Skip to main content

North and South, 75%

The political to and fro has sadly faded away, and the novel has taken a decidedly soap opera turn. The strike loses its impetus when the strikers engage in violence and lose sympathy. (Margaret, standing next to Thornton, is hit in the head by a stone.)

Bessy dies--consumption.  Margaret then stands up to Bessy's father as he is out to get drunk. Instead of drinking, she brings him to her father.  Dual therapy session--talking about the existence (or not) of God is good for both.

Mrs. Hale (Maria) dies just after son Frederic (mutineer, in danger of hanging if caught) returns for a farewell.  Frederic is spotted by a drunken louse he used to know.  Frederic shoves the louse, jumps on the train.  Louse--sick already--dies!  Margaret had accompanied Frederic to the station and now must lie tot he investigator.  John Thornton, unbeknownst to her, saw her with her brother.  He thinks the brother is actually a lover (naughty Margaret), but he still loves her and does what he can--without her knowledge--to protect her.

Lawyer Lennox is back in the picture. Maybe he can get the mutineer brother a reprieve.

Father is just plain depressed and can barely get through the day.  Not too many characters suffering from depression in Victorian novels.

So, all in all, not as good as it was but still very enjoyable.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Oppenheimer . . . film

 Solid opening 30 minutes (we're treating this like a mini-series).  O's involvement with left-wing causes . . . rift with Einstein (O thinks of him as over-the-hill and Einstein knows it.)  First splitting of atom.  Lawrence Lab in Berkeley--Lawrence practical applied physics . . . not O's strength.  Main actor is from Peaky Blinders.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Master Chapter 2

February 1895 (Alice died in 1892) Money problems, jealousy of Wilde; time spent with Lord Wolseley1; off to Ireland to lick his wounds; Irish unrest--Irish landlords boycott all social events; much time spent with manservant Hammond (homosexual attraction again); fancy dress ball, appalling to James, who is only happy in company of Hammond, though Hammond remains a servant and no more; little girl alone on the grounds--inspiration for Turn of the Screw?; conflict with Webster who alludes to Wilde's successful play and HJ's failure; Wolseley was an  Anglo-Irish  officer in the  British Army . He became one of the most influential and admired British generals after a series of successes in Canada, West Africa, and Egypt, followed by a central role in modernizing the British Army in promoting efficiency. He served in Burma, the  Crimean War , the  Indian Mutiny , China, Canada and widely throughout Africa—including his  Ashanti  campaign (1873–1874) and the  Nile Exp
Post a Comment
Read more