Acquainted with a group of painters, Katherine begins to paint, taking lessons and trying her hand.

"[2] The idea for The South came to Tóibín in 1982 whilst on a train from Dublin to his native town of Enniscorthy.

"[2] Thomas O'Dwyer writing in The Jerusalem Post drew comparisons with the work of Milan Kundera the Czech-French author, remarking that "the power of emotion and events is so piercing" in this first novel by Tóibín.

[3] "Spare, grave and finely articulated" is how Richard Eder described this novel, adding that it is "terribly abstract".

The story interweaves the Spanish Civil War and the Irish Troubles, two harsh events in the past of Katherine and her lover, perhaps suggesting reconciliation by the end of the novel.

[4] The Washington Post's Barbara Probst Solomon referred to "the tremendous amount Tóibín leaves unsaid".

[2] Kirkus Reviews noted the spare prose in this first novel by the author, a promising debut.