Oh how I want the new Virago editions of the Holtby books
(so far I've only got ‘South Riding’) they are the most beautiful and generally
all round desirable paperbacks I've seen in a while but unfortunately funds are
low, not even the emergency stash of five pence’s in a gin bottle was enough to
make dream a reality (generally spent on more gin, shoes, or books depending on
how many are in there, at the moment would stretch to a pair of flip flops.
From Primark).
Still it’s a cup half full sort of situation – I’m guessing
that a few people have upgraded on their old books because I’ve turned over a
few of the original green covered Holtby’s recently, mostly copies of ‘Poor
Caroline’ (it’s just not as pretty and for once I can see the point of buying
another copy of a book you already have). Once the books open it doesn’t matter
what the outside of it looks like and so I’ve finally read my first Holtby.
‘South Riding’ has been on my to read list for ages but when
I pick it up it looks like such an investment of time and effort and– well I’ve
still not read it, that sort of effort has been saved for Trollope’s of late. ‘Poor
Caroline’, quite apart from having an inspired title it is a temptingly short
novel which always feels like the best way in with an unfamiliar writer.
On the back of ‘Poor Caroline’ I foresee a happy
relationship with Holtby for books and books to come. I’m not sure what I expected
but she was drier, spikier even, than I expected. The ‘Poor Caroline’ of the
title is Caroline Denton-Smyth an elderly spinster living in straightened
circumstances in deepest Kensington. She is a woman with a mission, and the
mission is the Christian Cinema Company (British Cinema will be cleaned up!)
Perhaps unluckily her grand idea captures the attention of Basil St Denis (vaguely
aristocratic dilettante living of his wife’s money and vitality). Basil has
charisma and makes the company, or at least a board happen and that’s enough to
feed Caroline’s fantasies.
The board in question is a rag tag bunch of misfits and
crooks – more misfit than criminal, but the odd rogue in the pack adds both
colour and humour as the story unfolds through each member in turn. Each and
every one of them has a particular motivation for being there, and all with the
exception of Caroline are in it to get something back out, without exception
they all despise and pity Caroline.
Caroline herself has the final chapter tying everything
together and slightly upsetting the reader’s preconceived ideas of her. She is
both more and less deserving of sympathy than I expected in the end. Truthfully
Caroline is very human – in that she’s not always a very nice woman, she’s an incorrigible
fantasist and scrounger with no qualms about taking advantage of the generosity
of anyone she comes across. On the other hand she’s had a full life and despite
the many setbacks and genuine causes for grievance that she’s met she still
manages to find things to believe in, and she still manages to carry on.
It’s the complexity of all the characters here that make me
look forward to more Holtby. Every one of them is beautifully complete and
believable (for good and bad) even ridiculous situations are carried off with
aplomb underpinned as they are by good solid motivation. This felt like a minor
work, an exercise in style as much as anything, so how good will her masterwork
be? I’m guessing it’ll be good.
