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South Riding

by Winifred Holtby, Shirley Williams (Preface), Marion Shaw (Introduction)

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 726 ratings · 109 reviews

Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, Winifred Holtby's greatest novel was published posthumously.

Winifred Holtby'smasterpiece is a rich evocation of the lives and relationships of the characters of South Riding. Sarah Burton, the fiery young headmistressof the local girls' school; Mrs Beddows, the district's first alderwoman—based on Holtby's own mother; and Robe...more

Paperback, 492 pages

Published July 1st 2011 by Virago UK (first published 1936)

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Mar 24, 2013 Ruby Scarlett rated it 5 of 5 stars

So this is one of Those Books. For me, there are two categories of books. Those that change your life, those which you started in a certain way and ended up changed when closing them. Such books are rare and precious. And then there are the ones that make you feel as if the author had extended a hand and held yours, that for the duration of your reading, you found a mirror so perfect it validated everything you'd been and everything you wished to be. This is such a book. It's about the value of...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, virago, 1930s

South Riding is set in Yorkshire in the first half of the 1930′s, focusing on the everyday lives of the people who live there. There is Sarah Burton, the new headmistress of the girls’ school who returns to the area armed with progressive ideas and is determined to make a difference; there is Mrs Beddows, the council’s only female alderman who is torn between her desire for progress and her personal loyalties; and there is Robert Carne, staunch proponent of the old ways, desperately trying to ca...more South Riding is set in Yorkshire in the first half of the 1930′s, focusing on the everyday lives of the people who live there. There is Sarah Burton, the new headmistress of the girls’ school who returns to the area armed with progressive ideas and is determined to make a difference; there is Mrs Beddows, the council’s only female alderman who is torn between her desire for progress and her personal loyalties; and there is Robert Carne, staunch proponent of the old ways, desperately trying to care for his mad wife and fragile daughter while not losing his tenuous hold on his lands. The book chronicles their struggles, sometimes against each other, sometimes alongside one another for a common cause, and those of a whole host of other characters.

The cast of this novel is huge, with more than a hundred characters (listed handily after the introduction), but it never feels overpopulated or confusing. In fact, they are what makes South Riding such a great read. I felt as though I knew each and every one of those characters, even if we only had a nodding acquaintance. It is testament to Winifred Holtby’s writing skill that she manages to create such a wide variety of characters with equal authenticity; I believe in Midge Carne, who is young, female, highly strung and unthinkingly cruel, just as much as I believe in Castle, who is an elderly, male, gentle salt of the earth type. I particularly liked the fact that no character is as straightforward as they at first seem, and not in a gimmicky everyone-has-a-dark-secret way, but in a these-are-all-real-people-with depth way. They aren’t defined by their quirks, but these help to gain a deeper insight into the characters and why they behave the way they do. Councillor Snaith at home with his cats was a particular favourite of mine.

A wide range of characters means a wide range of relationships, and here too Winifred Holtby excels. Whether two people are cooperating or at loggerheads they always act in a way that is so appropriate and well described that I experienced everything along with them. Tom and Lily’s relationship broke my heart time and time again, and they are relatively minor characters (if there can be said to be such a thing in this novel). Not only does she write scenes tightly focused on one individual or group, she also writes the best, most effective crowd scenes I’ve ever read. The outside performance put on by Madam Hubbard’s girls, at which cast and audience alike spend more time focusing on their own individual thoughts and agendas than the show, is an absolute masterpiece. Her writing reveals a wealth of life experience put to very good use.

I also appreciated the fact that, although people struggle and fight with one another, there is no cruel, cackling villain in this book. The characters go through hard times and experience tragedy, but that is because life is hard rather than because someone is plotting against them. Harvests fail so people lose their money. People become sick and, because they are poor, they die. It’s all very matter-of-fact and realistic. This may make the novel sound rather bleak, and it’s definitely not without its bleak moments, but there is also a great deal of comedy in this book. There is stoicism but there is also humour; the people of South Riding endure hardships and they do so with a shrug and a grin. Despite some of the tragedies that occur, Holtby never allows characters to wallow or the tightly controlled plot to spiral into melodrama, which I find only adds to the pathos. I’m sad to leave South Riding and it’s definitely a novel that I’ll be rereading in the future.(less)

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Aug 02, 2011 Alun Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars

A novel about the workings of local government in 1930s Yorkshire might not sound very promising material, but this is a very good read indeed. The writer uses the events in the lives of the novel's extensive cast of characters to explore issues such as birth-control, abortion, poverty, female educational opportunities, the position of unmarried women, corruption in local government. Although the novel is divided into books concentrating on a single issue the plot never feels artificial or labor...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Mizzo73 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: hibernation, drool-list

I work for local government and I'm reading a novel about local government....however the fantasy version is much more exciting/satisfying

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Jun 01, 2011 Ruth rated it 5 of 5 stars

I would never have read this if a friend had not lent it to me with the news that Masterpiece would soon be airing the dramatization of it South Riding. It took me a couple of chapters to get into the story. I had a little trouble keeping so many characters straight and was too lazy to keep looking back at the list with descriptions at the beginning of the book. It was also a little annoying to keep being switched from character to character every chapter or scene, but that is a typical writing...more

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Apr 14, 2011 Morticia Adams rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

This is one of the most enjoyable novels I’ve read for ages.

South Riding covers two years in the life of a fictionalised borough in Yorkshire (though with a real name), and immerses you into the local politics and social life of the area. I felt myself being drawn into a gentle vortex where all human virtues and shortcomings intersect and revolve around each other – power-seeking and corruption, dutifulness and rectitude, greed and pettiness, generosity and kindness, but where there is equally...more This is one of the most enjoyable novels I’ve read for ages.

South Riding covers two years in the life of a fictionalised borough in Yorkshire (though with a real name), and immerses you into the local politics and social life of the area. I felt myself being drawn into a gentle vortex where all human virtues and shortcomings intersect and revolve around each other – power-seeking and corruption, dutifulness and rectitude, greed and pettiness, generosity and kindness, but where there is equally a recognition that human beings are usually a blend of both the admirable and the not so admirable qualities. This method of storytelling, if well done, can provide some truly profound insights into human nature, and it’s very well done indeed here, through some excellently drawn three dimensional main characters, and a huge cast of convincing and memorable minor characters.

We get some very vivid glimpses of the reality of some of the most significant social problems of the time – poverty, poor housing, the education of girls, and maternal health. But it is the tension between tradition and progress which is at the heart of the story, and it’s explored with great humanity and a nuanced understanding, with both sides of the argument sympathetically presented, personified by the beguiling Carne, a near-bankrupt gentleman farmer, and the ambitious calculating Snaith, who has become wealthy on the back of the modernisation he champions. It is the traditionalist who is the nobler and more likeable of the two, but it is the man who wants to move with the times, albeit we might not like him so much, whom we know is right.

Inevitably with this kind of multi-dimensional story of course readers will find themselves having to follow many different narrative threads tracing the stories of the characters, their struggles to lead their lives, and to deal with adversity. This can lead to a confusing and frustrating read, with a lot of loose ends or unsatisfactory resolutions. In South Riding though the little pictures fit comfortably into the big picture and the individual threads are knitted together very adroitly into the larger picture, and with larger themes that transcend these individual histories. And in addition to this dexterity with her narrative, and mastery of her material, I should finally say that Winifred Holtby has an excellent writing style – light, ironic, and with wonderful visually descriptive touches throughout the book, which make the setting feel very real.(less)

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Mar 31, 2011 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I recently tore a leg muscle and I picked up this book in an scapist mood, only to find it full of the "boring" or difficult stuff of daily life: meetings, job interviews, financial hardship and yes, of course, illness.
This novel has been recently adapted by the BBC, but I have missed it. However, I understand fully why it has been chosen, as it focuses on a Yorkshire community during a period of economic austeriry, the 1930s. Is the establishment trying to indoctrinate us during this recession?...more I recently tore a leg muscle and I picked up this book in an scapist mood, only to find it full of the "boring" or difficult stuff of daily life: meetings, job interviews, financial hardship and yes, of course, illness.
This novel has been recently adapted by the BBC, but I have missed it. However, I understand fully why it has been chosen, as it focuses on a Yorkshire community during a period of economic austeriry, the 1930s. Is the establishment trying to indoctrinate us during this recession? Is Cameron trying to show us an attempt to build "the Big Society"?
Sarcastic comments aside, I have enjoyed this portrayal of a community trying to survive, trying to improve conditions. Central to the plot is the group of aldermen (and alderwoman), local councillors, governors, and teachers who run the government of the county and are in charge of making decisions. The most important one regards the building of council houses to improve the lives of the people who currently live in the Shacks. Along the way, chances for prevarication and corruption come to tempt some of these aldermen.
I think it is a very British novel, full of very British characters, in particularly, strong formidable women, such as the headmistress Sarah Burton and the alderwoman, Mrs Beddows. I don't know whether these people are very lovable, but they certainly feel real, full of weaknesses and logical reactions, just like we readers are.
There is the schoolgirl who has to leave school to look after her siblings; the lay preacher accosted by blackmailers, the chauffer that sets up a pub in a very unpromising area... And of course, there is also an unlikely romantic hero and a love story which reaches a surprising peak in a hotel in Manchester.
I have just read the final chapters, and I have found them moralistic, disappointing. They prompted me to start the review in a sarcastic way. To sum up, they reinforce the "Keep Calm and Carry On" philosophy that makes us resiliant, but also very compliant with the authorities, ready to put up with what is thrown at us. Astell, the Socialist, leaves his local council job in order to have more of an activist role. Others remain in South Riding, fighting to get new school buildings, new roads, better benefits for families in financial hardship, as a "self-help" measure really, as nothing much seems to be expected from the central government. Still, they feel proud to be British and the final Jubilee party scenes feel like a premonition of unity in the face of the enemy, much as was to be seen in the near future.(less)

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Feb 22, 2011 Ali rated it 5 of 5 stars

First published in 1936 this is a marvelously femenist novel. Set in the fictional South Riding, with much of the story concerning local poitics, and the different characters and factions associated with the county council, alongside other local people. There is a large cast of characters, at the centre of which is Robert Carne, landowner and councillor, Sarah Burton, a new headmistress for the high school, and Mrs Beddows 72 Alderman, and great friend of Carne. Mrs Beddows - a truly marvelous c...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Charmaine Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I will admit that I am a Masterpiece Theater junkie. So when I discovered that they were going to have a production of “South Riding” this year I got on line and ordered a used copy. It was published in 1936. I was not disappointed.

Two things gave me pause before I began. The introduction said the story moved around English local government. Could that be interesting, I wondered? And then there was a list of characters 6 pages long at the beginning of the book. Wow! How will I ever keep that ma...more I will admit that I am a Masterpiece Theater junkie. So when I discovered that they were going to have a production of “South Riding” this year I got on line and ordered a used copy. It was published in 1936. I was not disappointed.

Two things gave me pause before I began. The introduction said the story moved around English local government. Could that be interesting, I wondered? And then there was a list of characters 6 pages long at the beginning of the book. Wow! How will I ever keep that many straight. But neither issue was detracting. Holtby was a spinster and lived in the era she was writing about and her mother was involved in local government so she knew of what she wrote. I had such a clear picture of the goings on in the seaside village life of 1933.

Winifred Holtby’s writing is crisp and quick moving. I was never bored or bogged down. She says a lot with an economy of words. Her character descriptions and dialogue are amazingly insightful with sparkle, humor and pathos. She didn’t judge her characters. Even the badly flawed in the story had redeeming qualities.

Sarah Burton is a 38 year old spinster, small, plain, red headed and spunky. She is the new head mistress of the South Riding High School. All of the characters have chapters in the book that unfold as they relate to Sarah or to the local government. Life is changing in this era. The landed aristocracy is losing its grip and urbanization and industrialization are altering every day life. Progressive ideas and opportunities for women are shifting the family and society. Can you be optimistic to a fault? I like these thoughts of Sarah when she first arrives at the school. If she is wrong she is beautifully wrong.

“There was all the more reason why she must fortify her children, equip them with knowledge and confidence and ambition, arm them with weapons to fight the deadening monotony of life, arm them with joy, with memories, with passion. She would challenge them to make something better of their lives than their parents had done. She would inoculate their minds with her own gospel of resolution and intelligence. ‘Go therefore, and do that which is within you to do. Take no heed of gestures that beckon you aside. Ask of no man permission to perform’—that was the motto she gave to the girls who left her care to become housewives, typists, children’s nurse, shop assistants. She laughed at her extravagance of vision. Oh, but that wasn’t what she meant. It was something unexpected and spontaneous—an afternoon snatched from the fixed routine of time-tables, a chance of joy, a burst of music, an insistence upon beauty or pleasure of daring. Something positive and wild and lovely—like driving out before the dawn of Greenwich and watching the ships sail up the silver Thames.”

The book made me think about women and their need to love a man. All my wallflower friends in High School picked out a guy to have a crush on. He didn’t know we existed but we would carry on our fantasy and it got us through our need for romance. Even though Sarah was a progressive, liberated 38-year-old she still wanted to love someone and becomes infatuated with Robert Carne, a Mr. Rochester like character, with an insane wife who is living in a care center. His story dominates a lot of the book. This is not a satisfying love story but Sarah’s unrequited love is sweet and you long for her to find a happy place, which she does, as all upbeat ambitious people like her are bound to do.
I am excited to see how Masterpiece portrays the book. 5 stars – loved it!
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Mar 30, 2013 Tanja Seppä rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, historical-fiction

Rating 4.5 / 5 stars. This book has everything I look for: a good story, wondefully told and with insight into the human condition. A sublime read! Beautifully written, amazing characterization, everything supremely realistic. Reminded me a little bit of "the Casual Vacancy", but that was just because I don't read books that deal with small-town government much. This is a far more optmistic book than J.K. Rowling's, but in other respects, more tragic. It depends on what you seek out, the author...more

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Mar 19, 2011 Lainy rated it 4 of 5 stars

South Riding takes you on a trip back in time to the early 1930s in the South East part of Yorkshire. It is a very captivating account of the ongoing lives of the townsfolk and there is so much going on.

You have an abundance of characters which at first if I am honest it took me a while to keep up with and get a feel for. Young Midge whose father is trying to keep their heads above water whilst providing for her, her mothers care and standards she has known all her life and his prominant positio...more

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May 22, 2011 Philip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I remember noticing this novel when it was reprinted in paperback in the early 1970s to tie in with the popularity of R.F. Delderfield's novels of English Country life in the first half of the 20th century, though only later did I discover that it was actually published in 1936, many years before Delderfield began publishing, and long before the lengthy, epic sagas he was to become known for.

So, reminded of it by the new TV adaptation, I decided to have a go at it - fortunately a copy was still...more I remember noticing this novel when it was reprinted in paperback in the early 1970s to tie in with the popularity of R.F. Delderfield's novels of English Country life in the first half of the 20th century, though only later did I discover that it was actually published in 1936, many years before Delderfield began publishing, and long before the lengthy, epic sagas he was to become known for.

So, reminded of it by the new TV adaptation, I decided to have a go at it - fortunately a copy was still in my Library system. It got off to a slow start, but I'm now 162 pages in and think I'll be seeing it through - Holtby shifts the focus between several characters, their situations, goals, and aspirations, and it's a bit hard at this point to see where it's all going.

5/16: I'm almost halfway through - much like Delderfield did, Holtby jumps around from chapter to chapter, focusing on various people and families who live and interact in the South Riding area - I have little doubt that eventually all the threads will converge at some point. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and unfortunately some of them have very similar names, which makes it a bit difficult.

I've decided that I'll indefinitely avoid the new BBC adaptation which was just shown on PBS and which is to be released here on DVD - most of the comments I've read about it on-line have been unfavorable in comparing it to the book as well as to the previous, longer TV adaptation done in the 1970s - many characters and situations have apparently been omitted.

5/22: A good, solid read, with interesting pockets of emotional impact along the way.

Incidentally, SOUTH RIDING is one of the "Macmillan Spring Novels" advertised on the back panel of GONE WITH THE WIND's original dust-jacket, the first title listed in the right-hand column (above GWTW itself). Of the 15 other novels listed in addition to these two, only other novel is known today - WE THE LIVING, by Ayn Rand, which soon went out-of-print, a casualty of the enormous popularity of GWTW. It did not resurface and gain popularity until Random House republished it in the late 1950s, after the success of Rand's ATLAS SHRUGGED. (That "Macmillan Spring Novels" announcement soon disappeared as well, to be replaced by quotes from GWTW's extraordinary reviews.)(less)

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Mar 05, 2011 Keturah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics

I had never heard of this book before until I saw it scheduled as a movie coming to Masterpiece Theatre this season. So I read it in advance of seeing the movie and I'm glad I did. There was much about English local government which was intricate and well explained. The big story, of a rural English community in the interwar period and the changes brought about by WWI and the depression to the village and its residents, was extremely interesting and brought in a large network of characters to se...more

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May 07, 2011 Joanna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There are many things that I love about PBS' Masterpiece; one is that the program often inspires me to read things that I wouldn't otherwise read. I discovered Little Dorrit this way (but I would have found it eventually, given the fact that it was written by Charles Dickens), and I just finished South Riding, by Winifred Holtby, which I REALLY wouldn't have found if not for the BBC/Masterpiece series.

Friends, I have discovered a new literary love. It is so pleasurable to read something so compl...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Julia Stagg added it

I had no preconceptions of this book - I picked it up in a sale because I pass a sign for the East Riding regularly and always think of Winifred Holtby when I do. So I was surprised that despite placing tight geographical limits on the story, the author covers a broad canvas - poverty, social reforms, changing of the class system, women's rights, impact of the last war and the threat of the next...not to mention love and loss. While I felt that the characters were sometimes rather superficial -...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I had my doubts about a novel focussing on local government in Yorkshire in the 1930s, and the list of characters at the beginning was dauntingly long (6 pages). But I love novels with strong women characters, and I love novels about people's work lives, and this book delivers a panoramic view of South Riding through the details of various initiatives and characters' lives-- Sarah Burton, the new headmistress at the girls' high school, Lydia Holly, a scholarship girl at the school and her family...more

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Jul 20, 2010 Alisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Peyton Place in South Yorkshire. I mean that seriously. PP has a reputation for scandal, but when I read it in my teens, I was surprised to discover a non-glamorous tour of a New England town, looking at families from both sides of the tracks, with an emphasis on the particular characteristics of New Englanders.

South Riding does the same for Yorkshire. We travel from poverty-stricken Shacks to the toppled grandeur of the gentleman farmer to the crisp new townhouse of the scheming businessman. L...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Vivienne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, period-fiction, reading-group-selection

Update: Having seen the TV series and had the opportunity to reflect on the novel, my appreciation of it has grown further.

Although this novel grew on me as I read, I had much the same response to it as I did to Cranford in finding it hard to really engage with the story.

In some ways there just seemed to be too many characters. Holtby listed 5 pages of characters at the opening and many of these hardly got a nod. It felt over-whelming and maybe it was the style of the time it was produced.

As t...more

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May 10, 2010 Margaret rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: british-literature, virago, authors-gh

I had been meaning to get around to reading this for ages, and now I'm sorry I waited so long.

Holtby takes a community in Yorkshire and, using the framework of its local government, builds up a narrative which tells the stories of many people in the community, all intertwined. It reminds me a good deal of George Eliot in the organic feel of the community, how decisions and events affect everyone, and of Elizabeth Gaskell in the concern for social issues.

The characterization is simply brilliant...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this book close on the heels of watching the miniseries on PBS. Not sure if I would have been as attracted to it without having those images in my head. Quite a faithful translation to the screen but it was interesting to get more subtleties re the relationships from the book. For example, the asymmetry of the Sarah - Carne relationship is represented accurately in the miniseries but much more richly in the prose. I also liked the author's world views, descriptions of people an...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Lesley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Winifred Holtby's masterpiece is a rich evocation of the lives and relationships of the characters of South Riding. Sarah Burton, the fiery young headmistressof the local girls' school; Mrs Beddows, the district's first alderwoman—based on Holtby's own mother; and Robert Carne, the conservative gentleman-farmer locked in a disastrous marriage—with whom the radical Sarah Burton falls in love. Showing how public decisions can mold the individual, this story offers a panoramic and unforgettable vie...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Literary Relish rated it 2 of 5 stars

South Riding has been a prime example for me of the influence fellow bloggers can have over your reading habits. Hype generally puts me off a book, that and BBC screen adaptations (with the exception, of course, of The Crimson Petal and the White) however, I ended up reading so many glowing reviews of both the novel and the absorbing personal life of its author that I was blindsided into purchasing the highly attractive Virago reprint - apparently based on an old Yorkshire Railways poster, which...more South Riding has been a prime example for me of the influence fellow bloggers can have over your reading habits. Hype generally puts me off a book, that and BBC screen adaptations (with the exception, of course, of The Crimson Petal and the White) however, I ended up reading so many glowing reviews of both the novel and the absorbing personal life of its author that I was blindsided into purchasing the highly attractive Virago reprint - apparently based on an old Yorkshire Railways poster, which is just superbly apt I think.

Being a Northerner, if not a Yorkshire-woman, myself and desperate to acquaint myself with all the real classics I have yet to read, this tale of a feisty, London headmistress landing in a remote part of Yorkshire to inspire the young, and often very poor local women, seemed right up my street. As I'm sure any of you acquainted with the author are aware, Winifred Holtby led an exceedingly interesting, highly politicised life but sadly died in her late thirties, with this novel published posthumously by intimate friend and author Vera Brittain.

Her portrait of an imagined portion of West Yorkshire, sorely suffering from the Depression and mammoth hangover of the first World War, seems largely considered to be her finest work and contains a cast of characters so large that, although many of you I'm sure will be disappointed with me saying this, my attention span began to waver as I was introduced to wave after wave of local government busybodies to get to grips with. Although headmistress Sarah Burton plays a key role in the shape and thrust of Holtby's narrative, it seems that the central character in this novel is the community itself, with people appearing to represent certain ideologies and types rather than the focus lying on the personal stories of the individuals themselves (I can practically hear everyone clamouring to disagree with me on this!) Although the backgrounds of Robert Carne, Sarah Burton, Lydia Holly and other, considerably less prominent personages are explored, I felt so overwhelmed by the minutiae of local politics and the ideologies at war (e.g Carne vs Burton = reactionary vs progressive) that my reading slightly suffered at its expense. Characters I felt I barely knew (e.g. Joe Astell and Sarah Burton) suddenly became the closest of friends with me left having little understanding of how their relationship reached such a point.

The politicised element to this book made complete sense once I found the time to read up on Holtby's own life and that of her mother; who was, unsurprisingly, the first female alderman in East Riding and a woman who was a model for the warmhearted yet influential Mrs Beddows, close friend and confidant of Robert Carne; a man for whom both she and Sarah Burton fall heavily (one more reluctantly and revealingly than the other.)

Putting my confusion and easily distracted reading of this book to one side; when Winifred Holtby chooses to zoom in on one particular event or person she does so beautifully, leaving me hungry for more. Her portrait of Lily Sawdon; a young, innkeeper's wife who is slowly and very quietly dying of cancer, is extremely moving and her stoicism and love for her husband touched me very deeply. These wonderful snippets left me desperate to know what giving them more room to breathe could have meant for characters such as Lydia Holly; so enticing yet, all the same, kept at arms length.

Despite my misgivings (probably not helped by the fact that I took this book on holiday - hardly a sun lounger read) there is no doubt that Holtby has succeeded in creating a remarkable and worthy portrait of hardy, humble yet stunning region of the country - a love letter to Yorkshire and its people if you don't mind that terrible cliché. It is easy when walking in the foothills and along the coasts of this region to fall into some kind of romance, but Holtby easily does away with this; speaking for plain, honest folk, some of whom (quite shockingly) lived in conditions akin to those in the slums of great industrial cities. With a strong female character at its centre, South Riding is worth a look, but, unlike me, I beg you do it in the right mood, in the right place and at the right time. What a travesty that this lady didn't hang around long enough on this earth to give us more...

http://relishreads.blogspot.co.uk/201...(less)

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May 07, 2013 Rachel Lewis rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's hard to imagine anyone setting a book in this part of Yorkshire, a bit I always imagine (being Lancastrian) to be almost the appendix of the county. But this is an absolutely wonderful book that brings to life this unknown part of the country in a fictional way, creating a community within its pages that burns brightly. Although men feature it is the women to make it (not unexpectedly)and I was stunned by my fierce reaction to Lydia's story, what she was 'expected' to do, versus what she wa...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Teresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a hidden treasure, well, hidden to me until the recent resurgence in interest in Winifred Holtby thanks to the excellent BBC dramatisation of this epic novel. It's been quite a while since I've read such a deeply satisfying, challenging novel.

South Riding is simultaneously an engrossing story and an important piece of social history as it examines the lives of ordinary folk in this fictional part of Yorkshire whilst highlighting the extraordinary shifts in perspective which came about betwe...more What a hidden treasure, well, hidden to me until the recent resurgence in interest in Winifred Holtby thanks to the excellent BBC dramatisation of this epic novel. It's been quite a while since I've read such a deeply satisfying, challenging novel.

South Riding is simultaneously an engrossing story and an important piece of social history as it examines the lives of ordinary folk in this fictional part of Yorkshire whilst highlighting the extraordinary shifts in perspective which came about between the Great War and World War II. First, the story, which has, yes, a vast cast of characters, well over a hundred of them whose names are detailed before the story proper begins. However, don't let the numbers put you off, the story itself focuses on a few main players - Sarah Burton, a fervent socialist, "I was born to be a spinster, and, by God, I'm going to spin", returns to her home county, determined to revolutionise Kiplington Girls' School where she has recently been appointed headmistress. Foil to her innovative nature, is the brooding local squire and Conservative councillor, Robert Carne who is set against change even though it is inevitable. There are obvious echoes of Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester, Carne's wife is committed to an asylum and Sarah immediately sees the connection when she encounters Carne out riding early on in the novel...

"So startled was she that for a moment she could say nothing, aware only of the tossing black neck of the horse, flecked by white foam, its white, rolling eyeballs, its black, gleaming, powerful flanks and the dark eyes challenging her from the white face of the rider...Into Sarah's irreverent and well-educated mind flashed the memory of Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester."

Their fractious relationship reflects a community in turmoil where change is feared yet bound to happen and thus we see the balance of power within the local council shifting from the old and the conservative (Robert Carne) to the new and forward thinking, surprisingly coming from the staid Alderman Snaith whose name and slimy behaviour put me in mind of Severus Snape (Harry Potter). Mrs Beddows is the only female Alderman and sympathises with Sarah's ambitions whilst harbouring a maternal affection for Carne. She holds her own on the male dominated council but reverts to subdued wife when at home. Councillor Huggins, a part time Methodist preacher, struggles to suppress the urges of the flesh and thus finds himself in a bit of a pickle. Lydia Holly, Sarah's champion, struggles between academic ambition and the brutal reality of her family background, living in squalour whilst awaiting new housing which the council may or may not approve.

I could go on and on but you will have to discover all the other characters for yourself and see if Sarah and Robert can reconcile their differences. South Riding is a tale about ordinary folk who do extraordinary things, the characters literally jump off the page, each one wanting to tell you their story. Do take the time to listen to them....indeed a lot of what they have to say is still very relevant for modern local government - but that's another story entirely!
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Apr 02, 2012 Clare rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 04, 2013 Katrina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction

3.5 really, I have quite mixed opinions. Sarah Burton is an interesting and very strong character, especially given when this is set and was written. I enjoyed reading about her a lot.

There were some stunning bits of writing with great character insight, into Sarah and some of the vignettes featuring more minor characters. I'm thinking about the episode with poor Miss Sigglesthwaite as an example.

On the other hand, I always struggle with the view of mental illness in some books from this timefra...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Susan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Not this edition- reading a paperback dated 1986 - 510 pages. This was a tough read - I didn't get a feel for who was the hero/heroine of the story. I disliked or didn't know at all, most of the characters and there were many others floating on the edges who just confused me. There was someone named Hicks and Huggins and I never did figure out which was which (and truthfully didn't really care!) The end was SO mushy and completely out of character of the rest of the book which was pretty hard-hi...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Better than I thought it would be. Don't let the intro deter you from reading the rest of the book. Although much of the plot centers on the machinations of local government in 1935 England- a potentially boring subject- Holtby isn't naive enough to think that will hold her readers' attention. There's enough of life, hardship, drama, love, and happiness in the book to rescue it from futility and make it exciting to read. In fact, Holtby might have had to use the political plot line to rescue her...more

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May 21, 2011 Beth Bonini rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fantastic saga set in 1930s Yorkshire.
The book is chockful of political and social drama - with truly memorable characters.
Like the important women in the book -- Sarah Burton, the Headmistress; and Mrs. Beddows, the Alderman -- I was obsessed with Robert Carne. Symbol of a previous age, so noble and tragic!

The entire book rang true, even if it did describe a world unfamiliar to me.
I would happily read it again. Like all of the great novels, there is so much in it; one could hardly grasp it all...more

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May 17, 2012 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

South Riding gives a rich, interesting, and believable picture of life in 1930s England, centering on a strong, capable, and idealistic woman named Sarah Burton. For a book this well-written and moving, I'm genuinely surprised that I was never exposed to it in an English class somewhere along the way – I had never even heard of it until recently.

Although the author, Winifred Holtby, sometimes gives a little too much dry, procedural detail about the in-fighting and politics of the council that go...more South Riding gives a rich, interesting, and believable picture of life in 1930s England, centering on a strong, capable, and idealistic woman named Sarah Burton. For a book this well-written and moving, I'm genuinely surprised that I was never exposed to it in an English class somewhere along the way – I had never even heard of it until recently.

Although the author, Winifred Holtby, sometimes gives a little too much dry, procedural detail about the in-fighting and politics of the council that governs the town of South Riding, the story overall is quite fast-paced for such a long novel (and there are moments where the council's drama is relevant for characters we care about). Holtby has an excellent ear for realistic dialogue, devotes most of her attention to character development (which I appreciate), and has the rare gift of being able to create authentic personalities for both men and women, children and adults, and people of all class backgrounds.

Her portrayal of Lydia Holly, in particular, feels intuitively right. Lydia is a vibrant, smart teenage girl who has managed to maintain her intellectual curiosity despite her upbringing in the slums of South Riding, and earns a scholarship to attend the local girls' school. She succeeds there and is on the path towards college when her mother dies, leaving Lydia, as the oldest girl, in charge of all the domestic duties for her large brood of a family. Holtby's description of Lydia's resentment and bitterness at being taken out of school on the cusp of a promising academic career is one of the most moving parts of the novel, and carries a powerful message: it's all well and good to promote education as a way for low-income children to improve their lives, but there are innumerable ways that poverty itself can conspire to make achieving an education impossible. The implication, which I think is borne out in the overall message of the novel, is that providing a decent standard of living for everyone should not be the goal of social change, but is in fact a prerequisite of social change.

My favorite thing about this book is Holtby's ability to convey pathos without sinking into sentimentality, especially when she's portraying the effects of poverty. She does this particularly well when describing the Holly family, and she goes out of her way to make the patriarch of the family, a man who romanticizes everything (including himself), one of the least likable and most selfish characters in the novel. Holtby is also very careful when describing romantic relationships, never letting the main character, Sarah, become giddy or forgetful of her responsibilities as she begins to fall in love with one of the men on the council. Without spoiling too much of the story, I can say that Holtby ultimately provides a very emotionally rich story that is also bracing and mature – certainly miles away from the sort of romance found in chick-lit.

I also highly recommend the BBC's 2011 adaptation of this book, in mini-series form. The book is, of course, much fuller and deeper, but the mini-series is still well worth viewing.(less)

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About Winifred Holtby

Winifred Holtby was a committed socialist and feminist who wrote the classic "South Riding" as a warm yet sharp social critique of the well--to-do farming community she was born into.

She was a good friend of Vera Brittain, possibly portraying her as Delia in "The Crowded Street".

She died at the age of 37.

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Quotes from South Riding

“We're so busy resigning ourselves to the inevitable that we don't even ask if it is inevitable. We've got to have courage, to take our future into our hands. If the law is oppressive, we must change the law. If tradition is obstructive, we must break tradition. If the system is unjust, we must reform the system.” — 11 people liked it

“But questioning does not mean the end of loving, and loving does not mean the abnegation of intelligence” — 6 people liked it

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