Mary Barton
A tale of love, betrayal, and social injustice
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:6th Mar '08
Should be back in stock very soon
In Mary Barton, a young woman must navigate love, loyalty, and betrayal amidst the harsh realities of industrial life when tragedy strikes.
In Mary Barton, the story unfolds in a gritty industrial landscape, where Mary, the daughter of a factory worker, yearns for a life beyond the confines of poverty. When the charming son of the mill owner, Henry, begins to court her, Mary sees a potential escape from her harsh reality. However, her rejection of her childhood friend Jem, who harbors feelings for her, complicates matters as she pursues a future with Henry. This choice sets off a chain of events that will test her loyalties and moral compass.
Tragedy strikes when Henry is murdered, and Jem, who loved her all along, becomes the prime suspect. Faced with the turmoil of her heart and the weight of societal expectations, Mary must navigate her feelings for Jem and the implications of Henry's death. The narrative delves into the themes of love, betrayal, and the stark realities of class struggle in 19th-century England, highlighting the personal and communal impacts of injustice.
Mary Barton is not just a tale of romance; it is a poignant exploration of the corrosive effects of poverty and the struggles of the working class. Through Gaskell's vivid storytelling, readers are invited to empathize with the characters’ plight, making it a moving account of resilience in the face of adversity.
A story of scandal, class conflict and bitter rivalry * Guardian *
Mary Barton is the first and arguably the finest of them. In it, early trade-union radicalism and competition between old industrial methods and new is the background to a powerful, often heartbreaking depiction of real rather than ideal Victorian family life * Independent *
Elizabeth Gaskell, or Mrs Gaskell as she was known, also produced what has been called the first social novel. The living conditions she witnessed daily in her work among poor mill labourers spurred her to write a novel that would prick the social conscience of industrial Britain, while spinning a gripping yarn. It worked. "People on Turkish carpets," wrote one reviewer, "with their three meat meals a day, are wondering why working men turn Chartists and Communists. Do they want to know why? Let them read Mary Barton" * Independent on Sunday *
People who read her always come away surprised at how modern she sounds. You don't have to think yourself into her century in order to sympathise, since her guiding principle was no more or less than a sense of practical, day-today justice, totally outside the abiding gentleman-lady-peasant-donkey-peasant's wife hierarchy which surrounded her. -- Zoe Williams * Evening Standard *
ISBN: 9780099511472
Dimensions: 197mm x 129mm x 29mm
Weight: 345g
496 pages