Like the other book I've read by this author (Being Dead), Harvest is beautifully written, though once in a while I found myself a little lost in the words and not taking in the story - probably due to the mesmerising, ruminative style employed by the narrator (the whole book is narrated from his first person point of view, rather than there being any dialogue, etc). Set in 17th? century England, around the time of the enclosures, the story follows a week in the life and death of a small village, and the events that unfold when various strangers come to the village, first some travelling strangers moved on from their previous land due to enclosures there, then the owner of the village itself and his men, aimed to move the farming people out to make way for sheep pasturing. Even the smallest act can be a catalyst for major change and upheaval, as the story shows; however, just as likely to wreak havoc is the failure to act. I enjoyed this (and as I said, found it beautifully written), but perhaps not quite as much as Being Dead.
No comments:
Post a Comment