Reply
Melissa_W
Posts: 4,092
Topics: 503
Kudos: 1,066
Blog Posts: 3
Ideas: 15
Registered: ‎10-19-2006
0 Kudos

SOUTH RIDING: Week 1, Books I and II

Please use this thread for discussion of Books I and II of South Riding.  Please clearly mark a SPOILER WARNING if necessary.

Melissa W.
I read and knit and dance. Compulsively feel yarn. Consume books. Darn tights. Drink too much caffiene. All that good stuff.
balletbookworm.blogspot.com
Inspired Wordsmith
chadadanielleKR
Posts: 360
Registered: ‎10-29-2006
0 Kudos

Re: SOUTH RIDING: Week 1, Books I and II

Hi,

Just got the book a few days ago. I'm half way through the 1st week's reading. The first chapter was rather slow but then chapter after chapter we've got closer and closer to the main characters of the book. That's a rather good approach. I am looking forward learning more about those characters.

Melissa_W
Posts: 4,092
Topics: 503
Kudos: 1,066
Blog Posts: 3
Ideas: 15
Registered: ‎10-19-2006
0 Kudos

Re: SOUTH RIDING: Week 1, Books I and II

Danielle,

Does your edition have a listing of characters at the front?  Mine does and the list is a little intimidating!  It makes it feel like the book is on the level of War and Peace with this many characters (although I wonder how many are simply one-liners, etc)

Melissa W.
I read and knit and dance. Compulsively feel yarn. Consume books. Darn tights. Drink too much caffiene. All that good stuff.
balletbookworm.blogspot.com
Inspired Wordsmith
chadadanielleKR
Posts: 360
Registered: ‎10-29-2006
0 Kudos

Re: SOUTH RIDING: Week 1, Books I and II

Yes it does (BBC 2011 copy) . It helps although so far I didn't really get lost with the characters. Although there are many of them, the more important ones are clearly outlined in each chapter. What was a bit strange at first, was  that the historical background was not obvious  and  I had to keep remembering that the story belonged to the early 1930's so as to understand better the situation.  In later chapters, the inheritance of WWI is  clearly mentioned though, thus the historical ambiguity disappeared.

 


Melissa_W wrote:

Danielle,

Does your edition have a listing of characters at the front?  Mine does and the list is a little intimidating!  It makes it feel like the book is on the level of War and Peace with this many characters (although I wonder how many are simply one-liners, etc)