North and South
North and South was serialized in Dickens's magazine Household Words in 1854 and 1855. Margaret Hale, raised in a Hampshire village and in London, is uprooted when her clergyman father leaves the Church of England and takes the family to Milton, a northern mill town modeled on Manchester. There she meets the manufacturer John Thornton, whose hardness she despises, befriends the mill worker Nicholas Higgins and his dying daughter Bessy, and lives through a strike that brings the town to the edge of riot. Elizabeth Gaskell sets a love story inside an argument about masters and workers and lets both sides speak. It is her most ambitious novel and, for many readers, her best. It is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, with the first chapter free.
Start reading right away, without signing up. The complete text is included in Vinteuil Reading, or yours forever with a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked questions about North and South
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read North and South online?
Yes. North and South opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is North and South free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of North and South is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is North and South in the public domain?
Yes. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell is a public-domain work. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read North and South?
About 12 h 09 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is North and South?
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell is filed under "Fiction" in the Vinteuil library.
