BOOK REVIEW - Susan Hill's "In the Springtime of the year"

It took me a while to get into the story as I felt that Ruth was too two-dimensional. She didn't really do much or think much. It felt rather bland for a number of chapters. As if she was the boring character surrounded by far more interesting ones, until, at last, the last few chapters she shows a bit of herself, a bit of life, a bit of interest. It may have been her youth or closed-up-life-to-date, but I don't think it was solely the theme, death, which made her character so gloomy. Ruth needed Ben's death in order to get a life of her own, even if that life means supporting other people's. The action in the last few chapters almost made up for the pages and pages of reiteration, which may have been needed in order to get to a satisfactory ending. You close the book and feel as if there are no loose ties, it fits and it was worth the read in the end. But, if I had not been reading it for book club, I may have put it on hold, until had finished other books I'm keen to delve into, even if I did choose it.