A review by these_thats_and_prose
South Riding by Winifred Holtby

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

#quietclassics2023 choice for July, South Riding by Winifred Holtby is a sweeping novel depicting rural life in England.  Set in the inter-war period it is a story about the passions, the bitterness and the tragedies of a Yorkshire district who are poised at the edge of change.  Centred around the going’s on of the South Riding County Council, it is more than just a story of the politics of local government, it is a boundless novel that captures the life of the whole community.  

 

At the beginning, I must admit I found South Riding a bit “twee” for my tastes, but the talent of the author to capture the vividness of the characters soon changed my mind and as it progressed, and their cheery veneers started to chip away I was addicted to that almost imperceptible change in the mood of the writing to something darker.  

 

It has a bit of a meandering pace and quite long at almost 500 pages, however, the characterisation is so exquisite that I almost forgave how the length diluted the slow-moving plot even further.  There is a romantic element to the story which unfortunately didn’t work for me, but because the stories of all the characters put together is so vast and pleasing, I also let this one slide.