North and South (Gaskell, 1855)

General

• prefatory note interesting on her perceived constraint by serialized publication in Household Words and subsequent expansion in volume form
• 17 desc of M as "so far from regularly beautiful" makes her a sister of Bronte heroines
• 33 Mr Hale leaving Church ministry -- note v good
  • 39 Margaret seems justified in her perception of moving in a fortnight to be quite fast -- when the hell did anything in a Victorian novel happen that quickly?!
• 66 repeated theme of Margaret's parents being overly reliant on her "genius for management" (60)

Theme Tracking

Reading/Writing

• 20 "the well-bound little-read English Classics" in the Helstone parsonage library
• 23 "proper old Italian binding" on an ed of Dante's paradiso
• 34 Mr Hale quoting a 17c dissenter to justify leaving ministry

Shakespeare references

• 5 compares Edith to Titania Midsummer Dream
• 7 course of true love running smooth