Comments on Regency Delight ~Jane Austen, etc.~: How North and South is Not Like Pride and PrejudiceMelodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676306236172688321noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post-51943956757479463212022-04-11T12:10:51.727-06:002022-04-11T12:10:51.727-06:00I am so glad you've written this blog! I agree...I am so glad you've written this blog! I agree with all the points made. Even my experiences while reading the two books were quite different and so I can just not see enough similarities between Pride and Prejudice and North and South. When I read that some critics call N&S as "industrial P&P", I was so surprised because, while the usual haters-to-lovers trope and the other points you have mentioned are true between the two books, they are easily disputable as the two have completely unique storyline with respect to characters, circumstances, backgrounds and the social realities portrayed.<br /><br />I love both the books; massive Austen fan who just completed watching N&S 2004 adaptation! Richard Armitage was just THE Mr. Thornton I had visualised while reading! For me, N&S is more grounded in reality than P&P, and I'm certain to watch this adaptation once more. Though the conversations and feelings were stronger and clearer in the book, I liked the adaptation for the focus on master and men plot, and oohh for showing the cotton mills! <br />Anyway, enjoyed reading the blog, the two books are incomparable in their own right :)Muskan Choradiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15072226699611241182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post-30883977766558047702020-08-27T22:22:15.239-06:002020-08-27T22:22:15.239-06:00I love N&S, and think I generally prefer it to...I love N&S, and think I generally prefer it to any of Austen's novels, which is saying something, because I LOVE Jane Austen. P&P was definitely my intro, and so holds a special place as my 'first love', but I think I prefer Sense & Sensibility, Mansfield Park, and even Persuasion slightly more. Persuasion has one of the best film adaptations I've seen, and both P&P and S&S have good ones to choose from, but I'm quite upset that Mansfield Park doesn't have a faithful and high quality adaptation of its own yet.<br /><br />Anyway. In a quick note to my sister to explain why I liked N&S more than P&P, I said:<br />"It's still got the relational intrigue that I like with Austen - analyzing the behavior of people and societal norms and such - and just enough touch of humor still (sometimes Austen's humor is over-saturated/too tangential), but it's more 'real' and 'gritty', dealing with politics and class in a much more direct and philosophical way."<br /><br />~TAEAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post-87230457200101380532016-10-04T14:58:32.658-06:002016-10-04T14:58:32.658-06:00Austen died when Gaskell was 7, so doubtful they w...Austen died when Gaskell was 7, so doubtful they were friends. Also, P&P was a middle class woman's polite commentary on society in the Regency period whereas N&S was a social commentary on the divide between the rural south and the industrial North, bringing about the 'pollution' of the upper middle classes in the mid-Victorian period, where social move,net had become possible due to industrial advancement, hence the inclusion of the Great Exhibition in N&S. I don't like P&P, although I love Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, but LOVE N&S.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post-19135673373709627672015-05-29T17:44:23.807-06:002015-05-29T17:44:23.807-06:00Lovely post, m'dear! I'm in the middle of...Lovely post, m'dear! I'm in the middle of answering your email and I was going to put my thoughts in the email, but I decided to comment instead. New comments on old posts are always fun. ;)<br />Anyways. I totally agree with you! This was delightful to read--I enjoy posts that make me nod my head and mutter, "Yessss...thank you muchly." :D Also I haven't talked much about JA with anyone recently, and this was almost as good. ;)<br />Heehee, JA did indeed do it first...and you're right that it's a common storyline. Even Shakespeare had some elements of it--"Much Ado About Nothing" doesn't have exactly the same thing, but close.<br />I like the comparison you drew between Mr. Darcy and Margaret! They really are quite similar, except in the matter of suitors and situation, haha. If Mr Thornton had been more like Elizabeth, perhaps Margaret would have unbent a little bit, snorrrt. (Not that I didn't like her, but she could have used a joke once in awhile, poor girl.)<br />Heehee. It's a good thing we both like Jane Austen, oui? (Otherwise neither of us would be blogging in the first place. ;))<br />Interesting thought about Gaskell and Austen! I get the feeling that Gaskell's sentiments on Austen might have been the same as Charlotte Bronte's, but maybe not so strongly put...simply because Gaskell has kind of the same tendency towards gritty writing and extreme suffering, haha. But I could be wrong. (It has happened before. Except when it hasn't, which is...frequent. HAHAHA.) (Also random fact...last time I was at the library, I got out a few other Gaskell books [Cranford wasn't there...hmph. The movies were, though. ;)] and one of them was "Gothic Tales"! Turns out she wrote gothic novels, ehehehehehe. So one gets the feeling that there was one work of Austen's, at least, that she might not have appreciated.)<br />Yezzz...Mrs. Hale *was* rather annoying at first, but then she got more sympathetic, haha.<br />Number 6 is a very interesting fact! So there are some similarities, between N&S and P&P, if only in name. Heehee.<br />I think that's it...don't think I put anything debate-worthy in here, snort. ;)<br />~SL<br />P.S. I agree about Richard Armitage for the most part...I liked his portrayal all right--it was very good, in fact--but there were some moments that made me go ehhhh. :P HE CAN KEEP THE LOOKS THOUGH. I had no problem with those. ;)Miss Jane Bennethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990860661370730793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post-42729064048360876342012-12-10T13:21:57.431-07:002012-12-10T13:21:57.431-07:00I never thought the stories were alike. I love bot...I never thought the stories were alike. I love both P&P and N&S, though. They are tow of my favorite period dramas and the books are both excellent. Each in their own way.<br />I don't mind the "darkness" of N&S. I enjoy deep stories as well as light and bright stories. Depends on my mood. ;-)Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11137589022943286947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post-33659454331357345832012-12-10T06:46:59.743-07:002012-12-10T06:46:59.743-07:00I had always thought of the two stories as being s...I had always thought of the two stories as being similar, but I think you're right! I'd never thought about the details before. As for me, I'm not sure which I like better...they're each so good in their own ways :)Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02532720772014869424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post-3311924711211503272012-12-07T16:10:44.492-07:002012-12-07T16:10:44.492-07:00Banrion An Gheimhridh,
Thanks for the comment! I&#...Banrion An Gheimhridh,<br />Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you agree. ;)<br /><br />Jane,<br />You should read the book. I, for one, liked Mr. Thornton better in the book, especially in some ways. And you can just understand him a lot better.<br /><br />Alexandra my dear, if you call Jane Austen "Austen", I shall call Baroness Orczy "Orczy". :D Well, that will only do if that bugs you... so hopefully it does.<br />Ha, yes, I suppose you are more of the darker type. :P Well, I'm not. And, if you can believe this, I liked the book's Mr. Thornton better than Mr. Thornton As Represented By Richard Armitage. Weeeeell, okay, he can keep the looks. I wouldn't mind. ;)<br /><br />Abilaine,<br />Thanks!<br /><br />Maria Elisabeth,<br />Hahahaha! That made me laugh. And thank you. I am always right, you know, except when I am wrong, which is... well, not seldom enough. *cough*Melodyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05676306236172688321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post-15621459461336643502012-12-07T11:29:24.187-07:002012-12-07T11:29:24.187-07:00Sink me, if you aren't right. For a - Um, as ...Sink me, if you aren't right. For a - Um, as usual.Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02297989443217404313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post-75663009067184257142012-12-07T10:32:09.182-07:002012-12-07T10:32:09.182-07:00And as for the story itself...I'm more of the ...And as for the story itself...I'm more of the darker type myself ;), and of course the film version had Richard Armitage...so duhhhh. :) Alexandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17437117457544744702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post-89289753788594960232012-12-07T10:31:41.864-07:002012-12-07T10:31:41.864-07:00This was a great post by the way.
I really do lik...This was a great post by the way.<br /><br />I really do like N&S, but P&P is my favourite story ever. Seriously. I never really thought N&S was much like P&P. I had become very similar with P&P when I watched N&S for the first time and I was not exactly liking the "darkness" about the whole story.<br /><br />Pride and Prejudice is much better in my opinion though I love N&S something fierce. Nuff said. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00794754777968632922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post-60071270819410925662012-12-07T10:30:24.607-07:002012-12-07T10:30:24.607-07:00I know that she was friends with Charles Dickens.....I know that she was friends with Charles Dickens...not sure about Austen. :)Alexandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17437117457544744702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post-73964432457911095132012-12-07T01:52:48.936-07:002012-12-07T01:52:48.936-07:00Funnily enough, before I watched N&S, it was d...Funnily enough, before I watched N&S, it was described as being similar but "dark" to P&P. And then when we finished watching it the comments of most of my family was how much it was like P&P only much more depressing. AND N&S was the first period drama in which I took an instant dislike to the hero and never totally warmed up to! Dear me did I actually say that about Richard Armitage. oh dear! No worries, I just need to see it again. My opinion of him may improve as I get to know him better. And oh btw, I totally approved of Margaret; saw her point of view, the whole way through.Jane Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03034439635328454093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648706431833666913.post-58729618282952274042012-12-06T21:13:18.839-07:002012-12-06T21:13:18.839-07:00That would be very interesting to know whether or ...That would be very interesting to know whether or not Elizabeth Gaskell liked Jane Austen! I agree with everything you pointed out. I love both Pride and Prejudice (of course) and North and South, but they are very different, though they may appear similar at first.Banríon An Gheimhridhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09898509697858420592noreply@blogger.com