North & South – Discussion #3

Since Andi is out of commission with her new online classes, I’m just going to go with it and ramble this week. I’m a hella good rambler.

From the chatter on Twitter (through the #NSread hash tag and whatnot) it sounds like I’m not the only one having trouble reading this book! Whew! Thank goodness. And I AM still behind, but not as behind as others. I’m on chapter 36, so only 3 chapters behind. It finally (!) started picking up in this section, but rest assured, ole Mags is getting on my nerves just as much as ever.

My first question is just how OLD is Margaret supposed to be? In some ways she reminds me of an old spinster and in others she reminds me of an immature 17 year old. I can’t figure it out. Not that I agree with it or anything, but for this time period, isn’t her main goal in life to find and marry an ideal husband? And start making babies? Which brings me to complaint number 2.

I don’t think I have ever, ever encountered a character (and this includes Ms. Elizabeth Bennett) more full of herself, mainly in regard to men. I could practically FEEL the sneer on her face after Mr. Thornton confesses his love for her. OMG I wanted to smack her in the face. And then she did that DREADFUL THING and can’t look him in the face once she realizes he saved her. I loved it. I LOVED IT. Put her in her place Mr. DreamyBoat Thornton! Woot! It’s like she doesn’t even realize she’s come down in the world. She’s not going to balls, or parties, she’s not out sketching and promenading around showing off her gowns and what not. She’s in an industrialized town, where people actually have to WORK, and her father is ONE OF THEM. Hello? Quit yer highfalutin-ness already!

Which brings me to complaint number 3, and this is completely a personal preference problem (how about that alliteration?) (also, hitherto known as PPP) but I can’t stand these social commentary novels. This is why I detest Dickens. There are Dickens’ novels that I know I would love for the story, (I love the main story of Great Expectations) but I get so bogged down in the commentary (I’m sorry, I feel awful about saying this but damn it, I’m going to be honest) that I don’t care much about. No, that’s not right. I DO care, I care about the history and I DO want to know about it, I just don’t want to be bashed upside the head with it at every opportunity. That’s the way I feel about Dickens’s writing and, so far, that’s the way I feel about Gaskell’s too. *hangs head in shame*

Another problem I’m having, again a PPP, is I’m just plain sick of classics. I tried my very best to read nothing but classics last month, I think I wound up reading 3 (?) and then this chunkster and I’m beat. I’m ready for something fast-paced, action-driven, overwrought with emotion, and completely the OPPOSITVE of a classic. Bring on the YA. Bring on RIP. I can’t wait for RIP, seriously, can’t stand it. Let it BEGIN already!

So, how about you? How is North & South going? Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel? Did you hit a road block? For those up-to-date in the reading; what did you think of Mag’s SCANDAL? And her reaction? OMG I died laughing. Simply died.