Running time: approx. 4 hours – but was that enough to satisfy me? No. I must blog.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel North and South received a lot of new love when they made this production in 2004, and it was well-deserved. The costumes were very good, and the acting was excellent. (Oh, the decadent tension. The f e e l i n g s .)

While many people would say that the BBC site broke down that year because of then newcomer Richard Armitage as leading man John Thornton, the production was great and it related the narrative very well. I hope people genuinely enjoyed it for what it was, rather than simply a source of eye-candy.

I haven’t read the whole novel through, but I don’t think it’s easy to adapt. I do think they managed to do the novel justice. The BBC relayed a lot of the complexities and moral issues that figure heavily in the book. I liked it very much, and it’s a rare adaptation that complements and enhances the source material.

I’ve always wanted to watch it, because you don’t spend as long a time as I have in the Pride and Prejudice fandom without hearing of North. While P&P is a more subtle examination of our moral obligations to society and the marriage market, N&S is more outright revolutionary in its examination of capitalism, progress, and values.

I’m trying to write this blog as well as I can, but my monkey brain isn’t cooperating. It’s still trying to process the whole damn thing. Also, I became a Richard Armitage stan – but I’m gonna be selective about it. The man deserves to be in more sideburns and cravats.

Daniela Denby-Ashe, who plays Margaret Hale, was also very compelling. While I imagine some people got unnerved by how Margaret deals with things (miscommunication SIGH), I liked how spunky and intelligent and forward-thinking she is.

I feel like I have more words in me about this, but to spare myself and everyone else the pain, I’ll end it simply: watch the 2004 BBC adaptation of North and South, then proceed to stan. I’ll be reblogging content on Tumblr now. Bye, and see you next week for my next micro-obsession.