Another dumb question. Has anyone read this classic and if so what did you think ? I got the miniseries from the library after seeing it praised on another romance site. I loved the movie but haven't read the book. I think I'll have to buy the miniseries.

I have not read North and South, but have seen the movie which was pretty good.

I have and read Wives and Daughters and Cranford, both of which I enjoyed. 

I do plan to read North and South some day :-)

Sorry, not much help, but she is a good author and I suspect North and South is not primarily romance.

I think it's considered historical fiction with a little romance thrown in especially in the movie or maybe Richard Armitage made it seem more romantic. In any case, he seemed tortured to me.

I read the book and loved it.

I saw the mini-series with Richard Armitage first and fell in love with Mr. Thornton. I couldn't stand Margaret so I thought if I read the book, I would understand her better. And I did! I wasn't as if I got to like her or anything, but in the book, her feelings for Mr. Thornton are more obvious - the byotch in the mini-series was too cold and you wondered why exactly she hooked up with him at the end. And of course, I fell in love with Mr. Thornton all over again.

The Armitage mini-series is pretty close to the book. They took some artistic liberties (with the end and the way the meet) but it added to the richness of the story.

I don't think the book is "Historical Fiction" as the book is set in Gaskell's lifetime (early industrial era.)  She was a contemporary of Dickens and she published the story in installments (in one of his publications, I believe.)  It's not romance, either, although that's part of the story.