North and South

I just finished North and South (1854-1855) by Elizabeth Gaskell. Terrific!

The title refers to the modern, industrialized north of England as contrasted with the traditional, rural south of England. The people, politics, way of life; all of it. Interestingly, it was originally published right after Hard Times by Charles Dickens in the very same serial. That book dealt with many of the same things.

Like Charlotte Brontë, Gaskell just seems to assume her readers know French. Out of nowhere, she throws this at us:

Je ne voudrois pas reprendre mon cœur en ceste sorte: meurs de honte, aveugle, impudent, traistre et desloyal à ton Dieu, et sembables choses; mais je voudrois le corriger par voye de compassion. Or sus, mon pauvre cœur, nous voilà tombe dans la fosse, laquelle nous avions tant resolu d’eschapper. Ah! revelons-nous, et quittons-la pour jamais, reclamons la misericorde de Dieu, et esperons en elle qu’elle nous assistera pour desormais estra plus fermes; et remettons-nous au chemin de l’humilitè. Courage, soyons meshuy sur nos gardes, Dieu nous aydera.

and offers no translation or explanation of any kind. I mean, come on. Is that last part even modern French? That might be middle French.

There's a lot of northern dialect too, but that's to be expected given the title.

No matter; it's a good read, even if you just skip over the French.

It has been adapted for television three times (1966, 1975 and 2004). I'll have to look for one!