Doreen Jones

Elizabeth Gaskell's book "North and South" is a wonderful book. It depicts a certain time in English history when manners were so much more strict than they are today. Times were hard for people of the "North" who Mrs. Gaskell writes about. She really brought her characters to life, making the reader believe in them. I'm a senior and I read this book, along with Mrs. Gaskell's other books, many years ago. I had read all of the 'classics' before TV was invented. Comparing the book to the 2004 TV series, I too felt disappointed, feeling that the producers had taken too many liberties with the storyline, although the actors did an excellent job with the script they were given. I'd be interested in seeing a remake of this book with the hope that it would follow more closely Mrs. Gaskell's story. It is my opinion that books, especially of this calibre, should be read first, so that the reader knows what the author intended when writing the book. I was born in the north of England and have very close ties with its people and its history