Download South Riding (Dramatised) Audiobook

" Currently reading this, having watched the mini-series on BBC1. A rich and wonderful read, much better, as usual, than the television adaptation. This is not a 'chick-lit' book, but an account of class and social difference and attitudes in Yorkshire, in a period between World Wars One and Two. Highly recommended. In this edition, there is a great introduction by Shirley Williams. "

" Really good old-fashioned yarn with excellent characters. If there were any faults, perhaps the last couple of chapters dragged on a bit. "

" 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 education, the value of change. How in order to inspire, you need to be inspired. It's about happiness and fulfillment and about responsibility and choices. It's also about Sarah Burton who's probably the best character I've ever encountered in all of literature. I don't even know where to begin except that I hope I'm her and I want to be her when becoming myself. That is all. I realise I haven't talked about the book much so here's a quote. This is why this book is special, because it's about this: '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.' Suffice it to say I've probably been looking for this book my whole life. Well here it is. Finally. "

" In the end, "South Riding" let me down, however gently. The first half and a bit more of the book is the sort of story and prose that is wallowingly comfortable for me if not brilliant. Although the intermittent bits of lyrics were off putting but then I don't enjoy musicals either (usually). By the last pages, however, it was difficult not to gag as the writer's entrenched patriotism for England, "that green and pleasant land" came to the fore to drown out all else. Odd bird of a book, to be sure. Not sorry I read it; not relishing the taste it left in my mouth. I don't mind agendas in books but I don't much like it when same leaks all over the pages and ruins the story and causes the reader to think the story wasn't, in the end, the point. "

" A collection of wonderful character pieces that the author regrettably did not have time to tie adequately together before her death at a young age. "

" Found this had too many characters and was pleased about the list of characters at the front of the book as I kept turning back to it. "

" I anticipated liking this book more than I did. It is a good read, no doubt about that----but the plot was pretty vague and ultimately sad. A coming of age story with a socialist heroine I just didn't care that much about. The real 'hero' (if there was one )was Mrs. Beddows. "

" Wonderful writing. Each character seemed to come to you fully formed and felt as if you knew them even though she uses very deft strokes of her pen to describe them. Brilliantly told story of social struggles and personal ambitions and morals. "

" I found this a slower read than I normally like but the detail kept me persevering to the end. Amazing how some things never seem to change. "

" I enjoyed this. The characters are brilliantly written. Its a bit to philosophical at times and sometimes I wanted to shout 'Oh pull yourself together !' at Sarah but on the whole a lovely book. "

" Josie should read this! Middlemarch of the 20th Century? "

" I remember loving this when I read it at school, look forward to seeing the tv adaptation "

" Excellent book - particularly loved the adventures in local government! Fascinating characters and twist in the plot. Sad ending, though, which I couldn't believe. "

" Tragic; honest; realistic: how I like my historical fiction. I've read other accounts of Britain in the inter-war period, both fiction and non, and this book is spot on. "

" This novel, set in Yorkshire in the 1930's, has a caste of fascinating characters, and the writing is superb. "

" Read it now. It's a tragedy that Holtby is no longer a household name. "

" Here's my review of this book. "

" It seemed just too big to me, and too limited by the intense focus on North English local government. I preferred the more stripped-down novels. "

" I was interested in reading this book because Masterpiece Classics made a miniseries adaptation of it. It's thought-provoking. There are parts of the story that irritate me. It's also kind of depressing. "

" Not my bag. Read for book group, otherwise I wouldn't have. "

" Loved the Masterpiece version on PBS. I'm 20% through the book, and I'm taking my time reading it slowly to enjoy the details. "

" Very much an early 20th century Elizabeth Gaskell, which is to say brilliant and very real but a bit on the depressing side. "

" If you loved MIDDLEMARCH and are interested in 1930s rural England, you probably should check this one out. "

" This novel, set in Yorkshire in the 1930's, has a caste of fascinating characters, and the writing is superb. "

" I enjoyed this. The characters are brilliantly written. Its a bit to philosophical at times and sometimes I wanted to shout 'Oh pull yourself together !' at Sarah but on the whole a lovely book. "