A review by readingoverbreathing
The Crowded Street by Winifred Holtby

3.0

"Only sorrow comes upon us with a sudden blow, but happiness is built from long years of small pleasant things. You can't put that into a short story."

I'm a little torn on how to rate this one. Holtby's writing is wonderful, thoughtful, and expressive, weaving effortlessly through time, from the adolescence and into the maturity of Muriel Hammond. Nearly all of the characters engage in a certain level of complexity — each has their faults and their virtues, and while they at first might seem to occupy stock roles in Muriel's life, Holtby never allows them to follow into such shallow pits.

However, as a modern reader, it's hard not to be infuriated by the social paralysis that plagues Muriel throughout this period in her life. The novel takes place over a time where opportunities and mobility were rapidly changing for women, so it's hard to understand why Muriel seems so unable to seize hold of these opportunities, or even speak up for herself at all. Tradition and lack of self-confidence certainly play a huge role in charting Muriel's course of action (or lack thereof) — I can understand that. It's the point of the whole novel, really. But that doesn't make it any less infuriating.

I kind of knew the end was coming, and while part of me suddenly wanted her to

Spoiler

fulfill the destiny the book seemed to have hinted at from the prologue, the destiny that was her mother's greatest desire, at the same time, it was also incredibly satsifying, and Holtby makes it clear that she made the right choice in the end.

I wouldn't say that this is up there with any of my favorite Persephones, but it's certainly gotten me interested in exploring more of Holtby's writing. Always love a little Yorkshire rep as well.