After seeing the movie, I had to read the book. In my world, movies are never better than books, but in this case it is nearly a tie. In fact, the movie may win by a nose.I did like the book. It fills some gaps in the movie (of course), but I actually like the resolution of the movie better.
The story is set in England. The Hales family moves from the pastoral south of England to the industrial north of England. It is a completely different way of life, and they must adapt. There is drama and romance, two elements that enhance any book for me.
Gaskell was a contemporary of Dickens. This book was first published in one of Dickens' periodicals, Household Words, in serial form, and you can tell. Gaskell herself was a little frustrated with the page/word limitations set by publishing in this form. She added a little filler when it was published as a book, but it still reads a bit like a serial.
It's worth reading. It's definitely worth seeing the movie (BBC version, with Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe). If you are a reader, do both. If not, well then, I leave it up to you.
I loved this movie, and I've wondered about the book. I think I'll wait a while until I've forgotten the movie before I try reading it.
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