--- product_id: 25025777 title: "The South: A Novel" price: "3426 kr" currency: ISK in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.is/products/25025777-the-south-a-novel store_origin: IS region: Iceland --- # The South: A Novel **Price:** 3426 kr **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The South: A Novel - **How much does it cost?** 3426 kr with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.is](https://www.desertcart.is/products/25025777-the-south-a-novel) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The South: A Novel [Toibin, Colm] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The South: A Novel Review: A Complex and Haunting Story - The South is author Colm Toibin’s first novel, and it was an auspicious arrival in 1990. Brooding and anxious, his protagonist Katherine Proctor seeks a new future even at the cost of abandoning her husband and child in Ireland. She is motivated to get far away, to remove herself from small town values, from the deeply ingrained “troubles” in Ireland, and the low expectations for success that prevail like the cold, heavy mists over the sea and fields. She appears in Barcelona and wanders uncertain and listless in a city and country every bit as haunted by its fractious past as Ireland. How she struggles forward and seeks resolution through painting pulls readers into her predicaments to the end. Interiority defines this story as Toibin explores the internal musing, questioning, fantasizing, and circular thinking of his primary character. At times the story feels claustrophobic, other times it induces a kind of dream state like being lost in the mountain fog above Barcelona. A predominant theme here is abandonment, and Toibin presents it from the perspective of those leaving and those left behind. It tears at the soul and leaves yearning and questioning. A mother abandons her daughter who later leaves behind her son. There’s never a full resolution but sometimes an earnest attempt to understand and bridge the rifts of the past. Toibin is one of our greatest English-writing authors, and it’s a pleasure to explore his early writing with this novel of The South. \Michael Helquist, MARIE EQUI: Radical Politics and Outlaw Passions Review: Somber Tale - The South, the story of an Irish woman who falls in love with a Spanish anarchist in 1950's Barcelona, is captivating but tragic. Katherine Proctor, the Irish woman, was a well developed character and, throughout the novel, I was interested in her and cared about her. Often I wondered at her decisions because her chosen life with Miguel is poverty stricken, at times violent and sometimes impossible to continue. The most fascinating aspect for me was the revelation of the complex events of the Spanish Civil War and, especially, the way Franco continued to hunt down those who had fought against his Nationalist army. The plot moves slowly, but that was not a problem for me. Overall,though, the book is a sad one; it begins this way and only becomes more so. Yet, I still feel it was valuable to read. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #290,700 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1,448 in Historical British & Irish Literature #8,939 in Literary Fiction (Books) #15,818 in Historical Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars (832) | | Dimensions | 5.25 x 0.7 x 8 inches | | Edition | Reissue | | ISBN-10 | 1476704481 | | ISBN-13 | 978-1476704487 | | Item Weight | 7.2 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 240 pages | | Publication date | October 30, 2012 | | Publisher | Scribner | ## Images ![The South: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81heUBo2MwL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Complex and Haunting Story *by M***T on January 7, 2016* The South is author Colm Toibin’s first novel, and it was an auspicious arrival in 1990. Brooding and anxious, his protagonist Katherine Proctor seeks a new future even at the cost of abandoning her husband and child in Ireland. She is motivated to get far away, to remove herself from small town values, from the deeply ingrained “troubles” in Ireland, and the low expectations for success that prevail like the cold, heavy mists over the sea and fields. She appears in Barcelona and wanders uncertain and listless in a city and country every bit as haunted by its fractious past as Ireland. How she struggles forward and seeks resolution through painting pulls readers into her predicaments to the end. Interiority defines this story as Toibin explores the internal musing, questioning, fantasizing, and circular thinking of his primary character. At times the story feels claustrophobic, other times it induces a kind of dream state like being lost in the mountain fog above Barcelona. A predominant theme here is abandonment, and Toibin presents it from the perspective of those leaving and those left behind. It tears at the soul and leaves yearning and questioning. A mother abandons her daughter who later leaves behind her son. There’s never a full resolution but sometimes an earnest attempt to understand and bridge the rifts of the past. Toibin is one of our greatest English-writing authors, and it’s a pleasure to explore his early writing with this novel of The South. \Michael Helquist, MARIE EQUI: Radical Politics and Outlaw Passions ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Somber Tale *by L***A on September 20, 2009* The South, the story of an Irish woman who falls in love with a Spanish anarchist in 1950's Barcelona, is captivating but tragic. Katherine Proctor, the Irish woman, was a well developed character and, throughout the novel, I was interested in her and cared about her. Often I wondered at her decisions because her chosen life with Miguel is poverty stricken, at times violent and sometimes impossible to continue. The most fascinating aspect for me was the revelation of the complex events of the Spanish Civil War and, especially, the way Franco continued to hunt down those who had fought against his Nationalist army. The plot moves slowly, but that was not a problem for me. Overall,though, the book is a sad one; it begins this way and only becomes more so. Yet, I still feel it was valuable to read. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Insight into the landscape and religious politics of Ireland and Spain *by K***C on February 7, 2013* I like the insight Colm gave us into the beauty of two European countries. I never really thought about a connection between Ireland and Spain. The character development was a bit clunky, as the writer took too many jumps forward and back to tell us about Katherine. As a reader, I felt unrealistically surprised with the way Miguel met his demise, as we didn't get enough background on him up to that point. All in all, I would recommend this book to readers whose imagination, or knowledge of history in this part of the world, will help them fill in the blanks not given to us by the writer. ## Frequently Bought Together - The South: A Novel - Long Island (Eilis Lacey Series) - Nora Webster: A Novel --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.is/products/25025777-the-south-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.is/products/25025777-the-south-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Iceland* *Store origin: IS* *Last updated: 2026-04-28*