I've praised J. L. Carr's A Month in the Country on this blog before. But today, for whatever reason, I was reminded of that wonderful novella. I think The Guardian gets it right when characterizing the book as a pastoral vision of life (particularly rural life) following the Great War. Here's a link to their review. They're also right to hint at the novella's "elegiac qualities." If you've read the book, I think you'll agree: it really is a minor masterpiece.
I have read it, but not recently. At the time, I thought it weak but unexceptionable until I read the publication date. I can understand why somebody would write a forgettable 1920s novel in the 1920s. Writing one in 1980, I just don't understand.
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