Holtby : South Riding 273, The Crowded Street 66.

I started reading Anderby Wold by Winifred Holtby last night, but didn't quite finish it, so I thought it might be appropriate in the meantime to write about the two other Holtby novels published as Virago modern classics which I have already read; South Riding and The crowded street.

I read South Riding many years ago. I had come across Winifred Holtby through Vera Brittain's Testament of Youth (which I shall have to blog about sometime soon as it is also published as a VMC), and then later Brittain's Testament of Friendship, and so when I spotted South Riding in the library I borrowed it to find out more about this author. I loved the novel, Holtby's last and often suggested to be her finest, very much indeed. Set in the 1930s, the book is the tale of a provincial English community, strongly influenced by Holtby's socialist values. There is also a film apparently, which I have not seen - has anyone?

I came across The crowded Street through the Persephone imprint; perusing their catalogue it sounded like an interesting title by an author who I had already enjoyed. I was restrained and borrowed a copy (neither a Virago or Persephone edition I'm afraid) from the library.
Claire from Paperback reader wrote about it earlier this year, and having read her review I remembered how much I had enjoyed it, and The crowded Street got added to my wish-list of books. I will let you read her review for a description of the novel. Of course I'd love to own it in both Persephone and Virago editions, as I love the illustration on the green cover, but love the Persephone endpapers.

There are two covers for South Riding. I noted the other day when writing about Mrs Miniver that Virago had reused the same image for both green editions of the title and thought this unusual; however the same is true here, so it may be more common than I thought. Just the one edition for The crowded street.