Dear Readers,
Today I have such a treat for you I can hardly contain my glee!
Fellow Richard Armitage/North & South connoisseur and author extraordinaire Trudy Brasure has accepted my invitation to share with us her take on Gaskell’s masterpiece and she’ll be spoiling us today and Friday, so make sure you stop by.
Most of you are familiar with Trudy’s writing as she has long been considered one of the most notable fanfiction turned published authors with an uncanny ability to capture our Mr Thornton and make us fall for him hard all over again.
I leave you in the capable hands of my guest blogger and one of my most favorite N&S continuation authors (not to mention a thoroughly lovely person…):
Trudy Brasure
Five things you probably didn’t know about me:
1. I had a great childhood. As one of nine children, I was surrounded mostly by brothers. Boys? Yeah, we got ’em. I faked my first crush in school to fit in with the crowd. Heck, I didn’t find boys that mysterious or enchanting in those pubescent years.
2. My obsession before I discovered John Thornton/Armitage was … um… Abraham Lincoln. What can I say? I love a good, brooding man in a top hat.
3. My first plane ride was from Toronto to Paris – alone, at age 17 – to stay for a month with the family of the exchange student our family had hosted the summer before. Unforgettable adventure for a small town girl from Pennsylvania.
4. I’m the organist/pianist on Sundays at the church I attend. All those years of piano lessons were not wasted!
5. I’ve never been to England! I know, I know…. it’s really quite presumptuous of me to write stories set in a place I’ve never been. Thank goodness for my British editor. I’ve been close, though! My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Ireland and Scotland.
Get your pencils (or quills) ready for QUIZ TIME!
(John has studied hard for this.)
Think you know North and South? I’ve seen a few fun quizzes posted here and there. But they were too easy. Try this mean baby if you’ve read the book. Hey, if you’ve read my stories you might be able to answer a handful of these. Level: Wicked
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post for the answers!
1. How old is Margaret at the time of Edith’s wedding?
2. Where is the Lennox family from?
3. What military rank did Aunt Shaw’s late husband hold?
4. What is Mr. Bell’s first name?
5. Is it Bessy or Bessie?
6. What is the port town nearest Helstone?
7. How did Leonards happen to be at the station to discover Fred?
8. What are Mr. and Mrs. Hale’s first names?
9. True/False: Gaskell was a master of precision in writing the sequence of events.
10. What pet did Aunt Shaw have?
11. What is the name of Frederick’s intended (and later, wife)?
12. Name one of the books that Hannah Thornton reads from.
13. What personal tragedy did Hannah silently recall during her visit with the dying Mrs. Hale?
14. True/False: The Great Exhibition is mentioned in a conversation between Thornton and Mr. Hale.
15. True/False: Thornton discovers that Margaret has a brother from Mr. Bell.
16. True/False: Higgins calls Thornton a bulldog.
17. Mr. Thornton made a point of visiting Helstone while returning from a business trip to what venue?
18. True/False: Mr. Thornton attends the funeral of both Margaret’s mother and father.
19. What is the name of the member of parliament who comes to dinner at Aunt Shaw’s house in the penultimate chapter?
20 . How much time passed between Thornton’s post-riot declaration of love and the final scene in London in which Margaret offers her fortune to Thornton? (a.) six months (b.) a year (c.) 18 months (d.) two years
BOOK GIVEAWAY!
If you loved the angst and repressed passion Richard portrayed as John Thornton in North and South, you’ll love my new story! In Consequence puts a twist in the story at the time of the riot which spins the developing story of love and attraction in a whole new direction. Available for free at C19 and Wattpad, In Consequence is also for sale as a Kindle book at Amazon. It will soon be available in print and as a Nook, ibook, etc. as well.
Leave a comment on this blog post for a chance to win a copy of In Consequence – paperback or Kindle. (worldwide) The winner will be announced next Thursday, February 6th.
Share what you love most about N&S, ask me a question, or talk to me about my story or Gaskell’s. There’s nothing I enjoy better than engaging in discussion about North and South!
Coming up tomorrow: Trudy’s pet peeves regarding all things North and South as well as the answers to the quiz!
The Book Giveaway is now finished!
I Want to be a Pin Up 
Hello Trudy! I loved reading the bits and pieces about yourself! Lots of comment-worthy stuff (8 siblings! small-town PA! honeymoon in Ireland… but maybe that is too personal here on this platform). I am afraid I am completely lost with your quiz (partly because I did not like N&S as written by Gaskell – sorry for blaspheming). However, I loved N&S as written by Trudy Brasure! In Consequence was one of the first fanfics I ever read, and was probably one of the reasons I got sucked into this fandom. A fandom that had such dedicated and creative members was certainly special… So I blame you :-D.
Very much looking forward to tomorrow’s post.
And thanks to Agzy for hosting!
Didn’t like Gaskell’s book? Dear me, I’ll try not to hold that against you…;)
I haven’t read any other classic that paints the anguish of the hero so starkly. It’s pretty intense – RA nailed it in his performance. He knew the book.
I’m glad my fanfic helped suck you into the fandom and RA fanfic! Yay for that!
Oh, the anguish of the hero was beautifully written. I had other criticism that overrid all romantic pleasure when I read the book (but I am not going to spoil the fun here and preach my sermon :-D).
Ok, then. It was pointed out in the group read we did at C19 a bit ago that for all of Gaskell’s compassion for others and for individuals in general, her rather incongruent prejudices against the Irish seemed obvious. I take it as a snapshot example of how difficult it really is to extricate oneself from the prevailing practices and perspectives of one’s culture. But maybe that wasn’t your issue… and now I’m curious….
No, it was not her description of the Irish (hehe, did you assume that because I am Irish-by-association?) My criticism is probably unfair, considering that Gaskell must be praised for tackling social issues *at all*. She is a creature of her age, and should probably not be judged by modern standards. I simply did not like Margaret. Even though she is usually praised to be encouraging social reform and emancipation of the workers, I still found her (politics) condescending and paternalistic. As a character, I found Margaret Hale strangely incongruent – spirited and unconventional in some respects, demure and passive in others. For example the proposal scene – refusing Thornton with passion and strong emphasis, and then turning soft the next minute, asking for his understanding… Shoot me now.
No, you’re exactly right! And Margaret is a bundle of contradictions – that’s the point. She has a lot if growing up to do in the book – and learning about herself. But that’s part of the whole process. She’s still a child and we see her struggle through the most difficult years of her life. She comes out of it much more mature and aware of herself. She is part independent rebel and part demure, Victorian ‘good girl.’ She’s real, with real contradictions – not a Dickens’ caricature!
That’s another way of seeing her – contradictory. And ok, I have to admit, it had slipped my mind that she is meant to be 19 in the book, and as yet unformed and unsettled in her own skin. (Mind you – I was far more one-dimensionally principled when I was 19 than I am now…)
Thank you Trudy and thank you Guylty!!! I have to say my 90 year old mother really liked N&S by Gaskell. However—she LOVED “A Heart in Milton” and I’m waiting for her to finish “In Consequence.” (On Kindle) She first fell in love with RA when she watched N&S with me. Young or old readers, Trudy–You’re a hit!
90 years old? Wow. That’s fun to know she loved my story. Thanks for telling me. Hope she likes In Consequence, too! Gaskell’s book has all the pain and suffering; my stories are a bit of an antidote to all that. (A lot of antidote?) Finally, we get to see John happy.
Trudy, I love your information about North & South. Through your comments and posts, I am meeting people who like North & South, Mr Thornton and Margaret Hale. Few people in Brazil know that novel, movie and characters. Thanks ❤
Hello, Marcia. Gaskell isn’t well known in the US either, but I’m sure there are even less fans in Brazil! I’m always glad to meet those who love N&S. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Me + Richard Armitage and commented:
Win a copy of Trudy’s great new book, In Consequence! Leave a comment over there!
I own a copy — so don’t enter me — just wanted to say I also had Abraham Lincoln as a crush until I was 14, and I also was a very regular pianist / organist in our church (there were others) until I was 18. This must be why we get along so well 🙂 Congratulations on the publication.
I suppose having a fascination with Lincoln isn’t terribly unique, but I think it’s funny I’m still centered in the same era – my focus has just shifted across the sea. I have a Lincoln biography sitting on my shelves that I’ve never finished reading. My Thornton crush took over! Victorian interests, musical talent, Thornton/Armitage … it’s a good base for friendly conversation. 🙂
Thanks for the reblog. Much appreciated.
LOL! having a crush Lincoln must be an American thing (no judgment though!).
Yes, it is. Abe has that tall, dark aspect going for him. 😉 And he’s more accessible to the modern age than those forefathers in the powdered wigs and silk stockings! Lol.
I think it is. Esp for girls who grow up in the north. I suspect there were a lot of George Washington crushes in the 19th c.
I purchased In Consequence, so I have it on my Kindle. I can’t wait to read it. I loved A Heart for Milton and Gaskell’s North and South. I am very happy for you Trudy. It is nice to see well deserving people succeed at the things they do best.
Thanks, Xenia. It’s been wonderful to be able to create something out of my interest in N&S that I can share with others. I can’t wait to hear how you like my second story. (But I know you’re busy!)
LOVE Trudy’s fanfics, they are so well written and addictive!
Addictive? Oh good! Thanks. Glad you enjoy my writing.
I have to agree! Trudy captures the N&S spirit so well! I think us Thornton fans are very difficult to please. We have an image of the character as created by the BBC series which in turn filters Gaskell’s work. It takes an admirer of both the book and the series to capture that atmosphere that we so love.
Trudy’s stories just scratch that cravat and top hat itch perfectly for me 🙂
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Oh, what fun to see the comment about Gaskell’s portrayal of Thornton. I had a much greater appreciation of Richard’s work after reading the book a few months after watching the DVD for the first time. Although how I could have a better appreciation, I am not entirely sure, but it happened. 😀
(Actually, I am sure. He captured those passages in the book where Gaskell described his yearning and heartache, and he did it without words, simply his eyes and movements. That man…)
And I disliked Margaret even more after the book. LOL If anything, I thought her colder and more disapproving through Gaskell’s narrative.
The saddest part of the movie portrayal had to be the violence Thornton unleashes in that first scene with Margaret. That, I think, was a disservice to his moral character. He might have hauled the offender out by his ears, but I do not think he would have beaten a man.
Always ruminating about this character …
Oh, I have to sympathize with Margaret. It was a great tragedy for her to have to leave her childhood home just when she was hoping to enjoy it. I think half of her coldness to Thornton was her resistance to being in Milton in the first place. She didn’t *want* to like him! And she didn’t know him at all. But after he declares his love, she’s all fluttering nerves anytime he is near. She changes very quickly and resents her harsh treatment of him. By the latter part of the book, she’s a lovesick girl, devastated by the thought of having ruined her chances for happiness (with him!). Once she realizes who he really is, she loves him quite passionately and defends him to others.
And yes, Thornton wouldn’t have beat or kicked a man on the floor. A good yelling and a rough ushering of the idiot Stephens out of the mill should have been violent enough for a girl of Margaret’s sensibilities.
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I think the book and mini-series are both great, despite the changes made in the plot. My favourite part, that wasn’t in the TV adaptation was Thornton following Margaret on the street for a while, after taking Higgins on, coming from his house.
I love the film and the book, too. The ‘foolish passion’ encounter was a lot different in the book. I love how they were talking about truth … and then he goes and blurts out that lie about being over her! Lol.
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