The film gives us a beautiful but fleeting glimpse of Helstone, before we’re whisked to Milton with a few paltry lines of dialogue to make amends. These chapters help us to understand her, which in turn helps us grasp the initial gap between Margaret and Mr. For one thing, they take place in Margaret’s beloved south of England. But fans of the novel know how important these opening scenes are. Yes, there’s only so much you can include in a 4-hour miniseries. The 2004 movie glosses over the first several chapters of the book far too quickly. If you’ve seen the movie you should be okay, but if you are unfamiliar with the story, exit out of this post and go read the book right now. I have my reasons, and before you banish me to a life in the cotton mills, please hear me out and see if you don’t agree with at least some of these! 6 Reasons Why Gaskell’s North and South is Due for a Movie Remake No disrespect to fans of the miniseries, but having watched it so close on the heels of reading the book, I couldn’t help but see the shortcomings. While the BBC North and South is not a bad show taken on its own, the story could absolutely benefit from a fresh and more faithful rendering of the original novel. There are some miniseries that are the worse for a retelling, like some of the Anne of Green Gables film adaptations out there. I couldn’t wait to add my voice to the widespread acclaim. I had great expectations when I finished the book and popped the first disc of the miniseries into my laptop a few days later. You know you’re hooked on a book when supper comes and all you can think about is getting in bed with your novel to find out what happens next! I’ve read dozens of Victorian novels, but North and South pulled me through the pages as few have. When about a dozen of my readers over at Richly Rooted strongly urged me to read the book and watch the movie, I finally complied. Somehow I had the mistaken impression that it was a Very Long Novel. In fact, I was bitterly disappointed by the first episode.įans told me to “wait and see,” and I did.įor years, friends had told me to read (or watch) North and South, but I put it off. I fully expected to join their ranks when I finally watched the series a few months ago. The North and South TV serial has a wildly enthusiastic and staunchly loyal fanbase. But when the BBC miniseries adaptation burst onto the screen in 2004, that pretty much changed forever. Here’s why fans of the book need a new definitive version.įifteen years ago Elizabeth Gaskell’s 1885 novel North and South may have been one of the best-kept secrets of Victorian literature. Many period drama fans love the 2004 BBC North and South miniseries, but it fails Elizabeth Gaskell’s original novel.

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